ST
D1
X 25
OF
THE
FOR
ST.
CROIX.
(Continued from yesterday’s
Avis.)
Item
2.
Colonial
Council
Bill
No. 12.
Third Couneil, First 3ession.
Continuation
of
3rd
discussion
on
Colonial
Counecil
Bill No.
12,
Draft
of
an Ordinance
introduced
by
Gov-
ernment
providing
for
the
assess-
ment,
levy,
and
collection
nf taxes
“or the Municipality of St. Croix.
The
Viee Chairman
remarked:
This
is
a very
old ordinance.
[ won’t
say
an
old friend, for
it is not.
It has
been
on
the calendar
for nearly
two years;
it was
sent
to a Commitiee
of the whole
Coun-
cil and
by that Committee
was
sent
to a
Committee
of 5 members.
A report
was
received,
printed and
cihiculated
to Mem-
bers.
In the
meeting
of December
17 it
came
up
en 3rd
discussion
and
the
Gov-
ernment Secretary
asked
that it be
con-
tinued
so as
to give Government
time for
consideration
before
final action
is taken
on it,
Ist
Member
for
Irederiksted
Town
(Jackson):
Mr.
Vice Chairruan.,
1 beg
to draw attention
to an omission—Coloni-
-21 Council
Bill No.
8 ereating
a
commis-
ston
to
compiie
and
revise
the
Code
of
General
and Speciat
Laws
for the
Muri-
cipality
of St. Croix
is not
on the
Order
of the day.
The
Viece-Chairman
in veply to the last
spraker
said,—The
Clerk
informs
me
that
this question
is taken
up with
the
Chairman
and
was advised
that bills
be-
sea
commiitee
are
not
entered
on
the
crdr
of
the
day
until
the
committee
sends
in its report.
Ist
Member
f{or Frederiksted
Town
(Jackson):
‘The
procedure
is
wrongz.
Bills pending
before
a
commitiee
aiways
come
forward
on the
order
of
the
day
and if it is to go
over it goes,
but it must
be put
on the order of the day.
2nd
Member
for
Christiansted
Town
(Canegata)
remarked:
Mr. Vice Chair-
man.
The Honorable
Member
is wrong.
My experience
has
been that whenever
a
bill
goes
to a committee
it is
not put on
the order of the
day until the commitiee
reports.
The
Vice Chairman:
That’s
exactly
the ruling of the
Chairman
of the
Coun-
eil.
Ist
Member
for
Frederiksted
Town
(Jacksom):
If the
Chairman
so
rules
I
wish
to file an objection.
Government
Secietary
(Zane) remark-
ed:
Mr. Vice-Chairman.
ihe
real
and
personal
property
tax
ordinance
which,
as
the
Vice-Chairman
has
stated,
has
heen
so Jong
before the Colonial
Council
is
now on 3rd
discussion
and
therefore
subjest
to amendment
only by
G).era-
ited
States
Prass
R
tivas’
Visit To St. Croix, Virgi
United Siates
Prass
Raprasentatives’
Visit
To
St.
Groix,
Yirgin
v
Istands,
U. S. A
THURSDAY February
21st,
1924,
AS REVIEWED BY BUMBLE BEE EN ROUTE
—Ol
01— 01—
(Continued from yesterday’s
Avis.)
We
now pass
upon
our left
a
large
imposing
building
of three stories
which
is the
public scheol,
a school
efficiently
conducted
and
ore
that
wouid
be
a credit
to
a
town
twice the size
of Christiansted
upen
the mainland; and
on
our right
we
3ce
the staiely
building,
the Danish
Lutheran
Church,
dating ifrom
1830
and
built during the reign
of
King Christian
VI. ot Denmark
and which was
the
State
Church
of the Danish
Govern-
ment who during
that
time
had
entered
upon
the
annual
budget
of the Colony the
salary of the Minister and
other general
necessary
expenses
for its upkeep.
The church
contains
some
interesting
mural
tablets
and
a
very laree
pew for ihe
use
of the Governor
and
his
family
wheu
he
attends
services
in the church;
the
ex-
penses
of maintaining
the
church
boweser
were
transferred
as
a
charge
on
the evlouial
budg-t
to the
Dauish
State
Goverument
upon the revision
of the Colonial Law in 1997.
