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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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TTIC.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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No 107

THE ACTING GOVERNOR 16 THE SECRETARY OF STATE

No 12.)

MY LORD.

Received 11 February, 1909.

Ao sample bed Að February, 1909,

N. 85.]

Government House, Port Li- 12th January, 1909. I HAVE the honour to enclose, for your information, a copy of a letter from Dr Laurent, the Senior Elected Member, Forwarding a copy of a resolution adopted by a public meeting held at Curepipe.

2 I expect to receive a full report on the meeting from the Inspector-General of Police, but I may say that he has already informed me by telegram that the meeting passed off quietly.

3. I am in communication with you respecting the question of the appointment

of a Royal Commission, but the resolution now forwarded would extend the terms of referènce somewhat further than I contemplated

4. I do not object to this extension provided it be the wish of the majority of the Unofficial Members of Council that it be adopted. But I do not think I would he justified in pressing such an extended reference against their wish.

SIR,

GRAHAM BOWER.

I have, &c..

Enclosure in No. 107

Port Louis, 11th January, 1909.

WOULD You

be good enough to inform His Honour the Officer Administering the Government that the following resolution was put and carried unanimously at a largely attended and thoroughly representative and authorized meeting, held at the Roval College of Curepipe, on January the 10th, 1909 : —

"La population des Plaines Wilhems, réunie en meeting public, prie le député du quartier et ses collègues d'insister pour que l'enquête s'étende

à tous les besoins du pays tels que le crédit agricole et l'emprunt pour l'irrigation, le chemin de fer, et les travaux anti-malariens."

Trusting that His Honour the Officer Administering the Government will forward as soon as possible this resolution to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

The Honourable

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SIR.

I have, &c..

E. LAURENT. M.B., President of the " Comité d'Action Libérale."

The Acting Colonial Secretary.

No. 108.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING GOVERNOR.

(Secret.)

Downing Street, 23 February, 1909.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Secret despatch of the 6th of January,* giving your views with reference to the general financial and political position in Mauritius, and dealing with various special questions which are likely to be brought to the notice of the proposed Royal Commission.

I have read your despatch with interest, and I recognize that the important points which it raises will require careful consideration in the future.

• No. 104.

I have, &c.,

CREWE

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No. 109.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(No. 18.)

MY LORD,

(Received 1 March, 1909.)

Government House, Port Louis, 14th January, 1909. WITH reference to my despatch, No. 12 of the 12th instant,* I have the honour to enclose, for your information, a copy of a report by the Inspector-General of Police on the public meeting which took place at Curepipe on Sunday, the 10th

instant.

Enclosure in No. 109.

I have, &c.,

GRAHAM BOWER.

INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE to COLONIAL SECRETARY.

REPORT On Public Meeting at Curepipe (10/1/09).

(No. A.27/09.)

12th January, 1909.

The meeting passed off in perfect order. Police were not called upon to inter- vene at any moment. About 2,500 persons attended; a large portion of that

number were Indians.

2. As to the proceedings, please see appended report from Corporal Lavoquer, who was specially detailed to be on the platform to take notes.

A. GOOLD, Inspector-General of Police.

Inspector ROBINSON,

REPORT from Corporal LavoqUER.

11th January, 1909. In compliance with your instructions, I beg to submit herewith a short summing up of what was said by the different speakers of the " Action Libérale" at the meeting held by them yesterday at the Royal College (Curepipe).

Hon. Dr. Laurent, the President of the "Action Libérale" and of the meeting, was the first to speak. After having addressed his thanks to the crowd for having, in spite of the rain, attended the meeting, he started proving the utility of a Com- mission of Enquiry, saying that the Chamber of Agriculture and the hon. members of the Legislative Council had, by their want of agreement, shut the doors to the Commission of Enquiry; that if he (Dr. Laurent) and other deputies had consented to vote in favour of the additional taxes which will produce only Rs. 250,000 per annum, it was in order to have a case before the Secretary of State in proving to him that we had given the purest of our blood; that a Commission of Enquiry was indis- pensable so that the Grand River North West Bridge, which is quite rusty and has 42 years' service and is likely to cause a great disaster, be repaired without delay; that the said Commission is also necessary to give back to Mauritius its former healthfulness; that the members of the Legislature bad during two months endeavoured to find the necessary combinations so as to equilibrate the local budget, but had on the 24th December last confessed their incapacity in so doing; that in his speech of the 23rd April last Sir Graham Bower said: "Council has not proved its incapacity of re-establishing the finances of this Colony; when this will have been proved, I will be the first to apply for a Commission of Enquiry "-that it is in order to have an Administrative Commission of Enquiry that he asks those present to vote a resolution which he reads up and the object of which is to apply for a Commission of Enquiry. The said resolution is backed by Dr. Guibert, and approved of by those present.

After Dr. Laurent, Dr. Guibert stands up and speaks as follows:--

You have before you the prisoner of the 22nd December last; 24 hours of detention have not made me become lean nor did they change me; I am always the ‘enquêtard ” whom you have known, as I believe that only the enquiry can save our unfortunate country--this imprisonment has been sweet to my heart. Clémenceau

• No. 107.

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