, 1891-04-29

He would then chiefly state, that 30 far from
Immigrants from this Quarter finding a hiding
place in Frederiksted's quarter. it is rather the
reverse we in West End quarter get our i'm
migrants, pay for them, but see them wander
ing off towards Christiansted's Estates very
often with hoes etc. not belongings TO them
The Acting Vice Goceruor: With regard to,
the Draft introduced by the honorable 3rd
Member for Christiansted's Country District
(Svitzer) he would beg to make some remarks.
The honorable Member had put many ketero~
geneous matters together in the Draft, and it
is of course not correct that one Ordinance
comprises so many different things he would,
however, not dwell further, uponthat, but make
some omment upon the several items of the
Draft. First, then, there is the limitation In
the use of firearms it is proposed that no, per.
son owning under $50 acres of land shall be-
allowed to have a gun, except he pays $40 for
the license and 81 for the renewal every year
There might perhaps be cause to try to- limit
the introduction of firearms ; he knew that
the use of fire arms by persons in hunting and
shooting in places where they have no per-
mission, leads to- stealing and other mischief,
and it might be beneficial to put a stop to that
abuse; in the same manner as a tax is col
lected on horses, carts, carriages, boats, 80 also
a tax might perhaps be collectedIon firearms ;
Jul I1SA lit Iu0dbuTO eLtOutV D6 CQUSkt W III r
parties owning $50 acres Of land should not be-
exempted, while everybody else has to pay.
To forbid the owner of a gun to lend it to-
others, seems to be too great an encroachment
on the right of property. The Draft proposes
next that any land owner or. his manager or
oyerseer or any one else having authorization
from him, shall have power to seize and appre-.
bend any person bearing firearms on the land
of the party concerned with respect to this
matter he would IT fer honorable Members
to an Ordinance which emnnated some few
years ago, namely on the 9Th July 1886, to
prevent TT, spassing en- fields and roads ;. that
Ordinance says in s II: 1.-The Police, the
quarter officers and the persons authorized
by the POlicemasters are empowered to take
away firearms from any person found on the
country roads with firearms, who is not himself
an owner or renter Of land in the vicinity or
who has not permission to hunt from a proprie-
tor or renter Of at least 10 acres of land, If it
must be presumed that he intends to trespass on
others lands in order to hunt, likewise from
persons found hunting on the country
roads" The present draft goes much fur
Their, IN as far as it gives the right to private
parties to seize persons, who carry firearms
the Ordinance of 1885 did not give such q
right, likely because it was a dangerous right.
and could lead to serious mischief. He would
admit, that 1t must De VeXaClOuS ana unSaClS~
factory to owners of estates, when they meet
strange people on their estates with firearms,
that they have no poweragainst such treSpass-
ers beyond that of asking their names and re-
porting q it to the police bat pa said~$ft would
not be without danger to give private parties,
owners of estates or their representatives, a
further right in this respect than what exists
at present, and the Council should 9be. careful
with regard to proposing alterations in the
Ordinance of 1886, which is Of a very recent
date it seemed to be rather early already now
to make changes in that Ordinance. Further
more it is proposed in s Q Of the draft, that any
person found guilty of hunting OF shooting
game Of any kind and wild annimals of any
description on strange land without permission
shall be punished with a fine not below 50 and
not exceeding SIS or with imprisonment. but
also in this respect does the Ordinance of
1886 in its s IT, second CLAUSE, aContain
the enactment that any peTson9 found
guilty of killing deer on another persons
property without permission shall be liable
to fines or imprisonment b proposal
in the Draft goes further but he could not
see thak>there~is really any necessity to OK
tend the existing rules: he did not know
that there are wild animals on. the Island
beyond those mentioned in the Ordinance of
1886 (Sgitser :: There are. wild Asses in East
Enc, wild Bulls and wild Cows .,D JHell,
%horo miohf houomo< o,,oh h,,t IA the