1
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
6
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
4
6. Ina desparen from the Governor of Mauritius to the Secretary of State for the Colomer, dated 21th January, 1861, reporting upon the colonial allowances issued to the troops, he states, that **Juritiz the past year the number of troops of all arms, which had been diminished during the hadian Mutiny, was inervased to their Custotrary standard, and the Estatuate of 1861 for coloanal allow- Ans Was 21,000, in addition to the annual contribution of 10000, these mums being neatly our-half of the average Imperi 11e proposed that for th»
• Apentinue luring the past ten years Tuture, the 10,000f, should cover lodging allowances which bad theretofore been payable by the Colmy, and that in widition the Colony should pay all other local allowaners for the Ufheers of the garnison then there, or to be brought there, for its defenen, not exceeding at any one time--
3 regiments of Infantry,
2 companies of Artillery, ani 1 or 2 companies of Engineers,
All troops in
besides the requisite stuff and departments. excess of that number to be computered as auxiliaries for the defence of the geographical position of Mauritius.'
7 Up to this time the Colonial Contribution had been main's regulated by the foren present in the Coling. This Buctuated between 2,80 in 1816 and 953 in 1859, but the normal garrist n appears to have been from 1,800 to 2,000 of all ranks, costing about 180,000 per annum.
8. In 1862, after full consideration of the Governor's despatria mentioned above, it was decided to increase the Colonial Con. tribution to 45,0001. a-year, thus giving partial effect to the recommendations of the Select Committer of 1861.
It was intended that this arrangement should take effect from the 1st January, 1863, but owing to financial pressure in Mauritius, due to the construction of Government railways, it was postponed until the 1st January, 1865. In communicating this decision to the Governor, the Duke of Newcastle, in his despatch, No. 1,156 of the 2nd January, 1864, stated, "It is also to be understood that the Colony is to be prepared for a revision of the new rate of annual payment at the end of three years. A contribution of 45,000. a-year is obviously far from commensurate with the amount of military expenditure incurred annually by the Imperial Government for the benefit of the Mauritius. And although on financial grounds Her Majesty's Government limit their demand for the present to the sum named, they must lay it down as a principle to which effect will, sooner or later, be given, that the Colony is to be held liable for the whole cost of so much of the force maintained within it aa can be fairly assigned to the purposes of securing it against internal commotion and piratical attack."
The revenue of the enlony when this contribution was deter- mined upon was 492,3247., and the proportion of charge (45,000) to revenue was about the same as fixed in 1857, viz., slightly under 10 per cent.
5. This payment ramained in force from 1st January, 1865, to 31st December, 1868. During that time the average revenue was 599,7454, and the contribution 45,000, the proportion to revenue having fallen from one-tenth to less than one-thirteenth.
10. In 1868, owing to the severe ontbreak of fever at Mauritius, it was decided to reduce the garrison for a time to the lowest number which the Governor and the General Commanding might A large part of the garrison was consider consistent with safety.
removed to the Cape, and in 1869 its strength was reduced to 590
of all ranks.
11. In March, 1869, the Secretary of State informed the Governor that the normal garrison of Mauritius was to consist of-
1 battery of Royal Artillery
1 company of Royal Engineers
1 regiment of Infantry
Army Hospital Corps
Total of all ranks
106
98
XOX
4
1,106
Adding that, "as the force at present in the island is below the above amount, 1 have to inform you that whilst it is so reduced, payment at the Australian rate of 408, a man for Infantry, and 70/ for Artillery and Engineers, would be less than 15,000. new required as a Military Contribution, and the Colony will not be called upon to pay more than a contribution at the Australian rale. It must also be understood that this arrangement in subject to revision at the end of three years.'"
