Annual Report of the Colonies. Bechuanaland 1890-92
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This document was created by the Digital Content Creation Unit University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2010 OOLOHUL KBPOBT8 No. 47. BRITISH BECHUANALAND. REPORTS FOR 1890-92. (For Report lor 1889-90, m Oulotial Reports [Af-^l] No. &) Prsinitt* t* ftttl IHwiii of pxriUmmt l« Cf ««••* ft 1899. ^,,vr;.r--T.:M-r" LONDON: PRINTED FOR EKR MAJK81T8 STATIONERY OFflCR, IT ITU AND •WTTItWOODE rstvrm TO TV» qonvt MOST nomin VAJMTT. Aad tc l» pwoiwwi. •Wwt to—Uy or thrwgh >ny BoofcwOkt, h-w ITU AID tPOTTIiWOODl. pun Hannt STEMT Purr ftnin, i.0, «* M. ABIIUVOV tTBMT, WwrtviMTt*. • W. i or JOHN MSNlllljft Oo. It. HAIOTEB §TUIT «nm»rio«, Mid M, W»t NlU tfftlVf. QLA*OOW T or 30DOM, FIOQ!ft. ft Co., 7.raftVP. 1M, Omrtow ITSKVT, DVBU*. "~1892. [C—8820.-8. j Prm %\d. 1 COLONIAL R1POBT8. TUfolkmtof.MMnf rthar, Ifipilu ildlMlt Ifw Mtliilj'i Ail mil il Powiwinni h*v* btttt MMtdf tad My b* obmuMd (or »f*w pne* from ANNUAL. V*. T«v. 10 8k Loci* . I860 11 18 li » • • • »t II ft 14 ft If iimLmi ft 10 mm • It IT Mki*nd likuda * It 18 It 19 Briliiii Honduras . m • • * It 90 Basutoiaod 1890-91 tl Trinidad aod Tobago • • m » 1890 n L*iwmrd Islands - 18 IS GftMtl* - If 14 Strait* Sttttantiitft - It 15 British Goiana It M 8t* Helena • It 17 Mauritius • It S8 Gambit • It 19 flotig Koug Jtf 30 Cejlon • • • 1889 81 Lagos ft 88 LtgOS 1890 88 Ceylon it 34 Newfoundland u 88 Jamaica 1889-91 86 Victoria * 1890 87 British New Guinea • » • • 1890-91 m m m 88 it. Vincen. • m 1891 8P Bermada • ft 40 Seychelles, ami Rodrignes m m m m 1889 and 1 6QA 41 Gambia 189i 48 Barbados • ft m • • 48 Turks and Caicoa Islands m ft 44 Bahamas • ft 48 Fiji ft «* • • w 46 Seychelles - II i MISCELLANIOU& No. Colosy. 1 Gold C®ASt Economic Agriculture. 8 Zultiland - Forest*. • OOLOITIAL aBFOBTt,—•WYUAL. s No. 47. BRITISH BB0HT7AN ALAND. [lor Rcpsrt for IStt-lStO, m ColoeJal Bsaerl [AIMMIJ, N*. t.] Sir H. R LOOH to LOKD KKUTSTORD. Government Houte. Cape Town, MT LOID, May 97,1891. I IIATB the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's informa tion, a Despatch from Sir 8. Sldppard, covering reports from the beads of At several departments in British Btehuaaaland and tot Bechmaaaknd Proteotorate upon tlio condition and progress of thoM territories daring the eighteen monihi ended the 31st March Tbffto rtportt contain much inttrttling information and afford satisfactory evid*noe of the Heady progre** which bat been in finest) territorita in to comparatively ahon a time. There are several important Questions raited by Sir 8. Shippnrd, and in tot rtportt accompanying hit despatch, to which it will be my doty to invito your Lordship's early consideration. I shall merely touch upon them in this despatch, leaving their farther oonfiatration, together with details of expenditure involred, to futoro communications. I think I cannot better illustrate the progress that has been mad* than by drawing your Lordship's attention to the fact that while the revenue for the financial year 1889-90 was only 19,5481, it it estimated for the current Tear at 36,230&, and that the grant in aid required is only 100,000i., as against 90,000/., in spite ct* the additional responsibilities undertaken by Her MajeUy'v Govern ment during the last three years, which, as your Lordship is aware, involve the maintenance of a considerable police force in the Protectorate north of the Crown Colony, where, during the last year, there has been exceptional expenditure, due to the threatened Boer trek and to other causes. At pretcnt the country under Her Majesty's Protection yields only a very small revenue, but I am confident that WHEN railway X 7s«oo. wt. io»ao. A 2 4 OOXXMULL BBPORTB.'-~AjnfUAL. **"",H communication hat been extended through the territory nod the ^SIS**" settlement by European! of the high plateau hie been effected through the conditional recognition of concessions, not only will there be a large ineraaie of revenue bat a very considerable redac tion of expenditure. Two very important questions have bean referred to by Sir S. Shippard to which I bare previously invited your Lordship's attention. These are the establishment of a High Court and the system of Trial by Jury, and the imjprovement of the Educational System in the Crown Colony. The establishment of a High Court and Trial by Jury is a matter, the consideration of whioh should not, in mv .opinion, be longer delayed, and I propose to address your Lordship very shortly on the subject The question of education is one respecting which a very strong feeling prevails. The population of the Crown Colony is rapidbr increasing and the need for improving the means of Education being strongly felt, the public are prepared to share the expenses