PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
6
وا
Reference:
C.O. 882
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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that such reform is only asked by a portion of the population, the greater portion not having adhered to it in any way.
To the assertion which may be made, that most Indians do not deserve being con- sulted on account of their want of education I shall answer this: if they are to be considered in a state of minority, it is just the reason why the Government of Her Majesty should not expose them to be under the guardianship of a par- tially elective Council (as proposed by the committee), whose majority would belong to the Creole population, and which would have a tendency to back up the Creole policy.
Sir Virgile Naz himself acknowledges, in his speech at the Council, that some of the present classes of the population will not be directly or sufficiently represented, and on that account, the reform petitioners have asked that only one third of the Council be composed of elective members; but that guarantee, as I shall hereafter show, is of little value indeed.
Indians are generally economical, and a good many formerly engaged, have been able to acquire enough money to start what is called here the "small commerce," and they are likely. sooner or later, to monopolise that branch; others, not contented with making small commercial transactions, embark in very important ones; and, as Indians are generally satisfied with a small profit, they can sell things at a much cheaper rate than any Creole can do, and consequently competition with them becomes impossible.
If the Creole population could stifle in its infancy the invasion of Indians, which threatens to take gigantic proportions, they would not hesitate to do so, for Indians not engaged are considered here as intruders (as I show by examples here. after).
With regard to labourers, can it be denied that their interests are in direct antagonism with those of planters, and that most of the protective measures which have been pro- posed in their favour have met with strong opposition on the part of the unofficial
members of Council?
Unofficials may wish to be impartial, but they cannot help yielding to that weakness of human nature which makes every man try to protect what he considers his own interests, although it be to the detriment of others.
Government has always checked the despotic tendency of the Creoles, and its powers being considered too great, a remedy is sought, and where can it be found? if not by the introduction of the elective system into the Legislative Council. The elected members are sure to belong to the Creole population, and it is well known that most unofficials are of the same origin, or Englishmen having the same interest as Creole members. Without saying that laws could be passed or objected to against the will of the home Government, I will say like the Honourable Cox in his speech at the Council, that the control of the budget being vested in the Council, if the Legislature naked by the reform petitioners be granted, the Government will have to apply to it for supplies, and by refusing them, the majority can put an irresistible pressure on the Government, and the latter will be practically compelled "to do as the majority wishes." Now, I submit, that if I can satisfy your Lordship that Indians are not much liked in Mauritius, I humbly believe that you will be led to consider that the reform voted by the majority of the legislative Councillors would be a most dangerous thing.
I read in the "Cernéen" of the 4th of October 1882 the following passages from an article signed G. de Coriolis:
"Je ne sais si vous m'avez fait l'honneur de lire deux articles que j'ai publiés dans le Planters Gazette' au sujet de la crainte dont les adversaires des réformes sont animés, de voir le pays passer entre les mains des Indiens. J'ai taché de démontrer que notre submersion par l'Indien est une fatalité sociologique. Puisqu'il en et ainsi, notre salut est plutôt du côté des réformes que du statu quo.’
Further on he says:
"L'approbation qui leur a été donnés (to his arguments) par la plupart des personnes les plus influentes du sous-comite d'étude me laisse oroire que je suis dans le vrai."
There are then many influential members of the sub-committee who do believe that the safeguard of the Creoles against the Indians lies in the adoption of the elective system. This is a point which is patent, unless the words of Mr. de Coriolis be put in doubt.
Why is the word
Notre salut est plutôt du côté des réformes que du statu quo. salut used?·
There is it seems a danger apprehended, a general fear that Indiana be electors, otherwise Creales would not be asked to join the reform move-
f
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ment because their safeguard (salut) is to be found in the adoption of the reform rather than of the statu quo. What does that fear prove? if not, that there does not exist much cordiality between Creoles and Indians. When the Honourable Antelme wrote his letter, dated the 4th September 1882, the number of Indians seem to have been his principal objection to an elective assembly, and words falling from the pen of so eminent a gentleman could not help having much weight, and in fact shaking the opinions of many-but his opponents, seeing the harm his allegations could do to their reform, tried to prove to minds already dead against the Indians, that the Creole population was still the most powerful section of our community, on account of the qualifications required (as proposed by the sub-committee), and that fact was not difficult to substantiate; but had they not succeeded in establishing clearly that there was no danger of seeing the Indians have the majority, I venture to say they would not have had a hundred Creole signatures.
