PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
C.O. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
70
I declare it is impossible to say how many votes were obtained on each side, since no one took the trouble to count them.
Rose Hill,
16 May, 1908.
SIR.
Enclosure 4 in No. 63.
A. COMMINS,
Sub-Inspector.
Port Louis, 56, Corderie Street, 25th May, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to forward to Your Excellency the following resolution which was voted nem con, at the meeting held by Mr. Remé Mérandon and author- ized by you at Pamplemousses on Sunday last, 24th instant.
Les habitants des Pamplemousses réunis en meeting public n'approu- vent pas le vote donné par le Conseil Législatif le 23 Avril dernier.
fls considèrent qu'une assistance de l'Etat est indispensable et acceptent dès lors la Commission d'Enquête suggérée par le Ministre.
The meeting was orderly and largely attended; quite two-thirds of the Pample- mousses electorate were present.
I am desired by the inhabitants of Pamplemousses to ask Your Excellency to be good enough to transmit by cable at your earliest convenience, to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the substance of the said resolution.
I have, &c.,
E. LAURENT, President of the Meeting.
To Sir Cavendish Boyle, K.C.M.G.,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over
Mauritius and its Dependencies, &c., &c., &c.
Enclosure 5 in No. 63.
Louis.
From Inspector GREGOIRE, Pamplemousses, to Inspector-General oF POLICE, Port
24th May, 1908.
On the above-mentioned date, at about 2.30 p.m., Mr. Mérandon arrived at the market accompanied by Honourable Dr. Laurent, Dr. Guibert, Mr. Nairac, and many other gentlemen.
The covered building inside the market being crowded by Indians at the time, Mr. Mérandon requested me to clear it in order to enable him to open the meeting. Messrs. Morel, of the Radical, and Galea, of the Mauricien, supported by Marius Pierre, Nemorin, schoolmaster of Trou-aux-Biches, who were inside, objected to this, but at last left, shouting “vive Sauzier, vive Sauzier," followed by the crowd of Indians of about 200 persons of all conditions.
They walked about the village headed by the above-named gentlemen and one, Mr. Morel, of Labourdonnais Estate, in the District of Rivière du Rempart.
The meeting then took place before a crowd of at least 800 persons of the general population, and about 100 Indians and a few Chinamen.
The meeting was presided by the Honourable Dr. Laurent, and the speakers were Messrs. Mérandon, Nairac, and Dr. Guibert.
I estimate that the electors of the distriot were represented by about one-third of their number.
The following resolution was voted, viz. :—
"That the Royal Commission of Enquiry suggested by the Right Honour- able the Secretary of State for the Colonies be asked for."
Mr. Morel and others did not attend the meeting although they had been told by me, when I had to clear the market place, that they would be at liberty to do so after the opening of the meeting by Mr. Mérandon.
Bar what took place before the commencement of the meeting everything passed
off quietly.
A few employés of sugar estates were present, but no owners or managers.
L. GREGOIRE,
Inspector.
71
Enclosure 6 in No. 63.
From MOREL, GALEA, NEMORIN et grand nombre habitants et électeurs, Pample- mousses, to Sir ČAVENDISH BOYLE, Réduit.
TELEGRAM.
24th May, 1908. A 2.33 avant ouverture meeting avons été expulsés par Inspecteur Grégoire malgré protestation meeting public et heure officielle passée; protestons.
Enclosure 7 in No. 83.
From A. D. C., Le Réduit, to Messrs. MOREL, Galea, and NemORIN, Pamplemousses. TELEGRAM.
24th May, 1906. The Governor has received your message and has called tor enquiry into the circumstances of which this is the first intimation which has reached His Excellency.
23224
(Secret.)
No. 64.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
Downing Street, 15 July, 1908. SI,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, Secret, of the 25th May,* respecting the loan made to the Commercial Bank in February last.
I regret that I am unable to reconsider the question of the interest charged to the Bank. I have to refer you in this connexion to my Confidential despatch of the 8th ultimo,t and I would observe that if the special grounds for imposing a rate of 10 per cent. were made public, there would seem to be no reason why this case should be regarded as a precedent for charging unduly high rates of interest in private transactions.
23151
SIR,
(No. 184.)
No. 65.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
[Answered by Nos. 82 and 84.]
I have, &c.,
CREWE.
Downing Street, 23 July, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 130, of the 25th April, reporting on the proceedings in the Council of Government on the 23rd of that month, when the question of inviting the appointment of a Commission of Enquiry was under discussion.
2. In the last paragraph of your despatch you stated that the report of the debate. which took place on that occasion would be forwarded as soon as possible. This has now been received by me as an enclosure to your despatch, No. 180, of the 24th May.§
3. The resolution before the Council was as follows:-"The Council of Government of Mauritius, having considered the offer of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to appoint a Commission of Enquiry contained in His Excellency the Governor's communication of the 6th April, does not feel justified in inviting the You very properly left the appointment of a Commission at the present time." official members of the Council free to speak and vote in accordanos with their individual opinions, with the result that the motion was carried by 23 votes to 3. An amendment in the contrary sense had previously been rejected by the same majority, the minority in each case consisting of three of the Elected Members.
4. The views of the minority are clearly stated in the speeches delivered by Mr. Duolos, Mr. Gébert, and Dr. Laurent, but I do not find it easy to understand the reasons which actuated the remainder of the Unofficial Members. On the 11th April,|| you telegraphed to me the terms of a resolution passed by the Chamber of
I No. 46. f No. 60.
• No. 61.
† No. 59.
+ No. 57.