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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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[།། 「 ] 'CO. 882

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

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premises affording them the best chance of a profitable larceny. They are watched when known; yet, by their artful dodges frequently succeed in their plans."

Increase of vagrancy is thus accounted for by Inspector A. Goold :—

"There is an increase under the heading Vagrancy. The police is almost powerless to act. The delinquents, being aware of the law, hire a small patch of land on which they erect a building which, in many instances, serves to harbour five or six persons. They then and work one or two days in a week, and call themselves day-labourers, and spend the rest of their time in idleness. In several instances such men have been found to be the perpetrators of larcenies committed in this district."

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Mr. W. Wade West, acting Superintendent of Prisons, says:

"The year 1885 shows an increase under the headings of larceny and possession of stolen property. In fact there is in 1885, a decrease in offences against the person, and an increase of those against property."

"The Returns for 1885 tend to show that vagrancy is on the increase."

And as a consequence of the state of things disclosed by the above reports, and directly confirming them, we record this assertion of the Inspector General of Police :→→

"I wish to bring to notice that I consider the strength of the Force inadequate to the growing requirements of the Colony."

"

At a meeting of the Council of Government, held on the 29th June last, the Hon. Cólicourt Antelme moved for an Ordinance "to force hawkers to take out licenses, gratis, if necessary," in order that the Police might exercise some kind of supervision over a class of individuals which is increasing every day-the pretended hawkers. His Excellency opposed this; and, among other arguments, represented that in 1879 the number of minor offences amounted to 11,287, whilst in 1885 they amounted to 5,584, and concluded thus:-"We are therefore face to face with the fact that crime is actually decreasing since 1879." But the year on which his Excellency relies to uphold this conclusion is a very far off year; whilst at the same sitting of the Council, the Hon. the Colonial Postmaster-though he eventually voted against Mr. Antelme's motion-had stated as follows: Predial Larcenies; in 1883, 363;-in 1884, 462;-in 1885, 657. Offences against property other than Predial Larcenies: in 1883, 3,392; in 1884, 3,760; in 1885, 4,325. But what both his Excellency and the Honourable the Colonial Post- master had forgotten to state was this:-That the state of things existing in 1885 has been continuously increasing during this year; and that further the action of the police has been so repeatedly thwarted, and the penalty inflicted so frequently desultory, that every one, at the present moment, is under the impression that the police shows the greatest slackness in the detection and prosecution of those minor offences which have been referred to above. And we may add this; that if, in spite of the knowledge that their statements would be unfavourably accepted by the Governor, the Superintendent and Inspectors of Police, impelled by truth, nevertheless did put forward the statements quoted above, it can easily be surmised how much more to the point and complete their declarations would be, were they at liberty to express their opinions fully and fearlessly. The most unfortunate result, however, produced by the complete liberty which hawkers are left to enjoy, is the consequent want of supervision over those articles of food which are offered for sale on all sides, instead of in the markets and within reach of Sanitary Inspectors. The public at large is thus left unprotected against the staleness or adultera- tion of articles of daily consumption, a kind of fraud practised on a large scale here as well as elsewhere.

15. The indulgence of the magistracy and the discouragement of the protecting forces of Society has also had for consequence to encourage offenders to devastate the forests of the Crown, and particularly the reserves of our rivers and mountains, the conservation of which was so necessary for the protection and alimentation of our streams. We are ready to prove that these devastations began, and have taken great proportions, since the arrival of Sir John Pope Ilennessy in the Colony, Notwithstanding that the law permits, and even imposes it as a duty upon the forest officers, to kill destructive animals found upon the reserves and in the young plantations belonging to Government, the Governor has prevented the law from being carried out.

In vain did Mr. Horne, the Director of Woods and Forests, represent that certain of these animals, notably pigs, dug and rooted up the young plantations of trees made at great expense to the Colony. The Governor would listen to nothing and maintained his decision,-thus placing himself above the law and encouraging, by this very fact, offenders to trespass in the grounds of Government.

16. Meanwhile the finances of the Colony are neglected, and we are advancing gradually towards a catastrophe. The deficit for the year 1885; the fact is now known; amounts to more that a million of rupees. Will it, Sir, be less for 1886 ? The same

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causes naturally produce the same effects, and we are justified in fearing that the results will be the same, What has the Governor done up to the present time to help us out of such a position? Nothing or next to nothing. Being able to draw from the reserves accumulated by the wisdom and foresight of his predecessors, his Excellency does not appear in the least concerned, and even makes speeches in which he maintains that our finances are in the most prosperous condition.

17. With regard to the repeated disapprobation and censure of his Excellency's acts and doings by the Home Government, we beg to refer for particulars to the correspon- dence exchanged between Downing Street and Sir John P. Hennessy.

18°. We venture to say that this Colony never had greater need than at the present moment of having at its head an able and experienced Administrator; and, feeling keenly as we do that this need exists, we respectfully and earnestly urge upon the Home Government to take into serious consideration the representations of the undersigned, speaking in the name of the majority of the electors of Mauritius.

Annexure.

We have, &c.

(Signed)

O. Beaugeard, D.M., G. DE CORIOLIS, CRT. ANTELME, CHARLES PLANEL, E. ANTELME.

22, Rempart Street, Port Louis, September 11, 1886.

To his Excellency SIR JOHN POPE HENNESSY, K.C.M.G., F.G.S., F.R.A.S., Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Island of Mauritius and its Dependencies, President of the Council of Government.

SIB,

I HAVE the honour to forward, for the information of your Excellency and the Council of Government, the following report:

The public meeting prayed for in my telegram of the 8th instant, and permission for holding which was graciously granted by your Excellency, took place on the 11th instant, and was attended by nearly three thousand persons belonging to all classes of society, and numbering among its attendants electors for all districts of the Island.

At that meeting, the following resolution moved by the Honourable Célicourt Antelme, member for Plaines Wilhems, seconded by the Honourable G. de Coriolis, junior member for Port Louis, and supported by the Honourable Charles Planel, member for Pamplemousses, and the Honourable Edgard Antelme, member for Rivière du Rempart :-

"

Considering that the Government has allied itself to a party, this meeting composed in great part of electors, protests against Articles 23 and 24 of the Draft Regulations, the obvious aim of which is to arm the President of the Council with arbitrary powers which might be exercised in an outrageous manner against the dignity and liberty of the independent members of the said Council-"

Was carried with an immense majority, almost amounting to unanimity, and without a dissentient voice.

The "SENTINEL

*

I have, &c.

(Signed) O. BEAUGEARD, D.M.,

Senior Member for Port Louis,

President of the Meeting.

Enclosure 3 in No. 31.

of Mauritius, Wednesday, October 27, 1884.

M. EMILIEN Ducray.

Les obsèques de M. Emilien Ducray ont eu lieu aujourd'hui. Le convoi est parti de

la demcure mortuaire, suivi d'un grand nombre de connaissances et de parents du défunt. pour se rendre directement au Cimetière de l'Onest, où le corps a été ìnhumé. Aucune cérémonie d'aucun culte n'a eu lieu, aucune prière d'usage n'a été dite sur les dépouilles du mort, aucun prêtre n'a béni ses restes »vant qu'ils reposassent dans le tombeau. Les funérailles de M. Ducray ont été modestes, simples, honnêtes, comme fut sa vie. Elles

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