PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TELEFIC.O. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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"(2.) That Sir John Pope Hennessy has not only carried out this policy, but has adopted towards his English officials, as a class, and systematically, an attitude of hostility which in some cases developed into persecution.
(3.) That this attitude towards English officials has interfered with the working of their departments and offices.
"(4.) That the way in which Sir John Pope Hennessy has attacked the character of some of his English officials has created a profound feeling of distrust, and the conviction that there can be no safety under his government."
90. Mr. Didier St. Amand added that they had come there that day to ascertain how I wished the facts under the above heads to be proved, whether by parole evidence or by a memorial in writing. They meant no disrespect for the Governor, Sir John Pope Hennessy, in so doing, but conceived the course they were taking to be their duty.
91. I replied that I thought it was a matter for them to decide whether they would wish to proceed by means of parole evidence, or by memorial. They were quite within their province in coming to me and bringing before the Royal Commission any grievance of which they thought they had a right to complain. It was one of the objects of the nquiry, and was specifically alluded to in sections 1 and 9 of paragraph 7 of my
nstructions..
\
92. Mr. Didier St. Amand said the members of the deputation would consult together, and let me know the mode in which they would proceed. In reply to a question from me, he stated the deputation represented about twenty-four heads of departments, large and small. Those heads who were not with them were probably
Mr. L. Cox, Procureur-Général; Mr. Beyts, Acting Colonial Secretary; Mr. de Joux, Collector of Customs; Mr. Greene, Postmaster; Captain Childs, Inspector-General of Police-about five or six in all. There were probably about 100 English Civil Servants in all, counting subordinates of theirs, who were with them in the matter. He added that, when the Royal Commission had gone, they would be left exposed to the mercy of the Governor, and, on that account, they had thought fit that the heads of departments, who were better able to withstand him, should take the leading part on the Committee, rather than the subordinates, who were less able to defend themselves.
93. Subsequently the Committee announced their decision to proceed by parole evidence, and submitted the names of twenty-three English Civil Servants who were prepared to give evidence in support of the charges against the Governor, which had been laid before me by the deputation on the 13th November.
94. The following twenty-three witnesses, accordingly, appeared before the Royal Commission and gave evidence on oath in support of those charges:-
The Right Reverend Dr. Scarisbrick, Roman Catholic Bishop of Port Louis.
The Honourable Thomas Elliott, Auditor and Acting Receiver-General.
His Honour Mr. E. Didier St. Amand, Acting Puisne Judge, Supreme Court.
The Honourable Dr. F. Lovell, Chief Medical Officer.
The Honourable J. F. Trotter, Protector of Immigrants.
The Very Reverend Abbé Cox, Roman Catholic Vicar-General of Mauritius.
The Reverend G. McIrvine, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Alfred Messervy, M.A., Rector of the Royal College.
Mr. George C. Mayer, Acting Master of the Supreme Court.
Mr. John Horne, Director of Woods, Forests, and Gardens.
Mr. A. R. La Nauze, Stipendiary Magistrate, Port Louis.
Mr. F. A. Hodgson, Stipendiary Magistrate, Pamplemousses and Moka.
Mr. E. B. Sweet Escott, Assistant Colonial Secretary.
Mr. L. S. R. Du Vergé, Superintendent of Inland Revenue.
Mr. J. J. Brown, Curator of Vacant Estates.
Mr. W. Scott, Assistant Director of Woods, Forests, and Gardens.
Mr. T. Ledson, 1st Class Pilot, Harbour Department.
Mr. C. M. Grant, Superintendent, Government Reformatory.
Mr. J. Angus, Chief Clerk, Storekeeper-General's Office.
Dr. F. Hall, Sanitary Guardian, Grand Port and Flacq.
Mr. S. Wilson, Overseer of Botanical Gardens.
Mr. E. C. Ashley, Chief Clerk, Auditor-General's Office.
Mr. W. W. Hamley, 1st Class Professor, Royal College.
