THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1880.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 142, 26 June 1880, Page 2

THE SAMOA TIMES. "Sworn to no Master, of no Sect am I." SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1880.

Municipal C o u-kt. Before R. Hethorington, Municipal Magistrate, assisted by Moisuko:— On tho 22nd, Peno, Tui, Fepulai, Mifcn, Masii, and Fesolai were oharged- with a riotous assault on Solomona nnd others. After several witnesses had been examined, the Court adjudged that tho charge against Pene and Fesolni was not proven, but held that the other fouv prisoners were guilty and sentenced thein as follows: Tui was ordered to be imprisoned for thirty days with hard labour, and further to pay a fine of glO, !part ef which to go to pay Solomona's medical expenses ; Fepulai was fined sl, and Masii $2.500; Mika was sentenced to 66ven days' imprisonment with hard labour.—On the 23rd, Buputoln, Tupu, and Falo were oharged with a riotous assault on Pene and others. This was a counter charge nud arose out of the previous ease. After a good deal of coil: flicting evidence, Buputnlu was sentenced ■to thirty days' imprisonment with hard labour, and was further ordered to pay §lO, part to be applied to defray, Peue's medical expanses; Tupo was ordered to serve twelve days on the roads; and Fale this time escaped with a fiue of $ 2.50 c. —On the 21th, Taimi, for appropriating a piece of cloth, the property of Mr. Trood, was ordered to lie imprisoned for thirty days with hard labour.—Fua, for supplying gin to Samoans, was fined go. Fasipei and Mauama were charged with being drunk ' rind; .'disorderly. Fasipei was dismissed,: and Mauama let off with a':flae 0£;53.50c., or three days' impvisonmenit, of having been in gib!.,since two o'clook on the 23rd, and having been pretty roughly handled by the police. [The following oase was omitted m the last report of this Court.—On the 15th, L.Hofer was charged with illegally detaining a mare, and with oruelty to a foal, tho property of Leapai, and was fined S2O, and ordered to pay Leapai compensation, but in consideration of mitigating circumstances proved, the Court remitted the fine and fixed the compensation at sl2. Row at AriA.—While "tho May" was being held at Apia on "Wednesday, two Sanioans belonging to that town rather disturbed the proceedings in connection with this annual event, by appearing on the scene in a state of intoxication. Tho police, however, being, in the neighborhood, Seumanutafa had the , inebriates speedily given in charge, and after a little trouble they were conveyed to the lock-up. In connection with this i affair wo would beg to point out that , tho police, do not seem to have any clear conception of their duty towards those whom they may arest. If prisoners are violent it may be necessary for the police to use force, hut this should only be resorted to in extreme cases. Now it would appear that Faualo and Taitula, the two officers who arrostcd the men above referred to, without any cause or provocation threw oue of them prisoners on tho ground ami beat him very severely. At this juncture Tuiletufuga, better known as Johnny Upolu, interfered (we think rightly) and desired the officers to desist. Faualo resented the interference, and becoming very much excited threatnd to arrest Tuiletufuga for interfering with the police in discharge of tneir duty. We think that both Faualo and Taitula should bo severely reprimanded for their misconduct, and their superiors should also point out to them their duty toward persons whom they may be called upon to arrest. Peoplo under tho influence of liquor are generally moro or less disorderly, but tho first duty of tho police is to convoy such persons to prison, and not to maltreat them. Accident.—An accident, occasioned by the careless use of firearms which might have been attended with fatal results, but which happily proved not fo bo of a sorious nature, happened on Tuesday afternoon in Apia. It would appear, that on the afternoon named, while some. Nino boys were amusing themselves discharging rovolvers on the road leading to Motootua, one of tho balls after striking a tree glanced off, and entered tho side of a native boy who, with others was passing along tho road. The wound must have been slight as the boy only hud his attention drawn to the fact that he had been idiot by seeing blond coming from his side. His companions alarmed at the night of tho blood conveyed their coinrado to tho residence of Dr." Fnni, who having examined tho wound pronounced tba iniury to bo of a trifling nature. On Wednesday an enquiry into tho on UNO of the accident was held in tbo Municipal Court, tho result being that tho ocuurronco was uhoivn to bo j purely incidental.

