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FMBLR

PECORD OFFICE

Reference -

bulimiC.O.882/12

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

the policy of development of Empire trade now being pursued by His Majesty's Govern- ment which he believed had already greatly benefited Mauritius. The Colony gained particularly by the preferences on sugar and rum; the annual value of the sugar preference was in fact approximately equal to the whole expenditure of the Govern- ment of Mauritius.

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Coming to the constitutional proposals, the SECRETARY of State said that he was prepared to convert into a formal rule the present practice of nominating six unofficials out of the nine nominated members of the Council of Government; that such nomina- tions should be complementary to the result of the elections was, he thought, only He was common sense, but a formal provision on the subject was unnecessary. also prepared to agree that the unofficial nominated members should have a free vote; but these charges must be conditional upon the reservation to the Governor of an overriding power enabling him to legislate on matters he considered essential. The precise form of this provision would be a matter for discussion, but it must be in general terms and not restricted to matters of "paramount importance or (as had been suggested) to matters "not of local interest." He pointed out that questions might well arise which, though of "local interest only, would involve the whole issue of the Secretary of State's trusteeship for the large numbers of persons not directly represented in the Council of Government. Finally, the Secretary of State was prepared to assent to the addition of two unofficial members to the Executive Council, but he wished to say a word of warning in this connexion. If these members carried out their duties with a proper sense of responsibility, the opportunity this afforded of consultation with unofficial opinion during the formulation of policy would be a valuable reform, but it was essential that the unofficial members should be ready to work in a spirit of give and take and to share responsibility for decisions taken by the Executive Council.

>>

As to the other points, the SECRETARY OF STATE suggested further discussions in detail with the officials of the Colonial Office. It had already emerged that there was a difference of opinion on the currency and arrangements would be made for Mr. Leclezio to discuss this with the Colonial Office Currency Committee. Arrangements would also be made for the deputation to discuss medical and sanitary matters with Dr. Stanton, the Secretary of State's Chief Medical Adviser, and Colonial development schemes with representatives of the Colonial Development Advisory Committee.

DR. LAURENT expressed certain views, which were not shared by the rest of the deputation, on the redistribution of seats in the Council of Government, and asked that he might be allowed to submit a written statement on the subject. The Secretary of State undertook to have such a statement examined.

The deputation then thanked the Secretary of State and withdrew.

C. 93986/32 [No. 34].

SIB,

No. 5.

DR. E. LAURENT (LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MAURITIUS)

to

MR. H. R. COWELL (COLONIAL Office).

[Answered by No. 6.]

St. James' Court,

Buckingham Gate, S.W., 7th November, 1932.

I BEG to submit for the consideration of His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies :-

(1) A Short Summary of views expressed by the Senior Member for Port Louis in a Supplementary Memorandum annexed.

(2) The Supplementary Memorandum itself.*

(3) The debatest of the Council of Government 1925 and 1927 when the question

of the Revision of the Constitution of Mauritius was debated-to facilitate reference.

I am to add that my colleagues of the Deputation have been given a copy of documents 1 and 2.

* Not printed.

I &o.,

am,

+ Not reprinted.

E. LAURENT

5

Enclosure 1 in No. 5.

REVISION OF the Constitution of Mauritius.

Short Summary of Views Expressed in the Supplementary Memorandum annexed. Submitted by the Senior Member for Port Louis.

years.

THIS question has formed the subject of public agitation for the last 10 or 15

Following upon a public meeting held in 1922, a Committee was formed with a view to move for a revision of the Constitution and to suggest desirable changes in the present Constitution as it has been ascertained that there was no real co-operation between the Official and the elected members of the Council, and that the latter had practically no say in matters where the unofficial members of the Council could, how- ever, express an opinion based on their knowledge of the people and of local conditions. The Committee thus appointed deputed some of its members to form a joint Committee with three elected members of the Council of Government, namely, Mr. E. Nairac, Mr. M. Martin, and Mr. Ph. Raffray, who were delegated by the unofficial members of the Council of Government to look into the whole question of the revision of our Constitution.

The joint Committee suggested among others that the number of elected members in Port Louis and Plaines Wilhems districts be increased by 1, so as to bring the number of elected, members for Port Louis to 3; and that of Plaines Wilhems to 2. This suggestion was agreed by the whole body of the unofficial members, elected and nominated members, with the exception of Mr. J. Tranquille, the then junior elected member for Port Louis, when the question of the revision of the Constitution on the lines suggested by the joint Committee was moved in Council in 1925 by the then senior member for Port Louis-Mr. Nairac.

Then in 1927 when the question of the revision of the Constitution was again debated in Council, all the unofficial members who had supported the suggestions of the joint Committee in 1925 reaffirmed the views they then held, namely, that they were in favour, among other suggestions, of an increase of elected members for Port Louis and Plaines Wilhems.

We beg to submit :---

(1) That all interests, other than landed ones, should be represented in Council.

These only can find expression in Port Louis and Plaines Wilhems.

(2) That the Indian population, which numbers 260,000, has no elected seat in the present legislation: a representation of the Mohammedan community in Port Louis and possibly of the coloured population or of the Hindu community in Plaines Wilhems would be attained if the number of elected members in those two districts were increased by one per each district. That if the number of unofficial nominated members be left to 6, or if they are allowed a free vote as desired, it seems that the number of elected members should be increased by 2; bringing the total number to 12; so that the votes of the unofficial nominated members be not allowed to counter-balance the votes of the elected members. That besides the reasons given above in support of the increase in the number of elected members for Port Louis and Plaines Wilhems the number of electors in those two districts as compared with the number in other districts would justify this suggestion.

The Senior Member for Port Louis begs also to submit that :-

(1) In the event of a control over the finances of the Colony being granted to the unofficial members, this may be secured by a similar provision to that which is to be found in the Constitution of Jamaica, and a majority of the elected members as distinct from a majority of the unofficial members of the Council be given adequate means to carry on or resist such financial measures which are not considered to be of paramount importance in the public interest of the Colony.

(2) In case two elected members are given seats in the Executive Council they should be chosen, as far as possible, to represent the various interests to be found in the Colony, the landed ones and the urban ones.

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