43 
are being made to grapple with the mination and place the finances of 
the island on a more satisfactory footing :— 
pedir s ite aie 
ecem 
"The following Despatch from the Right piktondtineble e Bertin of 
‘State to his oe the Governor-in-Chief is published for general 
information 
Str, Do med du mana November 19, EL US 
‘Tue serious financial position ca has for 
engaged my serious attention. It appears That with a funded debt 
. and n 
to furnish a working balance, and that there is urgent need for certain 
public works, viz., the repair of the Infirmary, the re-building of the 
Roseau Jetty, the. repair of the Court House, the construction of bridges, 
and vein of existing roads, the aggregate cost of which is estimated 
to be about 5 
2. I am at ‘the same time aware of the caer eed testimony which is 
borne to the natural richness of the island, and of the absolute necessity 
of roads or railways x its Pee p and I hive had before me the 
late Sir Robert Hamilton’s Report an A subsequent correspondence, 
3. I am satisfied iar at the present time the financial position of the 
Presidency does not admit of its undertaking fresh liabilities in the shape 
of a further loan for the construction of roads or railways, and that on 
the other hand without better iit abl and the opening up of the 
rich districts at present undeve lo on account of their inaccessibility 
population will continue to leave the islan ii and that capital will flow 
out of it instead of into it with the result of diminishing revenue, and 
generel decadence 
4. I have, ibibdfonis further considered the Et of affording 
Imperial assistance to Dominica, and while I concur in my ater s 
view that Sad actual claim to such assistance ichs on the receipt by 
the Imperial Treasury of the proceeds of the sales of lands in 1765 to 
1773 is x remote to be considered now, I —MÀ v this circumstance 
affords some justification for exceptional ‘treatm 
5. Any such assistance, in whatever golive sim necessarily require 
the consent of the Lords Commissionets of the Treasury, and of Parlia- 
ment, and until that consent is obtained it is ar aaa for me to pledge 
myse elf in any wa ; but I may say that desire is to assist the 
Presidency in developing its ae n rich resources, and to help to 
place it on a sound financia 
6. Before, however, I can be in a position to ask such assistance I must 
know that the Legislature of Dominica, as I have no doubt wiil be the 
case, are prepared to do their part towards the attainment of these objects, 
and more dei that the Legislature are willing to vote the 
additional taxation which is required to make the revenue balance the 
expenditure, and to transfer the expenditure of the town of Roseau to 
a Town Board to be met by municipal taxation as recommended by 
ir R. Hamilton. 
7. As some time must, in any case, elapse before any decision can be 
arrived at as to the reme to be adopted, it will be necessary to make 
temporary provision for the 15,0007. which is immediately required. 
In framing the estimates for 1895 the Administrator should provide 
for a sufficient revenue to cover the ordinary expenditure, but the 