connected with providing additional school buildings and payment of the salaries of competent teachers. I have just received an able report from Mr. F. Howe-Ely, Deputy Inspector of Schools in the Cape Colony, upon his recent investigation of the educational institutions In Beehnanaland, which I shall forward to your Lord-hip at an early date with my recommendations upon the subject I have gtren much consideration as to the beet method of placing some restriction upon the wholesale destruction of forests which Sir Sidney Shippard informs me ie taking place in British Bechuanaland. The Crown Colony being a party to the Customs Union, which provides for free trade in South African products, precludes the imposition of an expert duly on wood, ana, except with regard to Crown Lands, I do not consider that any protective measure can be adopted, but I have given instructions that Crown Forests, which are of considerable extent in the western districts, are to be carefully conserved, and I shall ^ive early considera tion to the necessary legislation for their preservation and management. I entirely endorse Sir S. Shippard's views ss to the importance of completing the trigonometrical survey of the Colony. To abandon it now would be to waste much of the value likely to be • derived from the large expenditure that has been already incurred in carrying out this important and valuable work. It is a mistake to suppose that the country which still remains unsurveyed is by any means valueless, much of it being available for farms for which there are already many applicants, while there are indications which would lead to the belief that considerable mineral deposits exist, I am in communication with the Governments of the South African Republic and Orange Free State on the subject of the conclusion of Extradition Conventions with British Bechuan&!and, COLONIAL REPORTS.—ANNUAL. 5 but I think their consent will greedy depend upon the establish- Bams moot of a High Court and Trial by Jury. B"°f^ ^* 0.0 LAUD* The reports from Mr. Surmon aud Major Grey, in command of the Bechuanaland Border Police, are eminently satisfactory as regards the peace of the Protectorate and the efficiency of the Force, and i believe certain changes that I trust to see shortly introduced in the administration of the territory will lead to its speedy development and the creation of a fair revenue. I hare &c (Signed) HBNBT B. LOOH, Governor and The Bight Hon. High Commissioner. Lord Knutsford, G.C.M.G. &c. &c. &c. ADMINISTRATOR to GOVERNOR. (Extract.) Administrator's Office, Vryburg. SIB, May 5, 1892. I HAVI. the honour to forward, for your Excellency's information, the following reports on the progress of British Bechuanaland and the condition of the Protectorate for eighteen months ending'on the 31st March 1892:— Page. 1. The Colonial Secretary and Receiver-General 2. The Crown Prosecutor - 3. The Surveyor-General 4. The Registrar of Deeds - - - 5. The Postmaster-General and Superintendent of Telegraphs - - 6. The Collector o£ Customs - 7. The Inspector of Native Reserves 8. The Master of the Chief Magistrate's. Court - 9. The Civil Commissioner and Resident Magis trate of Vryburg - - • - 10. The Civil Commission er and Resident Magis trate of Mafeking - - - 11. The Civil Commissioner and Resident Magis trate of Taungo - 12. The Civil Commissioner and Resident Magis trate of Kuruman - COLONIAL REPORTS.—ANNUAL. Bimsn 13. The Civil Commissioner and Resident Magis trate of Gordonia - - LAKD. 14. The District Surgeon of Vrjburg 15. The District Surgeon of Mafeking - 16. The Assistant Commissioner, Beehusnaland Protectorate* - 17. The Officer Commanding the Bechuanaland Border Police in the Protectorate, inoluding medical reports - Notwithstanding* threatening indications on more than one occasion, peace has been maintained along the eastern border and throughout the Crown Colony and Protectorate during thv. last eighteen months. The oft-mentioned need of an extradition convention and of reciprocity in the Administration of justice generally between Bechuanaland ajad the South African Republic continues to be much felt; but it can scarcely be hoped that negotiations with this object will prove successful pending the establishment of a High Court with trial by jury in this* territory. The report of the dolonial Secretary and Receiver-General • shows a growth of revenue which, though slow, may be considered satisfactory inasmuch as the increase is due to normal and per manent development. The total revenue for the last financial year exceeded the estimate by upwards of 7,000/. while the total expenditure fell short of the estimate by upwards of 10,000/. I concur generally with Mr. Newton 1.1 what he says on the subject of education which has hitherto been sadly neglected, in this territory. Mr.