THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1879.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 66, 4 January 1879, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1879.

In this, the fust i-sue of the Samoa TIMES for the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine we purpose to review the past twelve months, and enii avour to shadow forth the prospect

Vi liich lies before us during the year we have lion* entered upon. The .progress, or otherwise, we havo -made during the past year commercially we are unable to state, in consequence of there bring no statistic? of any kind whatever to refer to, as also the paucity and uncertainty of any information to be otherwise obtained in regard to our trade and commerce. Therefore as we are unable to give anything positive upon this point we prefer to leave.it alone altogether, and confine our remarks simply to the polities of the country. What progress has been made in political matters during the past twelve months!' Absolutely nothing. lu fact we are of opinion that matters are even worse with us in this respect than when last year opened. At that time there was a faint ray of hop.' shadowed forth from the fact that Sir Arthur Gordon, the Governor of Fiji, had intimated his intention of visiting these islands, and would give every assistance in tho formation of a stable government. His Excellency duly arrived, and at once set to work, assisted by Th. Weber, Esq., German Consul, in bis pnlenvour to get the Government started on a linn basis. These two gentlemen not only gave the natives

yuoil advice, but woro willing and able to give them ussistance, without, which the natives will novel' be able to govern •themselves. Hud they listened to the ■advice of these two gentlemen, instead of to Mr. G. W. Griffln, the then I'. S, ■Consul, who tutored the natives to.treat •both Sir Arthm Gordon and Mr, Weber, together with thoiradvico, with contempt, we will venture to assert that Samoa would at the present timo glory in a strong Government instead of misrule and anarchy; and sunshine and prosperity would lie before us instead of war, bloodshed, and destruction of property and who is to blame for this P A mai who was then the representative of o great nation. t He it was who persuaded the natives to petition the United StateGovernment for a protectorate; he il was who toil the natives not to listen t< the- Governor of Fiji and Mr. Weber, foi the United States were sure to pmtod them, though if he had known anything of the Constitution of his country In must have known that it was not at al likely ever to take place ; he it was whi when he found that the treaty was n mi other than one of amity and commerce, meaning literally nothing, fearing thu re-

tction when the nat'iT • ■ i ■'-. \ had been gti an ignominious rctreoijp the United Stati iwai' •ship Adams: mm] up hi I.';- head will rest I the bio dshed and misery that will ensuel ere a stable form of government will be I established. Shortly after the departure of the Governor of Fiji, and the faii ire of j the combined efforts of i. inself aud Mr. Weber to lift the* |i ■;■!• oul oi the dust iu which they have so long been grovelling, the United States Buip of war Adams arrived, bringing with her Mamea and the treaty, from which so much was • xpected by the so-called "Government" party. But what has resulted therefrom?

The Adams remained hero some two I months : feasting and dancing was the Older of the day. Then she left, and j ! the natives have been gradually coming ! to their reuses, and no doubt now look upon tho treaty from which so much was expected as a snare and a delusion. Notwithstanding these efforts on the part of England and Germany by their representatives, aud the United States by a treaty of amity and commerce, the political state of Samoa is not one iota better than it was twelve months ago, and we see no

reason to alloc our opinion as expressed in our article a year ago, tiiat so long as the natives attempt to govern themselves unaided by stronger Power who will keep them in check we will never have a government worth anything.

The prospect before us for tho year we have just entered upon is far from being bright and reassuring. In fact we cannot'see the slightest ray of hope of any hotter state of affairs politically than has existed during the past year. For some little time.past a slight hope had entered the breasts of a portion of our residents that u Government which was expected to ho formed under the Premiership of General liortlett, would he a stop in the light direction, and a decided improvement upon the existing form of Government. Whetin v, in our opinion, this would have been so or not we do not at present intend to say. for from th ■ aspect of native affairs just now we are of opinion that this end. if ever o.msuinated, will not be accomplished for six months at least. Therefore any comment from us as to tho advisability or otherwise of

allowing the foreign element to be introduced into the Government of Samoa would be premature ; sulKce it to say that when the proper time urrives, and when we see there is a possibility of foreigners taking part in the Government we will give our readers tho benefit of our opinion and experience. That it will be some time era we will have a settled Government, if ever, without the aid of some

foreign Power, we gather from the tone of the meeting of the district of Tuamasaga, held at Afega on the 20th, 27th, and 2Sth of last month. It was there decided that unless Maleatoa was made king the whole of the Tuamasaga, which is no mean district, would withdraw their support from the Government. From what we can learn llanono, a part of Savaii, and what is more important, a part of Atua, the very backbone of the present Government, are with tho Tua-