Baofore
the transfer
the Danish
Government
did
not
recognize
any other religious
sect
than
the Lutheran,
Anglicar, Roman
Catholic and Moravian except
for some
years
previous
to the transfer
they began
to admit other forms of religious
meetings,
but
did
not allow their ministers
fuil functions
of the
recognized
clergy; but since
toe
United
Stares
sovereignty
all
have
been
granted
full
license
and today
we have
b»sices
the
four
old
established
Churches
the
Seventh
Day
Adventist,
the
Corisiian
Mission,
African Methodist Episcopal
Chureh,
the
Burning
Bush
Society
and
last
but
not least
the ever irrepressible
Salvation
Army.
The inhabitants
of St.
Croix
are
a God feaving
people
and
with few exczptions
are attached
to one of these religious
bodies.
We
have
now,
so
to speak,
arrived at our journey’s end
as the next building is
the
stately
Government
House,
b2gun
in the
middle of tne
eizhteenth
century,
‘largely re-
buiit
and
increased
in
siz2
io
1774
and
again
adled
to
in
1830
when
th=2
north-
astern
entrance
was buili with
irs commanding
steps
and
entranca
gates
Lo
provide
an
easy
access
lato
the ball
room
as
was previously necessary.
I'he building is built of brick
and
sione
of three
stories
in
height and
a length of
about
2)0
feet
long
and
widn
about
50 feet.
‘l'he building
was
built principally as tha Goveraor’s residence
wno oc:u-
pied
the second
and
third floors
while
the ground floor
was used
as offices of the
various
departments
of the government
except
the southwest
eorner
winich
was
the entrance
to
the resideniial
portion.
The building
ils now occupied
by various deparimental
acuvities
of the
Municipat
Government
in the southern
portion wail 2 th: norchera
portion
s used
by
-the Despatening
Secietary
and
offices
immediately
under
his
enargs
as
weil as
the
Governor’s
Oifize when
upon
the isiand.
The ball
roon
oa
the
second
floor (north)
is
now the Council Chamber
and
as such
has
been
used
by ihe legisiative body since
its in-
cepiion:
over this
large hail
1s
a suite of- roums
now used
by
tee
Governor
as
living
quartzrs
when
in resid:nce,
as
the
Danish
Goveranor’s principal residance
is now
used
by the District Court and by the office of th2
Governmznt
Attorn=y, while the
entranee
tnrough
which callers
upon
the Governor
in the olden days
passed
to be received
is
now
the otiice of
the District Judge.
Our
automobiles
stopped
at the
entrance
gate
at the end
of
the building
and
our
ouests
mounted
the
steps
whieh
was constructed
as already
mentioned
in 1830
and
2n-
tered
the Counc:l Chamber
first through
an
ante-room
in wiich is s2en
a
very large oval
mahogany
table
and
at
whiga Secretary
of State
Seward
on 18 of November,
1857 when
tne isiand
was
visited by
an earthquake
and
tidal wave,
the principal casuaity
being
the
casting
ashore
ors
the
U.
S.
3. ,'sonongehzla’
at
Frederiksred.
Damaze
from
ihe
earthquake
in the
island
was inconsideradle
and
no loss of lite occarced;
sach
a
phenso-
menon
has
not
been experienced
since
then.
Mr. Seward
at the
time was
negotiating
for the
transfer
of the islands
of 3t.
Thomas
and
St. John
to
the United
States;
3t
Croix was
not included
in the deal
as th: French
(Government
by a clause
o’ the
Treuty
of sal= in 1733 had
the option of repurenase
and filed objection
with Denmark.
At
the
time
of the negotiation
tne
French
Government
was
not friendly disposed
toward
t%e
United States
owing to their attitude
toward
Mexico and Emperor Maximilian who gave
great
offence
to france
at that period
as
the United
States form-lly opposed
there
s-
tabtishment
of the
rmouopu.y
syswe:n
of Government
upon
the
Western
Hemisphere,
Katering from that
room
into the Council Chamber
we view
a
hail 30 teet long by
21 feet wide
with loboies
the length
of the
room
on either
side exits from
whiceh
into
the loboy being 14 doors
on either side,
the
panels
between
which
were formerly
fill»d
will
tall mirrors
with bright gilt frames
and
from the ceiling hung
five large
erystal
cnandeliers
with muany
giass
suades
each
supplied
with lacse
wax candles.
Bot
the
mirrors
and enandeliers
by the
Government
Secretary
of the
Danish Government
who
h s been
made
Consul General of Denmark after the transfer and with power to earry
2u:
upon Denmark’s
behalf that part of the Treaty
which reads: