, 1898-05-25

thereto.
The importation or circulation or dIstrlbu-
ton Of the objects Of which the making is I'M
der S | for biIdcu in he Da- ish West India
Islands, is aIsa forbidden.
So.
In case of offences against the present
ordinance. and in 81 far MS a higher penalty
is not incurred by law, the offender shall be
liable to fines not exceeding 100 West India
dollars, which fines accrue to the Colonial
Treasury; and the objects which have been
male or imported in contravention Of the
present Ordinance shall be contscated and
destroyed.
Cases referring to offences against the pre-.
sent Ordinance are treated as public police
suits.
The present Ordinance takes eject
months after its publication in the Danish
West India Islands.
The Gopernmentssec AIRY sud, in intro
ducing this draft IN recommending it for
the Councils adoption. he was directed by
His Excellency The Governor to make the
following remarks :-As far back as 1874 a
law emnnaled in the Mothrrcountry CORES.
pending to the draft as far us regards the
objects mentioned uuder S | a. and b, coin,
banknotes, stocks and shares, bat the ques-
ton of extending the law to The colonies,
was not then raised, probably because under
the actual circumstance there seemed to be
no necessity for such extension. When,
however, in 1889 another law emamated in
the Mothercountry, making the provisions
Of the law Of 1874 applicable also to the OBJ
jeots mentioned under 81 c., postage stamps
and other means of prepnying postage, the
Danish Postmaster General suggested that
this law should be extended to the colonies
which as we'll as the Mother country. belong
to the Postal Union. Thus the question was
raised, but rs it was not considered right to
extend the law of 1889, without extending at
the same time the law Of 1874. and as, because
Of the cheques representing fractions of the
Mexican ID pllar. the SO called tokens, then in
circulation in 81. Thomas, it was thought
doubtful whether the moment wONld be OPP.
perfume fOr the extension of the law Of 1874,
the matter WAS not then brought to all end.
Now, however. this difficulty has disappeared.
and the Home Government have authorized
the Government to bring forward the present
draft.
So much for the history of The draft.
AS to the contents Of the Draft, not much
is to be said; in our ADVERTISING days it has
Ocourred-he would not say here, but in
places Of more in 'ense Lille, that cards
ClCQlSS, IL O0ASS tIoNNOlUbl AS. AlO pNONPCO'uoOS
have presented q considerable resemblance to
banknotes, stamps and stocks; it has happen
ed also that counters wore a strong likeness
to coin. This resemblance to a circulating
medium is, from obvious and practical reA-
sons, Objectionable; it is even dangerous
in so far as presenting a temptation to fraud;
and the object of the draft is to put a stop
to this nuisance by making it all illegal act
to produce or import things essentially alike
to a commonly circulating means of payment.
1t is a special offence, an offence Of its own
kind, that will be created, if the draft be-
comes law; it is evident, also from the penal
clause, that the draft does not deal with
forgery or fraud; the counterfeiter and the
defrauder are dsnIt with in quite y different
fashion under the ordinary criminal law.
With these remarks, under His Excellency's
direction, he would again recommend the
draft to the Council for consideration and
adoption.
lst Member for Christiansted's Country
District (StGkemdnn) said, he did not see that
this law could be of much ~practica! use here;
still he did not think it could do any harm:
the Colonial Council might therefore with
great ease pass it.
No one requested the word; 1st discus
sion was closed, and the draft passed to End
discussion.