GOVERNMENT OF SAMOA.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 69, 15 February 1890, Page 2

GOVERNMENT OF SAMOA.

betO Of ft* log*! agfao*. |!2 to be Ik. MM ***!• STItIM? ing all cno*>, auada«a*aat«t iMlilil dupofo attar tha wfMhfc—tol tha now order of thing*. Saab • eyotaai of procedure placet Ml aarioanlttlao aa an equaUouting, aad ia • country lilt* this, whet* tho puliation ia of* my nixed character, it eaunot bo 410 ataan a Irooated. We may accept Ib* axiom that law m h*eod on equity, Imam It i* not tuo amah 10 "ay thai tho adatibiV.ratiou of <M}witjr i* nil that tho moat oaptimu individual could demand or exp. ct. Tlw ft>4 principle* of j notice and fair play have boon reuogaioat by ail civiliaed nation* M 1110 foundation of eiiating lav, hour* it will bo discovered that modern :idiuiui*trntioa of law in tho nm*, virtually, all ovor the world, ily adopting ihia w.i iiiiniiiuso ili-i work of the »hroo Gittaala, i*«*l < ntirely do away with tho ..dice of British Deputy CoiauiiaJiotiur Tho Couaulnr duties would thpn Im of a diphanatic character exclusively, which, I emton I. is thu only spttcro of uwfuJiM'Mt that thoao different of Kci:iU should occupy or, iudond. uro om:iliod liy legal eduentiiMi to hold. , l*aw should i..) administer, d liy tho profusion, mi I not by laymen whosO uot-iai'.iih, although perhaps uiiianuliog front .m o.uuo.t ihwir© to net fairly and impirtially, nn< often of such a character .it to bring ndicido on justice iuelf, 'ln tho British ri'siih'iira in Samoa particularly, tho e«tul>h»huieiit of u Supremo Court would bo an hiealiuiatdu boon, aa the worry, annoyance, and great ojtpoiinn of appeal to Fiji won'.l ho il'iao away Willi, and rank irijusuei-, in tii'iitiiti '.Mcu-ii |ircv»uio<l. NViih tho other Co..aul.tr Courts Ido not li.'ur of uppeahiut all,die expense of iixli being, 1 plenum. , of a nature to dollar ordinary li:ijMUl.<, who, therefore, accept the d< i "mion of their Consul an lill.ll and iudi.sput aMu. Not vi thu Uritiihor, however, who a * A<art <>i Appeal only a ollorl diataane away, will, in a hull - In ad«d mtuner, bury JtiMMttf he.i I .ml ah ml lor* in debt to enable him to have >ne.Ui.i billet ii at his cilouiv, iol him ho ri;;ht orw. ■'..,'. All..hi* tvoiil I '••• prevented by the nd**)ition of tie l system I advo ciio. Tho .ipii.iiiitur.-iit of n SnprviuCourt judgo would. I |ir*«tw, Im 1 <|ii.»tioii for tho doi'idiou "I tli • iliroo Kicai treaty l'i,v-i;; and 11 i nint ilfnirabtu tii.it a-uh aj»|i«i»t«n *!i»i|.« he a 111 im 01 g0...l i-\pei ie;»-" aud .i'lun I ju i-ru»:it, lud in roeeipi oi a.Mf lii'..:iil. liaii'l.M.uiesiilary. It isuin.i.is-' sary for m.- to eut-r into the d<l.iits of tile working.if a Supreuv Oiurtnitho »y»tuni of (.imiiiitinout which tho !io->i-ilmii M.ijii. ir.iio and proviiM-i.il jurtires Would li.ivo to adopt. Thin is a matter of •! tail niiiverwidyJtHown, and would follow theemhlidniiont of that which 1 advocate, A part of tho nuos. s.iry uiachiuery. I think it would 1... iliili ult to stu'g-si-nny ino.lo of lug.ll pr.ice.luro in Samoa, whlfh would niv" th • same «ttiafactioa a* a S-.tprtuoM 1 \nirt. Of oottrania theoMoof native offonoaa it mighr l»o an well that uativui >:.., .r.,li..ui.| xi i>.t tli'ijadgr. i 1 ari\vi>.j» at a<» i-quiiahle decisiou, ua unls.llii Honor w.i< a man oonv«wauit with native Oonituuuhiea g«Miora.lv.'liH dicta tui-ht ii|.|H4ir •<» be at times v.ry severe, and mnwiuoutiy tuilitato ngaintt tha entahtiihnioot of tbat c»ii»i.li>ni;«in fair play, which iaa «/«<• fan wx in oiieemofal legal administraiioua, pmi.ulurly in uncivil iaed c matrioH. Now aooja*. tho qaostion of waya ami imana. Thaooat of working a Supremo Oourt ayaiom would ha to a groat extant borne by the general Government, a portion of w io4o fun.U ir.aild Iw the outooino el levying a tariff on import*. The onet of tho e ul.lwhmoiit of a Supremo Court would probably bo a queation for the ox|H«toi| p4itkal eowtuiaoionom who, in form ag a aUble Government in Samoa, ouabt not fail to have under their uiaainovaMea aaob aa imimrunt mattar m laa inai aotorminati'»n of legal loam iiailly.