12 The arrangement of 1869, so far as it related to the capitation rate which Mauritius had to pay in lieu of the 45,000), a-year previously paid by it for its garrison, was the same as was entered into with the Australian Colonies in 1863-65. In addition, how- ever, to paying the capitation rates already quoted, the Australian Colonies provided barracks for the troops, and lodging allowance where barrack accommodation was insufficient, and maintained the fabric of the barracks, the Imperial Government providing for minor repairs, and for external painting, &c., at an estimated cost to the Imperial funds of 118, per man per annum.
But by an omission on the part of the Home authorities no claim was made upon Mauritius for reimbursement of the expenditure neurred by the Imperial Government on barracks, &c., which amounted between 1869 and 1887 to 102,5877. Deducting from this the estimated cost of minor repairs and painting, according to the scale adopted in Australia, which formed a legitimate charge against the War Department, this sum would be reduced to 97,832/., or about the same average annual rate of expenditure 15,000; that was incurred by the Colony for the maintenance of barracks between 1829 and 1865. In addition to the above an average annual expenditure of 1,480, or 28,12)., was incurred by the Imperial Government during the same period for lodging allowance, which, under the terms of the Australian agreement, should have been borne by the Colony.
13. These suns make a total of 125,932, which, under the Australian arrangement, should have been defrayed by the Colony,
but which has been charged to Imperial Funds.
On the other hand, the War Department in 1885 sold the military hospital in Port Louis for 120,000 rupees, and the proceeds
of the sale which, at the exchange of that date, equalled 9,7507. -have been credited to the Exchequer.
14. No question arose about the capitation rates of 70%, and 401. per man until 1877, when the question was raised as to the rate at which the rupee should be received in discharge of the obligation of the Colony to pay the above sterling capitation rates; but since 1880 these rates have been paid at the nominal value of 28, the result being that since the 1st January, 1881, instead of receiving capitation rates of 70, and 40, the War Department has only received suma varying from 581. 68, 8. to 487. 28. Ed. for Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, and from 337. 68, 8d. to 277, 108, for Infantry, the total loss to the Imperial Exchequer up to the end of 1887 amounting to 26,0997. Adding this sum of 26,0994. to 125,952, the unclaimed expenditure on barrack services above detailed, makes a total of 152,0517. (less the 9,750. received from the sale of the military hospital) incurred between 1869 and 1887, which ought properly to have been defrayed from Colonial instead of Imperial Funds. This gives an annual average of 7,500. If this had been added to 20,1001., the average annual payments by the Colony for its garrison incurred during that period, it would have made the Colonial Contribution 27,600, as`against 45,0007, contributed prior to 1869, and would have made the proportion of Colonial Military charge to Revenue between 1869-87, one twenty. sixth, as against one-tenth to one-thirteenth between 1857 and 1868.
15. It will be seen, therefore, from the foregoing recapitulation that the payment of 45,000, a-year, which the Mauritius Govern- ment made between 1864 and 1869, gradually diminished to 15,3211. in 1887, owing to the following causes :-—
(1.) The substitution of a capitation rate in lieu of the fixed
annual pay of 45,000!.
(2.) A large reduction in the strength of the garrison. (3.) The omission of the War Department to reclaim its
expenditure on barracks.
(4.) The payment of the capitation rates in rupees at the
nominal value of 2s.
16. Now, in proceeding to consider the future cost of the Garrison, and the contribution to be paid by the Colony towards its maintenance, I would observe that while the Mauritius Garrison during the five years, 1881-88, averaged about 400 of all ranks, the future ordinary peace Garrison will consist of 886 of all ranks, exclusive of local Militia and Volunteers, and of the Civil sub- ordinates of the Army Departments.
The annual cont of this garrison, excluding the cost of the local Militia and Volunteers, but including the cost of the Civil sub- ordinates, is estimated at 80,1437.
When the Military Contribution of 43,0004. a-year was fixed for Mauritius, in 1862, the Colonial Revenue amounted to 4,923,240 rupees, the contribution being equal to 914 per cent. of the Revenue; and other conditions being equal the contribution of