FIJI.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 20, 16 February 1878, Page 2

FIJI.

(FROM OUR OWN CORBESPONDEVr.)

TM Christmas and New Year's festivities are ovet and the publio are again settling down to their natural life, and pursuing the " even tenor of their way.", We have had a merry time, without having a surfeit—Steamship Excursion on* Boxing Day; Horse Races on New Year's Day, and Regatta on Saturday, sth January. Simultaneously with which we had as literary "edebles" a new Tariff, New Code of Licenses, and the Governor's Message including the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 1878. Some changes made in departmental appointments, and the appointment of the Hon. J. C. Smith as Warden. In the message the estimated revenue is set down at £61,100, as against £46,063 the probable revenue of 1877. The total amount of estimated expenditure is set down at £59,927 14s. 6d., which only exceeds last year by some £3OO or £400; although the Governor does not intend to refund the £2OOO to the colony as hitherto. To use his own words he says, " In the present improved state of the colonial finances the refund made from the Governor's salary will be discontinued" So he evidently considers that the colony is fast improving, and no longer requires the pecuniary assistance which was deemed necessary heretofore. The new code of licenses which has increased almost every item on the former one, and added fresh ones is (vide message) " of trifling importance as regards financial results, but will, it is hoped, remove certain obscurities and inequalities which have from time to time given cause for complaint," and His Excellency in consequence adds to the estimated revenue from that quarter 10 per cunt, over previous years. The new tariff is certainly an improvement on the old one, (even in the estimated revenue therefrom); it will not now be necessary to bring machinery in as hardware, as the tariff is a little more explicit than the former one, although this one seems to be anything but satisfactory to the general public, whilst His Exoellency complacently says, (I am quoting from my previous authority—the message). "A recent Ordinance has effected certain changes in the tariff. They have been made in concert with the leading members of the mercantile community, and are intended rather to facilitate the transaction of business, and to remove causes of dissa' isfaction by the settlement of doubts as to the nomenclature of many articles of import, than to augment the revenue. His Excellency, does not, however, think that the public interest [revenue, I suppose he means] will suffer from the alterations made " ; and he only increases his estimated revenue from that quarter by about £IOOO. Our annual meeting of Chiefs is just over, having been held this year at the Rewa, and although they have taken a much longer time over it we are given to understand that they are beginning to act in a more business-like manner, and bye-and-by that "Malua" system so natural to the Fijian will be overcome, and that their work generally will be done more expeditiously than heretofore. The published cause of the delay on this occasion was the non-arrival of some of the important Chiefs at the early stage of the meeting.

The weather here has been unexceptionally dry, and for some months we have had scarcely a drop of rain fallen; the ill effects of which were beginning to be felt very severely, but at last there has been a break, and yesterday we had a heavy downpour, supplemented by a little more to-day, and right welcome it was, inasmuch as had the drought continued much longer we should literally have had no water to drink, which contretemps would certainly not have been a pleasant one, or productive of wealth either to the colony or its inhabitants.

It appears that another of your residents has made the same mistake which your respected British Consul committed, viz., that of coming to our tight little colony of Fiji. Mr. Mair, who came in the William and Julia, was almost immediately prosecuted by Harding for his share in the forcible detention of Harding at Samoa, (and for which Harding got a verdict for £25 against the Consul). After considerable investigation the Magistrate gave as his decision, " That no had no doubt the defendant, although be may not have actually laid hands upon the complainant, was a party to this assault, as he had received certain instructions from the Consul, and in carrying them out, had knowingly allowed those of whom he appeared to be in charge, to go beyond such instructions; but taking the case in every point of view, he considered the evidence did not warrant him in committing the defendant for trial, and consequently, as the defendant must be held responsible for his share in the assault, he would deal with the case summarily. The defendant was therefore fined £5 including the costs of Court, and was, in addition to this, ordared to pay the complainant his reasonable expenses in prosecutiug the case, which were fixed at £5, and in default of payment two months imprisonment with hard labor. From what I can glean many of your follow colonists are not in favor of annexation. But there cannot be the slightest doubt that without annexation your country cannot progress to any extent Such a fine climate with the excellent soil it oontains should be one of the leading places in the Southern

Hmnisphero , but to be that it must haw security to both Bfs and property. No place in the world ever did or ever can, no matter how grand its climate and soil, flourish without this; and there is not the slightest use in trying to evade the fact, that a Native Government is— I may say —no Government at all. What security can it give ? or, what seourity would it give even if it could? The leading factions in the Government must be able to view the uses of Legislation from the most enlightened points of the present day, and though it may not be absolutely necessary for them to commence at the same stand-point as their constituents, it were better even so, for then the satisfaction given would be more general. Are your natives educated to this degree ? If so, then have a Native Government by all means; but if not, then the sooner you are annexed to Great Britain the better, both for Europeans and natives. I say Great Britain, for she having attached so many colonies, is in a better position to deal with your case, and she also attaches more importance to the annexation of colonies than other Great Powers appear to do. Suppose you had some simple form of Native Government as some seem to desire, what benefit would be derived ? It might benefit the native, but would it not leave the whites in the same position ; or perhaps worse, subject them to all sorts of annoyances, without affording any protection whatever. Internal broils between the leading factions would always be cropping up, and each party striving for mastery with no thought of the benefit of the oountry—simply that of self. Self-Government was tried for about three years in Fiji, and with what result—£Bo,ooo now stand as a debt against the colony. A government undoubtedly you must have, and well it will be for Samoa if, before it rams itself into difficulties, it submits gracefully to the iron hand of the inevitable, and obtains annexation. For it will ultimately come to that; a few years it may be, if it be opposed at present, but the day will assuredly come when both European and native will admit that they have been too tardy; they have held back too long. When Samoa sees Fiji flourishing, having in the race of prosperity left it a long way behind, it will bo forcibly reminded of the maxim, " Time gono past never can be recalled," and sincere will be the wish that it had followed closer in the wake of Fiji, and become annexed to a life going power, that it too, might have been moving speedily along instead of " dragging its weary weary length along." That there is the making of a splendid colony in Samoa no> one who has given the subject a thought can have the least doubt. Very likely if taken at once by the hand it would lead the way for liji; but this it certainly never can do without annexation. And what is there so very dreadful about being annexed? Taxes would have to be paid; of course they would; butalthough taxes come directly from the pocket, there must have been some plaeu from which they came originally, and that place is the land ; so that in reality it is the land which pays the piper, and if we have not security and protection sufficient to enable us to retain possession of the land we lose not only the amount we might be expected to pay in the shape of taxes, but also our livelihood, and hence the advisability and necessity of having a Government which can give protection and security at the same time. All other inconveniences, such as laws, &c, are only obnoxious to those whom we would be better without, and for whom they are really made, and but for whom legislation would be scarcely needed. We in Fiji are heavily taxed, but what of that. We love security and protection, and are willing to pay for it. Of course, I admit, we would desire, that the load should not be so heavy, and our strength so severely tried, and believe that by another system our taxes might bo reduced; but, heavily taxed though we be, I feel convinced that there is scarcely a man in Fiji who would desire a return of the rowdy mob and lynch law days even with gin at a shilling A BOTTLE.

Levuka, January 10, 1878. Sinoe writing the above, which missed the post by the Vincent, the events worth noticing are the meeting of the Agricultural Society of Fiji, the election of the Levuka Towjn Board, and Hw Excellency's speech to the Planters, Merchants, and land owners, at a meeting at Nasova. At the meeting of the Agricultural Society His Excellency presided, which no doubt kept the meeting somewhat more closely to the objects for which it was called, and prevented any speculative remarks in reference to the policy of the Governor, other than was on the business paper. His Excellency in addressing the meeting gave them the usual amount of praise for having such a Society with the objects which it professed, but took very great care to impress upon them that they must not meddle with anything which could be deemed political; he then called upon Mr. Home, Govwuncnt Botanist from Mauritius, who ia here on a visit, and I understand wiß give you a call before he leaves Polynesia. Mr. Horne said he had formed the most favorable opinions of the capabilities of the soil where he had been, up the Rewt., where there was room for 2S to 30 sugar mills. On Tai Lovu he had seen plains thousands of acres in extent suitable for sugar culture. Some five resolutions wore put to tho meeting and carried ; rules passed, and officers elected for the ensuing year, and tho meeting adjourned. The election of the Levuka Town Board took place on the 88th and 29th January. I mention the two days

because the nomination papers Were delivered on the 2Sth, and collected on the following day, and in the evening of the 29th the Scrutineers went through the nomination papers and found that there were one hundred and twentythree persons voted, of which eight were invalid. Every voter was qualified to sit, providing he was one of the six who received the highest number of votes, and thus it occurred, that no less than (ifty-eight were nominated—the numbers ranging from G2 down to a solitary 1, of which I believe there were not a few as JTOU may guess when it is considered that while the highest [wiled <i2 the sixth man only polled 25—from which number they dropped speedily although not quite so much as above that figure. Several of those elected have signified their intention to refuse to take their seats, so that we do not yet know who are to be the Town Board.

The speech of His Excellency, at Xasova, is a voluminous one, and treats of several matters of interest. It occupies six columns and a half of the " Fiji Times," and is, to use 11. E's. own words, neither " secrets of state policy ; startling intelligence ; elaborate new plans ; nor a political story." I would like to give you his speech in full, but of course it is too long, so, I will merely make one or two quotations therefrom. Amongst other things he said he desired to meet the planters as often as possible, in fact every year, but that was difficult to manage, and he had taken the opportunity to call them that day as many wen' in town to the Planters Meeting. He would make a comparison between the position of the colony at the present time and its position in 1875; and the first one was that now they had a stony horrid road to Naaova, whilst that road two years ago was distinguished by .sloughs of mud, and the ups and downs of a narrow track. In the next place he pointed out that the revenue from customs had in 1877 doubled that of two years previously under what was practically the same tariff—a sure sign of increased commercial activity, ami so he proceeded showing that the colony had progressed during the last two years, notwithstanding all the drawbacks which were, and had been, cropping up. After dwelling upon the contrast between 1875 and 1877 on a variety of topics for a considerable time he turned to the constitution of the Legislative Council, recommending an alteration therein, but stating that such alteration could only be made I)}' the Queen. Levuka, February 2, 1878.