, 1891-06-20

ever that there can be no real objection against
handling the Budget Amendments separately
from the schemes Of future reforms, in as
much as these can never take effect except
through Ordinances. When the honorable
2nd Member for Frederiksted Blackwood) re-
ferred to a Memoria on those subjects to the
Minister or even to the King, he (Quin) would
say certainly let us have it by ali means. But
the Government means, that as the Committee
has proposed such big changes, requiring Or
dlnances or the assistance of the Home Gov
ernment to achieve them, it is requisite to keep
these items apart from the discussions on the
other items that are subject to the Councils
vote bat that does by no means !, event the
former class of proposals from being discussed
just as fully. All that the Council has to do
is to separate the amendments, and take the
rest Of the proposals afterwards.
2nd Member for Fredcriksted's Country
District (Bloch~ood) would in reply to the
remarks from lst Crown Member (Quin) Beg
to refer to the Introductory remarks in the
Committees Repo.t, VIZ: In its meeting
Of md February a. c. the Colonial Coun-
Gil elected the undersigned to form a Com
mittee to examine the Draft Of Budget
for 1912 and report to the Colonial Council
such ways and means, which might be consi-
dered best adapted to place theCommunity ina
better financial position than the most drplora-
be one, under which it is now hbouring, and
with the view Of the Council basing thereon a
submissive representation to the Home Gov
eminent petitioning for its aid in c~ffecting
retrenchments.
Your Committee has with this aim held
several meetings, and taken under due and
careful consideration the means and ways by
which an improved position Of the finances Of
Al, I,1,,I on, IL &c. ~ o.-o,:1I-
far as possible. a balanced budget be produced.
This shows that the Committee has not over
reached the trust committed to it, nor has the
Counci overstepped its power. when we lock
at : IS of the Colonial Law, where no limits
are prescribed for what the Council may pc
tition for. If now the Committees Report
and proposals be rejected by the Council. SO
far all + ght, but if they be adopted, we shall
have to make a representation on the basis
thereof to the Home Government he trusted
that the Home Government will take the whole
matter under consideration and do what is
needful to keep the colony in existence. AS
for the mode Of despatching this matter in the
Council. he would repeat his former recon-
mCndltiOn.
End Member f n ChrIstiansted (Stahemann)
said, that in the last meeting he had stated his
views on the particular matter now before the
Council, and he ha not expected to have to
say more to-day. but from the remarks from
LIST Crown Member Quinn he felt it necessary
to say Il few words further. His own vi " is,
tina: such parts Of the Budget Committees
Report as are outside Of special amendments to
the Money Bills, belong to the Representation
which we are to forward to tie Minister, and
on which the Councils vote will be taken as to
whether it is to be in accordance with the Com
mittee's Report, or how. But as regards the view
held by LIST Grown Member that the scope given
the Committee by the Council was too wide.
he could not agree. The Council has a right
to propose any alteration in the Administration
of the Colony, and whether it can be carried
out by a vote under the Budget or by a
vote on a Draft of Ordinance, the Council can
direct its Committee to make proposals for such
alterations. 1t is acknowledged that the Com
mittee has not overstepped the mark, and the
Colonial Council has not either overstepped its
mark. The Councils right to propose or recon-
mend anything without limit, cannot and is not
disputed by the Government; but the Govern
ment asks that in discussing these proposals,
the Council would confine itself thereto alone,
after having despatched the amendments pro-
posed by the Committee to the present Draft of
Budget;as far as he could see that would be requi-
site only in reference to 4 items; and with re-
ference to what has been stated in regard to
precedence on former similar occasions, he