THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, or no Bect am I." SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1878.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 38, 22 June 1878, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, or no Bect am I." SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1878.

Ik another part of this day's issue will be ■tauad -ma o£Bomm} . aajpy of tha tered into between the Governments of United States and Samoa, together with President Hayes' proclamation of the same. Up to the present time, owing to certain representations, many people have been led to believe that the. Treaty is one of protection, and we notice that some of the San Francisco papers still hold the opinion, or rather announce to the public that it is a Treaty of protection. Notwithstanding this, and the verification of Mr. Colmesnil, as given by a San Francisco paper, " that the United States has assumed the protection of the Samoan ■lslands," we must assert that nothing of the kind exists, and that it is nothing more than it purports to be—a Treaty of friendship and commerce. Any person with a grain of sense, and who i an read English, can come to no other decision upon the matter. . We cannot charge those of our San Francisco contemporaries, who have persisted in crying 'protection when no protection exists, with either ignorance of the subject upon which they are writing or with an inability to read English. But we fear there are motives of no very creditable nature which cause them to make the false Btateinants they persist in living with regard to this Treaty. There is not a single sentence in any one clause of the document that could possibly lead to the supposition that the United States has assumed the protectorate of Samoa, but on the other hand the Samoans offer a protectorate to the trade of America in these islands. There is no doubt but -that the American merchants think that by this means they will secure the monopoly of the trade, but in that, wo think, they will me long find themselves mistaken. Germany and England have each more vested interests here than America, the former having more than the whole of the other foreign Powers put together. Is it likely then, we ask, under these circumstances, that they will sit quietly down and see their respective subjects pay for the privileges of the few Americans, whose interests hero are comparatively small ? No, we feol confident they will not; they will demand to be placed upon the same footing with America, and failing that, they will probably refuse to ruoogniso the powor of the Government to grant such one-sided privileges. In that event in what bettor position will America be with her Treaty than she was before it ? There is rather to much self exhibited in this Treaty. It is not the Samoans they wish to protect, but themselves, and in this they have gone rather too far in providing that neither import nor oxport duties aro to be charged. They have thus defeated their own end*. It will be noticed also that the Treaty has been ratified without reference to the Samoa Gjvornment. Whjthcr Mamea had the noeossary instructions to enable him to ratify his own note we are unable to say, and in foot wo doubt very much wbothor tho Government themsofves know what

lowers Mamea had. However tbU may be, wo feel certain that Mamea has been led to believe that the Treaty was one of protection or he would not have sanctioned it. A San Francisco paper says: " By this protectorate the United States •eeurea a good harbour in the South Pacific and the right to send goods there free of duty." Just so. And for this generosity on the part of Samoa, what return does America make | She condescendingly allows the Samoa Government to make a charge of one half cent per ton tonnage dues. The average amount of American tonnage entering this harbour hitherto has not exceeded 500 tons per annum, and allowing that by the effect of the Treaty that amount is doubled, the monetary benefit derived is exactly go per annum, which would certainly not be worth collecting. In addition to the above allowance, and we presume to go as a set-off for the use of Pagopago harbour, the United States Government will, should the Samoan Government get into ditiiculties with any Government in amity with the United States, intercede for them. But in the event of their services being declined by the other Government, in what better position are they than they were before ? In such an event will the United States take up the battle of tho Sanioana aud fight it out for them ? If there should happen to arise a rebellion amongst the natives against the existing Government will the United States step in and put the rebellion down ? We think not. If she will not do this, how can the Treaty be one of protection ? This Treaty will cost the Sainoans something like g I*o,ooo, and we fear that when they find they have to pay this amount for nothing, it will breed discontent, and discontent will merge into war and bloodshed.

Corpus Cmsti/.—The annual ceremony of the procession of the Sacred Host took place on Thursday morning last, at the Catholic Church, Apia, full particulars of which will appear in our next issue.

W. J. Hunt.—His Lordship Judge Oorrie, in the Supreme Court of Fiji, gave his judgement in the appeal of Mr. W. J. Hunt, commutes at a recent sittings of the High Commissioners Court held here for participating in the hanging of Cochrane. The judgment is somewhat exhaustive and appears in the Fiji Times of May lath, from which we extract the following : —As the hearing and judgement on this appeal have been delayed not by any fault of the appellant but because of the illness of the Judge of the Court of Appeal, I direct that the year of imprisonment awarded against the appellant do count from the 23rd day of February, 187s, being the date of his conviction in Samoa. The imjtriavnujank OK&JJ be without labor oil the public worts, if directed by his .Excellency, the High Commissioner, to be suffered in Fyi, and until the place is so determined 1 give directions to the Superintendent of Police to detain the appellant in custody under the conviction now affirmed. The Samoan American Protectorate. —James Guthrie Colmesnil, Samoan Ambassador to the United States, arrived here, Bays a San Francisco paper, a few days ago from Washington, having accomplished the object of his mission to our government. He will sail on the 19th April for Panama, and thence go to Apia by the United States corvette Adams. Mr. Colmesnil verities the intelligence that the United States had assumed protection of the Samoau Islands, and would koep a ship-ot'-war in that locality. The harbor of Pago Pago is also ceded to the United States for a coaling and naval station. Mr. Colmesnil will be accompanied to Samoa by M. O. Qoward, Special Agent of the States Department, who goes to regulate Consular affairs at Apia, so that future conflicts of authority may not arise. There i 3 no foundation for the rumour that the British Government had any designs upon Samoa, as the protectorate now established was the subject of a satisfactory negotiation between the two Governments By this protectorate the United States seoures a good harbour in the South Pacific and the right to send goods there free of duty.