THE OPENING OF THE TONGAN PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4577, 20 November 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE OPENING OF THE TONGAN PARLIAMENT.

(From a Correspondent of the Melbourne . . Telegraph.) KING GEOEGE’S SPEECH. “My love to you. The chiefs of this Assembly from Maabai, Vavau, and the Minas, the chiefs of the ancient nobles and the modern nobles —my love to you. •• . , “ It is right we should first of all praise Cod, in that He has spared our lives, and brought us to this Assembly. Long have we been hoping to meet thus. ■ ~ ~ , “I am grateful likewise for this, that no destructive sickness has come upon us as upon Fiji, for if so, wlm can say we should have thus met to-day m such happy, circumstances? , . , “When I heard of the great sickness which had come upon Fiji and other countries, I set up a law, as in civilised countries, that a health officer should be appointed to visit all ships arriving. The Government secretary not being at hope, X requested the Rev. S. W. Baker to write to my representatives in Sydney that they acquaint the chiefs of Sydney with this law, from whom I have received a favorable reply. I wrote to the chiefs of New Zealand, and they replied favorably. The British and German consuls in Samoa replied in the same way. I feel thankful to them all that they have united with me in trying to ward off the measles from our country. And I thank God that He has sheltered us from this sickness up to the present time. “ Since our last Parliament in Vavau, Fiji has become a part of the British Empire. It is quite true we had possessions iu Fiji; but it is a long time since I gave them up, and now that Britannia has taken Fiji, I am glad that we are not embroiled in any difficulty with England. “We have heard that Samoa belongs somehow to America, but how we cannot understand., •

“ I rejoice that we are still free, that we are not entangled with any great kingdom, but are at peace with all. And we are at peace likewise amongst ourselves. And our way is clear to go forward in the path of civilization, wisdom, religion, and truth. “Since our Parliament in Vavau, I have instituted a Tongan crest and motto. Communications concerning this have been sent to some of the nations, that they may know our coat of arms. The motto is, ‘God and Tonga are my portion.’ “I have likewise set up a national flag, and it is my mind that this flag shall be the King of Tonga’s flag for ever. “Since our last Parliament, Mr. Baker, when he returned from Sydney, .brought us a gift from the New South Wales Government of a copy of all their laws. I thank that Government for its present. The gift is a valuable one. I have received two letters from the Premier of Sydney, and in thus taking notice of our little country it is right we should feel grateful that we are beginning to be known amongst the families of nations. “Since our last Parliament I have likewise set up a law that intoxicants shall be taxed. I have done this because it is my desire that the Tonguese shall not become drinkers of spirits. It is a thing in which we ought to rejoice that there fa not a house in the whole of this kingdom where intoxicants are sold. Oh, may it ever be so. Should it not be so, then I say it will be the destruction of the Tongan people. “There fa another thing about which we ought to rejoice in Tonga, it fa the increase of the wealth of our country. The produce shipped away from our country during the last four months amounts to 159,500d01. There fa not one of us, perhaps, but feels surprised at the number of vessels coming to our land. _. _ “ There fa another thing in which I rejoice, and that is, the increase of our population. This looks like something new in our land. The reason for it fa that the people are keeping cleaner homes, and eating more wholesome food. Yes, this is the reason why fewer die and more are born. The increase of populalation has been one in every hundred. May it please God thus to bless Tonga even more abundantly, that the time may be near when the people of Tonga will be many, for the people of Tonga belong to the Lord. “And there fa another thing about which we ought to rejoice, for although there are two churches in this land—l and my family belong to the Wesleyan Church—during this year a new state of things has been introduced. Onr church here has become in all respects like a church in Sydney, and a part of the entire Wesleyan Church found all over the world. Quite true ; perhaps we shall he called upon to do more, hut whose work is it 2 Is it not ours, and fa it not onr church 2

