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41. In another despatch the Lieutenant-Governor forwarded a copy of a letter that had been addressed to the newspapers by one of the few Mauritians of position who opposed the demand of his countrymen for a reform in the Constitution. The writer said

"The constant intervention of the Colonial Office in the management of our affairs having suscitated some complaints in the Council, the opportunity has been seized to begin an attack upon the Council itself, which seems to be made responsible for the errors committed in London." This letter is signed "C. Antelme," one of the present memorialists.

42. The statements attached to the petition to the Queen did not imply universal contentment in Mauritius. Nor did Mr. Antelme's assertions at that time about the constant intervention of the Colonial Office, and the errors committed in London indicate that even the few anti-reformers were entirely satisfied.

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43. As regards the bonds of amity that then existed, the Lieutenant-Governor, in a despatch dated 31st October 1882,* forwarded a petition against reform in which, referring to the main classes in the island, the petitioners say "Not only their wants, "aspirations and customs are not the same, but their interests are in a flagrant state of antagonism." In another petition. signed by Mr. Antelme against reform, and transmitted at the same date," the class prejudice and passions" of the community are referred to and in a letter signed by him in July 1882, he said:-"Our population is "divided into a multitude of races, between which there exists no bond of nationality, religion and patriotism." And yet he now quotes the statement that at that time "all races and classes had been left in amity and contentment."

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44. There were other despatches written from Mauritius to Downing Street before my arrival that did not indicate universal content. During Sir George Bowen's last year of administration în Mauritius he thus wrote in despatch of 26th January 1830:- "As Sir Penrose Julyan has pointed out, the maintenance of a different system hitherto has produced much discontent not to say disaffection in this community."

45. Sir George Bowen's suggestion in another despatch of 19th December 1879† that volunteers in Mauritius should be " principally if not entirely of European birth or "descent," would have excluded some of the memorialists who now quote him. That he would allow no men of colour in the volunteers-no men of African descent-indicated some distrust on his part.

46. Referring to another complaint of the Mauritians, in his despatch of 15th May 1880, written a few months before his departure, Sir George Bowen alluded to the

general discontent now prevailing in this Colony.'

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47. Soine of the causes to which Sir George Bowen attributed the "discontent, not to "say disaffection, in this community," were dwelt upon by the reform party in the meetings and reports before my arrival, they were brought to my notice immediately on my arrival, and they were stated in my presence in the Council Chamber.

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48. Speaking in the Council of Government, the President of the Reform Committee referred to "the egregious blunder committed when the use of the English language was "made compulsory in the Supreme Court," to the "wanton destruction of the forests of the island that had for many years been allowed, to the "hasty and oppressive forest legislation" that followed, to certain parts of the labour law of 1878, prejudicial to the Indians as well as to the planters, and to the distribution of patronage by the Secretaries of State by which the " Mauritians were treated as a conquered race, the prizes of the local service being reserved for Englishmen"; and that even in the case of Englishmen "the higher offices were barred against them if they had formed matrimonial alliances "with ladies of the Mauritian race.' The Vice-President added to this list of grievances the apparent wish of the Government for many years past to break down the traditions, "the religion, and the customs of the Mauritians."

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Lord Derby had to deal with those serious complaints. He did so by a wise policy that removed long-standing sources of discontent.

49. Lord Derby took some steps to carry out Sir Penrose Julyan's long-neglected recommendations of 1874 in favour of appointing Mauritians instead of Englishmen to the highest offices. He gave the Mauritians a substantial measure of self-government, M. Anteline, and a small minority who had opposed all reform, did not like this. They gave me the credit of having assisted Lord Derby. Hence Mr. Antelme's persistent opposition to me. But the large majority of the Council of Government and a still larger proportionate majority of the whole community, including all the intelligent and influential Mauritians, are in entire accord with me.

