Calendar No. 919 
77TH CONGRESS 
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SENATE 
! 
Report 
1st Session 
No. 884 
  
  
AMENDING THE ORGANIC ACT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
OF THE UNITED STATES, APPROVED JUNE 22, 1936 
  
DecemBER 10, 1941,—Ordered to be printed 
  
Mr. Typings, from the Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs, 
submitted the following 
REPORT 
[To accompany S. 2049] 
The Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs, to whom was 
referred the bill 
(S. 2049) 
to amend the Organic Act of the Virgin 
Islands of the United States, approved June 22, 1936, having consid- 
ered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment 
and 
recommend that the bill do pass. 
Under section 
20 
of the Organic Act, 
in 
its present form, 
the 
Governor of the Virgin Islands, or his representative, is required 
to 
attend meetings of the local legislative bodies. 
This measure would 
make attendance by the Governor or his representative at such sessions 
permissive rather than mandatory. 
The letter from the Acting Secretary of the Interior, addressed to 
the chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories and Insular 
Affairs, approving passage of this measure, is incorporated herein and 
becomes a part of this report. 
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, 
Washington, November 27, 1941. 
Hon. MiLruarp E. Typinas, 
Chairman, Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs, 
United States Senate. 
My Dear SenaTorR Typinags: 
I have received your letter of November 15, 
requesting a report on S. 2049, a bill to amend the Organic Act of the Virgin 
Islands of the United States, approved June 22, 1936. 
Under section 20 of the Organic Act in its present form, the Governor of the 
Virgin Islands or his representative is required to attend meetings of the local 
legislative bodies. 
This requirement is unique; to my knowledge, in no other 
State, Territory, or possession of the United States is it mandatory for the Execu- 
tive or his deputy to attend legislative sessions. 
It 
is undesirable in that it 
frequently necessitates hasty decisions and has the effect of committing the Gov- 
ernor on pending legislation as to the merits of which he has not had an oppor- 
tunity to give adequate consideration. 
Moreover, it tends to break down the
2 
AMEND ORGANIC ACT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
separation of the Executive and legislative branches of the Virgin Islands Govern- 
ment and the system of checks and balances between those branches, which are 
essential aspects of our constitutional form of government. 
S. 2049 would make attendance by the Governor or his representative at legis- 
lative sessions permissive rather than mandatory. 
I approve of the 
bill and 
recommend that it receive the favorable consideration of your committee. 
The Director of the Bureau of the Budget has advised that there would be no 
objection to the submission of this report. 
Sincerely yours, 
E. K. BurLew, 
Acting Secretary of the Interior. 
Oo