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Public Expenditure and Development in a Crown Colony: The Colonial Office, Sir Walter Egerton, and Southern Nigeria, 1900-1912

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2014

John M. Carland
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Extract

Joseph Chamberlain startled many in Great Britain in 1895 when he informed Parliament that he “regarded many of our colonies in the condition of undeveloped estates. ” At the same time he announced the British Government's intention to consider “the judicious investment of British money” in British Crown Colonies to develop them “for the benefit of their population and for the benefit of the greater population which is outside. ” He thus not only signalled the Government's willingness to attempt alternative methods of development, but specifically proposed a new approach. However, this new approach required a change in attitude by those who supervised the colonial empire. The permanent officials at the Colonial Office had to be persuaded to give high priority to colonial economic development and to be more sympathetic to and cooperative with developmentally oriented colonial governors. The permanent officials were never so persuaded.

Type
Research Article
Information
Albion , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , Winter 1980 , pp. 368 - 386
Copyright
Copyright © North American Conference on British Studies 1980

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References

1 Britain, Great, Parliamentary Debates (Commons), 4th ser., 36 (22 August 1895): 640–44.Google Scholar

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6 These dates refer to the Colonial Development Act of 1929, and the Colonial Development and Welfare Art of 1940.

7 Hyam, Ronald, Elgin and Churchill at the Colonial Office, 1905-1908: The Watershed of the Empire-Commonwealth (London, 1968)CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Kesner, Richard, “The Financial Management of the British Empire, 1895-1903: Studies in Treasury-Colonial Office Relations” (Ph.D. diss., Stanford University, 1977)Google Scholar; Dummett, R. I., “Joseph Chamberlain, Imperial Finance, and Railway Policy in British West Africa in the Late Nineteenth Century,” English Historical Review 90 (1975)Google Scholar; and Kubicek, Administration of Imperialism.

8 Another facet of this general topic has to do with financing railways to advance development in Nigeria. The financial side of the Nigerian railway question concerns how money was raised, not spent: the reverse is true in this article. Here I am interested in showing the processes by which budgetary decisions were made about how to spend money for development. Within this context I have also been able to focus on the attitudes and assumptions on which permanent officials based their policy recommendations. I do address the question of financing railways in an unpublished paper, “Colonial Office Staff and Nigerian Railways, 1896-1912.”

9 See Saul, S. B., “The Economic Significance of ‘Constructive Imperialism,’” Journal of Economic History 17 (1957): 188CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Hyam, , Elgin and Churchill at the Colonial Office, p. 469Google Scholar; Hopkins, Anthony, An Economic History of West Africa (New York, 1973), p. 190Google Scholar; Porter, Bernard, The Lion's Share: A Short History of British Imperialism, 1850-1970 (London and New York, 1975), p. 190Google Scholar; and Robinson, Ronald, “Sir Andrew Cohen: Proconsul of African Nationalism, 1909-1968,” in Gann, L. H. and Duigan, Peter, eds. African Proconsuls: European Governors in Africa (New York, 1978), p. 356.Google Scholar

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11 Minute by Antrobus, 4 April 1907, on Sir Walter Egerton to CO, 5 January 1907, CO 520/43/2743.

12 Minute by Antrobus, 24 May 1904, on Acting Governor Moseley to CO (120), 17 March 1904, CO 147/170/12726; and minute by Antrobus, 16 November 1905, on Lugard to CO, 11 November 1905, CO 446/51/40319.