“I have likewise instituted a savings bank, and its worth has already appeared. As yet not a single shilling has been lost, while the Government has derived benefit from it. The trustees of the bank desired me to give the bank a legal position, and because I have done so by signing my name as King, the bank has been opened, and found to be a great benefit. “ We have built several Government buildings, Government printing office, and courthouse. We have also purchased the ship Taufaahau, and one thing that I am glad about is, that although we have been expending money in this way, when the Taufaahau left Sydney we were free from all debt. We are not in debt to £my land. “A day has been set apart to open the Parliament of Tonga. I say that never since the Parliament of 1862, when the people were set free from serfdom, has there been a Parliament so important as this one. I thank God that He has spared my life to see these days, and it is my heart’s desire to see my land become a recognised Government. X feel that I am getting old; if it be the will of God. The cry of my heart is that X may. finish the work I have begun. The people are free. Our church is self-supporting and self-govern-ing. I earnestly desire that we may become a Constitutional Government.

“And now I will speak at once to the reasons why we. are here. This is the opening of Parliament. I have called yon together that you may discuss the new Constitution to be introduced: —a Constitution which relates to the governing of our land. You know how it has been, I alone have governed. My mind was law ; it. has been with me to choose those who shall enter Parliament, and those who shall be chiefs. I have had the power of taking away, and of conferring titles. That was becoming a time of darkness, hut now we are living in the age of light, and it is my mind to give a. Constitution to Tonga, and that I govern, according to that Constitution, and they who follow me shall do likewise, and this Constitution shall be the foundation-stone of Tonga for ever.

“ When this Constitution shall have been received, it will become the new testament of liberty to the people of Tonga for ever. O that it may come to pass, this great blessing, for by it (the Constitution! we shall be able to boast of our liberty, like the Bomaus m'olden times, and Brittannia of to-day. “ The Constitution decides that the laws of the land shall be binding upon all alike, foreigners and natives. No tax shall be laid upon foreigners from which the Tonguese shall be exempt. This is one thing it is right to,speak about, the peaceful manner in which we and foreigners live together ; and I think that:in all the islands of these seas, that there are not more respectable foreigners than those which reside in our midst, and X thank them for being obedient to the .laws of this land..

_ “And in the Constitution are the regulations concerning the conducting of Parliamentary business. Those who are called into the .Parliament will be styled the nobles of the land; their position and title will be henceforth, hereditary, . It will likewise be given to the people to choose their o wn men, and send them as their representatives to Parliament. .“It is decided that there: shall be one Minister who shall represent me in Parliament—the Premier.. With him will he the business of the kingdom. - A Minister of Finance, a Minister of Bands, and a Minister of Justice ; with the latter will be the laws of the country. When they shall have understood their work and the nature of the Constitution, and act accordingly, the business of the country will go on well. “It is provided in the Constitution that come chiefs shall assist me in the difficult bush

