PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
سلساليسي
19
Reference :-
C.O. 882
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
128
Enclosure 2 in No. 103
STATEMENT of the Revenue and Expenditure of 1908-9
(Partly estimated.)
Revenue
120 2
Estimated foreign for
November, 1908..
December, 1908
!
Rs. 578,066
Probable loss to 31 Decem- ber. 1908: Rs. 434,675.
Expenditure.
Loss to 81 October.
Actual to 31 October, 190S Local for November, 1908 Local for December, 190N
Rs. 2,571,244
Rs. 3,149,310
799,480
589,281
922,412
659,114
4,293,136
4,397.705
43,874 1,152
4,338,162
227,000 148,132
4,772,837
Estimated from 1st January to 30th
June, 1909...
4,580,000
4,850,000
Probable loss on 1st July,
1909: Rs. 704,675.
8,918,162
9,622,837
9,832,870
9,866,474
914,708
243,637
G. A. BANBURY,
Receiver-General.
Estimates
Below the Estimates
VICTOR SINGERY,
Acting Auditor-General.
4444
No. 104.
THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Secret.)
MY LORD,
(Received 6 February, 1909.)
[Answered by No. 108.]
Government House, Le Réduit, 6th January, 1909. WITH reference to my secret despatch of the 16th December and to my public telegram of the 5th instant,* I have the honour to acquaint you that I decided to close the debate in the Council of Government on the financial position on the 29th ultimo.
2. It had been my intention to allow the debate to continue until such time as the Council was compelled to acknowledge that it was unable to adjust the deficit for the current year, and to make provision for the interest and sinking fund on a railway loan.
3. But various circumstances convinced me that the political agitation now being conducted by the enquiry party was tending to foster a spirit of resistance to authority, and to embroil the Indian population in what was originally a dispute between two sections of the Creole population.
4. At Curepipe, on the 22nd December, the Plague Authority of the district had been resisted by Indians in the execution of his duty, and from the result of the preliminary enquiries it appears that the Indians were excited by gentlemen of the white population. I shall, in a separate despatch, report on this incident.
5. I learnt also that a disturbance had taken place on the Estate Labour- donnais, in the district of Rivière du Rempart, on the 28th December. I am reporting separately on this matter. But I may observe that the labourers of Labourdonnais Estate were the first to take an active part in this agitation, and that on that occasion, namely, the first meeting at Pamplemousses, they appear to have
• Nos. 96 and 91.
↑ See No. 102.
129
been led by members of the anti-enquiry party (see printed paper enclosed in Sir C. Boyle's secret despatch of 15th July last*).
6 The disturbance that took place on the occasion of the unveiling of the statue of the late Sir John Pope- Hennessy has already been reported to you.†
7. I was informed, however, that the enquiry party intended to hold a public meeting at Curepipe on the 3rd January, and I was sounded by members of the I anti-enquiry party as to whether I was prepared to forbid such a meeting. replied that
was not, as yet, prepared to take such a step, for it would be an acknowledgment that the Government did not feel itself sufficiently strong to main- tain public order Morcover there was, as yet, no evidence to show that public order would be disturbed, and although it might possibly be necessary later on to refuse the right of public meeting, the exercise of such a power would require very strong justification.
8. I had already, in consultation with the Procureur-General, prepared a draft of new standing orders for the police, which would be submitted to the Executive Council for consideration, and would probably, when promulgated, tend to the maintenance of order.
9.
Meanwhile I was prepared to ask Dr. Laurent, the Mayor of Port Louis and the president of the political group who are agitating for an enquiry, to post- the meeting from Sunday, the 3rd January, to Sunday, the 10th January. pone There is often a great deal of drunkenness at the time of the New Year, especially amongst the lower classes of Creoles, and I considered the change of date desirable. 10. I accordingly sent for Dr. Laurent, and he readily acceded to my request. He also assured me that there would be no disturbance.
11. But it seemed to me that the long debates in the Council, debates of which the public were heartily tired, should come to an end, as these debates were tending to keep the agitation alive.
12. I accordingly saw Mr. Leclézio and Sir W. Newton, and explained that I desired to close the debates that day, the 29th December. I also mentioned my views to Dr. Laurent.
13. I offered to give the assurance that in the case of the vacation of any office, the question of the reduction of salary, or the suppression or amalgamation of the office, would be considered on its merits when the time came, and both parties expressed themselves satisfied with this assurance, which I gave in substance publicly in Council.
14. There remained, therefore, the few questions of revenue. I desired to increase the railway rates on canes and on aloes. But the crop is now over, and no more canes can be cut before August, 1909. I therefore decided not to press this controversial question this session, more especially as it might affect the small Indian planters.
16.
15. I was aware that the Unofficial Members were unanimously opposed to my proposal for a house tax in the country districts. The town party, i.e., the enquiry party, were opposed to it because, in their judgment, it was not sufficiently severe on the sugar planters, whilst the country party were opposed to paying further taxation.
When, therefore, Mr. Leclézio proposed that the matter be brought up again that day six months, and was supported by the whole of the Unofficial Members present, I did not press the subject, and said that my views were met as soon as I was in possession of a definite statement of the unofficial view. It would, of course. have been possible to have forced a vote by using the accidental official majority which happened to be present, but such a course would have furnished ammunition to the agitation of the enquiry party, whose programme is no taxation without enquiry, whilst the financial result. so far as this year's Budget is concerned, would have been inappreciable.
17. I therefore terminated the debate, and directed the financial officers to furnish me with a financial statement of the position. with a view to communicating with your Lordship on the subject of an Enquiry.
18. But the agitation and the effort to enlist the Indian population in local politics, have suggested new issues for consideration, and is causing the more serious and substantial men to reflect.
19. I learn from a leading broker in town, Mr. Duoray, the former Chairman
18917
• No. 72.
↑ In No. 98.
R