, 1892-01-30

OuIlI Tue uIIlCuIIy mas D6en SO1Neu DY the Diet,
we must necessarily work with the Institutions
we have. When the honorable Member who
Just spoke (Hewi tt) alluded to the withdrawal
of commercial firms from the Island, and would
have it appear that that vas owing to high
taxation and expensive administration. he. the
Governor. would protest against such q state
ment, because it is not true. Even if the
Budgets show large deficiencies, still the Home
Government helps to defray the expenses and
to meet those deficiencies; W.T. should ,be CRATE
full enough to acknowledge this; aad at the
same time we may well be assured that the
Home Government will not in the future leave
us in the lurch. He would regret much II the
Council should come to the conclusion not to
discuss the Draft of Budget this is the duty
Of the Council. under the Colonial Law. and rs
long as the Members are elected under that
Law, so long must they perform that duty.
3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (HenitN With regard to His TX
cellency's remarks about new proposals. lie
would say he did not believe it was the Coun-
ellis intention to bring in new proposals, It
has not been done every year. But what he
would now recommend, is to do as last year.
namely propose such alterations as would
bring the expenditure within the revenue, ana
thus relieve lis of the responsibility The
Council does not intend to make changes
involving any danger it is a mistake His
ExcelIency made when supposing so. Aud
as regards the removal Of firms, it is certainly
so that foreign capital can not remain here
under the present high taxes and uncertainty
as to more being imposed to cover the COM
slant deficiencies on the Budget and His
Excellency is also there mistaken not a man
who lives here and is interested in the Island
who does not feel the pressure, and not 4 man
who does not feel capital insecure when jn-
vested under such circumstances, and he was
only sorry His Excellency is not better inform
ed as to the effects on the removal If capital
from the Island.
2nd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (BIackwood III regard to the dis
cussions he had not much to say, but from
His EXcellency's remarks about the Commit
tees proposals last year being something new.
he must say he could not see thai In reality
there is anything new in Them, and In So far
as it would appear that the Committee had
oversterped It's limits, he must say he believed
and shall continue to believe. until clearly
shown the contrary by the dictates Of the
Colonial Law and Rules Of Business, that the
Budget Committee has not overstepped its
limits Of power when making the recon-
mendations it did to the Council, and he is up
to now con WINGED that all Ihat was SAID or
don was within the limits of the Colonial
Law at all events We were not at the time
told anything to the contrary and if We
were beyond. We should certainly have been
told so and convinced thereof. That this
Island can exist under the heavy taxation
and with a constant and increasing deficit
in the public Budget, il preposterous to ex-
peet, and no sane man will Iisk capital
under such circumstances in this Island
no capital will be safe, that is the belief held
by those interested. 1t is certainly very kind
and considerate Of the Mother Country to de-
fray those expenses which we cannot cover
but we have not heard that she intends it as
a present and it is not to be supposed that
she means 1t SO; but that it is a constantly IN
creasing debt, and some time a day of reckon
ing will come; the taxpayers in the Mother
country might some day find it hard and OBJ
ject to their paying taxes to keep up the colo.
ny; it is not improbable that the question
might arise even on a change of Minister
but when that debt is TO be paid, what else
than heavier taxation on the Island, TO meet
the amounts. Now, the Commercial Firm
4e represents here has certainly had a good
opportunity to Judge of the matter: we have
a great deal invested, and we have not made
money, butfor the last years had a loss ofS30-
10000, and it will take several good years to
make up that loss With. the present pros
poets before us, there is not much Of a bright