PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
1
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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that he had to buy, and, therefore, practically to degrade his pay. The same would be the case with all public servants whose salaries are really payable in full sterling money. If such persons were now paid in sovereigns, including the troops, as they ought to be, they would at once find the advantage of their full pay, because for each sovereign they would readily command 20s. 6d. to 21s., or 104 to 10 rupees, even according to the existing practice in the island.
96. And the fact here forces itself upon us, that for years back, during the whole period that the currency has been degraded, both the troops and some of the public servants have been underpaid. Practically, the British silver in which they have been paid has commanded not the tenth of a sove reign or pound sterling for each 28., but about the same as any other coin containing the same quantity of silver. That is, that at the preseut time the 20 shillings of British silver paid to a public officer is worth no more than 10 rupees, or at the rate of 28. a rupee. The trouble of collecting it for special pur poses costs the merchant more, but the additional cost is chiefly for that trouble. It therefore may be true, that through the errors to which I have referred, the troops and public servants would be as well off to be paid in rupees at the rate of 10 to the pound, or 28. each, as they are now with British silver; but it is equally plain that such an arrangement would be perpetuating in a plain and palpable form, an act of injustice to them, which now only exists through an unintentional error.
97. But in this feature of the subject we have only another most significant proof of the present depreciated and unsound state of the pound currency, for it is certainly not a sterling currency, of Man- ritius. It has long been remarked that Mauritius is a most expensive place, and that the prices of every thing are so much higher than in other places, and which may be in a great measure accounted for by
this depreciation of the currency.
98. In adopting a Rupee circulation by the Go- vernment, I would therefore convert all salaries payable in sterling, and the pay of the troops, into rupees, at the rate of Is. 10d. to each rapee.
a soldier's pay was 30s. a-month, I would convert it iato 16 rupees and 14 cents, and not into 15
Ceylon.
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rupees; the former being at the rate of 1s. 10d., the latter at 2s., which he is practically but erro- neously paid at present. So with a public servant, with a salary of 5001. a-year, I would convert it into 5,381 rupees, at the rate of 1x. 10d., and not into 5000 rupees, at the rate of 28.
99. This arrangement would not necessarily apply to local salaries, which have been fixed in pounds, but always in relation to the actual British silver pound in circulation. But these adjustments being all in the hands of the Government, would be easily effected. There are a few cases connected chiefly
with legal proceedings in the courts, and the en- gagement of Coolies, expressed in pounds of British silver, these too would have to be converted upon a plan which on the spot would be easily defined.
100. As frequent mention throughout these dir cussions is made of the conversion of sterling money in Ceylon into rupees at the rate of 21. each, I cannot help saying that a great practical in- justice is perpetrated against the troops serving in that island by the act. With regard to the general community, the injustice must have been only at the time the change was made, as since then all new contracts would accommodate themselves to the new state of the currency. With regard to the troops, no accommodation has taken place, and they con- tinue to suffer a real reduction of pay equal to more than 6 per cent., while serving in that island. But
it is easy to remedy it.
101. By the means proposed for reforming the Mauritius currency, one uniform system of accounts, standard of value, coin in circulation, and money in account, would be established. Practically, it would And when it is con-
be the same as that of India. sidered how 'extensive are the transactions between the Government of India and the East India Com- pany at home, that the payments the latter have to make in England with money furnished from the revenues of India amount to 4,000,0001. a-year, which fumlu have to be brought home, and that all this iu uncomplished with as much ease and at as little cost as if the mɑan system of accounts, the same standard of value, and the same coins were in circulation in Indiaas in England, Irequire to my no more to show that no incanstiance' could arise to the Gemrnment from the adoption of the plan which I