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Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 24, 16 March 1878, Page 2

, The British Consul.—By H.M.S. Sapphire, A. P. Maudslay, Esq., arrived from Fiji. Wo understand that this gentleman is only to act as British Consul here, ponding arrangoment heing made for somo one ponnanantly to fill the office. Mr. Maudslay landed officially and undertook tho duties of tho uflieo on Tuesday morning lust. HUUKICA.NE.— A telegram in the "Australasian," of the Dth February, reads: —" Wo have received tho following from tho Superintendent of'relflgraphfl i ; Brisbane: —'Captain Tumor, of sch oner Sybil, arrived hero, reports . hurricane in the South Set 1 '■ '.., Sth January; lasted twenty-i . Schooners Bobtail Nag oc I totally wrecked. An American ..: r sank in Havannali Harbt . schooner, arrived thuie t: l; . ~ hurricane, lost sails n.-.ij ~:;,, Cieat destruction do .• , property on shore. Tho orew of the Bobtail*.- arc on board the Sybil.'" |

Meeting between: British Consul and Samoax Government.—On the 13th instant a meeting was held between Captain Murray and the British Consul and the Taimua and Faipulu at ilulinmi, at which Mr. Maudsiay presented his credentials, and a letter was read from Lord Derhy to the Taimua and Faipule, stating that it was impossible to ask Her Majesty to grant their petition without a clearer definition of the amount of protection required. The Consul then asked if the Taiuiua and Faipule had come to any decision as to the terms of the agreement left with them by HU Excellency Sir A. Gordon. They replied that they had not had timo at their dispasul to think of the matter and come to an agreement, but said that they would go to the Consulate and give a reply the next day. On the 14th the whole matter was discussed and considered at the Consulate. No objection was then raised to the tonus of the agreement, but-tho Taimua and Faipule persistantly refused to sign. In deference to some scruple expressed with regard to negotiations with America, the Consul then offered to withdraw, for the present, clause 11, and thon gave them the four remaining clauses, which, however, they steadily refused to sign. The Consul then told them that he would send them a translation of a letter which he read to them in English, and that from the time the translation was sent to them he would allow them twenty-four hours to sign the remaining four clauses of the agreement, and that if at tho end of that timo they could come to no satisfactory settlement he would hand over the matter to Captain Murray, of ILM.B. Sapphire. The translation of the letter was not sent to the Taimua and Faipule until ten o'clock on Thursday night, and tho twenty-four hours dates from that hour. The Taimua and Faipule are apparently relying on the alleged protection from America, which we bqlievo the British Consul very naturally is not at present prepared to acknowledge.