14
Your secret despatches of the 28th February and 29th June, 1900,* and other com- munications, satisfy me that Mr. Mackenzie's views have your approval.
2. I thought it advisable to consult the Protector of Immigrants as to the selec- tion of a suitable person to fill one of the vacancies on Beau-Bassin and Rosehill Board, and he recommended Mr. Mahmoud Atchia, of the firm of Messrs. I. S. Atchia and Sons, who have shown great enterprise and intelligence in supplying the electric light to the Governor's residence, Le Réduit, as well as to Rosehill and Beau-Bassin.
3. On it becoming known that I proposed to appoint Mr. Atchia, I learnt that the nomination would be strongly opposed, and would be followed by the refusal of some of the present members of the Board to retain their seats, and of other gentlemen, to whom I had offered seats, to accept them.
4. I accordingly requested Mr. Trotter to communicate with the members of the Board and others, and let me know the real position of affairs.
5. I enclose a copy of a memorandum by Mr. Trotter, from which you will see that the ostensible ground of objection is that Mr. Atchia speaks neither English nor French. From my conversation with Mr. Trotter, who informed me of the views of other gentlemen of the community, apart from those he mentions by name, as well as from the language of the press, I am satisfied that the real ground of objection is that Mr. Atchia is of Asiatic parentage,
6. The Creole patois spoken by Mr. Atchia is not a literary language, but is the almost universal means of communication between the different nationalities of the Colony. I am quite satisfied that there is not a single member of the Board who does not understand it, and that Mr. Atchia will be able to express the views of the Indian community of Beau-Bassin and Rosehill, who have large interests in the town and are perfectly satisfied to be represented by him.
7. I have, in many despatches, called your attention to the rapid accumulation of wealth, and especially of immovable property, in the hands of the Indian community. They own at least a third of the whole productive area of the Colony. They command practically the whole of the grain trade, and nearly the whole of the export of sugar to India. So far as the great majority of the inhabitants is concerned, the retail trade in dry goods is practically in their hands; while nearly the whole of the retail provi- sion trade and practically the whole of the retail liquor trade is in the hands of the Chinese. The Chinese population of Mauritius consists chiefly of "carpet baggers," and they stand, therefore, in a class apart; but as regards the Indian community it cannot be denied that they are a main and permanent stay of the fortunes of the Colony. It seems to be a most short-sighted [? policy] to endeavour to exclude them from all right of expressing their views on representative Boards or Committees.
8. In the probable event of the present members of the Board of Commissioners of Beau-Bassin and Rose Hill resigning, and of others to whom I have offered seats refusing them, I will constitute the Board by the appointment of official members.
I have, &c.,
CHAS. BRUCE,
Governor.
15 -
English, and that his appointment was putting in the thin end of the wedge, which would lead to their being swamped by the Asiatics, &c.
4. On the 14th September, 1901, His Excellency asked me to see Mr. Ireland and Captain Ritchie, and some of the members of the Board, and ascertain what objection they had to sit with Mr. Atchia. Before that date I had spoken to Mr. Ducray, on two or three occasions on this subject; he told me that he knew Mr. Atchia, that he was a very respectable man, but that he did not speak either French or English, and that he would resign his position on the Board the moment Mr. Atchia was appointed a member.
5. I saw Mr. Cowin on the 16th of this month. After a long conversation he told me that he had come to an agreement with Mr. Ducray to resign should Mr. Atchia be appointed a member of the Board, and that he could not now withdraw, but sug- gested that we should go and see Mr. Ireland on the subject. We did so, and after a long discussion Mr. Ireland told me that he would not sit with Mr. Atchia, and that as soon as his appointment was made he would decline a seat on the Board.
On my pressing Messrs. Cowin and Ireland for their reasons, they said that Mr. Atchia could not speak either French or English, and that this disqualified him, in their opinion for a seat on the Board. They both admitted, however, that he was a respectable man, and one of the best of the Indian class that could be found to sit on the Board.
6. Before seeing Mr. Cowin, I had seen Captain Ritchie; he told me that he had no objection to sit with Mr. Atchia, but that he would not like to do so unless one or two of the present members retained their seats, and that if Mr. Cowin decided not to resign he would with pleasure accept a seat on the Board.
September 24, 1901.
37875
(Secret.)
SIR,
No. 10.
J. F. TROTTER,
Protector.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR C. BRUCE.
Downing Street, November 5, 1901.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your secret despatch of the 26th September, on the subject of the appointment of Mr. M. Atchia to be a member
of the Board of Commissioners for Beau-Bassin and Rose Hill.
2. I approve your action in nominating Mr. Atchia to this post.
I have, &c..
40144
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
No. 11.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTC.O. 882
6
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Enclosure in No. 9.
Circumstances connected with the proposed appointment of Mr. M. Atchia to the Board of Rose Hill and Beau-Bassin.
1. Two or three weeks ago His Excellency the Governor asked me whom I could recommend to sit on the Board of Rose Hill and Beau-Bassin. Among other names I suggested Mr. Mamode Atchia, as, in my opinion, he represented the members of the Indian community of those villages, many of whom owned property.
2. Mr. Atchia is a Creole of Mauritius, a member of the firm of Messrs. I. S. Atchia and Sons, and a respected native merchant. The whole family occupy a high and honorable position, and enjoy the esteem and confidence of their countrymen.
3. A day or two after my interview with the Governor, alluded to in paragraph 1, Mr. Atchia was offered a seat on the Board, which he has accepted. Meanwhile, the members of the Board having heard of the offer made to Mr. Atchia, agreed among themselves to resign should he be appointed a member. The press objected to the appointment also, on the grounds that Mr. Atchia did not speak either French or
No. 2; and 17531: not printed.
SIR,
(Secret.)
GOVERNOR SI C. BRUCE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(Received November 15, 1901.) [Answered December 4, 1901, Secret: 40144: not printed.]
Government House, October 12, 1901.
WITH reference to my secret despatch of the 26th ultimo,* on the subject of the appointment of a member of the Indian community, a Mussulman, to be a member of the Town Board of Beau Bassin and Rose Hill, I have thought it advisable to submit to you the questions to which that appointment has given rise, in an open despatch in which I have incorporated the substance of my secret despatch without reference to the secret documents referred to.
2. I beg leave to refer in this despatch to page 60 of Mr. Muir Mackenzie's report § recording speeches delivered at a banquet given by the Mussulman Commu- nity to Sir Hubert Jerningham. You will admit, I think, that if the right of the
• No. 9.
* No. 12.
↑ See 9596/97 : not printed.