PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TELEC.O. 882
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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may be desirable that steps should be taken to increase the power and influence of the Indian community and to lessen that of the French, who, though few in numbers, have hitherto been dominant in affairs.
3. I would, therefore, ask you to consider whether it would not be advisable to lower the qualification for the franchise so as to increase the number of Indian voters, and also whether there is any suitable Indian whom you could, when oppor- tunity arises, recommend for a nominated seat in the Council of Government, or for an appointment in the Civil Service.
4. I need hardly assure you, as regards the seventh paragraph of your des patch, that I have not been in the slightest degree influenced by "Le Cernéen," which I am not in the habit of reading.
5. It is possible that some of the mischievous newspapers in the Colony would find it difficult to continue their existence if you were to adopt the proposal made in paragraph 5 of my despatch, No. 279, of 8th of December, 1808, *that postage should be charged on all local newspapers. I have, in my despatch, No. 43, of the 26th in- stant,† asked you to send me an early report on that suggestion.
I have, &c.,
24556
(Secret.)
No. 3.
J. CHAMBERLAIN.
GOVERNOR SIR C. BRUCE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN.
(Receival July 30, 1900.)
[Answered by No. 6.]
SIR,
Government House, Mauritius, June 25, 1900. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your secret despatch of the 28th February,‡ in the subject of the loyalty of the inhabitants of Mauritius to British
rule.
2. The attitude not only of the local press, but of the principal sections of the community during the progress of recent events in South Africa has proved the justice of the appreciations submitted to you in my secret despatch of the 7th of December lust. §
3. I annex a leading article published in the evening newspaper "Le Radical" which expresses without disguise not only the sentiments of the writer towards British rule but, I am reluctantly compelled to believe, the sentiments of many of that section of the inhabitants of French descent whom I have in my despatch of the 7th December described as the party represented by the newspaper "Le Cernéen." The article in
Le Radical," which I enclose, has appeared since I wrote my secret despatch of the 4th of June to which I beg leave to refer you, and is merely an additional illustration of the attitude of the local press.
4. As regards the question of increasing the power and influence of the Indian community, I do not think that a remedy is to be found in lowering the qualification for the franchise. The Indian community here is totally unfit for the exercise of political privileges. The extension of the franchise would, therefore, have only the same re- Sult that has attended the lowering of the franchise in the case of the Municipality. It would strengthen the hands of wire-pullers of the most disreputable class in con- trolling the elections by votes obtained by unscrupulous m cans.
5. I would most gladly recommend for a nominated sent in the Council of Government a suitable Indian, but there is really no one at present in the Colony whom I could recommend. The leading members of the community, whether Maliome- dans or Hindus, speak neither English nor French. In addition to their own languages their linguistic equipment consists of a very limited vocabulary of Creole patois."
6. As regards appointments in the Civil Service a large and constantly increasing number of Indians educated at the Royal College are employed in the lower ranks of the Service, and many of them will, in due time, rise to higher offices.
7. Although I am not prepared to recommend an immediate change in the con- stitution of the Colony, I have come to the conclusion, in which I am confirmed daily
↑ No. 2. f No. 1.
120996; not printul.
• 21621 98: not printed. † Not printed.
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more and more, that the constitutional changes introduced in 1885 have had most unfortunate results. I have been assured by many gentlemen of the Mauritian com- munity that they would gladly welcome a return to the system of a Council of Govern- ment appointed by nomination. At the time the present constitution was granted, mainly through the influence of Sir John Pope Hennessy, I did not disguise my opinion that the constitution of Jamaica, after the model of which the new constitu- tion was drafted, was the very worst that human ingenuity had up to then devised. Nobody recognised more clearly than Sir John the danger of the Jamaica system to Imperial interests, but he satisfied himself that it would answer his purpose which was nothing less than to place the dominant power in the hands of a section of the com- munity hostile to British Rule.
When I left the Colony in 1885 I was allowed to express my views with per- fect frankness to the then Secretary of State, now Lord Derby, and I well remember telling him that I found myself in this difficulty, that the communications I made to him on the subject of the conduct and policy of a British Governor seemed even to my- self so absolutely incredible that I almost doubted if he could believe them. To which I replied "not at all, Mr. Bruce, what you are telling me is quite in accordance with everything that is reported to us from other sources."
8.
9. As I am leaving for England in a few days I should prefer to have an oppor- tunity of discussing the question of the constitution of this Colony at the Colonial Office, and, if it should be possible for you to grant me an opportunity, with yourself, before submitting any definite recommendations.
10. In the meantime, however, I beg leave to suggest that the Additional Royal lustructions of 1st March, 1889, reconstructing the Executive Council should be amended so as to place the nominated members of the Executive Council in the same position as the nominated members of the Council of Government as regards the power of the Governor to suspend them, and the termination of their time of office on dis- solution of the Council. * (See Clause 1 of the Letters Patent of 23rd September, 1894.) 11. I need hardly dwell on the difficulty of carrying on the administration of any country or colony with advantage when a member of the Executive Government - also the leader of the Opposition. On this subject I beg leave to refer you to the 7th paragraph of my confidential despatch of June 28, 1800,* relative to a subsidy to the British India Steam Navigation Company. For the truth is that the elected members seem to consider their position to be if not exactly on all fours with yet closely analo- vous to that of the Opposition in the House of Commons. To use a homely phrase they seem to be generally under the impression that their duty to their constituents requires them to be always" ag'in the Government."
12. In reply to the 5th paragraph of your secret despatch, I regret the delay that las occurred in reporting to you on the subject of your proposal that postage should be charged on all local newspapers. I have more than once requested an early report from the Postal Enquiry Committee to whom the question has been referred. I may -av, however, that such a measure would not affect the existence of the most mis- chievous papers in the Colony, because they are evening papers, and their sale is almost. entirely confined to Port Louis, and chiefly to the Railway Station. Nor would such a measure affect the existence of " Le Cernéen."
I have, &c.,
Enclosure in No. 3.
CHAS. BRUCE,
Governor.
EXTRACT from "LE RADICAL," Friday, June 8, 1900,
MES SENTIMENTS!
Julmets la joie des Anglais et de leurs partisans ! Ce qui no vent pas dire que je la comprends ! dine suis pas, comme on veut le dire, un feroce ennemi des Anglais! Je reenais do grandes quidités à ce peuple ; je l'admire souvent, mais je ne l'aime pas, je ne puis pas l'aimer, je ne P'aimerai Jamais! Sa race et la mienne sont trop différentes: Il aime l'argent, la force brutale, le whisky- trois choses que je dédaigno! On parle de reconnaissance, Je ne lui en dois aneuse! Ni moj, ni acieun des miens!
S'il est un sentiment que je lui doive gurder, c'est la baine, puisqu'il s'est emparé de mon pays qu'il nous a arrachés à tont ce que nous aimions. Mais je n'ai pas de haine dans l'âme, de me contento de ne pas l'aimer, de le liti dire et de le lui faire sentir à chaque fois que l'occasion s'en
**
* 19754; not printed.
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