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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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(31st March 1882 referred to.) I have no doubt a credit entry to meet an overdraft of exactly the same amount is to be accounted for by a bon or a cheque by same party on his own account. I do as I like in arranging certain accounts in certain ways. is done by the manager to suit his own purposes. If I am allowed to give a bon for overdraft, I am debited to the amount of my bon in a "bills and notes book." The practice has ceased with the new bank.

Couve worked after the liquidation. I gave him a testimonial after leaving the bank. It is dated July 1884-from 1872.

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Re-examined. At the end of the month I wanted certain accounts to go under certain headings. Mackenzie would have discovered any glaring mistakes.

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Bewsher, Charles Edward.-Was an officer of the Oriental Bank Corporation, and am now an officer of the bank in liquidation. Officers are allowed to overdraw by permis- sion of manager. There was a list of persons allowed to overdraw. I have overdrawn my account. It was paid up at the end of the month. I am credited on the 31st July for amount of my salary. There is a debit to the Rifle Association. It was may own money. It was re-credited next day.

No. 5.

THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL GRANVILLE, K.G., to GOVERNOR SIR J. POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G.

TELEGRAPHIC.

8th March 1886.—Accept suggestion contained in your confidential despatch of 23rd January.*

(Confidential.)

SIR,

No. 6.

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The system of persecution adopted by his Excellency against a certain number of respectable persons holding prominent situations;

The support and protection given by bis Excellency to a clique both ambitious and dangerous, and having in view only their self-interests; which support and protection have indirectly created dissension and even enmity among the different classes of the community, and have revived distinctions of race and colour which had well-nigh disappeared;

His Excellency's intervention in questions wholly belonging to Ecclesiastical and Judicial administration;

His Excellency's application of exaggerated ideas of philanthropy which has resulted in relaxation of discipline in the prisons, and an increase of crime against private and public property, together with disorder among the lower classes of the community;

His Excellency's complete disdain for popular opinion as manifested of late on several occasions; and his disregard of the instructions received from the Home Government, which has given occasion to repeated disapprobation and censure of his Excellency's acts and doings, since he has assumed the administration of the Island;

Are facts which are, or should be, thoroughly known at the Colonial Office :- 3. That the continuance of such a state of things is likely to have consequences prejudicial to the general prosperity of the Colony, and eventually give rise to social disturbances deeply to be regretted ;--

4. That, in those circumstances, the undersigned think it their duty respectfully to represent to the Home Government whether it would not be proper and prudent, whilst it is not yet too late, to appoint a Royal Commission in order to inquire into the facts specified above, and report upon the actual situation of the Colony.

And the undersigned respectfully beg to subscribe themselves

Your Lordship's, &c.

(Signed)

The Earl Granville, K.G.,

&c. &c.

&c.

O. BEAUGEARD, M.D., Member for Port Louis. G. DE CORIOLIS, Member for Port Louis. C. ANTELME, Member for Plaines Wilhems. CHARLES PLANEL, Member for Pamplemousses.

Reference :--

C.O. 882

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL GRANVILLE, K.G., to GOVERNOR SIR J. POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G.

Downing Street, March 8, 1886.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 23rd January last, recommending that Mr. Ferguson should not be nominated a member of the new Council of Government.

After considering your recommendation, I approve of your nominating someone else in his place.

I will communicate this decision to you by telegraph (viâ Durban) in accordance with vour request.

Sir J. P. Hennessy,

No. 7.

I bave, &c.

(Signed)

GRANVILLE.

FOUR ELECTED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received May 3, 1886.)

Mauritius, April 12, 1886.

THE undersigned, members of the Legislative Council elected by the principal electoral districts of the Island of Mauritius, respectfully beg to represent to your Lordship

1. That the improvident policy of Sir John Pope Hennessy has created general discontent throughout the Colony;

2. That the maladministration of the finances of Government which, we have reason to think, threatened to be in a disastrous condition;

No. 8.

GOVERNOR SIR J. POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G., to the RIGHT Honourable the EARL GRANVILLE, K.G. (Received June 2, 1886.)

(No. 163.)

I

Mr LORD,

Government House, Mauritius, May 10, 1886. AFTER my Despatches by the last mail, the 12th of April, had been made up, received from the Colonial Secretary and Licutenant-Governor (Mr. Clifford Lloyd) the enclosed printed Memorial addressed to your Lordship by four gentlemen in their capacity as members of the Council of Government, complaining of what they call my improvident policy, maladministration of the finances, exaggerated ideas of philanthropy, disdain of popular opinion, disregard of instructions from the Home Government, leading to repeated censures, and other misdeeds of which I was altogether unconscious, but which in their judgment call for the appointment of a Royal Commission.

2. Your Lordship may, perhaps, ask how it came to pass that these four members who knew that the Council of Government was to meet in a week could not restrain their impatience for seven days till the constitutional arena for discussing such subjects was open.

3. The charges they make, though rather indefinite, and unsupported by any sort of evidence, are all such as might be submitted by them to the Council of Government. Why did they not wait for a few days and then seize the opportunity of ventilating their grievances which is always given in the debate on the Address!

I believe the obvious answer is that it was easier and more agreeable to string together a number of unsupported charges addressed to the distant Secretary of State than to make such charges openly before their own countrymen, and subject to the criticism and verdict of their own colleagues.

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• No. 7.

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