13 Minute by Charles Strachey, 22 March 1905, on Egerton to CO (55), 18 February 1905, CO 520/29/7694.

14 Kesner, , “Treasury-Colonial Office Relations,” p. 63.Google Scholar

15 Minute by Antrobus, 29 April 1901, on Sir Ralph Moor to CO, 5 March 1901, CO 520/7/11616.

16 Minute by Frederick Butler, 12 December 1908, on Egerton to CO (763), 20 November 1908, CO 520/67/45278.

17 See Oailey, Harry, Sir Donald Cameron: Colonial Governor (Stanford, 1974), p. 13Google Scholar; and Tamuno, T. N., The Evolution of the Nigerian State: The Southern Phase, 1898-1914 (London, 1972), p. 248.Google Scholar

18 Swettenham, Frank, British Malaya (London, 1920), p. 300.Google Scholar

19 Egerton to CO (763), 20 November 1908, CO 5.20/67/45278.

20 Egerton, Address to the Legislative Council of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, n. d., Government Gazette of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, 26 December 1906, Old Calabar.

21 These are Butler's words of 22 January 1908. See also minutes by Sir Francis Hopwood, 24 January 1908, and Lord Elgin, 27 January 1908, on Egerton to CO, 27 December 1907, CO 520/50/2042:07/08.

22 Minute by Strachey, 16 October 1912, on Nigerian Bitumen Corporation to CO, 22 October 1912, CO 520/120/33433. For more details regarding the story of the Colonial Office and the Nigeria Bitumen Corporation's search for oil see Carland, John M., “Colonial Office Staff and Nigeria, 1898-1914” (Ph.D. diss., University of Toronto, 1977), pp. 209–15.Google Scholar

23 Egerton, Address to the Southern Nigeria Legislative Council (hereafter cited as SNLC, 27 September 1909, Southern Nigeria Government Gazette (hereafter cited as SNGG), 6 October 1909, p. 1380.Google Scholar

24 Minute by Strachey, 22 March 1905, on Egerton to CO (55), 18 February 1905, CO 520/29/6794.

25 In 1907, with the amalgamation of Lagos Colony and Southern Nigeria completed, the fiscal year and calendar year became the same. From this point we can talk about estimates for 1907, 1908, etc.

26 Minutes by Strachey, 30 March 1907, Antrobus, 4 April 1907, and draft despatch by Robinson, 19 April 1907, on Egerton to CO (3), 5 January 1907, CO 520/43/2743.

27 Egerton, Address to the Legislative Council of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, n. d., Government Gazette of the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, 26 December 1906. Smartt, J. P., Acting Financial Commissioner, Southern Nigeria: Financial Report for the Year Ended 31 December 1907, 14 July 1908, p. 17.Google Scholar

28 Minute by Strachey, 17 June 1907, on Acting Governor Thorburn to CO (271), 21 May 1907, CO 520/46/20334.

29 Smartt, , Southern Nigeria: Financial Report for … 1907, 14 July 1908, p. 21.Google Scholar

30 There were two John Andersons at the Colonial Office during this time: John Anderson the Junior Clerk is here called simply John Anderson. The older man, the Permanent Under Secretary, is referred to as Sir John Anderson.

31 Minutes by John Anderson, 1 February 1908, and Antrobus, 1 February 1908, on Egerton to CO (669), 29 November 1907, CO 520/50/44370.

32 Colonial Reports-Annual: Southern Nigeria, 1908, p. 5.Google Scholar

33 Egerton to CO (669), 29 November 1907, CO 520/50/44370.

34 Egerton to CO (669), 6 October 1908, CO 520/66/38979.

35 Ibid.

36 Minutes by John Anderson, 17 September 1908, Butler, 18 September 1908, and Strachey, 24 September 1908, on Egerton to CO (559), 23 August 1908, CO 520/64/33251.

37 Egerton, Address to the SNLC, 29 September 1909, SNGG, 6 October 1909, p. 1380.

38 Egerton, Address to the SNLC, 29 September 1908, SNGG, 28 October 1908, p. 1544.

39 Minutes by John Anderson, 1 December 1908, and Butler, 1 December 1908, and Antrobus, 26 December 1908, on Egerton to CO (669), 6 October 1908, CC 520/66/38979.

