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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
MG. PURROJ: Cependant, si nous insistions.
M. LLCLÉZIO: Il est évident qu'on peut s'y risquer.
Le PRÉSIDENT demande à M. Carcenac s'il désire saisir la Chambre d'une pro- position formelle.
M. CARCESAC propose la Résolution suivante :--
La Chambre ne voit aucune objection à ce qu'une Commission d'Enquête vienne étudier les questions qui semblent encore obscures au Secrétaire d'Etat, mais considérant là situation particulièrement critique du pays, insiste sur la nécessité absolue d'nn secours immédiat et espère qu'en attendant les résultats de l'enquête, qui se feront attendre fort longtemps, une somme suffisante jour faire face aux difficultés actuelles soit mise à la disposition du Corps Agricole."
M. PIERROT seconde.
M. LECLÉZIO fait l'amendement suivant :-
·
La Chambre, après avoir pris connaissance de la communication faite par Son Excellence le Gouverneur aux membres inofficiels du Conseil du Gouvernement, désire enregistrer le désappointement que lui a causé la dépêche de Lord Elgin. Elle a conscience d'avoir honnêtement fourni an Secrétaire d'Etat tous les renseignements nécessaires pour l'éclairer sur le bien fondé de sa demande et considère que la nomina- tion de la Commission dont parle Lord Elgin constitue un manque de confiance injustifié à son egard. Elle maintient que l'emprunt qu'elle a demandé est indispensable, tout au moins la somme de £200,000, qui serait immédiatement appliquée aux besoins de la culture: máis si, dans l'opinion de Lord Elgin, une enquête est nécessaire, la Chambre ne la craint pas."
M. CARCENAC se rallie à l'amendement de l'hon Leclézio et retire sa proposi- tion.
La motion de l'hon. Leclézio, secondée par M. Lebreton, est mise aux voix et adoptée à l'unanimité.
M. SOUCHON dit qu'il croit comprendre que le vœen de la Chambre est que nous ne demandions l'envoi d'une Cominission d'enquête à Maurice. En sa qualité de
pas député de la Rivière du Rempart et de président de la Chambre d'Agriculture, il aura à faire connaître, à la réunion de vendredi, ces vues à ses collègues de la Législature. Il informera ses collègues de la décision de la Chambre.
Sur la proposition du Président, des remercîments sont ensuite votés à Son Excellence le Gouverneur, pour ses efforts en vue de nous faire obtenir une assistance de la Métropole.
M. O. PILOT est proposé comme membre de la Chambre par MM. Carcenac et Dumat. Conformément au réglement. l'élection de M. Pilot est a journée.
La séance est levée.
41909
No. 85.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 14 November, 1908.)
(Confidential.)
Government House, Le Réduit, 29 September, 1908.
MY LORD,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt on this morning of your Lord- ship's telegram of yesterday's date,* in reply to my message despatched on the evening of the 25th current.
2. I note the instructions contained in the communication under acknowledg. ment, which will be duly observed, but the consideration in Committee of the Bill to amend the Labour Law of 1878 having occupied the whole of to-day's sitting, Dr. Laurent's motion, which formed the subject of my telegram above quoted, was not reached. I expect that it will come on for discussion on an early day in the ensuing month.
3. The notice of motion, a copy of which is enclosed, was received on the
• No. 81
afternoon of the 25th, and I immediately communicated it to my Executive Council, all the members being present except the General Officer Commanding the Troops. 4. All of those so present stated that they regarded the position and under- stood the previous correspondence to indicate that the question as to the appoint- ment of a Commission had been reserved for future consideration by your Lordship. Three of them, namely, the two unofficial members and the Receiver-General, advised that this attitude should be taken and maintained in the Council of Govern- ment when the motion might be discussed, without communicating with you on the subject. The Auditor-General, having asked that the official members should take no part in the discussion, and that they might be instructed to abstain from voting on the motion, and having been informed that I could not consent to the adoption of such a course, joined with the Procureur-General and the Colonial Secretary in recommending that your Lordship should be informed by telegram in the terms of my message above mentioned.
5. I informed the Council that I had already come to the conclusion that such was the course to adopt, for I shared their views as to the position, and I thought that I should be exceeding my duty if I interfered at this stage in a matter which I believed to have been reserved for the future consideration of His Majesty's Advisers, and not for that of the local Administration.
6.
I beg to express my regret that, whilst actuated by the single desire of avoiding the appearance even of such interference, I should have formed an erron- eous view of the position, and that in the submission which I deemed it my duty to make a statement should have been indicated not acceptable by your Lordship.
I have, &c.,
CAVENDISH BOYLE.
Enclosure in No. 85.
The Honourable Dr. E. Laurent to move :-
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Being given the financial embarrassment of the Government, considering the frightful decrease in revenue and the difficulties which the Government experiences to remedy this sad state of things, the Council of Government is of opinion that the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies be requested forthwith to appoint the Commission of Enquiry suggested by Lord Elgin in his despatch dated April 6th, 1908.
No. 86.
THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 5 December, 1908.)
(Secret.)
MY LORD,
Government House, Le Réduit, 29 October, 1908.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's secret despatch of the 9th September last, and to report as follows in regard to the present position of the question of the appointment of a Royal Commission.
2. In his despatch, No. 160, of the 24th May last,† Sir Cavendish Boyle for- warded printed copies of the debate on the question of the appointment of a Com- mission of Enquiry that took place in the Council of Government on the 23rd April last.
3. In the course of that debate, I expressed myself as follows:-" But the Council of Government has not yet proved its incapacity to secure a financial balance. When we have proved our incapacity to put the finances of this Colony in a proper state of balance, to balance our budget, then I for one will be the first to vote for a Commission of Enquiry.”
4. On the 4th September you instructed Sir Cavendish Boyle that you con- sidered "that for the time being rigid economy in all items of public expenditure initiated by the Government and approved by the Legislature ought to be enough to prevent accumulation of any deficit which would be very serious."
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• No. 76.
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