TPN
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
9
Reference →
C.O. 882
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
upon
16
moderate and careful, but the Cernéen, the oldest and most influential newspaper of the island, publishes this morning a second letter (copy of which I enclose; the first was forwarded with my despatch No. 330)* from the Hon. Celicourt Antelme, C.M.G., the senior unofficial member of the Council, strongly directed against the idea of elective institutions for this Colony in any shape or form. Mr. Antelme has long been regarded, and rightly regarded, not only by successive Governors, but by his own countrymen, as the soberest, soundest, thinker in this community. There is no doubt I know that that he has a stronger head than any of the leaders of this movement. many agree with him that Mauritius is not fitted for representative institutions in any shape or form. His letter of to-day will be a shield, under which others will come forward the same side.
6. It is always a danger here, when any movement or petition to the Government is being promoted, that a simple feeling of friendliness and of brotherhood-in-arms which (to the credit, be it said, of the community) prevails among the Creole class, will secure many signatures and adhesions to the cause set on foot, and will save it from any serious opposition. Those who may be really opposed at heart to what is being done perhaps feel that the part and the odium of opposition may as well be left to the Government, which, with all its faults, has, it is allowed, an eye to what is good for the Colony, and which may in general be trusted to take a common sense view of things. It is also, I think, sometimes felt that it is not becoming for a Mauritian to throw cold water on the ardour and sentiment of his fellow-countrymen just because his opinions may happen to differ from theirs. This was exemplified in the recent case, reported in my despatch No. 370 of the 5th ultimo,t of a numerously signed petition presented to me for the reprieve of a convict under sentence of death. told positively that many persons signed that petition out of good-will and friendly feeling, not at all agreeing in ita prayer.
am
7. It was to prevent, as far as possible, this movement in favour of representative institutions for the Colony from pouring itself upon the Government in an unchecked and smooth-flowing stream of ardour and sentiment that I made my remarks at the recent banquet. I have now some hope that the pros and cons of the grave questions raised may be more thoroughly discussed than they have yet been, before it is decided to petition Her Majesty, and that the contents of the petition (if such be sent) may be more moderate and reasonable than would perhaps otherwise have been the case.
8. As for myself, I keep my mind entirely open on the whole subject, until I see the practical issue of the movement, until some document shall be placed in my hands, and until it shall be my duty humbly to lay my views upon its requests before Her Majesty's Government. For now nearly two years I have laboured to the utmost of my strength and poor measure of ability for the good of Mauritius; and, if I can think that the welfare of the Colony will be furthered by granting, wholly or partially, prayer will reach any prayer made through me for a change in its constitution, that your Lordship, accompanied by my heartiest and warmest support, however little such support may add to its weight. To say more than this would, I feel, at present be premature.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Kimberley,
&c.
&c.
&c.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Enclosure 1 in No. 4.
MUNICIPAL BANQUET.
(Translation.)
F. NAPIER BROOME.
The third toast of the Mayor was to His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor. He said :-
"I am happy, most happy, in that I have now, in the name of the Municipal Council, to propose to this assembly, composed of the most eminent men of Mauritius, to drink to the health of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor. You will acknowledge, with the same pleasure that I do, that ever since the day when His Excellency took the reins of Government in hand we and our co-citizens have searched for every occasion possible to express to His Excellency our sympathy by asking him to participate in our fêtes and pleasures.
• No. 2.
† Not printed.
17
"As for ourselves, we are happy to be able to publicly thank His Excellency for the kindness he has never ceased to display towards the Institution over which I have the honour to preside, and if to-day we count upon immunities and a return of some franchises to the Municipality, we owe it most certainly to the liberalism of His Excel- lency, and I hope, long before the finish of my administration, to receive more, convinced that the members of the Legislative Council, official and inofficial, will extend to our Institution the same good-will and aid which His Excellency has, even to obtaining grants for us from our Most Gracious Sovereign such as originally belonged
to us.
"Of all our Governors, the Hon. Frederic Napier Broome is the first who has deigned to assist at one of our modest séances of the Municipal Council, and as I have already said, I hope that this excellent example will be followed in the future by his successors. It is well that the chief of a Colony sees for himself how those elected by him acquit themselves of the duties for which they are selected to perform.
"On the subject of reformations for which the Colony is agitating at this moment, demanding innovations more in harmony with the times, I believe myself to be a good prophet when I say to you, gentlemen, that I am sure His Excellency will not only support our petition, but will recommend the same with all due weight to the Minister for the Colonies, and if Mauritius possesses, before long, a part self-elected Legislative Council, we shall owe the same to the liberalism of His Excellency.
嘴喝
46
Gentlemen, to the Lieutenant-Governor."
Enclosure 2 in No. 4.
“Mr. Mayor, my Lords, and Gentlemen:
"I think that the patron saint of this city must be one of the most fortunate in the whole calendar. He appears to have two fête days (Cheers). It was only a week ago that you and I, Mr. Mayor, and other gentlemen I see around me, were celebrating the feast of St. Louis most piously, and also most pleasantly, at the palace of his Lordship who sits beside me, and whose diocese bears the same name; and now again to-night we are keeping most agreeably-and also I hope piously-the anniversary of St. Louis (Cheers and laughter). The pictures of former mayors of Port Louis which hang upon these walls must look down approvingly upon their successor this evening (Cheers). The Mayor tells me he has one hundred and one guests seated at this splendid table. We all know that one hundred and one guns is the salute given to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress of India, and we may say that the company gathered to-night in this hall, including as it does nearly all the foremost men of Mauritius, added to the beautiful display of fireworks we have witnessed, and to the noble banquet now spread for us by our hosts, form together indeed a royal and imperial salute in honour of the fête day of Port Louis (Cheers). I thank the Mayor from my heart for the most kind manner in which he has given my health, and speaking, not only for myself, but, as I feel sure I may, for all the guests of the corporation, I can assure him that we have come here, at the kind invitation of the municipality, not only to spend an agreeable evening and to have the personal pleasure of each other's society, but to show the sincere respect and esteem we all of us entertain for the Mayor and his colleagues as individuals, and for the Corporation of Port Louis as one of the chief institutions of the Colony (Cheers). In his speech, the Mayor referred to the movement which has been set on,foot with the object of effecting a change in the Council of Government of an electoral and represen- tative character. Well, gentlemen, I am not afraid of alluding to the subject (Cheers). At present, I am not supposed to have any official knowledge of what is going on; and, until some paper is placed in my hands, I am not called upon to express any opinion on the matter. The questions which I see have been raised, and the proposals which are being made, are too grave and serious to be settled, or even discussed, in after- dinner speeches. I hope that, before any formal request is made, the whole case will be very carefully examined in all its bearings and all its facts; and I can fully promise that, should it be my duty to write to Her Majesty's Government upon the subject, my report will be the result of attentive study and of careful and anxious consideration of what is really best for this Colony (Cheers). As an English- man, I am naturally a believer in representative institutions, and my personal feelings are altogether in favour of elected assemblies as compared with nominated councils (Cheers). But, Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, it would be very improper of me were I to be guided by my personal feelings, one way or another, in writing officially upon such a
B116.