TALK ABOUT TOWN.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 85, 17 May 1879, Page 2

TALK ABOUT TOWN.

" Thoro'6 a dbiel amaug ye tukin' notes, And faith ho'll ;ireut them." Samoan MiutaireS. " Qivo me a hundred men from every Malo dLstrict, and I will show the Tuainasaga what we (the ' Government') are made of ;—you bet I" That is something like a remark which is reported to have been made by a celebrated Major-Gono-ral who has not yet bled for his country, , but is evidently anxious to spill some of Hie red fluid for a parcel of kanakas. There is no accounting for taste certainly; and it is another instance of the curious combination of burning valour (before uuy shot is fired) and the eccentricity of genius. The natives aie still talking tight; but for some inexplicable reason neither parties scoin inclined to toe the scratoh. Whether they are deterred from trying conclusions by the presenco of the German ships of war, or whether it is purely a case in which one sido is afraid and the other daren't, it is not easy to say j but tho result is that tho samo miserable, unsatisfactory state of things still exists, and the *im\j when a radical alteration for tho hotter shall take place socnis as for off as over. Where is the "Government " Instructor, Mr. Bartlett, all this time ¥ Hhs he given his party, or tho general publio any striking evidence of his wonderful capabilities, and fulfilled any of those promises contained

in bis great speech delivered at Mulinuu I on that memorable occasion when ho accepted office under a kanaka abortive '• Government " with the airs and stylo of a man who considered he had accomplished tho one great end for which it was worth while living i

SAMOAX •" GOVERNMENT " BoNDS. The gentlemen who are attempting to float the Samoau " Government' liouds, the success of which the Alta California seems so sanguine about, are uot having a very lively time of it. There is no wish on tho part of our mercantile men to take up the precious paper ; on the contrary, even when solicited, many refuse point blank, while th;< rest tight so shy that we may consider that it will be many a long day before these bonds are fully taken up,—at any rate under the auspices of tho present fathers. They evidently started operations with an almost unlimited amount of faith in the utter credulity of our foreign residents: but by this time that faith must havo resolved into disbelief, l'erhaps the lesson has been a sharp one ? let us hope it has been proportionately productive of good.

The Little River Bridge. Since the Tuamasaga proclaimed their King thoy have taken one deoided step, and accomplished some work of benefit to the residents, as a proof, or at least an earnest that they wish to improve as a Government upon the acts of that miserable body tho Tuimua aud Faipule. The bridge over the little river near the Catholic Church has this week been repaired thoroughly by the order of the Tuamasaga rulers, who, unlike the " Government " when they made that precious mess of the road aud called it " roadmending," were able to get tho work well and promptly done by their own people, —the commoners, —instead of having to do it thoiiLselvce. I would infer from this act, small though it may appear upon the surface, that tho Tuamasaga rulers are desirous of doing something beneficial to the general community, and that they can get their people to work, —which is much more than can be said of the socalled " Government," their Instructor included. Cyril.