THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1877.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 6, 10 November 1877, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1877.

Just a foitnight ago, we suggested the desirability of some immediate steps being taken on the part of tlio residents of our town, towards the formation of some union, by which* Jaw and order could be enforced amongst us. We suggested that, though we had enjoyed considerable immunity from crime in the past, we could not be expected to do *o for over. When wo penned thos •. lines, we little thought, that in so short a time, the necessity for that union would 1»' so forcibly brought home to us its it, lias been done, by the murder of the man Fox, mi the night of Saturday last. The difficulty and delay consequent, upon the question of the nationality of the man charged with the murder, then the. inability of the Consul, after all the evidence was taken, to do anything

further in the matter, than send the man to tin; Uinited States of America, to be convicted, and sentenced, bears out our previous remarks, that the Consuls, though having a good deal of power, have not sufficient tor the requirements of our growing population, nn<l peculiar position. What wo want, is power to dual with persons committing crime of .any description ourselves. Though the various Consuls may he over so willing ' to do just as the public would like, they have not the power to do it. According to the powers vested in them, they arc only able to enquire into a case, then it it is of sufficient magnitude, they must scud it homo,' to be dealt with. This is not what wo want. If the punishment of crime is to have a salutary effect, it must lie carried out on the spot. This is the more necessary here, on account of the native, race, who. when they see j crime go apparently un-punished, they I think they may 'do likewise with ! impunity. What is to he clone ? How .are we to got the power we require, unci must have / When we addressed the , - public upon the matter i fortnight ago, we did so, fooling that tho object was of DO important a nature, thai Mine It ember of the com -i c ; ';- would ■ I I i '•'.trd I

Iwith. ft •:,-■ sti •!!. or definite proposal. , ii.it w have I n mistaken. \Vt think, rfluous to gu into a !long harangue to show the benefits to bo i derived from, or the necessity for rich a uuion a< shall li ive the power to try any lining licfore it, and dad out the j punishn • .it r [iiire I. Wo deem it our i duty at the prcsout time, to offer certain suggi stions, so that the public may have something to work upon. Our Mm i-, that the town should he formed into a Municipality, with more power than is usually vested in civic bodies in civilized countries. In order to tarry this out the more effectually, wo wou'.d advise that a public meeting bo held and that a petition should I* drawn up and sent to j the various Consuls, asking that they j co-operate with the foreigners in forming the town into something j after the style of a municipality so as to j allow them to make laws for the good government thereof. This being accomplished, we would suggest that the pub-1 lie should elect say live Councillors and a Mayor or President, the Mayor t > be ■j the magistrate of the town to try any I case that may be brought forward. The Consuls should also have aright to a seat on l'ic Bench, and be cx-otKcio members lof the Council. In .cases of appeal from I the magistrates' decision, the whole I Council might debate and doal with them J and act as the Supreme Court. To carry this out effectually, of course it will be necessary to levy a small tax upon proI pcrty and householders, but wo think every dollar spent to attain the object in j I view would tie considered well laid out. j Independent of the good effect such a i

L | body would be to ourselves, it would do good amongst the natives. The native Government seeing that the foreigners had taken steps to punish crime amongst themselves, would not be slow to follow the good example thus set them, and be more strict with their own rare than they have hitherto been. We think, that the public will agree with us. that a few dollars per annum, spent in this object Would be Well laid out. The electors would need to see that they elect conscientious men to the position of Councillors and Mayor, 'land then, we venture to say, that they would never regret the step they had taken. Let the motto be " Combination and Progress," and may electors pledge | themselves one to the other, that the selfish indulgences of any individual shall no longer endure to the sacrifice of our peace, comfort, and credit.

B-csn Fires.—t)urin S 'l' o P« s ' week ' bush fire? have been raging all around us. i in one or tVo instance?; approaching rather : near the town. Everything is so dry alter [ the long drought we have had that it needs I very little more than the heat of the sun to set the bush on fire. CnovnED Oct.—Owing to the pressure upon our -pne" this week, we are compelled i to hold over till our next issue, a letter from Mr. Thomas Meredith.