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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TTLE C.O. 882

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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I have the honour to transmit to you a copy of the Minute of his Excellency the Governor on the subject.

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I have, &c.

(Signed) J. H. ACKROYD, Acting Assistant Colonial Secretary.

MINUTE by the GOVERNOR on the Letter of Dr. Beaugeard and Mr. de Coriolis.

A simple statement of the facts of the case will be the best reply to the letter of Dr. Beaugeard and Mr. de Coriolis.

Under the existing law-Ordinance 38 of 1860-the Governor has to appoint annually the members of the Council of Education, not exceeding 20 in number, and from them to name the College Cominittee and the Schools Committee.

The members of the Legislative Council are not, as such, consulted about those appointments, nor are the appointments made on political grounds.

The practice is for the Colonial Secretary to submit the lists of the existing Council and Committees to the Governor, who, after consultation, generally re-appoints them. That was done by the late Colonial Secretary as regards last year's boards and by the late Acting Colonial Secretary as regards this year's boards, and in each case they recommended the re-appointment of the boards; and having fully considered it, I approved of the recommendation.

In addition to the general re-appointment of the members there are sometimes a few vacancies to deal with. Last year there were two, and I appointed Mr. Thomy Pitot and Dr. Beaugeard. This year there was one, caused by the resignation of Mr. Adam, and I filled up the vacancy by appointing the Mayor of Port Louis, and as Mr. V. Geffroy asked me to relieve him of the Chairmanship of the Schools Committee, I induced the Mayor of Port Louis, who is an active friend of education, and who has been several times elected Mayor of Port Louis under the popular municipal franchise, to accept the post.

Last year, the only two vacancies were given to Mr. Lavoquer's political opponents. This year the vacancy has been given to himself. But in neither case did I think of the political views of the gentlemen concerned.

As regards the general question raised by Dr. Beaugeard and Mr. de Coriolis, as two members of the Council of Government, I am of opinion that as long as the law imposes on the Governor the task of making those appointments every year, it is better, as a general rule to re-appoint the boards, especially when, as in this instance, the boards in question have well and faithfully discharged an onerous public duty.

The other annual Boards for 1886, such as the Woods and Forests Board, the Prison Committees, and Licensing Boards, were also simply re-appointed.

Perhaps a time may come when this task may be transferred from the Governor to the Council of Government. In such an event, although Dr. Beaugeard and Mr. de Coriolis will be only two in a council of 28 I feel confident that the majority of their colleagues, though they may not agree with them on this subject, will carefully consider their views.

J. POPE HENNESSY.

Le Réduit, 27th February 1886.

The HONOURABLE the LIEUTENANT-Governor and COLONIAL SECRETARY.

Mauritius, March 12, 1886.

SIR,

1. In acknowledging receipt of his Excellency's Minute on the letter addressed by us to you, and purporting to be an answer to the same, we beg respectfully to remark that the said Minute in no way gives satisfaction to the objections put forward. in our letter against the appointments of the members of the Council of Education and of the Royal College and Schools Committees.

2. The description which his Excellency has taken the trouble to give of the routine generally followed by Government in such cases neither refutes the remark which we had presumed to make, namely, that his Excellency's doings seem to be at variance with his Excellency's words; and that his Excellency's promises, at the Royal College dis- tribution of prizes in August 1885, implied a course of proceedings the prospect of which

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we had hailed with pleasure at the time, but which, at the last moment, was discarded, leaving nothing behind excepting bitter disappointment.

3. The Minute expresses something like a hope that " Perhaps a time may come when this task "—that of appointing the Government Annual Boards-"may be trans- "ferred from the Governor to the Council of Government." A few months' further experience and reflexion seem to have somewhat damped the earnestness with which his Excellency at first looked forward to the change so warmly advocated in his Excellency's speech at the Royal College on the 29th August last.

4. If as our interest bids we do assume his Excellency's words on that occasion to be the true expression of his Excellency's ideas and opinions, we shall presume to wonder how it is that, since August last, the necessary measures have not been taken for obtain- ing the repeal of Ordinance 38 of 1860, whereby the Governor has to appoint annually the members of the Council of Education, and among them the members of the College and Schools Committees ?

5. As soon as it had become known that a new legislative constitution would be granted to Mauritius, it would have been consonant with the promise held out by his Excellency to provide for the repeal of the said Ordinance. As nothing of the kind has been even begun, as far as we are aware, are we not authorised to infer that there has been neglect or indifference somewhere? The actual result is nothing but a continua. tion of the former state of things; and in the particular case under consideration, has further for its consequence the undue preponderance of that party which styles itself the Conservative party,

6. By maintaining the former constitution of the Royal College Committee it can be averred that his Excellency has overlooked the most common rules of logic, and pru- dence, even apart from the political bearings of the question. It is indeed surprising that his Excellency should have continued to put his trust, with regard to the direction of all educational matters and the proper extension of instruction, in a group of gentle- men who, without exception, voted at the late Electoral Commission against the neces- sity of instruction as an electoral qualification; that is to say, voted that an illiterate individual is, as well as any other, fit for the selection of those who are called upon to participate in the government of the Colony.

7. If those gentlemen are true to their word, and bent upon acting according to the principles which they have put forward, no trust can be placed in them, for, at the best, they can prove to be only lukewarm or indifferent advocates for the progress of educa- tion in general, and more particularly for the diffusion of instruction among the lower classes; and with all due deference, we submit that it is to be regretted that his Excel- lency thought proper to appoint this year the same Board as last year.

8. Whatever may be our views with regard to the nomination of members of Govera- ment Boards for the future, we shall not at this time and place trespass upon his Excel- lency's valuable time by exposing them; but we shall certainly represent most respect- fully that if the political opinions of the nominees were not formerly taken into any particular account, his Excellency might have borne in mind the now representative, though limited, form of Government in Mauritius, when it stands to reason that all political parties should, as much as possible, be represented at the Government Boards, and more particularly when education is at stake.

9. Leaving aside those personal considerations which have attached more especially to some of the members of the College Committee, and have publicly cast discredit upon the said committee (In re Coriolis versus Edwards); leaving aside the attempt made by at least one of its members for giving an undue extension to the study of the French language at the Royal College, and for separating the same from the British Universities to which it is affiliated; leaving aside even the complete want of confidence in the efficiency and fair dealing of that College Committee, so often publicly expressed by the organs of a large majority of the Colonial population; it must have struck his Excellency that the whole of the said College Committee was altogether constituted by members belonging to only one political party; and therefore it would have been but fair and just, had his Excellency so reconstituted that committee as to allow of the adverse opinions to be represented therein; and to make the balance equal, as much as possible, between the representatives of the different political tendencies in Mauritius.

10. We fear the idea may be entertained that his Excellency, when hurrying to nominate the annual Government Boards, had for his object to create, outside our future legislative assembly, a powerful check against the influence and weight which the future council, however constituted, might exercise and possess at some future time. The possiblity of putting into execution such a plan, in whatever direction, would constitute permanent danger, and almost nullify the advantages to be derived from election;

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