TAHITI AND THE MARQUESAS.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 50, 20 January 1843, Page 3

TAHITI AND THE MARQUESAS.

The schooner Sarah Anne, from Tahiti, has brought news of some importance. It appears that the French Government has at length suc - ceeded in putting an end to the disturbances that existed among the foreigners of different nations settled at Tahiti. The following proclamation, issued by Queen Pomare and Rear Admiral Du Petit Thouars, of the French frigate La Heine Blanche, is now the constitution of the foreign colony settled on the island : “ Proclamation. “ In the name of her Majesty Queen Pomare. “ Her Majesty the Queen Pomare on the one part, and the Rear Admiral Abel Du Petit Thouars, Commander of the Legion of Honor, and Commanding in chief the Naval Station of France in the Pacific Ocean, on the other. “Takinginto consideration the stipulations upon which is founded the protection of his Majesty Louis Philippe, provisionally granted under reserve of the sanction of the King; and, moreover, taking into account the impossibility of taking immediately the orders of his Majesty, the King of the French ; and considering, moreover, the total absence of laws and regulations which may serve as a basis of society, find themselves under' the necessity of founding at Tahiti a provisional government, to direct the affairs in that which concerns the whites and foreign relations, and to guarantee personal security, the rights and public order. “ The Queen Pomare and the Rear Admiral Du Petit Thouars resolved—- “ lstf; That a council of government shall be established at Papiete, the capital of Tahiti. “ 2nd , The council is invested conformably to the conditions of the protectorate with the administrative and executive power, and of the foreign political relations of the government of Queen Pomare. “ The council of the government is composed of three members, viz.— “ The Consul of France, Commissioner of the King to the government of her Majesty Queen Pomare. 14 The Military Governor of Papiete. “ The Captain of the Port of Papiete. “ The decisions of the council of the government shall only be taken after deliberation in council, and shall only be executive when pronounced unanimous. “ Out of the council each of the members shall only preserve the power of which he is especially charged. ‘ ‘ The council shall only be assembled when convened by the Consul of France, Commissioner of the King, or by the Military Governor of Papiete. “ Every decision which is not agreed to unanimously shall be null in its effect, and shall be sent for the deci- ■ sion of the government of the King.

The minutes of all deliberations of the council, whatever be the result, shall be drawn out and registered upon registers stamped for this purpose. “ There shall be two true copies of the minutes, signed by all the members of the council in the four-and-twenty hours which succeed the session, placed in the chancery of the consulat of France, one to be sent to the Minister of Marine, the other to form part of the archives of the consulat of France, one to be sent to the Minister of Marine, the other to form part of the archives of the consulat, and to be communicated, if necessary, to those having the right, or to the foreign consuls. “ In case of appeal from a judgment to the council of the government, the council shall join to themselves as assessors the consuls of the party concerned ; or, if the affair is mixed, that is to say, between a white man and a native, the consul of the party concerned on the one part, and the governor of the district on the other; in this case, the judgment shall only be given by the majority of voices. “ There shall be no appeal from the judgment of the council of the government to the government of the King, but in criminal matters. The council of the government can in no case pronounce the sentence of death ; affairs of this importance shall be sent for the decision of the government of the King. ‘ ‘ All judgments shall be given after the laws of the country already promulgated; the natives and whites shall be equal in the eye of the law. “ Liberty of worship is proclaimed, the government will afford them an equal protection; none can be sought out for his religious opinions, nor constrained in the exercise of his worship. Individual liberty is guaranteed ; none can be arrested but by a written and explained order of the council, after deliberation, and upon an unanimous decision. “ All property, of whatever description, is guaranteed ; disputes that may arise on this subject, conformably to the reserves made by the Queen, shall be exclusively the resort of the native tribunals; none can be constrained to sell or exchange his property. ‘ ‘ All white residents at Tahiti must have a certificate of nationality, or be known by the consul ©f his nation, or again taken under the protection of one accredited ; in default of this 6 uarantee, he may be considered as a vagabond, and as such obliged to quit the country. In all cases this judgment cannot be given but after due deliberation of the council of the government, and by unanimity of voices. “ All persons who would wish to follow commercial pursuits must take out a license; they shall be given gratis until the decision of the government, and by the consent of the council of the government, and enrolled in a public register kept for this purpose ; the licenses must be signed by the three members of the government. “ The interdiction upon the sale of spirituous liquors pronouuced by the laws of Queen Pomare, is maintained. “ The sale of wines, beers, and other drinkables, (not alcoholised, cannot be assimilated to that of spirituous liquors), shall continue provisionally to be authorised. “ Everybody’s dwelling house is inviolable ; it cannot be entered except they keep public houses, such as hotels, eating houses, taverns, and billiard rooms ; but these public places cannot be entered save by an order of the council, or only of the Military Governor. “ Gaming houses are interdicted. All infraction of this shall be severely punished; and in case of second offence, the person rendering himself guilty shall be obliged to quit the country. ‘ ‘ All whites who intermeddle with the affairs between the government of Queen Pomare, and that of the King, provisionally established, or who, by their clamours, their intrigues, their calumnies, or their actions, shall seek to trouble public order and good harmony, which is about to be established, can, upon a resolution taken in council by unanimity of voices, be forced to quit the country. “ Captains of vessels who may enter the Port of Papiete, shall be obliged to make declaration of the motive of their coming, at the office of the Captain of the Port, to inform him of the day of the departure, and in paying pilotage and harbour dues fixed by Queen Pomare; these dues shall remain the same until the decision of the King is known, under the acceptance of the protectorate. Whenever the public force shall be necessary to put in execution the orders of the council of the government, the native Governor of Papiete, named by Queen Pomare, shall, at the written order of the council of the government, lend public assistance, if it be required. “ Speaker to the Queen. (Signed) “ Pairata. “ The Rear Admiral Commanding in Chief the Naval Station of France in the Pacific Ocean. (Signed) “ A. Du Petit Thouars.” This arrangement between Queen Pomare and the French government seems to have met the approbation of the British residents at Tahiti, who presented to the Admiral the following address previous to his departure. The story about “ the guns of the Venus,” in yesterday’s Herald, is the production of our contemporary’s fertile imagination, “ the Venus ” being probably in another hemisphere.

