, 1894-07-04
T n AVIS.
Chgisttaasted, St. Creix
Wednesday, 4th July 1894.

The meeting of the Colonial Council held
on Monday, at which His Excellency the
Governor was present, was partly occupied
by routine business and partly by some
commercial matters of more than usual in
terest.
A draft Of Ordinance for renewing the
grant of 81 900 per annum to the West
Indian & Panama Telegraph Company was
run through all its three discussions in tho
one meeting, members being quite willing to
oil the wheels for the measure. Teleglaphic
communication was viewed as u necessity,
though rather an expensive one.
Mr.. Morwiu interpellated the Government
as to whether the Government would further
an Ordinance regulating the fares to be
charged by the bumboats III the harbours of
Christiansted aud Frederiksted The hon.
Durable member illustrated the desirability Of
such regulation by reoounting IL piece Of mo-
dern history which tells how the officers of
the o.. s. ship Portsmouth and certain bum
boat men in the dead of the night or small
hours of the morning, OH u certain occasion,
hau a sharp encounter as to whether or not
s. ahead should be charged for conveying
the officers to the ship, they having previously
~bargained for fifty cents ahead. There was an
i~ncipient battle, which ended in the retreat
Oh Gn6 Duu1DOdJ lueuf anu IL COuipidlliG at VIC
Police Court next day, all OF which could
have been avoided if regulations had been
ia existence.
His Excellency requested a written account
Of this historical incident, and it may be pre-
Aumed that we shall get a regulating Ordi-
nance by and By.
Lawyer Stakemann brought forward an
Interpolation as to whether the Government
would not take steps for extending TO the
West Indian islands a certain law extamt for
some time in the mother country. The law
in question is to the effect that no man
is allowed to give a general mortgage
over movable articles, such as his stock IN
trade, his furniture &c. Lawyer Stakemann
explained that it is possible for a person here
to give a mortgage to a creditor for all his
stock in trade OIL l that other creditors,
q merchant abroad, for example, who had
supplied him with goods, would, III case OF
the mans becoming insOlvent, get nothing
whatever. This was unfair and was injuri-
GUS to the credit Of the islands. The law
referred to shsuld be made valid not only for
Santa Cruz, but for the Danish West Indian
islands, so as include St. Thomas.
His Excellency the Governor replied in
effect that there were many points to be con-
sidered before such a change as that proposed
could be made. The matter would be
referred to the Chief Justice for his opinion
and it would then be seen now far it might be
desirable to take such a step.
A lively discussion followed, in which some
members expressed the opinion that the evil
complained of was not worse than some others
in connection with mortgages, which other
evils should be reformed at the same time, if
anything was to be done at all. Other mem
bers seemed to think that it would be rather
hard to forbid a man getting assistance 10y
mortgaging his stock in trade. In short the
discussion showed that His Excellency was
right in saving that the matter required care
FIJI consideration. At the same time we must
saw that we think the commercial community
ought to feel greatly indebted to Lawyer
Stakemann for calling attention to this matter;
for any flaw in our commercial laws must have
an iniurious effect on the credit of the island