THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn To no Master, of no Sect am I.' SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1878.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 51, 21 September 1878, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn To no Master, of no Sect am I.' SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1878.

'l'm: want of some responsible form of Government for these islands is daily becoming more anil more patent to those -who take any trouble at all to think of the matter, or to watch passing events; and the time is fast approaching when, if the natives do not take the matter up properly, the foreigners will he obliged to do so for the sake of preserving their own health, lives and propertv, and for the purpose of compelling the native inhabitants to Resist from their indecent practices in the public street in broad daylight. It is true we have n body of men tit Mulinuu who nro called the (jlovornment, but when, where and how they prove themselves a Government we fail to see. A man is brought before them for an offence against u foreigner, it may be, and lie is lined ; but the fine is never paid. And why ? Because if he happens to be a man of the least noble or chief family he simply declines to pay, :it'.d the "Government," forfearof offend-

ing, and thereby losing the support of that man's family, dare not attempt to enforce tho payment. Scarcely a night goes past but the air is rent by the yells, shouts and curses of drunken natives; complaints of white men being assaulted by these inebriates are not at all uncommon, and respectable foreigners having business out of their houses after nightfall have to arm themselves, for fear of attack, with clubs or more deadly weapons. Indecent exposures in broad daylight occur too often to he pleasant, and no attempt whatever is made by the "Government" to put a stop to these

practices. The nir in many parts of our town is polluted witb tlic disgusting odour arising from dead animals, and human excrement deposited in the scrub of our roads, sufficient in themselves to breed a pestilence, and yet we are told that a Government exists. If such docs exist, then it is high timo that they wen; taught what their duty is; and if they do not doit, then be tnnde to give way and make room for ft Government that will. If it bo only 00 account of these polluting influences upon the nir, it becomes the duty of every foreigner to insist, through, thefr Consuls, that the Government do their duty in thiil matter; for so long as those nuisances are allowed to exist, so long are these lives of every inhabitant of these islands in danger from the breaking out cf typhoid fe'ver, or some equally virulent

disease, Bm■•■.-• ■ -.. I IW muiiity froM t!.. M • . H . : calamitous diseases hitherto, it dew sol follow that we alwav- shall. At the prescnl time wo on in the most imminent danger, for our last Australian file* inform us that typhoid fever is raging in New South Wales. I.t the genu of this plague once be introduced in our midst, ami then assisted by thu foul air that exists in and about our town, wo shudder for the consequences to both races alike. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that some active stops be at ouce taken fertile formation of a Government that will Ik 1 willing and able to Uo the work required of them.

In another part of this day's issue we publish a document drawn up by the various ( 'onsuls just prior to the return of Colonel ■Bteinberger. It was intended for a Constitution for a Government* to bo formed by the Saiiioans, and bad been partially agreed to by the Taiinua and Kaipule when Stcinberger returned, who ignored all that had k'en done by the I 'onsuls, and got the natives to adopt tie; Constitution which lie drew up. \\< beg respectfully to submit the doeunient referred to, to the attention uf the various Foreign ('onsuls. and ask them to do what they can, not only for their respective countrymen, but humanity at large, to endeavour to get a Government upon a similar basis formed. The document mentioned does not certainly provide for a very elaborate form of government, but it is sufficient to meet the exigencies of our present requirements. The first step in the advancement of any country is the introduction of a systematic government; no matter how simple its form or imperfect its character at the start : oneo establish the principle of law and get the natives in authority to carry the laws out, and the rule of a country will improve in a ratio with the intelligence of its inhabitants. The minds of the natives arc not yet sufficiently developed to be able to comprehend the working of a Government in detail: therefore the more .simple the form the better they will be able to handle it. and the groater is the probability that they will do so. The one suggested is not only simple, but embraces all that the country needs at its present stage. The child must always creep before it can walk, and walk before it can run : and so it, is with a government formed by such men as the Samoaiis. We have no doubt that if thev

eon be got to creep, they will, when the proper time arrives both walk ami run. ;>,' icijvse i-ief-ici of Inmig two ki-i,.s would hi- somewhat ridiculous : l.nt when that document was drawn up the natives would have two kings in spite of anything that could be said to thorn to the contrary. That difficulty was got over when Steinberger's Constitution was adopted: and we think that it the 'IV,initia and Faipule wore to agree with the Consuls to adopt some such Constitution as this, the king question would not prove an insuperable difficulty, in addition to its simplicity it is cheap. There is no need for high taxation, for it will be seen that the whole working expenses can he paid by two dollars per annum, paid halfyearly in advance, and then have a surplus of ten thousand dollars for roads, etc. This, we consider, is so admirably suited to the present state of the country that we, in conclusion, respectfully urge the Consuls collectively to endeavour to arrange the matter with the natives. If the natives refuse to agree to any other Government than the present miserable abortion, then other force must be brought to bear, and they must be shown that if they choose to call themselves a Government they must be made to bear the responsibilities of such.