THE KING QUESTION.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 67, 11 January 1879, Page 2

THE KING QUESTION.

On Wednesday las', the Tuamasagii ' brought Malieton to Mulinuu to place liiin before tho Taimua and Faipule as King of Samoa. They came up in two j Laumunluas and lauded opposite the flag- ' stall', and then marched on to the limine. After a while the Taimua and Faipule ■ name on t . the inalau when Tuintafu rose I tiud after repeating the titles of the chiefs present, as is their custom when they ' meet up in such occasions, said that they, J the Taimua and Faipuie, had sent them ■ .■..:'. to form a fale pule government ' house i 'an in their division, which they have d: tie and thai fale pate Ua i seal ' them Mahetou th King oi .-'amoa. 11, and the laws \ or. iipp. inted together; we have bnuidit Malieum and now presold him to v,.u to rule us all. This is Maiiutoii tiie King ol the tul.iiono (laws, Line of the Taimua, then said, Tuamasaga, you have ecu-. We, the Government* know of no llahetoa; Malieton is finished; his i lays of office are past, his number of years are gone. We only know Tupua; Tupua to !••■ King of Samoa and of the tulafono. Tuamasagii, you are obstructing the tjoveruuieut. If you insist on Malieton as king you will he rebels to the Government —we who are appointed by all the people to rule you. The Constitution say.- tliat if any one of tho— appoint d to an ..Mice <io wrong, they are to be dismissed. The Constitution is right, and no more Malieton for us. What is past ami done is written on earth and written in heaven. What our . .pinion and our will is, is written on earth and also in heaven, and cannot be undone. It is fast. The (iovern-m.-nt have cast their die in for Tupua. Sea, of Sal'ata, answered, we have brought Malieton the King, who was chosen by all the people : the people chose him, and you cannot dismiss him without the.conseut of all parties. If he had dune wrong he should have been brought to trial before the people, and he to stand on his defence : but no, in your anger, you dethroned and scut him away. He did what was light and you did wrong, of which you are ashamed. There iMaliotiui !vin;, r of Samoa, known to all the great Powers as the Malieton Kin,' of Samoa. Our will is that Mali-tea finish his term of office; and I repeat both our will and that of Malietoa is written upon earth, and written übovc 100 and cannot be untied. It is fast; it is tho will of the Tuamasaga. Fuataga, Taimua of Atua, then spoke for the Ptibnuu and Faipule and said, Tuamasaga, you are making it iu,ud for the Government. What the puk.'TMi did difficult. The Taimua and tV.iptfe, as the tjoveruuieut, do not know who Malietoa is -do not know him as king either of the Saraoans or uf lh,' laws. Malietoa was sent away; he did wrong, and we have chosen Tupua iu hj s stead. Tuamasaga is rebelling. Are you seeking for a war ? We only know of Tupua. Then Leleua, another Tuamasaga speaker, rose ai.d said, the fuamasagu are no rebels ; we are staunch lo our king and your king—the king chosen by till the people. Von, t!ie Taimua and Faipule. ace the iv' Is ; you r ti ~ 1 in I anger, and did all yo ir ileo ,i th darkness You took.ii;;o:i yourselves tae power of tho people, and sa.n the king away from i his turono. it •.'.■•- i i d-itio m the light of the |i; .o , , seiu the king away without trial; yiti wasted our money; you Mm Maiiiea to America without our knowledge or our sanction; deeds all done iu tuc dark ; are you not ashamed '■ ■ We, the Tuamasaga, 101 l you you are rebels ; you usurped the authority of the people. Who arc you .' Were you horn as Taimua or as Faipule .' No. Who appointed you to come to form a Govern- ■ ment; did you appoint yourselves. No. We, the pc,pie appointed you ; we, also, the people, chose the king, not you. You are the usurpers, you are the lebols. It is you who brake the laws; who first do ' wrong. There is .Malietoa, the Ifing of Samoa ; wo have brought the capital to his throne, and to rule you. Take 1 heed, he is the king; we leave him with you. The Tuamasaga then retired to their boil and paddled oil*, leaving Malietoa at the Point.