masaga in this matter. To show their determination to have Maleatoa as king, four boats left on Monday, the 30th of' December, and others left on the 2nd inst., for Savaii for (he purpose of bringing Molcatoa across. If this dons not mean war and '.100.'..--bed. it certainly means a delay in the formation of any settled form of Government for some months to come. It is pretty generally thought that tins matter will not, terminate in war, but that should the Taimiia and Faipule see that the opposition is the strongest they will "knock under," for the sake of their position and the name of Government, .lie this how it may. we are unable to shadow forth a better order of things than existed during the past year. Bui while we fear the worst we will hope for the best, and who can tell but that this dark hour is the one before the dawning, and that this black cloud which now envelopes us will show the silver lining ere another year has ran its course?

Divixe Service, —To-morrow being the first Sunday in tlio mouth, the Rev. Dr. Geo. A, Turner will (D.v.) hold divine service in the Foreign Church at half-past ■ieven p.m. The British Cossit,ate.— "We notice that the British Consulate bus I n removed to the premises recently occupied by the late Mr. Liardet, Till'. KIDXAPPI.Va Act, I,s72.—Several if our subscribers having made enquiries if us concerning the aboveraentioned .Vet, we have reprinted it in another column if this day's issue. Stealing a Coat.—Puna Tolu was ined jil.'i. Nt a court held yesterday, beore T. M. Dawson, Esfp, Unitod States 'onsul, and Fiiiai and Leutele, native liidges, for stealing a coal, the property ■f Mr. M'llheuny, Complainant's costs o be paid out of the line. Mr.lt. tlethorngton appeared for the prosecution.

TALK Al'.ni T TOWN. - i ehii i amang vetal '•■■-' aot< . And faith he'll j«r. :.•- tlieui." The Cliristmas for I#fS, and New Years Day for ls-7.' are both p-t a%d

•o roui my gaze like ab< i . ifu! dream,' —or a 'kind of "stuj*erandum' Imsi esse, if i may quite a favourite and original expression of the Hon. John King [truce's, in which a fellow gets mazed foi about ten Java, the chief difficulty of the puzzle being to understand lunV real pain comas out of (s)champague. But now that these happy, but considerably mixed up times are over, we can calmly consider the principal events of the past carnival. Being essentially a Bohemian in my tastes and habits I am i not one of those who, after a festival of ! this kind, "whip the cat" or cry over spilt milk. Yet at the same time there is any amount of room for the moralist and the cynic to step in and air their peculiar views. 1 might a-k, " What does this festival of eating, drinking and being merry amount to 'i A sore bead, a heavy heart, and an empty pocket. But 1 will leave this kind of reflection to the cynics and moralists.

Amongst the festivities of the season perhaps the most successful and pleasant evenings was spent at the International Hotel, Matafele, kept by Mr. Carl Bell, but more familiarly known as "Charley the Russian.'' Through the agency of Mr. ('has. 11. Rawson, two very line'pictures from the brush of our young local artist, Mr. Mellhcimy. were rallied for §!SO. There was a large party of ladies I rod gentlemen assembled in the billiard room where the raffle took place withoul the slightest hitch, under the presidency of Messrs. \Y. E. ./gar and C. It. Uawson When .the business'of the evening wa

concluded, dancing waj indulged in f< several hours and a most enjoyable nigi was spent, In the same house, and : the same time, a large Cliristmas tn laden with all kinds of toys was lightc up and placed in the large room, whic was lavishly decorated with (lowers an i evergreens. Between thirty and fori

children of various ages, sizes and colors were present, and after dancing round the tree and otherwise amusing themselves to the "dulcet strains" ot old Uncle Unices liddle tin- Christmas gilts were distributed to the juvenile visitors hy Mr. Sacht in thechcracierof did Father Christmas, and Mc-rn Hettig and Rawson. 'l'.!.- liberality displayed on this occasion to the voting and rising generation by Mr. Bell was Highly commendable and he. fully deserves the grateful acknowledge tits which he undoubtedly receives from the hearts of those little ones who never before' tasted tie- joys attendant opim a Christmas Tree. The centre of attraction on New

War's Eve was (lupt till Laureuson's house at Matautu. where tiicru was a lottery of s.iinu iifty ; : oiul a: tides mi the principle of all pn.-j-.s ami no Islaaks. The house, was tastefully decora-e.tl, and the lottery being well manage i, vent off very successfully. Tlio oily drawback being that the genial host vas laying on a sick bed. This faci somewhat, damped the spirits of his numerous friends whom I am sure will he giad to learn that he is convalescent. Cvi'.lL.