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could nnt speak a word of Enzlish, they | wore given the Foraker Act; an Act was | given to tawaii, one was given to the Philippises and one was given to Alas- | ka. lam interested in this ficht and I am going to ecarry it throug), and th | American peopie will decide, When [ | say people Ido not m2an we who are | ‘mhvred here I mean every one under | the flag. Mr. Coanairman, let the Colo- | nial Councils take their course and | the Virgin Isiands Comumittea will | take its course. Tne Honorable Member | made reference to section 2of the organ- | ic Act, I wish to say that there are many | other sections that are not compatidle ! with American Laws. The American | people will decide whether we an inteli gent pecple are deserving of c.tizenship. | 2nd Appointed Member for St. Croix (Noll): Mr. Chairman. May 1 propound a question to the last speaker? The Chairman: State the question to ! the Chair. 9nd Appoinied Member for S*. Croix (Noll): I ask the Chair to ask the Honorable Member instead of taking this bill to Senator Mcliean why did h» not brins it before the Colonia: Co.unciis of these islands? | Bth Elected Member for St, Thomas (Rothschild Fra:icis) in reply o the last speaker said, I thought there were suffi- cient memhers in these Councils that love things American. Thais why I didn’t bring it before thzse Couaeils. A motion was made by the Chairman (Merwir) and carried that 6amembers be elected to form a committee (o receive and report on the resoluilon, A recesss of 20 minutes was given. After tie recess upon reassembling the Chairm: n asked the members 0 prepare their vo'ing tickets for the eleetion ofa ¢ mmitt ;e of six members three irom each Ccuncils. 96 vot ng tickets were handed in; one b.z:nk. Electe¢ were: 3rd Apreinted Mcn ber for St. CroiX (Armstrong), ai.d 6th klect- | ed Member for St. Thomas (Corneiro), | 91 d Men ber for Christiansted Town Ca- | ni gata, 2nd Appointed Member for St. | Croix (Noll), 3rd Appointed Mcmber for St. Thories (Nolte) and sth Elected Mem- | ber for St. Thomas (Thiele) with 26 | votes respectively. | The Chsirman then introduced an am- erdnment to the Resolution by Ist Mem- | ber for Frederiksted Town (Jackson; | which was first read by the Secretary | (Nolte). RESOLUTION. 1 Whereas there has been introduced in- 1 to the Senate of the United States a Bill | (S. 2786, providing for a Civil Govern- | ment for the Virgin Islaads, ard Whereas the said Bill in its present | form does not wholly conform to local ‘ needs, and Whereas it is the desire of the peo- ! ple of the Virgin Islands to have an | American Civil form of Goverrment, i ] = 835 k A VIS It is therefore resolved by this Colo- nial Council in joint session assembled. that the Governor of the Virgin Islands be requested, and he is here requested, to request the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Irsuiar Affiirs to with- bold action on the said Bill until such time as this joint body shall forward amendments or suggestions to the Chair- mar. of the said Com mittee expressing the wishes of the people of the Virgin Islands thercon. D. HA.\IILT()’.I ACKSON, ' Ist Member for Frederilsted Town. Christiansted. St. Croix, April 4. 1924 Ist Member for Frederiksted Town (Jazkson) in introducing the amendment sald,—-Mr Chairman,and Honorable Mem. bers in introducing this amendment1 think I am pnrsuing the proper course as a representaiive of some of the people of this island. This resoiution which is in- tended to repudiate the Senate Bill does not come within the common knowledge of our constituents. Whenever a change in the form of government is to take place whereby any number of people will be aifected our constituents should have knowledge of it, so that they may know how they shall be g¢overned, We need not to go back to that immor- tal instrument, the | e laration of Inde- pendence of the United States, to find out where that principle comes from, but foilow the suggestions made by the Honorable 2aod Appoinied Member of this Council, and follow the last part of this resolution which reads: **And be it turther resolved that it is our opinion that the present form of Government should continue until a change s requested which emanates irom the people of the Viigin Islands after they hLave given deliberate thought to the subject and have pro- posed a measure embodying adequate provisions to care for special local con- ditions, and that the Covernment of the Virgin Islands take such steps as mav be necessary to inform the pro- per cfficials of the -en-e of this reso- lution zanud to request tiat Senate Bill No. 278> be either withdrawn or that nu,furtherucnon be taken regarding 0 the speaker continuing,—l have brougzht in this amendment that has for its pur- pose the delaving of action on Sena e Bill No. 2786 until the people of the Virgin Jslands have a chance to say whether or rot they desire the change. ‘i'his resolu- tion contains much that is good and some that is very bad. [ want to give credit to those who (rame this reseolution for the good features of it. 1 won't denounuce the bad features of it because we all make mistakes. 1 certainly cannot vote for this resolution, particularly thke se- cond paragraph. 1 admit that the per- son or persons who requested the adoption of Senate Bill No. 2i86 did not act with the consent of the Colonial Chun-il of {Bt Cro'x, nor the Cnlanial Council of St | Thomas and St. Johr, and I am sure - that the person who introduced it did | not act with the consent of the Govern | ment of the Virgin Islands, but itis a . request of the common people. .. .. : 2nd Appointed Member for St Croix ' (Noll): Inyour opinion, Ist Member for Frederiksted Town (Jackson) continuing,—lt is the wishes of the people and that's why Senator | Me..ean introduced it! 5 The American flag is flying here gen- i tlemen. 1 have taken my oath to sup- | port the Constitution of the United | States,I will say that I want tc see as ' good an American Government in these | islands as taere is in Porto Rico, a peo- | ple foreign to American sentiments, | Take the peons tor instance they are | illiterate, base and unlettered, neverthe- ‘ less they are citizens of the United ' States; and an irtelligent people living . up to American ideals secking citizen- ship and vou have brought in a resolution i saving they don’t want it. ( It is true tha' this bill lacks many . things, it is rcugh, but it is a stepping | stone, it is a adder towards wh:t ne | should have, Tue President of the Uni- | ted States has gone on record as saving i that the people of the Virgin Islancs ! sheould have a civil form of governmen: § We have had two commissions sent | down here by the President of the United | States and the people through their du'y | appointed representatives have gonpe on | record as asking for civil government for | them, and today you are saying that civil . governm 'nt is asked for without the con- [ sent of the peopie. It is easy today to . get a mandate signed by ten thousand i people to the effect that they need ¢ivil | government, | [ know that my amendment asking | that the Senate Bill be neld in abeyar ce ' will be turned down Ihis aftervoon, but | Ifeel it my duty to ictroduceit. Mr. Y Cheirman with these remarks I take the - liherty toantroduce the amendment, f 2nd Appointed Member for St. Croix . (Noll) remarked: Mr. Chairman [ want | togoon reeord as saying that Ido not . believe that the people of these i-jat s . have bren consulted with reference to ! their cpPinion as to civil government, | | bave lived here seves years tnd have no ' knowledue that they have ever beeu con- . sulted. lam stating tins merely for the ' sake of record. | 2nd Member for Christianstad Town . (Canegata):; It is my duty as a repre- . sentative of the people who I rejresent ' to keep the door open and act within . their best interest. I would like tote . informed as to what there isin the 1 ¢ . paragraph of the resolution to pr vnt | the people from asking for what tuey | want at any time. The amendment brought in by ist Member for Frederiksted [own (Jackson) was acain read. : 41t Member for Frederiksted Country