If
your Lordship takes cognisance of the several articles written at that time,
in answer to, and about the Honourable Antelme, your Lordship may form an opinion about those who wish to have representative institutions, and although the writers have endeavoured, by using moderate language with regards to Indians, to hide as much as possible the hostility which exists between these two different classes of our community, still it comes out from their writings, that "these starving men whom we "have raised to the dignity of citizens" (to use Mr. Raoul's own words at Council) are not much liked here.
We must not forget that those starving men came here at our own request-that if Mauritius is so prosperous, it is due to their labour, and that before their arrival here (1833) our island was as poor, if not poorer than two years after the capitulation. Are not therefore these Indians entitled to some gratefulness on our part?
And
can we expect the home Government to grant us representative institutions, if, as says rightly the "Cernéen" of the 18th June 1883, such theories as those enunciated in the leading article of the "Sentinelle" of that date be put forward.
I copy the following lines from the " Cernéen
"
:
"Un journal, dont l'hostilité envers les planteurs est trop connue pour qu'il nous soit besoin de le désigner autrement, publie ce matin un article que nous eussions laissé passer sans observations, n'était que nous nous trouvons en présence d'un nouveau gouverneur, auquel notre silencé pourrait laisser supposer que les divers organes de l'opinion publique mauricienne acceptent les théories émises dans cet article.
"Selon ce journal sur les 250,000 indiens qui existent à Maurice, il y en a 200,000 au moins qu'il faudrait tout de suite ne plus laisser circulerc sous des lois spéciales, ou toutes d'exception faites pour la protection des immigrants qui sont venus ici engagés
comme laboureurs.
"Pour cela 'on s'occuperait sérieusement d'une ordonnance modelée sur les dispositions ' du code pénal, qui donnerait à la police tous les droits possibles d'arrêter et de conduire devant les tribunaux, tout individu soupçonné d'être dans une condition de vagabondage. "Dès que cette masse de 200,000 indiens non engagés dont les neuf dixièmes vivent, comme la plus grande partie de nos créoles des couches inférieures, dans l'oisiveté, le désœuvrement, le vol et les rapines, aura été avertie qu'elle n'est plus protégée par une 'loi spécialle, elle retournera dans le giron du travail régulier pour éviter d'être con- 'stamment traquée par la police.
"En ramenant toutes choses à ce principe, on pourrait introduire chaque année de * 5 à 6,000 laboureurs, sous la condition expresse qu'ils seront repatriés après leur terme
d'engagement, s'ils ne désirent pas renouveler leur contrat.'
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Nous ne prendrons pas la peine (says the Cernéen ') de relever de telles insanités, si nous ne jugions qu'il est de notre devoir d'éclairer notre nouveau gouverneur sur les véritables sentiments qui sont entretenus dans cette colonie à l'égard des Immigrants Indiens."
"Nous considérons que lorsqu'un immigrant termine ses cinq années de résidence industrielle il doit être libre de ses actions au même titre que les sujets de sa Majesté. S'il ne lui convient pas de contracter un nouvel engagement, il serait absolument inique de chercher à l'y contraindre directement ou indirectement.
Edicter une loi des suspects en vertu de laquelle tout individu, pourrait être arrêté et traduit devant les tribunaux sur le simple soupçon de vagabondage, cela dans le but avoué de le contraindre à retourner sur les propriétés suorières-serait une véritable monstruosité et la seule conclusion à laquelle puisse arriver un homme d'Etat Anglais, en lisant une semblable proposition, c'est que le pays où des choses de ce genre peuvent s'écrire publiquement, est absolument indigne du self government, attendu qu'il n'en userait que pour réduire les Immigrants Indiens à un véritable esclavage."
Bu £265.
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