— 142 — 



one word we may say, that if Mauritius has of late years been 

 endowed with higher political privileges than'had been accord- 

 ed to it in older times, if it was not Sir Gabkiel Feopiee who 

 earned them for the colonj^, it was he, among a few others, 

 who proved the wisdom of their bestowal. 



" Sir Gaeeiel Pecpiee received the honor of Knighthood 

 from Her Majesty the Quecu in 1862, when he had already 

 been a member of Council during some 12 years. In 1867 

 he resigned his seat at the Legislature and accepted the ap- 

 pointment of District Magistrate. Honored and looked up to 

 by his colleagues of the Board, Sir Gabriel, in his compara- 

 tively humble position as Magistrate, gained, by his affability 

 and courtesy, the esteem of the inhabitants of his District ; 

 and, by his judgment and impartiality, the respect of every 

 one who claimed justice in his Court. 



" It was in 1853 that Sir Gatseiel was elected first President 

 of the Chamber of Agriculture, and again in 1859, in 1862, 

 and in 1866 he directed the useful labours of that institu- 

 tion. No one better than he understood the importance of 

 representing to the Government, in clear and logical terms, 

 the opiuior. s of our Agricultural Body on every matter in 

 which its prosperity and progress was concerned. His Eeports, 

 inter alia, on Immigration, the Credit Foucier system, the 

 Woods and Forests and Irrigation questions, on the Police, 

 and the Differential Duties, are models of sound ond lucid 

 reasoning, and bear witness no less to his industry than to his 

 high intelligence and literary qualifications. It was a matter 

 of course, so fully were his talent and excellent qualities re- 

 cognised, that when he resigned Agricultural pursuits, and 

 would have retired from the Chamber, he was uunuimously 

 elected Perpetual member of the Society. 



" In 1860, the Colony was represented by Sir Gabeiel Feo- 

 riKu'at the International Statistical Congress held in Loudon. 

 Perhaps on no previous occasion was so excellent an opportu- 

 mij afforded for informing the world as to the condition aud 

 resources of Mauritius, and upon this occasion, as upon all 

 others, Sir Gabriel shewed him?elf_wrl] -acquainted with its 

 statistical and political history. 



