CO882-(8-9) — Page 582

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

DWIN.

19000, winch amounted to 214 per cem. of the Revenue in 1962, would now amount to only 737 per cent, of revenue. however, to the fall in the value of silver, a military contrabun

€15,0007, a-year, which in 1862 amounted to only 10,000 rupees, Wold now pose a charge on Colonial Revenues of 635,294 majores, or an increase of 11 per cent., due to a fall of 29 per vent. the value of the rupee. Thus sum of 635,294 rupees represents dent Jin8 per cent, of the present revenue as compared with 21 11. 1862, or an merease of about 15 per cent., due entirely, in spite in increased Revenue, to the fall in the gold price of silver. 17. Whde, therefore, not at present stating what may be a fair Contribution at the present time, it most, I think, be admitted "hat, if 45,000 a-year, which it was contemplated should be in ressed at the end of three years, was not regarded as an undue unreasonable burden when it was imposed in 1862, it could , with an increase of 21 per cent. in the Revenue, be considered un reasonable now, even although the fall in the gold price of salver Pigmented the charge from 911 per cent. of Revenuo in 182 to 1068 per cent, in 1889, and it may further be observed that a Military Contribution of 15,000), or 635,294 rupees, would eman- pare as follows with the defence charges borne by the Imperial Exchequer :-

United Kingdom Mauritius

Bate of Defence Charges per

Head

of Revenue.

of population

d.

#

2

13 104 254

The proportion of revenue and saxation to population in 18** appears to be as follows:-

United Kingdom Mauritius...

Rate per head of

Revenue.

£ J

344 1

1 2 10

Taxation

34 5

0 17 4

It will be seen, therefore, that a Military Contribution of 15,0007. ➜ year would entail on Mauritius a very moderate charge compared Indeed, if Her ith that borne by the United Kingdom. Majesty's Government were to at once ask that the Colony should pay the full cost of its Carrison, the charge per £ of Revenue would not exceed what is being demanded of some other Eastern

'olonies.

18. With these facts before them, Her Majesty's Government have carefully considered what amount they might in the future fairly ask the Colony to contribute towards the Military Expendi. ture necessary for its defence, and, although they have not as yet rived at any definite conclusion, they have decided that, in justice to the taxpayers of this country, as well as to the other Colonies who contribute towards their own defence, they must call upon the Legislature of Mauritius to provide a considerably larger contribution in the future than that which has been voted In recent years.

19. Upon the Luperial Government must necessarily fall the sponsibility of securing the defence of the Empire at all points, and with them, as the central authority, must of necessity rest the fecision as to the requisite means to be adopted for that end, but they rely, and rely with confidence, upon the patriotism of the several members of the Empire to undertake their fair share of the necessary charges.

20. Her Majesty's Government have been unwilling to ask the Mauritius Government for any considerable increase in the Military Contribution so long as the defence works, now nearly The vote, however, on inpleted, required a large annual vote. this account is considerably reduced this year, and will disappear altogether next year; and while, therefore, only asking for a comparatively small increase in the Military Contribution at the present moment, Her Majesty's Government consider that the contribution for the year 1890 should not be less than 25,000, to

No 4, 5,

ane B.

H..

Enclosure

be paid in sterling at the current Treasury rate of exchange, which, for the present year, would be 18, 3d, which would necessitate a supplementary vote for 6,5837, 68, Sl., or, at 1s. 3d the rupee, 92,941 rupees 81 cents.

21. I have accordingly to request you to submit a vote for this amount to the Council, and I cannot doabt but that they will, on a consideration of all the facts of the case, readily provide the small additional contribution asked for this year, which, as I have shown, will still be much less than the amount of the Colonial Contribution in former years, when, moreover, the Culonial Revenue was not so large as it is now, as well as such increased contribution in future years as Her Majesty's Government may, under all the circumstances, decide to be fair and just. 1 have only to add, in conclusion, that the Government and Legislature of Mauritius may feel assured that Her Majesty's Government will fairly and fully consider all the circumstances of Mauritius with the earnest desire to deal justly with all parts of the Empire in apportiouing to each their share in providing for their own defence.

I have, &c..

(2) 1889-1895.

KNUTSFORD,

It will be seen that the arrangement in force in 1888 was that a capitation rate, paid in rupees of the nominal value of two shillings, was borne by the colony, which, by an oversight on the part of the War Office, did not pay for expenditure on barracks and other buildings as had been SA. 243. intended. From the somewhat acrimonious correspondence which took place between the Treasury and the Colonial Office in 1889-90 on the subject of the Committee's Report and the procedure to be adopted, it appears that the Committee recommended that the Colony should pay £25,000 in 1990 rising by annual increments of £5,000 to £45,000 in 1894, and that the capitation system should No 4, p. 5. cense; the Treasury, however, in 1889 demurred and proposed to refer the question to a Cabinet Committee, which, however, did not meet till December, 1890.

Pending the result of the Cabinet's deliberations, the in No. 12. Governor was instructed by despatch No. 384 of the 27th of November and by telegram to propose a vote of £30,000 for 1891. The Cabinet Committee accepted the views of the Inter-Departmental Committee, and the Governor was accordingly informed by despatch No. 9 of 7th January, 1891, that Her Majesty's Government must call on Mauritius for these amounts; it was added that the question should be reconsidered in 1894 and "in con- sideration of the proposed payments the Imperial “Government will bear the balance of the cost of the "construction of the new barracks, estimated at £10,000, "that may remain after devoting to this service the value of such military lands and buildings as are no longer required for defence purposes."

in No. 13. Enclosure

Enclosure

in No. 18. Enclosure

in No. 13. Enclosure

in No. 17.

Enclosure

in No. 18,

44

The Council of Government, however, reduced the vote of £25,000, which the Governor, pending instructions, had inserted in the Estimates, to Rs. 275,000, including Rs. 15,000 as rebate of Customs, or Rs. 280,000, which at the exchange of 18. 6d. to the Re. was equivalent to £19,500. After consulting War Office and Treasury Enclosure Lord Knutsford wrote to the Governor (despatch No. 277 of 7th October, 1891), saying that in view of the financial situation Her Majesty's Government were prepared to necept £25,000 for 1891 and 1892 respectively, and £30,000 for 1993 and 1894 respectively-the amount to be provided by Ordinance which should provide for the balance due on 1891 (i.e., difference between £25,000 and £19,500) being made good.

in No. 30,

'Enclosure

ju Nu. 31

In December, 1891, the Governor reported that the