CO882-(4-5) — Page 137

190

26. If all parties meet in this spirit, it may be hoped that the unfortunate differences which have so materially affected the welfare of the Colony may cease, and that general confidence in the Administration may be again restored.

I have, &c.

To the Officer Administering the Government.

(Signed)

H. T. HOLLAND.

191

administration if difficulties should unhappily recur; and in that case it would become necessary for me to advise the Queen to place the government in other hands than yours, even although you might not be solely to blame for the condition of affairs. I trust, however, that no such painful duty will devolve upon me, but, on the contrary, that you will fully justify the decision to reinstate you, and that your ability and experience will yet produce good fruits in the restoration of peace and good government to the island.

I bave, &c. (Signed) H. T. HOLLAND.

Sir John Pope Hennessy.

No. 101.

गय

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

SIB,

The RIGHT HON. SIR H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P., to SIR J. POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G.

Downing Street, July 12, 1887. THE enclosed copy of a despatch" which I have addressed to the Officer Administering the Government of Mauritius will place you in possession of the decision which I have formed with regard to your continuance in the office of Governor of that Colony, and will explain to you my conclusions on each of the matters referred to in that despatch.

2. You will, I think, be prepared to learn that my decision has not been arrived at without much doubt and anxiety, having regard not only to what has occurred in the past, but also to the necessity of securing to the island harmony and good government in the future. My public despatch shows that I have been unable to acquit you of want of judgment and temper, as well as of partizanship, causing a large proportion of the civil service and of the community to lose trust in you.

Your conduct in the past, therefore, causes me to apprehend that it may be difficult for you, unless you are exceedingly careful and circumspect, to act cordially with those to whom you have been strongly opposed, and to win back that respect and confidence which can alone secure their willing co-operation.

3. These considerations have, as I have stated, led me to feel anxiety with regard to your future administration of the Government of Mauritius; but as it has been decided that there is not sufficient ground for removing you from that government, it now rests with you to show that the confidence which Her Majesty has not been at present advised to withdraw can be continued to you until the expiration of the term for which you were originally appointed. I feel assured that it will yet be in your power to administer the government successfully, but I cannot too strongly impress upon you that in order to attain such success it will be absolutely necessary for you to exercise moderation and frankness in your conduct and language, and especially to take care that those who have been opposed to you are not subjected to any form of persecution by your supporters. Strong and unscrupulous attacks have of late been made, in a portion of the press which is understood to be controlled by persons over whom you have much influence, upon those who gave evidence against you during the inquiry, and I have no doubt that a clear expression of your own personal dissatisfaction with these proceedings, and of your wish that they may be discontinued, would be effective.

4. I think it also most important that you should peremptorily decline to be the subject of any public demonstrations on your return to the Colony. Any such proceedings would greatly increase the difficulties of your position by exasperating those feelings of hostility between local parties which it must be your aim to allay. It should be your first object to secure the assistance of your friends in allowing all that has passed to be forgotten, and in showing that you are determined to govern in the interests of all sections of the community alike. I sincerely trust that you will, on the other hand, receive all proper support from those, whether in the public service or not, who either have been opposed to your policy, or have unfortunately had personal differences with

you.

I have, I hope, satisfied you, by the prolonged hearing which I have given to your explanations, and by my decision in favour of your having a further trial as Governor of Mauritius, that I am not disposed to judge your proceedings hastily or harshly. It is, nevertheless, the first duty of Her Majesty's Government to take care that the Governor of a Colony is personally capable of securing the general harmony and confidence of the people, and strictly abataius from allying himself with any political or religious party. It is obvious that there cannot be another inquiry into your

• No. 100.

No. 102.

The RIGHT HON. SIR H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P., to the RIGHT HON. SIR HERCULES ROBINSON,G.C.M.G.

SIR,

Downing Street, July 14, 1887. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you a copy of a despatch" which I have addressed to the Officer Administering the Government of Mauritius, communicating to him the decision of Her Majesty's Government in the case of Sir John Pope Hennessy.

You will observe that I have taken the opportunity of expressing in strong terms my sense of the manner in which you discharged the duty entrusted to you, and of upholding your action in suspending Sir J. Pope Hennessy's Commission. It will also be satisfactory to you to find that, after hearing Sir J. Pope Hennessy's statement, I have been able to agree to a great extent in the impressions and opinions which you had formed when your inquiry was unavoidably brought to a close, and I believe that had been present with me during my consideration of Sir J. Pope Hennessy's explanations you would have been inclined to modify somewhat the opinion which you had formed, and to concur in the conclusions which I have stated in my despatch to the Officer Administering the Government.

if

you

I consider that it is very desirable, if practicable, to avoid the publication of any more papers on this subject than it may be found absolutely necessary to give to Parliament, and in the first instance, therefore, I propose to make public only the despatch of which I enclose a copy. But in the event of further papers being produced, I shall not fail to bear in mind your desire that all your despatches justifying your proceedings should be included.

Sir H. Robinson.

No. 108.

I have, &c. (Signed)

H. T. HOLLAND.

The RIGHT HON. SIB H. T. HOLLAND, BART., G.C.M.G., M.P., to Si J. POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G.

SIB,

Downing Street, July 19, 1887. I HAVE had under my consideration the question of your salary for the period between the 13th December, when your commission was suspended, and the 12th March, when you left Mauritius for this country; in pursuance of my request that you would come home on half salary to give explanations with regard to affairs in the island.

I am of opinion that as you have been re-instated in the office of Governor, the| pay- ment of your salary should be governed by the rules which would be applicable, under similar circumstances, to an ordinary civil officer of a Colonial Government; and that, in accordance with the 92nd Colonial Regulation, you should be held to be entitled "to the full amount of salary which you would have received if you had not been suspended, even though the officer discharging the functions of the office in the meanwhile has been allowed to receive some portion of the salary of the office." During the period which I have mentioned the officer commanding Her Majesty's troops drew one half of the salary of the Governor while temporarily administering the

#1

• No. 100.

A a 4