95. It is unnecessary to refer to the sworn evidence of these gentlemen in detail. It will be sufficient to state that, in their own minds, they appeared to be honestly convinced that Englishmen serving under Sir John Pope Hennessy were subject to disabilities in consequence of his alleged anti-English leaning; that he had adopted
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towards the English officials, as a class, and systematically, an attitude of hostility which in some cases had developed into persecution; and that they all entertained a profound feeling of distrust, and the conviction that there was no safety for them under his government.
96. At the suggestion of Sir John Pope Hennessy, made verbally to Mr. Round, the Secretary to the Royal Commission, sixteen English heads of departments and subordi- nate officials, whose names were on lists prepared by Mr. Beyts and Mr. de Joux, were summoned and examined, as the Governor had stated he understood they were prepared to negative the four charges laid against him by the other English officials before referred to. The following is a list of the sixteen English officials so examined :—
The Honourable W. Greene, Postmaster.
Dr. Meldrum, Director, Royal Alfred Observatory.
The Honourable C. M. de Joux, Collector of Customs.
The Honourable M. Connal, Superintendent of Public Works and Surveyor- General,
Captain Childs, Inspector-General of Police.
Mr. J. Ackroyd, Acting Senior Assistant Colonial Secretary.
Mr. J. Wilson, Acting Harbour-master.
Mr. F. N. Kennedy, Superintendent of Prisons.
Mr. J. F. Seymour, Acting Storekeeper-General.
Mr. J. Lavers, Senior Clerk, Customs.
Mr. 8. Graves, Senior Clerk, Customs.
Mr. F. A. Gibson, Senior Clerk, Despatch Branch, Colonial Secretary's Office.
Mr. C. A. d'Avary, Acting Landing Surveyor, Customs.
Mr. J. Cowley, Storekeeper.
The Reverend R. J. French, Incumbent of St. Thomas', Beau Bassin.
Mr. H. R. Bell, Superintendent of Police.
With
97. The evidence of these witnesses amounted only to this, that the Governor had not shown, personally, any hostility to them, and that they felt safe under his govern- ment. They almost all admitted that they knew other English officials thought differently, and that the latter honestly believed they had grounds for doing so. the exception of Mr. Greene and Mr. de Joux, there was scarcely one of the witnesses called to rebut the testimony of the other English officials who did not advance some- thing in support of that testimony, and the evidence of some of them was very damaging to the Governor. I allude especially to the evidence of Mr. Connal and Dr. Meldrum.
98. Sir John Pope Hennessy has stated that he had intended sending in a list of thirty-four English officials who, he understood, were prepared to negative the four charges of the other English officials; but he declined to furnish the list, in consequence of his suspension before the completion of his defence. I do not know who the remaining eighteen English officials who were not examined, and who were prepared to negative the four charges, could be, and I do not believe that they had any real existence. It is easy to place names on a list, but it does not follow that they would give evidence as desired., Many of the names on the lists prepared for the Governor by Mr. Beyta and Mr. de Joux were erased, because it was subsequently ascertained that they were not prepared to testify in the Governor's favour. One case came especially under my own notice. It was the name of Mr. Atkinson on Mr. de Joux's list, an officer holding & subordinate post under Mr. de Joux. This gentleman appealed to me in a letter, a copy of which is enclosed, praying for protection against the coercion which was being applied by the head of his department to induce him to give the Governor a testimonial. He sent me Mr. de Joux's note asking him to give favourable testimony for the Governor, observing that the word "confidential" marked on it "might as suitably have been painted on a Fenian's pétard." He stated he could give evidence on the opposite side, if it was desired. Mr. Beyts and Mr. de Joux were friends of Sir John Pope Hennessy. They knew the whole Civil Service. Every English official who they thought would be willing to give even qualified evidence in the Governor's favour was summoned, and their united testimony has not served in any way to negative or rebut the evidence given by the twenty-three English officials first examined.
Conclusion.
99. I have thus dealt with the various subjects referred to me for report, as indicated under the nine heads specified in your despatch of the 29th September last.
* December 13, 1886 (Enclosure 10). Not printed,
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