'-.. Assaults.—WV have to cases of assault of Tatter a serious/iiatutfe?, which happened on Moiiday first was on the person ofgolomona, tSjjT native pastor of the Apia Protestant Church, the second assault being the na» turul outcome of the first. We have miXhj, into the circumstances nt-; tending these cases I with the following! rosult Solomona, learning that there was sume toro fox sale at. Vaea on the lands of tho French Mission, went there last Monday morning" and while'waiting 16"get"an nnswer*ts ; his errand was, without any provocation' 'on his part, attacked and rather severely handled by some of the natives connected with the Mission. As soon as Solomon* got out of the hands of his assailants he. proceeded home, aud having related his adventure; the news spread like wildfire among the peoplo of Apia that their pastor had been wantonly-, assaulted/ Very shortly afterwards several Apia men proceeded to Vaea, and, taking the law into their own hands unfortunately, seoured those whom they thought were the instigator of the attack ou! Solomonu and brought them to ApiaV where, one of them at least was a goott deal knocked about, —this constituting the second assault. The result of those skirmishes was tliat both parties lodged complaints in the Municipal Court, and subsequently the ringleaders ou each side were taken into custody. On Tuesday, the case against the Vaea peoplo for assaulting Solomona was heard, dri'3 ended in the principal rioter.being sentenced to thirty days' imprisonment ; \vith hard labour, those taking a minor part in tho affair recciviug minor punishmont. We learn that strong efforts are being made to have tho sentence of the Court in this ease set aside. Tho trial very clearly set forth that a dastardly case of unprovoked assault had been committed, and we fail to see why the decision of the Court should bo reversed or altered. We fear that any action of this nature on the p'art of the Appellate Court (consisting of the three Consuls) will be sure to give rise to grave complications in tho Municipality. The other case, arisiug out of tho ono just commented on, was heard on Wednesday, when one of the principals in the assault on tho Vaea folks was sontenced to thirty days' imprisonment with hard labour; two others receiving lesser senteuces. A great deal of interest was taken in the two eases reported above, tho Courthouse and its neighbourhood being crowded during the greater part of., ;: tite' two days occupied by the interest was given to the matter by the fact that the assaulters and the assaulted wore of different creeds, and it'would appear that religious intolerance was tho motive which led to the outrage on Solomona. We sincerely trust that the heads of t!tu various religious denominations in Samoa will endeavour to prevail dissension being sown between their respective peoples, by cheeking with a stern hand any appearance of religious strife. So rely missionaries came.to Samoa for a higher purpose than to perpetuate tho various miserable forms . of religious fanatacism which darken and disgrace older and more civilized countries.

Tift Mi".—Prom an early hour on Wednesday morning our usually quiet town was in a stir, caus.od by the preparations of the natives of the Protestant faith for the celebration of " The May." No particular religious •..bsorvaaces are connected with this event, tho meeting being chiefly for the purpose of allowing tho native pastors connected with the London Mission, to present a report''of the condition of their respective congregations, and is apparently equivalent to the May meetings of tho Homo Churches. But if there are no special religious services in connectiou with the day, such as those observed at the festivals of other Churches, it is nevertheless one of great interest to the natives of the Protestant denomination, and is looked forward to and tho probable events of the meoting canvassed long before the actual May arrives! The proceedings of the May just past were similar to those of former meetings. Tho events of the day wore opened by service in the Apia church, followed by a grand distribution of food, at which tlio natives appeared dressed in fanciful coloured and shaped robes. In tho afternoon another sorvico was held specially for the children, but which was attended by a largo number of adults, both native and foreign: The proceedings of this servico were of a most interesting charactor, tho assemblage being addressed by tho Rev. Dr. Tumor, R.iv. Mr. Marriott, and by souioof tho natives pastors.

lNcnjusKD Communication.—lu our last issuo we drew attention to the paucity of communication Uitwoon this port and the colonics. It will be oh-' served by an advertisement in this issue, that Messrs. L. D. Nathan and Co., of) Auckland, intend'to mipply the want, to sbin'o . extent' by running a vessel rogu larly between >few Zealand and this Group. I

Tim Cotton Crop.—This crop, wbioh a few woekfl ago promised to bo tt remarkably (Hilly and heavy onu.and which had begun to realize tbne.Npeutations formed of it,hm,on beveral of the plantations on fhi i island, miH'erod considerable dumago by tho heavy mins of lust week, and (medially by tho torrents which foil on Tuesday morning. From Vnilelo, tho plantation of F. Bmnckor, Esq., we learn that. Tuesday'n rain washed a considerable quantity of cotton out of tho pod, and further caused a deal of damage by breaking down somo of tho heavier boughs laden with pidi nut matured.

; shore. As those on board the schooner hwore not, however, certain of the foolish f'fellow's capabilities in the natatory art, Iflk boat wasjj sont. after him, and after a ) little trouble, he fan secured *nci seiHron board the Edith apparently n little sobered -by his swim. - . - -, '' TriE HarboVh.—Since the departure ■ of the ■ schooners Upolu, Edith, and ' Louisariua •on Saturday last, our liar- ' hour has continued remarkably bare of ' shipping, the ship La Rochelle being now * the only representative of tho mercan- , tile fleet in port. As the La Rochello •<,will shortly take her departure we fear that our next shipping report will bo minus "Vessels in Harbour," an occurrence which, if we remember rightly, has only happened onue before during i the past three years. Apia Pkotf.st.vnt School.—As will be seen hy our advertising columns, this • institution will be ro-opemtd ou Monday, tirst at the usual hour. Municipal Board.—A special meeting of tho Representative Members of "the Municipal Board was held yesterday, for the purpose of taking into consideration certain circumstances connected-with an assault case lately tried in tho Municipal Court.