LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 34, 8 June 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wn» this bme we publish wither report of the great wad ease. Comwall and Manaama against lieArthur and Co. The leport in this issue has been furnished by R. L Skeen, Eeq.

Mataafn bas invited a number of the foreign residents of Apia to a dinner, which will take place todayat MatauhVs headquarters. Most of the invitations, we believe, will bo accepted. In our advertising columns appears a notice from the United States Acting Consul-Genernl acSuamting all subjectß of the United tales that Hie Majesty Halietoa has detailed a number of Samoans as police officers, in the town of Apia, and enjoins all United States subjects not to obstruct the police in the discharge of their duties, but to assist in the maintenance of order.

We understand thai the plaintiff's bill of costs in the actien, Cornwall and' Manaema against McArthur and Co., was taxed by the Deputy Commissioner, notwithstanding the protests of McArthur andCo/s solicitors, and allowed at £1277. The defendants appealed against the taxation on the grounds that the Deputy Commissioner had no power to tax costs, and that the amount allowed was excessive, and in order to emphasise these protests and enable them to recover dam* ages for the alleged illegality, allowed a writ of seizure and sale to issue, and their goods to be seized on Tuesday last They paid out the execution the day it was levied, £6OO in cash and the balance by an order in Auckland not to be used until the result of the appeal was ascertained at Fiji. There was quite a gathering at Tamasese's feast on Saturday last to celebrate the advent of peace between the rival parties of Mataafa and Tamasese. A temporary shed was erected, covered with coeoanut leaves, where 'the feast was held. Soon after daylight the people came flocking in. "Nino a.m. was the hour fixed for the chiefs to tat down to the meal. There was no political appearance in the affair —it was just the usual Satnoan feast spread out on new banana leaves. Tho food consisted of talo. yams, small fish, coeoanut-, and "beer. A number of the German foreign residents were at the feast by invitation, and seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly. Tamasese [ sat at the head of the table, the | iforeign residents on each side of: him. After the feast several presents were made to Tamasese. Amongst other gifts a large turtle. Then came four or five different parties to perform the Mauluulu, and the Samoan drill dance with rifles, the best performance being that of some of the Atua people, who came along singing, two parties, one facing the other, imitating the pulling of a log. Each of the parties performing the siva came in front of Tamasese's house, where sat the foreign male residents and ladies. Tamasese made a speech of purely a local character, with the exception of the latter portion, wherein he said he had been told that his Government wi»s fixed and established, and that on Monday they were to meet again, and he would tell them all about it We wonder who wore responsible for this doubtful information. ' On Wednesday last a Samoan, a son of a chief of Manono named Laupau, was, amongst others, in Messrs. Kemplay's store, while Messrs. Ketoplay'a employes were engaged in their business. The Samoan abstracted the key from the front door, and dropped it into his lava lava. The theft was noticed by a Tongan engaged as store-* man for Messrs. Kemplay. He immediately ruahed out, and Hopped the Samoan on the verandah. The Samoan denied having the key, and then a struggle took place between him and the Tongan, who

succeeded in getting tne Key out 01 the Saraoan'• lava lava. A great crowd tad gathered about the plana, amonget whom was on* of the TiraaiiM Government police, who offered to arrant the Samoan. Moatra. KerrnpUv www only too glad tobtroNavadoftha nan, and gave hia in afcai**. The thief was the* Joakad op m a •alaboab. Whan liafaaih wa» that on* of

his people wea locked up by a police I be does nol acknowledge, he sent some of hi* people to Hewn. Kernplay to give the Saraoan up to them for trial This Mean*. Kemplay could not do, an he was already in the calabash. Mataafa's men then went to the calabash, and asked the people in charge there to give np the man, but they declined. Mr. Wolfersdorff referring them to the German Consul. Mataafa's people evidently could not see what connection the Herman Consul had with the calabnsh.'and again told the people in charge that it the Samoan was not given up peaceably, thev would tako him themselves, this was accordingly done. The man was then taken to Mataafa's camp, where he is to be tried and, we hope, punished for the the theft Some people attempt to make this affair appear as having a political importance. It is nothing of the kind. It simply shows that Mataafa would not allow any of his people to be tried by the remnants of a defunct Tamasese Government

