CO882-(4-5) — Page 66

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TTIC.O. 882

וייוייייייי

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

"

52

"be moved, but, as his Excellency seemed determined to proceed in the course he had "entered upon, in order to avoid the scandal of a hostile vote, and its consequences in "the Colony, I agreed to support his Excellency in the directions he had given as to the "official vote. The Governor did not consult the Executive Council as to the propriety of "adding the paragraph objected to by so many, but, on the contrary, made its adoption 48 a 'Government measure.' The other members of the Executive Council (after each had had an opportunity of reading Mr. Lloyd's version) thus describe what happened

"His Excellency the Governor said he desired to consult the Council as to the course they thought the Government ought to adopt about the address voted by the Committee in answer to his speech, as he had just been told by the Lieutenant-Governor that an amendment was to be moved.

---

K-

"After discussion and consideration the Council unanimously agreed "1. To support the address with the paragraph added on the motion of Sir V. Naz, K.C.M.G.

2. To treat the adoption of the address with that addition as a Government measure which members of the Council of Government, being office holders, should be requested to vote for."

6. Your Lordship will thus see that Mr. Lloyd is contradicted on the material points at issue by his colleagues of the Executive Council.`

1

7. He would lead your Lordship to believe that I did not consult the Executive Council. His colleagues contradict him. He implies that I gave directions of my own that the address as amended was to be a Government measure. His colleagues assert that they advised me to that effect.

8. Mr. Lloyd's mistakes are not confined to the actual proceedings of the Council. He tells your Lordship that I called the meeting of the Executive Council in my private room. It is true I have several private rooms at Government House, but the meeting in question was held in the Executive Council Room, which is also the Governor's Office, the room in which the minutes of the Executive Council since the year 1825 are pre- served and in which Executive Councils in Port Louis are invariably held.

9. I also thought it fair to Sir Virgile Naz that he should have an opportunity of secing Mr. Lloyd's version of what he thought Sir Virgile Naz had said in connexion with these proceedings. Sir Virgile Naz has written a full and courteous statement, which I enclose for your Lordship's information, in which again the material points in Mr. Lloyd's version (as far as it concerns Sir Virgile) are shown to be erroneous.

10. Unfortunately, I also am unable to admit the accuracy of Mr. Lloyd's version of what he thinks I said to him. He says I directed him to inform the officer in command of the troops that he would lose his commission. I gave him no direction to make that or any other communication to the officer in command of the troops. Mr. Lloyd put a question to me about the officer in command of the troops which I answered soine- thing to the effect that deliberate opposition to the Government would doubtless imperil his position, but I never authorised him to mention what I said.

11. Of course, if I had any communication to make to the officer in command of the troops, I would make it myself, as I am bound by our local regulations to do.

12. As a matter of fact, though Mr. Lloyd informed me more than once with some emphasis that Colonel Hawley refused to support the address, I did not think it necessary to trouble Colonel Hawley about it. He has often differed with my views and sometines voted against me, but I have never complained of this.

13. The other statements Mr. Lloyd makes as to what he thinks I said to him are equally inaccurate.

The Right Hon. Earl Granville, K.G.,

&c.

&c.

&c.

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. POPE HENNESSY.

53

I think it desirable to place before your Lordship without comment a full staternent of all that took place within my own knowledge, feeling fully impressed with the extreme gravity of the circumstances.

The Governor decided to deliver an address from the Throne, and to this address I was requested to move for a Sub-Committee to draw up a reply, which I also was to move in a full House, and which Sir V. Naz, K.C.M.G., was to second.

As the Governor's policy and proceedings in this Colony had already been strongly attacked by four out of the ten elected members of the Council in a petition, lately sub- mitted by those honourable gentlemen to your Lordship, asking for a commission of inquiry, and I was aware that the feelings expressed in that petition were shared by a large number of the official members, I drew up, with the Procureur General and Sir V. Naz, a reply, of which A is a copy (excepting paragraph 5).

As in this reply all matter of a controversial nature was carefully avoided, it was accepted by the Sub-Committee, and by a Committee of the whole Council, without opposition. After a recess for luncheon, and just before the Council again met in order that I might move the adoption of this reply, I was told by Sir V. Naz that his Excellency considered that the address should contain a complimentary allusion to him. self, and, as well as I remember, he showed me a copy of the paragraph he (Sir V. Naz) proposed to add to the reply. Another high official whom I had the opportunity of consulting agreed with me in thinking that unless the Governor was prepared to accept the consequences of a hostile vote, the course proposed was very inexpedient. I at once saw his Excellency and ventured to inform him that nearly every English officer, and perhaps even some of the non-official nominated members, would vote against the para- graph being added, and I strongly advised him not to press it. The Governor, however, informed me that the paragraph proposed to be added by Sir V. Naz was such as usually formed part of such a reply in every Colony, and I was directed to inform the officer commanding the troops that he would lose his commission, and the official members that they would be interdicted or suspended "the next morning" if they voted against the paragraph, as the Governor stated it was to be considered "a Government measure.' On my returning to the Council room, his Honour the officer commanding the troops, who had previously informed me that he would not vote in favour of such a paragraph, had left Government House, but I led the official members to understand that the Governor directed them to vote in favour of the paragraph. The intimation I conveyed to the official members was strongly objected to by many of them, and in the case of one I was obliged to give it in writing. The Governor before going into the Council Chamber called a meeting in his private room of the Executive Council, at which I expressed my regret, on the ground stated, that such a paragraph was to be moved, but, as his Excellency seemed determined to proceed in the course he had entered upon, in order to avoid the scandal of a hostile vote, and its consequences in the Colony, I agreed to support his Excellency in the directions he had given as to the official vote. The Governor did not consult the Executive Council as to the propriety of adding the para- graph objected to by so many, but, on the contrary, made its adoption a “Governinent This being the case, and considering the circumstances of my personal position, I hope your Lordship will consider that I correctly interpreted my duty in acting as I did, under circumstances of an unusual and peculiar nature.

measure.

The Right Hon. Earl Granville, K.G.,

&c.

&c.

&c.

I have, &c. (Signed)

CLIFFORD LLOYD.

A.

Enclosure 1 in No. 13.

Mauritius, May 4, 1886.

MY LORD,

A LETTER has this day reached me from the Hon. F. Lovell for submission to your Lordship through the Governor. It deals with certain proceedings that took place on the 19th ultimo upon the occasion on which the Council of Government was opened by his Excellency in Port Louis. The second paragraph alludes to an intimation having been conveyed by me as to how the official members were to vote upon a certain motion.

EXTRACT from the MINUTES of the Council of GOVERNMENT held on the 19th May 1885. 5. After the recess the Council resumed, when the Hon. the Lieutenant-Governor and Colonial Secretary moved, and the Hon. Sir V. Naz, 'K.C.M.G., seconded, the adoption of the following reply of the Council to his Excellency the Governor's speech:

"In reply to the speech your Excellency has been pleased to communicate to the Council, we desire in the first place to thank Her Majesty the Queen for the consideration shown to this Colony which forms a part of Her great Colonial Empire.

G 3