THE TONGAN INQUIRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1566, 24 May 1887, Page 3

THE TONGAN INQUIRY.

From the " Fijt Times," of May 2, we take the following ; — " His Excellenoy the High Commissioner, accompanied by the Chief Judicial Commission and the Secretary to the Commission, left Suva for Tonga m H.M.S. Diamond on Thnrs d»y, the 24th of March, arriving at Nukualofa on Sunday, the 27th, when he at once placed himself In communication with King George, and made arrangements for holding an enquiry into the alleged Weeleyan persecutions and the Recent disturbances. The enquiry was •p open one and extended over 13 sittings, during which over 160 witnesses were heard on oath. The Tonc,an Government gave the High Commissioner every assistance m its power to enable his Excellency to mike the investigation as complete as possible. The opinions at which His Excellenoy has arrived will not at preient be made public ; but the chargei of persecution have to some extent baen proved. Order has, however, been restored ; and the King of Tonga has promised to protect the adherents of the Wesleyan Mission Chnrch |n the free exeroiie, of their religions liberty. Six prisoners, all more or lees ponneoted with the attempt on Mr Baker's life, have been pardoned on condition of their leaving Tongs, and were brought to Fiji m H.M.S. Diamond. During the »t»y of Her Majesty's ph'p, Mr Robert Jfonglfp, a trader m Nukualofa, was put on his trial, m the High Commissioner's Court on a charge of being acpeßßory to the attempt on Mr Baker's life. It wan proved, and acknowledged by the defen« dint himself, that be had been made •ware of the intended assassination the night previous to that on which the attempt took place, and had given no information; but though failing lv his moral duty there was no reliable testimony to prove that he had been guilty of an offence punishable at law, and he was consequently acquitted. Mr HaDßllp was, at a later period, called on to show cause why he should not be bound over to be of good behaviour. At the inquiry which foflowod, the Chief Judicial Commissioner was satisfied that Mr Pansijp'H proceedings and iptarference In native matters were dangerous to the peace and good order of Tonga, and Mr Hanillp was accordingly bound over m the sum of £100, with two sureties of £50 88Gb j to |ceep the peace and be of good conduct for a space of six months, Daring the General inquiry, Bis Excellenoy wen glad to be able to Btate that, from the evidenco before him, he was convinced that the charges made m certain cewxpaper reports against Tuohetoka, the Tongan Minister of Polic3, of Indecent behaviour at the execution of six prisoners at Malinoa weie untroe. Many of the statements contained m nolopial newspapers with reference to the recent tropples wore proved to be 'great exaggerations | but In rooßt esses there was some fonndatlon of truth on wbioh they were built f Bin ejcoellency gave an andlenee to British Buljects and other Europeans on Monday, the 25th April, when various matters were brought to hit notice. On Wednesday the High Commissioner bade farewell to King George, at the conclusion of a publio faikava given m front of the palace. His Kscoijepoy left Tpnga jp per Majesty's %blp diamond on 'Thuro'day, the 28th of April, aod arrived at Suva on Saturday afternoon.