MAURITIUS (NEWSPAPER ARTICLE) (Hansard, 16 February 1949)

Mr. Creech Jones

Dr. Millien was charged, under Article 283 (1) (a) of the Penal Code of Mauritius, with the publication of a seditious article in his newspaper L'Oeuvre on the following counts:—of attempting (1) to bring into hatred the person of His Excellency the Governor of this Colony; (2) to bring into contempt the person of his Excellency the Governor of this Colony; (3) to excite disaffection against the person of His Excellency the Governor of this Colony. The following are extracts from the said article "Justice":— Thus, Excellency, to protect a low-class individual whose conduct you know and on whom you know the judgment of a high Commission, you have not hesitated to throw in the street, to destitution, to demoralisation, to shame, men, women and children to whom you owed justice. You have in so doing committed a crime against a section of humanity which, I know, belongs for the greater part to a race of people for whom you have no consideration, because they are black. But you have committed a greater crime still, in dishonouring the British Justice which you represent here, the Mauritian dignity of people you govern, and the Empire which sent you throughout the world precisely to maintain its prestige before less advanced peoples. You have diminished this prestige. The result of the acts of your Government in this country has certainly contributed a lot to bring public contempt on the British Colonial Service. You have corrupted the ranks of the Civil Service, you have corrupted our population by the example you have given it of lack of respect for Justice and by the support you have given to the lowest feelings in this country. This report (of a Commission of Enquiry into the Prisons Administration) has been made up, recopied, examined by the three members of the Commission, typed, retyped again and again in several copies, has passed through several hands and has perhaps been sent to the Secretary of State. I challenge you to know how I came to know its contents. Don't try to find out. To take legal reprisals. You would make mistakes and would strike innocent people once more. Those who, in your eyes, are guilty of treason towards your 168W corrupt Services are serving the country by helping the man who is cleaning these Services! When they run all the risks, they place themselves high above those who do harm believing they are running no risks. My motions could not be discussed at the last two meetings of the Legislature because they were always placed at the bottom of the Order Papers which were as long as possible.