40 Minute by John Anderson, 17 September 1908, on Egerton to CO (559), 23 August 1908, CO 520/64/33251.

41 Ibid.

42 Minute by John Anderson, 3 December 1909, on Egerton to CO, 16 October 1909, CO 520/82/36310.

43 Egerton to CO, 16 October 1909, CO 520/82/36310.

44 Egerton, Address to the SNLC, 29 September 1909, SNGG, 6 October 1909, p. 1381.

45 Minute by Butler, 18 September 1908, on Egerton to CO (559), 23 August 1908, CO 520/64/33251.

46 Minute by R. Geikie, 21 August 1909, on Crown Agents to CO, 18 August 1909, CO 520/85/27719.

47 Minute by Butler, 12 December 1908, on Egerton to CO (763), 20 November 1908, CO 520/67/45278.

48 Minutes by John Anderson, 3 December 1909, Strachey, 16 December 1909, and Lord Crewe (Secretary of State), 21 December 1909, on Egerton to CO (555), 16 October 1909, CO 520/82/36310. Also see Crewe's despatch of 31 January 1910 to Egerton which is attached to this file.

49 See minutes by John Anderson, 23 July 1910, G. V. Fiddes, 29 July 1910, and Lord Crewe, 29 July 1910, on Egerton to CO (346), 6 June 1910, CO 520/94/19336.

50 Colonial Reports-Annual: Southern Nigeria, 1910, p. 5.Google Scholar

51 Egerton, Address to the SNLC, 18 October 1910, SNGG, 9 November 1910, p. 1784.Google Scholar

52 Minutes by John Anderson, 13 December 1910, and Fiddes, 30 December 1910, on Acting Governor Thorburn to CO (704), 26 October 1910, CO 520/95/35394.

53 Egerton to CO (683), 15 November 1911, CO 520/107/38994.

54 Minute by John Anderson, 9 December 1911, ibid.

55 Minutes by John Anderson, 9 December 1911, Strachey, 11 December 1911, Fiddes, 13 December 1911, Sir John Anderson, 14 December 1911, and Lewis Harcourt (Secretary of State), 17 December 1911, ibid.

56 Italics mine. Egerton to CO (telegram), 24 December 1911, CC 520/108/41275.

57 Minute by John Anderson, 9 December 1911, on Egerton to CO (683), 15 November 1911, CO 520/107/38994. Anderson states twice in this minute that 1908 was a deficit year. It was not. See Colonial Reports-Annual: Southern Nigeria, 1908, p. 6Google Scholar; and Anderson's memorandum attached to Egerton to CO (telegram), 17 May 1911, CO 520/103/16257.

58 Minutes by John Anderson, 27 December 1910, and Fiddes, 29 December 1910, on Egerton to CO (telegram), 24 December 1911, CO 520/108/41275.

59 Source: Statistical Statement relative to the Revenue, Expenditure, and Trade of Southern Nigeria from 1900 to 1910, prepared by John Anderson, 17 May 1911, and attached to file on Gov. Egerton to CC (tel.), 17 May 1911, CO 520/103/16257; and Colonial Reports-Annual: Southern Nigeria, 1907-1912.

60 Minutes by John Anderson, 13 February 1912, and Fiddes, 16 February 1912, on Egerton to CO (26), 15 January 1912, CO 520/113/3629.

61 Source: Colonial Reports-Annual: Southern Nigeria, 1906-1912.

62 Malcolm's draft, dated 5 March 1912, is attached to the file of Egerton to CO (26), 15 January 1912, CO 520/113/3629.

63 Quoted in McPhee, Alan, The Economic Revolution in British West Africa (1926, reprint ed., London, 1971), p. 214.Google Scholar

64 SirBridges, Edward, “Treasury Control,” The Swamp Memorial Lecture (London, 1950), p. 6.Google Scholar

65 Robinson, , “Sir Andrew Cohen,” p. 356Google Scholar; Hopkins, , “Economic History of West Africa,” p. 190.Google Scholar