ness. If a difficult thing arise I will consult them, and their decision shall be final. _ jg likewise decided in the Constitution to make changes in our courts of law, for we know that the strength of a . kingdom rests in the dispensing of justice. If weak in this, then will the kingdom be weak. It is decided that there shall be one chief court—courts of districts and police courts —and in thus dividing the courts I hope that justice will he carried out as is good, important, and lasting, and that our dispensing of justice will become a thing to be 1 proud of in all Tonga. “ There is another thing it is right; to speak about. It is with reference to our laud. It is true that this question is not found in the Constitutions of the various Governments, but we, in’this, act differently from other nations. There has not yet been sold the, least bit of land in the whole of Tonga, hence we are so well as we are to-day. In the Constitution I have made it imperative to set up a law that it is positively tabu (forbidden) to land by a Tongan for ever. Although it is thus, it appears to me right to place in the Constitution the privilege of leasing lands by the Government. You know now this is the law of Tonga that this granting leases rests with me. This is evident to me not to be right. I have, therefore, decided that all chiefs now holding land rightly shall remain in their possession, and the possession of their posterity for ever ; and that they shall .have the privilege of leasing their land to foreigners or Tonguese, and to , them shall belong all moneys from such lands. In future, I shall not make chiefs, whom I like, Rut title of chieftanship, and title to laud, shall descend from father to son for ever. In future an adopted child will have no right to title and laud, only the children of marriage. Should there arise a dispute, then let the judges of the land decide what is right, as it is amongst civilised nations. You who are the chiefs of Tonga now, to _ you and your children bom in wedlock, will belong your titles and land for ever, as it is written in the Constitution. “In order to carry out the new state of affairs under the Constitution there is a matter I wish to speak about, viz., the increasing of our revenue. It is evident to me it will not be wise to increase to any extent the poll-tax of the people, or the duty upon imported goods. If we put a heavy duty upon goods—upon whom will it fall but upon us ? Therefore let the importation of goods be free, save intoxicants ; let them still be taxed as now. I can see wa shall be able to carry on the business of .the Government if all the lands upon which the towns are erected shall be leased by, the Government to the people, and the Government receive the rents ; but the lands other than those sites of the townships now belonging to the chiefs, shall belong to the chiefs as before expressed, and they shall receive all moneys therefrom on account of rents. This will increase the revenue without falling heavily on any one. Other measures will be brought forward, but nothing will be done to burden any' one, for there is nothing that pleases me more than to see the country prospering in business and getting rich. “ We shall not meddle with the present laws of the land unless they do not harmonise with the Constitution. The decisions of the quarterly meeting of chiefs will be discarded, and the Parliament will rule. When the Constitution shall have been received, the Parliament will see to the putting right of the laws in this our country.

“Another thing I will apeak to, and that is the laws that have reference to the lotu. We cannot interfere with them. We cannot give State aid to religion as in England and some other countries, but we can personally assist, as we do now, so let it be.

“ The matter affecting the week-day schools. It fa right that we should have the government of the schools in our hands, and also the college. A measure will be introduced into Parliament to increase the Government grant to schools. This measure will, have reference to other matters in connection with the schools. The measure will be brought into Parliament, you can then discuss it.

“ A document will be brought into Parliament as to the leasing of lands as a copy upon which other leases may be given. “ Another measure will be brought forward having reference to the better clothing of the people—the throwing aside entirely our native cloth for better material. In this act slowly, that no one be injured in any way thereby. “And now it is rather difficult for me to speak, but I want yon all to know who shall be my successor. You know that it was the mind of ns all that Vuna should take my place ; but God has been pleased to take him, and He, fa holy in hfa doings. Ido not murmur, for it is the work of God. (Vuna was the only legitimate son of King George of Tonga. “ Therefore I said in my heart, Maafu shall be rny successor, this shall be his appointment; but I can see if the appointment of king is to change from family to family, so it will be with you and your positions ; therefore, this is my mind—that my position and your positions shall descend from father to child ; if not so, then I can see there will be no stability in anything. Then there is this. Maafu _ has now a position in the kingdom of Britannia in Eiji, and I say that Maafu will not act contrary to my wishes ; he will not act without love to Tonga, by causing discord. “ I therefore decided that my successor shall he Uga (illegitimate son of the king), and after him his eldest son Gu, and after him hfa children. Should it come to pass that there are no descendants of Uga to take the crown, it will then go to Maafu and his children, and if he have not any children, then let the Parliament elect a king according to the Constitution.

, “ Friends, I have now made known to you what fa in my mind. With you will be the prosperity of the country—its happiness or misery. Oh that the Lord may be with you to direct and bless you in the work you have met to do.

“ William Tugi will take the chair of your Assembly. Tenta Uga will bring in the writing of the Constitution, and the measures to be brought forward, and answer any questions you may wish to put. “ Therefore, I now declare the Parliament to he opened. Your first meeting will bo the Thursday of next week. “ My Love to You.”