TONGA Death of the Crown Prince.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 98, 18 April 1885, Page 3

TONGA Death of the Crown Prince.

A Correspondent, writing under date of March 24th, says : News has reached here from Tonga of the death of the King's grandson, W. G. Tubou Malohi. The doath was vory sudden— caused, it is Raid, by a diseased heart. His age was about 28. He possessed a considerable amount of talenfc, although he never left his native isles. He was a very fair English scholar, speaking our language fluently. He was educated in the Wesleyan Mission College, under the present Chairman of the district. His father died in Auckland about five years since. He then became heir to the King, or as Mr Baker always preferred to call him, the " Crown Prince. There is no doubt that his direct descent from the present King, as well as the very great abilities he had, pointed him out as the one person most likely to maintain the unity of Tonga. His death is indeed a trouble for Tonga, but Tongan troubles appear to be just cammencing. Amongst other things we have a new church set up, and the whole land is troubled by t£e oppression and coercion which is brought to bear upon the people to compell the unwilling ones to join it.

German Sympathies of the Government. The Rev. J. B. Watkin, the late Wesleyan missionary in Vavau, has joined his friend Mr Baker, and is now actively assisting him in establishing the so-called "Free" Church. We trust that the fact of "going the whole hog" with Mr Baker in Church, matters will not lead him to copy that gentleman's sympathies for everything German, I am led to make this remark on account of one of Mr Watkins's last official acts, when in connection with the Wesleyan Church. It is usual for the resident English missionary to be the English Post-master. Mr Watkins held that position in Vavau. When he seceded from the Church he gave up his residence here. It then became his duty to appoint a Postmaster for the English mails, and then submit the appointment to the Consul for his approval. A British subject who is a servant of the Tonga Government was requested by Mr Watkins to collect the English mails and take them to the German factory, and there open them in the presence of the agent for that firm. Such are the written instructions left by Mr Watkins with the individual referred to. The outward mail is also made up at tho German factory by the same agent. Then the Tongan Government official who keeps the Post-office seal is allowed the privilege of sealing it and taking it on board. A German post-master for the English mail could not be decently appointed, and if the appointment had been made it certainly would not have been confirmed, so a Tongan officer, who happens to be a British subject, is made the custodian of the Post-office seal, mail carrier, seal breaker, and seal-maker to a German post-master. The arrangement is certainly a very ingenious one, and quite "Bismarkian." We have occasionally a German mail made up by the German Consul in Samoa and forwarded in one of their vessels. Their mails never go to the English postmaster ; nobody expects it. They are quite right in keeping their own affairs in their own hands, and we think avc are equally right in demanding the same straight policy for ourselves. In timo past we have been heavily handicapped in our race with the Germans ; they are now (in Samoa and other places) showing their hand; it is therefore time for us to make a stand, and demand fair play. If we have that, the result is certain.

Messrs McArthurs Operations. Messrs Win. McArtbur and Co.'s chartered barque Erne, 774 tons, has a full cargo of cobra, and will shortly leave this port direct tor Europe. This will make the fourth barque chartered by that firm which has left here for a European port. They have been the pioneers of direct British trade with Tonga. Spirited enterprise similar to theirs will do more good towards establishing British and Colonial prestige than any amount of trickery or greed for to ritoj.y. Another correspondent writes :— " You will be sorry to hear that the late Crown Prince of Tonga, Wellington Gu Tubonmalohi, is dead. He died at his residence, Nukualfa, on Wednesday, the 11th inst,, of heart disease, and was buried with all due honour at the island of Uiha on the 20th inst., in the burial ground of his family. He wa3 a good English scholar, splendid musician, and a perfect gentleman. The Wesleyan Free Church of Tonga is making great strides|; not a week passes without numbers coming over, despite the course Mr Moulten has adopted, and which must turn every Tongan against the Wealey an Church."