CO882-(6-8) — Page 202

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

كسليبيا

C.O. 882

8 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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be or remain on any public road or public place; nor shall any such animal be allowed to remain on any premises or place near any public road without proper precautions approved by the Sanitary Authority.

12.

The Sanitary Authority shall have power to prevent or regulate by order in writing the circulation upon any public road or public place of any cattle as defined by Ordinance, No. 39, of 1881, Article 1, which may be, in the opinion of the Sanitary Authority unmistakably affected with "Surrah," and shall further have power to control in the same way the keeping or exposure of any such cattle on any premises, or place near any public road.

13. All stables, pens, sheds or other places occupied by animals suffering from Surrah" shall be cleansed and disinfected by the owners, or at the expense thereof, whenever the Sanitary Authority orders such cleansing and disinfection, and in such a manner as may be ordered by the Sanitary Authority.

14. Any person refusing, or neglecting, to comply with a lawful order in writing from the Sanitary Authority within the time specified in such order, or any person committing a breach of any other provision of these regulations shall be deemed guilty of an offence and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding Rs. 1,000 with or without imprisonment not exceeding three months.

July 5, 1902.

Dr. CHASTELLIER,

Director, Medical and Health Department.

Approved by His Excellency the Governor in Executive Council at a meeting held on the 14th July, 1902.

(Annexure II.)

G. LINCOLN,

Clerk, Executive Council.

To the Honourable the COLONIAL SECRETARY, SIR,

Port Louis, July 10, 1902. I BEG that you will have the kindness to communicate to His Excellency the Governor, for his consideration, the following resolution that was passed yesterday by the Chamber of Agriculture, at a meeting attended by a large number of its members, and an unusual gathering of planters, managers and business men, forming an unprecedent and imposing assembly of representative members of the Com- munity:

"La Chambre d'Agriculture et tous les planteurs ici présents protestent énergi- quement contre la décision prise par le Conseil Legislatif à sa séance du 1er courant, concernant l'abatage obligatoire des mules, chevaux, ponys et ânes atteints d'une façon marquée de la maladie dite surrah,—et demandent instamment à son Excellence le Gouverneur de surseoir à la mise à exécution de la mesure votée par le Conseil Legislatif."

SIR,

(No. 6466/02.)

I have, &c.,

L. SOUCHON,

Président of the Chamber of Agriculture.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Mauritius, July 14, 1902.

I AM directed by the Governor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant, transmitting a copy of a resolution passed yesterday by the Chamber of Agriculture requesting His Excellency to suspend action on a resolution passed by the Council of Government on the 1st instant, in the following terms:-

"That regulations be passed under Ordinance 39, of 1881, to have all horses, asses and mules, markedly attacked with "Surrah" slaughtered, and this without any indemnity."

2. The terms of your resolution seem to indicate that it was in fact a resolution passed by a public meeting assembled in the hall of the Chamber of Agriculture, and no reasons are given to guide His Excellency in the consideration of the request

made to him.

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3. The Governor would, therefore, be much obliged if you will be good enough to transmit to him a copy of the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting, in the usual form, which will doubtless indicate the reasons on which the resolution is based.

4. The Governor thinks it may be convenient to explain the position of His Excellency in this matter, by a brief statement of the facts.

5. Ordinance 39, of 1881, imposes certain duties on the Sanitary Authorities in the event of an outbreak of a contagious or infectious disease among animals. The Governor acting with the advice of his Executive Council decided to postpone, for a time at least, the carrying out of some of the powers conferred on the Depart- ment; and in coming to this decision great consideration was shown to what the Governor believed to be the wishes of the Chamber of Agriculture.

6. On the 1st instant the resolution referred to above was passed by the Council

of Government by a large majority and was confirmed at a subsequent meeting when

a motion to rescind the resolution was rejected by a large majority.

7. It is evident that these resolutions have materially modified the position of the Governor, who is now asked to override two deliberate decisions of the Council of Government passed with a view to secure the carrying out of certain express provisions of the existing law.

8. With every respect for the opinion of the Chamber of Agriculture, the Governor conceives that he would be committing a most unconstitutional act in assuming such a responsibility at the request of a constitutionally irresponsible meeting.

9. In accordance with the resolutions of the Council of Government, the Governor has instructed the Sanitary Authorities to draft regulations under Ordi- nance 39, of 1881, and these regulations will be dealt with in the manner provided by law. The regulations when drafted will be considered in Executive Council and will then be laid before the Council of Government when the Council will have an opportunity of discussing them.

10. The Governor hopes that this strictly constitutional course will commend itself to the Chamber and secure their support.

33760

No. 6.

I have, &c.,

GRAHAM BOWER,

Colonial Secretary.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN to GOVERNOR SIR C. BRUCE. (Sent 3.25 p.m., August 25, 1902.)

TELEGRAM.

[Answered by No. 8.]

Your telegram, August 14.* I understand your proposal to be for establish- ment of number of isolated estate light lines of Decauville, or similar type, to convey canes to mill, not for a connected system of light railways working as adjuncts to the Government lines. If so, I approve, provided that purchase of plant is governed by applications from planters who satisfy you that they are prepared to lay down the lines without delay, and possess means of doing so.

You should also consider whether security for payment should not be on crops rather than on corpus of estates. If repayment is to be in 10 years, loan should have same currency, and as plant will be purchased through Crown Agents, the expenditure of loan will be on this side, and loan should be raised here.

On receipt of your reply will instruct Crown Agents to consider form loan should take, and to furnish draft Ordinance.

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