, 1891-06-06
P R 0 E E D I N G s
OF TEIE
COLONIAL COUNCIL
FOR ST. CROIA.
( Continuation of Meeting of 25h May)

word further, he would put the request In Cho
Governments letter to the Councils vote =
he would only beg to say that the amendments
should Of course be discussed under the Budget,
but the Committees Report in so far as not
belonging under the Budget ought in his opin-
ion to be taken out from the discussions on the
Budget, and come forward under the item No. Z,
where the discussions on that part OF the
Report naturally belong. AS regards the
Report itself, he would beg now to make a few
remarks. In the Councils Meeting OF End
February, where the proposal for a Committee
came forward, it was said by the proponent,
che would now at once propose that we do
not close LIST discussion on the Draft, but
refer it to a Committee, whose suggestions
should come before a Commission with His
Excellency the Governor at the head, to work
out a plan for the reorganization of the whole
Administration suited to effect the necessary
ret~renchments. Further on the same honor
able Member said CATER that Commission is
finished the Council could make a most sub
missive memorial to His Majesty, prayinc that
the suitable retrenchments in the individual
instances be carried out and His Excellency
could be able to support them" Another
honorable Member (Blackwood) said eve
should have a Committee to dissect the
Budget and propose retrenchments, which
the Home Government must necessarily
take into consideration because they too,
from all that has come forward, must
have seen that we cannot by any means meet
the present requirements, much less cover the
Deficiencies" Furthermore, after the LIST
Crownmember (Quin) had made a few
remarks, the proponent (He witt stated che
wished it to be UNDERSTOOD hat his proposal
was so meant, that a Committee be appointed
to prop ose such retrenchments in the public
expenditure under the public expenses enume-
rated in the Budget, as may judiciously be made
which Report, after being before the
Council, should be forwarded to the Diet.
through the Cove rnment of course" From
the motive for the appointment of the Com
ed, he, (the Vice Chairman) could see no better
than that the Committee had to draw up such
proposals as it's Members considered necessary
in order to arrive at the object in view, re-
trenchments of expenditure, TO bring the ex-
pense within the revenue, and on those pro-
posals the Council should base a submissive
Representation to the Minister and Diet, in
order to have such reductions effected as are
found right and expedient, and over which it
was admitted that the Council has no juris-
diction. Those rotrenc hments which fall under
the jurisdiction of the Council, to decide n
and which the Committee proposes, are con-
tanned in the Amendments proposed by said
Committee to the Money Bills on the Budget
and are to be discussed under the Budget.
1t seemed to him that the Committee has pretty
we'll understood the reason and purport of its
appointment and in the preface to it's Report
the Committee states Gin it's meeting of End
February a.c.the Colonial Council elected the
undersigned to form a Committee to examine
the Draft of Budget for 1891 80 and report to
the Colonial Council such ways and means,
which might be considered best adapted to
place the Community in a better financial po-
sition than the most deplorable one, under
which it is now labouring, and with the view
of the Council basing thereon a submis-
sive representation to the Home Govern
ment petitioning for its aid in effecting
retrenchments." His views are now then
that the Representation is a matter Of itself
quite outside the Budget, and if we now
were to discuss the proposals on this head
under the Budget. we would have to dis
cuss them again under the head of the Repre-
sentation mentioned in No. 7 of the Order of
Day. Whereas the Committee Report on
such matters over which the Council has
no jurisdiction and which shall serve as a
basis for the representation to the Minis
try properly belongs under the discussion On
this latter, No. z of the Order of Day.
The question before the Council in connec-
ton with the Governments letter Just read
is, whether the discussions shall under the