THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1879.

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

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1879.

If any thing ware needed to prove tho utter inability of the Taimua nnd Faipule to govern Samoa, that proof was given on Tuesday lost when they called upon the Foreign Consuls to try and induce them to specially protect Muliuuu and themselves. Where now is the boasted strength of the so-called " Government ?" They hear that the Tuamasaga party intend to turn them off their much-loved Point, and they fly to the Consuls for protection. Had they been wise they, would havo listened to tho advice of Mr. Weber, the German Consul, when ho, at a meeting- of tho Consuls at Mulinuu, called by tho Taimua and Fuipule, for the purpose of receiving their advice as to the advisability or otherwise of availing themselves of tho services of a certain foreigner, told them that thoy did not require any foroignor at present in thoir Government. By tho action of tho Taimua and Fnipulo after the mooting of the Consuls, it would appear that they had dotormiuod to have the said foreigner in thoir Government, no matter what the Consuls said to tho contrary. Now they are beginning to suffer the consequences of their obstinacy, for wo firmly believe that had they takon the advice of Mr. I Weber and not accepted the services of I, any foreigner, the present difficulty bt< I

tween themselves and the Tuamasaga would have been amicably settled ere now, and the possibility of bloodshed over the matter have been obviateil. In order to consider the request of the Taimua and Faipule to protect them upon MulimiH Point, a meeting of the Foreign I Consuls was held on Wednesday. It was decided that the Consuls could only interfere in so far as their various countrymen were concerned. Over purely Bamoan affairs they had no control, and that Samoans must settle their own difficulties. In years gone by a certain area of ground between Letogo on the east, and Faleula on the west, had been agreed upon by both native and foreign representatives as neutral ground in all Samoan fights, therefore the Taimua and Faipule are perfectly safe so long as they are able to hold their own upon tho Point without recourse to anus. Once the Tuamasaga iiavo the power to remove them by police or civil force from the coveted spot they mu6t go, and expect no support from any Consul. During tho past week or two it has been sought, in u certain quarter to lead the Taimua and Faipule to believe that there can be no uoutral ground in the event of war breaking out. We have to inform these advisers that that question has already boon settled, and it will not be good for them to experiment upon the matter. Tho German. Consul, we feol sure, has the authority, will, aud force, to protect German property within the abovementioned boundaries, and as German interests are iu the majority, the minority are thereby protected, and we feel sure that we are speaking the mind of every foreigner (the advisers excluded) when we say that the German Consul will receive their support, if necessary, to preserve the neutrality of the abovementioned area.