practically covered by one of the Bills quoted above), and to refuse to sell or transfer immovable property to the Indians. It is believed that the Government have not returned an encouraging reply to the first and the last proposals; still, the proposals are there; and there is no guarantee that, because the Government feel disinclined to entertain the proposals at present, for reasons best known to them, they will remain in the same mood for ever.
In conclusion, your Memorialists pray that, in view of the events narrated and the restrictive legislation forecasted above, a timely pronouncement of the policy with reference to the status of the Indian British subjects, or a confirmation of the despatch referred to above, be made so as to remove and prevent restriction on Her Majesty’s Indian subjects residing in the Colony of Natal, or grant such relief as may meet the ends of justice.
And for this act of justice and mercy, your Memorialists shall, as in duty bound, ever pray.
ABDUL CARIM HAJEE ADAM
(DADA ABDULLA & CO.) AND
THIRTY-ONE OTHERS
- 1↑ This was printed and forwarded to the Natal Governor for transmission on April 6; vide "Petition to the Natal Governor", 6-4-1897.
- 2↑ The reference is to the attack on Gandhiji.
- 3↑ For the various previous Memorials to the addressee.
- 4↑ Vide "The Credentials", p. 1.
- 5↑ This was on July 7, 1894; vide Letter to Dadabhai Naoroji”, 14-7-1894.
- 6↑ Vide “Petition to Lord Rippon”, before 5-5-1895, Appendix A.
- 7↑ These are marked Ha and Hb.
- 8↑ This is the bush-clad hill-point of Durban harbour, commanding a vantage view of the bay, where passengers could be lodged in quarantine quarters. Vide “Memorial to Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 15-3-1897, Appendix O.
- 9↑ A Bill was, in fact passed by the Natal Legislature a little later. Vide "Petition to Natal Legislative Assembly", 26-3-1897 and Appendix A to "Petition to Secretary of State for the Colonies", 2-7-1897.
- 10↑ Vide “Memorial to Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 15-3-1897, of Asiatics, and to obey any orders which may be given by the leaders.
- 11↑ Vide “Letter to Attorney-General”, 20-1-1897.
- 12↑ Vide “Interview to The Natal Advertiser”, 13-1-1897.
- 13↑ Gandhiji received the telegram on November 13; vide “Letter to The Englishman” 13-11-1896.
- 14↑ Vide “Memorial to Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 15-3-1897.
- 15↑ Rustomji, an Indian Parsi, better known as Parsi Rustomji
- 16↑ Vide “Petition to Natal Legislative Assembly”, 26-3-1897 and “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix A.
- 17↑ For the law in regard to licences as finally enacted, vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix C.
- 18↑ The final provision in the Act for appeal against the decision of the Licensing Officer differed slightly from that in the Bill given here; vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix C.
- 19↑ The corresponding clause 8 in the Act as passed on May 9, 1897, had the following words added: ‘in cases where premises are used for both purposes’; vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix C.
- 20↑ For the Immigration Restriction Act, in the form in which it received the Governor’s assent, vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 21↑ Vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 22↑ Vide “Memorial to Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 15-3-1897 and “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 23↑ This was later amended to refer to “paupers”; vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 24↑ This was subsequently deleted; vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 25↑ The act qualified this by adding: ‘within two years’; vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 26↑ In Section 11,12 and 13 of the Act as passed, the reference to the offences was modified by adding the word; ‘wilfully’; vide pp. “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 27↑ Vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 28↑ Vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897, Appendix B.
- 29↑ When the three Bills were passed later, a petition was, in fact, presented to Mr. Chamberlain; vide “Petition to the Secretary of State for the Colonies”, 2-7-1897.
(APPENDIX A)
Copy [January 25, 1897] By this public instrument of protest, be it hereby made known and made manifest unto all whom it may concern that on this the twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven (1897), before me, John Moore Cooke, of Durban, in the Colony of Natal, Notary Public, and in the presence of the subscribed witnesses personally came and appeared, Alexander Milne, master Mariner and Commander of the steamship Courland, of the burthen of 760 tons or thereabouts and of 120 nominal horse-power, belonging to this Port, and now lying in the inner harbour of this said Port of Natal, who did solemnly declare and state as follows, that is to say: That the said steamer, laden with a cargo of general merchandise and carrying 255 passengers, left the Port of Bombay on the 30th day of November last, and dropped anchor in the outer anchorage of this port, at 6.34 p.m., on the 18th day of December, 1896.
Before leaving Bombay the crew and passengers were inspected and counted, and a bill of health and port clearance was granted.
Throughout the voyage, the passengers and crew were absolutely free from sickness of any description whatsoever, and every day during the
