ABSTRACT
The dissolution of parliament then prevented Lord George Bentinck from bringing the subject of these colonies before the house. The black rod arrived on the very day that he made a statement of their condition, and time was only afforded to receive from the lips of the minister who represented in the house of commons the colonial office a report of the prosperous condition of the island of Mauritius. Lord George Bentinck endeavoured to obtain his object of a comparatively speedy report by punctuality of attendance, strictness of reference, and indefatigable energy in getting through with the work. A few days after the report of the committee on sugar and coffee planting was presented by its chairman to the house, the first minister announced that immediately after the Whitsun holidays, then impending, he would state on the part of the government the course they proposed to take ‘with respect to the West Indian distress.’.