u Tahiti, September 19, 1842. “ The British Residents of Tahiti, to the Admiral Du Petit Thouars, Commander in Chief of the French Forces in the Pacific Ocean. “ Sir, —We, the undersigned British residents at Tahiti, beg to return you our thanks for the provisional acceptance of the demand of Queen Pomare for the protection of his Majesty the King of the French, as regards her exterior relations with foreign powers, the government of foreign residents, &c., &c. We are happy that an end is now put to the disordei: and mal-practices that have hitherto characterised this port, and we congratulate ourselves that you have pro tempore , as appears by your proclamation, made such good laws and regulations, and given such good security for the due protection of property, and for the administration of justice. (Signed) “ R. Rootoon Alexander Salmon V. J. A. Newton D. Poole James Argent G. J. Fisher John Hannon Thomas Riley John Cain Richard Davis Joseph Merrick Henry Curtis W. J. Newton William Archibald Henry Rowe Peter Hart William Ratcliffe Michael Jones Barnard Barry Frederick Riehardson William Hamilton Thomas Eccles George M‘Lea n John Peck Edward Buckl e John Morriss William Green Peter Reid Samuel Wilson William Skey."

(translation.) “ Harbour of Papiete, “ Frigate La Rcine Blanche, Sept. 20, 1942. “ The Rear Admiral Commander in Chief of the Naval Station of France in the Pacific Ocean to the British Residents at Tahiti. “ Gentlemen, — I have the honor to, acknowledge the receipt of the letter you we re kind enough to address to me on the acceptation that I have made, ‘ save ratification’ of his Majesty Louis Philippe, King of the French, of the protectorate of the estates of her Majesty Queen Pomare, ds well as the exterior sovereignty thereunto belonging. I feel myself happy, gentleman, to receive your sentiments ; it assures me of your concord for the execution of the measures which I have thought myself bound to take for guaranteeing individual liberty and property, and the public tranquillity, after the departure of La Reine Blanche. “ That the dispositions I have taken may lead to the end so desired and so useful, I have purposed to myself to begin that era of prosperity which every one has in prospective, but which cannot be obtained but under the administration of laws protecting all men, and equally obeyed by everybody. “ Accept, gentlemen, with my sincere thanks, the aasurance of my distinguished consideration. “ The Rear Admiral Commander in Chief of the Naval - Station of the Pacific. (Signed) “ A. Du Petit Thouars.”

The first steps of the French government in founding a colony at the Marquesas Islands have been singularly unfortunate. The senior officer of the expedition, who was to have been the first Governor of the colony, had landed on one of the islands, accompanied by a guard of 14 men, and proceeded to the residence of the King or Chief, with whom he concluded a treaty. Returning afterwards to his vessel, he was waylaid by some of the natives, who are a very powerful race of savages, and the whole party were barbarously murdered. The marines who accompanied the expedition afterwards landed, but no further intelligence has been received. Previous to this unfortunate occurrence, the Heine Blanche had sailed for Valparaiso, it was said for the purpose of conveying a body of troops, there stationed, to the Marquesas. In this case, there can be no doubt that terrible vengeance will be taken upon these treacherous islanders.