Sir,
236
Inclosure 3 in No. 60.
Calcutta, May 28, 1872. IN continuation of this Office letter dated the 7th instant, on the subject of the treatment of emigrant Coolies at the Mauritius, and with reference to the recommenda tion contained in paragraph 5 to the effect that the Indian Government should insist that the offer of each employer should be made known to the Coolies, I am directed to state, for the information of the Government of India, that in reply to an inquiry from this Office the Emigration Agent for Mauritius at Calcutta has stated that he has at this moment nine requisitions in hand for 545 emigrants in all, to whom wages are offered by planters in the Island at rates above those of the minimum scale entered in other requisitions on which Mr. Eales is at present working.
2. Mr. Eales does not publish or offer the higher rates which these nine planters are ready to give, and they get no advantage from their offer till all offering the lower rate of wages are supplied, while the coolies are deprived of the benefit of competition for their services, and the real object of the system of requisitions seems to be in fact defeated. The Lieutenant-Governor, however, does not see how be can insist on the Emigration Agent publishing the better offer he has. It must lie with his own Government, as the law stands, to settle this, but the point is deserving of the attention of the Government of India.
I have, &c.
(Signed) A. MACKENZIE,
Junior Secretary to the Government of Bengal.
The Secretary to the Government of India,
Inclosure 4 in No. 60.
·
The Secretary to the Government of India to the Colonial Secretary, Mauritius, July 13, 1872.
[Sec Inclosure 1 in No. 56.]
237
Colonial Immigration Office, the Governor-General in Council was not content to take the report of the Commission for guide, but set himself carefully to peruse the evidence given by the Protector of Immigrants and by the clerks employed in his office, and that it was upon that evidence alone that the Government of India was led to form an opinion which, so far as it differs from that expressed in the Report, does not differ in the direction of being more favourable to Mr. Beyts.
3. Having now perused that gentleman's exculpatory statement, and collated it with his evidence before the Commission, the Governor-General in Council regrets to say that the result is not to increase his confidence in Mr. Beyts' capacity to perceive or perform his duties as Protector of Emigrants.
4. I am to remark that your letter dated 30th April last, to which you refer, has never reached the Government of India. If it did more than merely forward the Report of the Police Inquiry Commission, I am to request the favour of a duplicate being furnished.
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary,
Mauritius.
I have, &c. (Signed) A. O. HUME,
No. 61.
Secretary to the Government of India.
The Earl of Kimberley to Governor the Hon. Sir A. H. Gordon, K.C.M.G.
(No. 268.) Sir,
Downing Street, November 2, 1872. WITH reference to my despatch No. 259 of the 25th of last month, I have the honour to transmit to you, for your information, a copy of a letter I have received from Mr. Fraser, with observations on the Report which he wrote as a member of the Police Commission in Mauritius.*
I have, &c.
(Signed) KIMBERLEY.
Inclosure 5 in No. 60.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
LICO.
882
2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
My Lord Duke,
Simla, August 19, 1872. IN continuation of our despatch of the 15th ultimo, we have the honour to forward herewith, for your Grace's information, copy of a letter dated 12th instant, which we have addressed to the Government of the Mauritius in reply to a letter, with which was forwarded to us the protest of the Honourable Mr. Beyts, Protector of Emigrants in that Colony, against the remarks and conclusions of the Police Inquiry Commission bearing on his official conduct. The protest will no doubt have reached your Grace through the Secretary of State for the Colonies. We have, &c. (Signed) NORTHBROOK.
NAPIER OF MAGDALA. JOHN STRACHEY.
R. TEMPLE.
H. W. NORMAN.
His Grace the Right Hon. the Duke of Argyll, K.T., Secretary of State for India.
A. HOBHOUSE.
F. C. BAYLEY.
Sir,
Inclosure 6 in No. 60.
Simla, August 12, 1872.
I AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 28th June, forwarding copy of a protest by the Honourable II. N. D. Boyts against certain of the remarks and conclusions of the Report of the late Police Inquiry Commission.
2. The lotter was not recorded till after despatch of my communication to you dated 13th ultimo. With reference, however, to Mr. Boyts' defence now submitted, 1 directed to state, for the information of his Excellency the Governor of Mauritius, that feeling the practical importance of a right judgment upon the working of the
Sir,
No. 62.
Colonial Office to Mr. Fraser.
Downing Street, November 4, 1872. I AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th of October, referring to the misunderstanding that had arisen on the subject of the Police Com- mission in Mauritius; and I am to state that the Earl of Kimberley does not find in the correspondence inclosed in your letter any reason for doubting that the statements of Sir A. Gordon and Mr. Gorrie were made in good faith.
I am, &c.
Bir,
(Signed) ROBERT G. W. HERBERT.
No. 63.
Colonial Office to India Office.
Downing Street, November 9, 1872.
I AM directed by the Earl of Kimberley to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo, and inclosures, relative to Indian immigrants in Mauritius. His Lordship had received some of these inclosures from the Governor of Mauritius, and I am to annex a copy of the answer returned by Sir A. Gordon's directions to the letter from the Indian Government of the 18th of July, relative to the conduct of Mr. Beyts, the Protector of Immigrants.+
I am to express Lord. Kimberley's regret that the Report of the Mauritius Police Commission was not communicated to the Duke of Argyll when it was first received, and that his Grace was not officially apprised of the appointment of the Boyal Commission to inquire into the condition of Indian immigrants in that Colony.
[134]
• No. 57.
+ No. 56 and Inclosures.
3 P