With reference to our statement last issue about the dissatisfaction which has been caused in both native camps. We have made some inquiries, and learn a few of the sources by which the pernicious reports are so industriously spread about. Those tales are delaying the peaceful arrangements which }>rotnised so well. A few days bebre the Ist of June a person named Neemia, a teacher of the Wosleyan denomination from Aleiapata, came from Tamasese'a war party. He told a Faipuleof Malietoa's 3overnicent that the Germans in Apia had advised Tamasese and his people to delay the least, as a German man-of-war was expected in Apia aboat the first or second' of June. Then Tamasese would receive full information, and after a feast romovo his quarters to Mulunuu, so as to have the advice of white men. We have not as yet ascertained the names of the Germans referred to. Again, about the same time a woman cam* to Mataafa's camp from Tamasese's quartets. She is a relative of the speechifier Lemana, Leulumbega, and told the taipule of Malietoa that after the feast some of Tamasese's followers .were to ntarch down to Apia with their firearms on their way to Aana. On the 25th May another person, from JLuatuanuu, met the King' 6 scribe in Apia, and told him that if the Germans advised Tamasese to come to Mulunuu he would come. Those talcs have caused considerable excitement in Mataafa's camp, and was the caase of the assembling of their chiefs and Faipule on the 27th May The words the chiefs used on that occasion have been sent to us. They are as follows:—If it is true the army of Tamasese will walk thus before us with their firearms, that is defying us, for it is the custom of our country when peace is made to have a great feast between all parties, which makes the peace binding. After this both parties can go about together in a friendly way. Not only that, but when they come peaceably they will be treated peaceably: if they come in a warlike manner, they will be treated in a warlike manner: hut if they go over the sea to their country that will be good. After the assembling of the Tamasese'a people to hold their feast in Luatuanuu, if they leave with peaceable intentions, we shall meet them with peaceable intentions." On the Ist of June, 1889, Tamasese and bit war party held their feast in Luatuauua There were present with Tamasese at the feast Mr. Martin, the German late Magistrate at Matafeie and, other Germans, and German clerks. Tamasese made a speech at that assembly. He said: 1 make known that our Government is established. The decision has bean received that our Government is established. Do not disperse at once. We will meet again on Monday, the 3rd June, when I shall make known mere words to this assembly of what to do with our Government How Tamasese could make suoh a statement can only be explained by the misleading reports which are being continually spread in his camp. The Samoan who was arrested for stealing the key from Messrs. Ketnplay'a door was tried before Maua&ajuoges on Thursday, whan he was oonvsted and senteneed to work on the roads for one month.

Now that the Saraoan question is before the Berlin Conference, it is curious to note how, in Hey, 1884, Sir George Grey, in a letter to King Malietoa, of Samoa, foreshadowed roach of what has come to pea*. Malietoa had written to Sir George in a time of difficulty and trouble for advice, and the latter frankly gave it in an admirable letter, in which he reviewed the political relations of Samoa with the great jtowers. An extract or two from the letter may ho of interest at the present time:—" If the Creat Powers definitely refuse to allow the union of New Zealand and Samoa,

then, in their mutual jealousies lies Samoa's beet hope of safety. . . Much of the future of your people depends on you. For their sake you must dare, l>ear, and suffer all things which your moral duty require* you to enter upon or endure. Never enter into secret negotiations or urrangetnents. If any come to you with proposals to do this refuse. If you act in this opon manner, an i give no just cause of complaint, I do not think that anv statesman,

however powerful, would venture to commit the great crime of seizing on or oppressing, a weak and inoffensive nation such as Samoa is. In this weakness, this inoifensiveness, your security consists. Mutual jealousies would make all the great nations look with displeasure on anv Power that wrongfully seized Samoa, and if this act wa» a cruel and inexcusable breach of international law, general indgnation ,-,,i,1.l ko nvoiKoH in nil oivUihed

countries If such a crime is about to he committed, or if it it has been committed, and yon are seeking redress, you had better rest your arguments against it on your natural rights, the freedom of the Sarooan people from auy wrong or hostile act, the sinfulness of the piratical act which is about to he pnnimit.tfH't or which has Wen com-

mitted Do not rely on legal arguments or European precedents; There would bo no likenoss between such cases and that of Samoa. Your case is a very simple one, easily understood. Let it remain so. Embarrass it with nothing that may distract attention from the cruel selfishness ol the act." The American Government received a copy of this letter from their representative at Samoa. It was referred to at the Washington Conference, and the AmcrkanGovernmenthavc, in their relations with Samoa, adopted somewhat nmilar views to those held by Sir Geo. Grey.