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50. On page

6 the memorialists assert that distorted despatches are communicated to certain newspapers only before being communicated to the individuals interested. They do not, however, quote a single instance of a despatch being distorted or improperly published. Here again the memorialists appeal from the Council of Government to you.

51. One of the memorialists moved a resolution on the 3rd of this month to the same effect as the statement they make in this letter. The Procureur-General replied and showed that the statement was groundless. The Council was about to reject the motion by an overwhelming majority, when its author said he would not give them the trouble of dividing, and withdrew it.

52. The memorial of the stipendiary magistrates which is referred to on page 7 of the enclosed letter was considered and disposed of by your predecessors. The chief matters complained of in that memorial were that I censured three stipendiary magistrates for, in my opinion, improperly imprisoning Indians for contempt of Court, for sending Indian labourers to prison on trivial charges made by masters who a few weeks before had been convicted of beating these labourers, when the masters were only punished with slight fines, and, in one case where the stipendiary magistrate sent from one estate, in a single day, one hundred and fifty-eight Indian labourers to prison illegally.

53. All those cases had a certain resemblance to similar magisterial acts condemned by the Royal Commissioners in 1874. One of the estates in which the manager had assaulted the labourers, and in which I censured the stipendiary magistrate for the inadequate penalty he imposed on the manager, was under the control of Mr. Antelme, as Chairman of the Credit Foncier, and I am not surprised that he should not be pleased with the minute it was my duty to make on that occasion. As regards the alleged stopping of the Queen's writ, Mr. Bruce, the late Colonial Secretary, in a minute dated 6th June 1885, explained that owing to an oversight the papers had been filed in the Colonial Secretary's office and lost sight of for a considerable time, but that when his attention was drawn to it he sent the papers at once to the Procureur General and the judgment was satisfied.

54. On the last page of their letter the memorialists complain that I do not allow Mr. Horn, the Director of Woods and Forests, to destroy pigs that injure the young plantations. The law of the Colony on this subject was made before my arrival. When an Indian woman complained nearly three years ago that a forest ranger had shot her pig and taken away the carcase, I called for a report from the Procureur General, who recorded the opinion that under the circumstances of the case it was not lawful to have killed her pig or to have confiscated it. As the practice of killing the pigs of the poor people who lived near the forest reserves had become a common one, I directed a copy of the Procureur General's opinion to be communicated to Mr. Horne for his guidance. I am of opinion that the existing law is severe enough, and provides ample security for the plantations from the pigs of the cottagers. That is also the opinion of the President and all the unofficial members of the Woods and Forests Board.

55. The memorialists think the public finances are neglected, and they ask if the deficit for 1886 will be less than a million of rupees. At the last meeting of Council they saw the Treasury returns for the first six months of 1886, showing that so far there has been no deficit this year, but a small surplus of revenue over expenditure, whilst our balance of Treasury assets over liabilities amounts to 2,800,000 rupees.

56. Why were the memorialists not satisfied with Lord Granville's reply? Why have they addressed a long letter to you, which on examination is found to contain a mass of unreliable statements? The answer is, to some extent, found in their hostile attitude to the local Government, since I declined to accept their nominations of what they called persons of their own party, to certain public boards.

57. When early in this year they pressed me to make some improper appointments, I pointed out that I could not allow political opinions to influence me in such matters, and that I was resolved to select only those who by their social position, high character, and abilities were the best fitted to discharge public duties. With their letters and my minutes on the subject before him, Lord Granville decided against these gentlemen, and in favor of the views I expressed. Hence, his Lordship's despatch of the 7th of July,* in reply to their memorial of April last, has not satisfied them, and they memorialize again.

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58. In paragraph 25 of my Despatch of 10th May of this year to Lord Granville I said :-

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Nor must your Lordship imagine that they have all been hitherto waging a vigorous war against me. On the contrary, during the elections not a word was uttered by

• No. 7 in [C.-4074] June 188).

† Not printed.

• No. 17.

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TLC.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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