ARRIVAL OF THE ORLANDO. ADMIRAL FAIRFAX INTERVIEWED. THE SAMOAN QUESTION. Auckland, Feb. 26.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 348, 6 March 1889, Page 6

ARRIVAL OF THE ORLANDO. ADMIRAL FAIRFAX INTERVIEWED. THE SAMOAN QUESTION. Auckland, Feb. 26.

H.M.s. Orlando, the flagship of the Aus tralian Squadron, arrived in harbour this morning from her visit to the Southern portion of the colony. Rear- Admiral Fairlax landed from the flagship shortly before eleven o'clock, and was driven to Government Houpe, which he again makes his headquarters during his stay in Auckland. He was waited on there during the course of the morning by a representative ot the Stak, who was most courteously received. In reply to inquiries the Admiral stated that he had enjoyed t his Clip South very much: he had inspected all the harbours, and he had visited the Sound j . The&e latter he consideroJ magnificent, and expressed himself highly delighted with his fortnight's visit to them. Politics were then touched upon, and our reporter endeavoured to obtain Admiral Fairfax's views on the Samoan question. On this, however, he was to all intents and purposes dumb. He was very reticent indeed on the matter, lie had received a report from Captain Hand, of the Royalist, and ho had cabled home the particulars of the disturbance ab Samoa. As tor all the facts, he was not in receipt of them, certain leports asked j for by him not having been as yet received. As tor international questions and questions re ating to the conduct ot his officers, whether good, bad, or indiflcicnt. he must decline to have anything to say on them. He said that the declaims of war and of martial law gave a belligerent nation tremendous power even over neutiial parties but it seemed a question whether war had been declared by Germany at Samoa when thedisturbance with respect to theßichmond arose. Certainly as the Germans were not in occupation of the country at the time they were not justified in proclaiming martial law. Respecting the movements of the squadron the Admiral was more communicative, lie informed our reporter that the Orlando was to leave for Sydney to-morrow in order to bring over relief crews that had come out from England. These included a leliel crew for H.M.a. Dart, now in harbour. Her present men, he said, would in all probability be sent homo by some of our trading steamers. The Dart is ab present in dock at Calliope, and the Admiral stated that all her repaiis, etc., amounting to almost complete refitting, would be done hero. The Oilando will bo away but. a shoib time and should bo back on the Waitemata about the 20bh March. Her futme movements as well as those of the other vessels of the squadron depended on circumstances. So far as had been settled, no additional vessel was to proceed to Samoa ; the Calliope was theie, and she was sufficient. The Opal and Lizard, Admiral Fairfax expected, would arrive from the South about the end of the •neck, but their stay here was uncertain, nothing being decided. WHAT CAPTAIN HAND SAYS. Captain Hand, of H.M.s. Royalist, was interviewed by a reporter with the object of ascertaining what part he played in the recent disturbance at Samoa, more particularly dealing with the German outrage on Mr Gelling and the caigo of the steamer Richmond. Captain Hand gave his account of Mi Ceiling's arrest and release as follows: — "Information was bi ought to mo on board the Royalist of what had been done, and 1 went at once to the British Consul, find we both said that Mr Gelling must be immediately released, as by*' his arrest an outi'age i had undoubtedly been committed. I then went on board the iVdler, and told OoinmaiKlci Fvita tVirio .Mr <.»olH«^ was to be sent back to the Richmond in a Geiman boat. The British Consul at the same time demanded Mr Ceiling's release tiom the German Consul. The Germans gave Mr Gelling breakfast on board the Adler, and treated him very hospitably (&o he ' said), and in couise of the forenoon he was sent back to the Richmond. I do not know what occurred ab the court-martial. I believe the captain of the Adler spoke to Mr Gelling on the quarter-deck, but Mr i Gelling did not complain of anything." Captain Hand was asked whether he had to uso threats before he induced the commander of the Adler to release Mr Gelling, and \\ hether it was true that the Royalist and the American man-o-war Nipsic ran out their guns to compel the Germans to refrain from interference with cargo on board the Richmond. Captain Hand said that no such demonstration was made on the Royalist and that he knew of nothing of the kind having taken place on board the Nipsic. He said that what took place between himself and the captain of the Adler was known only to themselves so far. He had yet to forward his report to his superior officer, Admiral Fairfax, and did not consider it right to make the particulars public through the props. He said, "Immediately I knew that the Germans were breaking cargo on board the Richmond, I sent an officer on board and stopped it."' "Then you don't anticipate a repetition of the Richmond affair? ' queried the reporter. "No, I do not," replied Captain Hand. " The Germans had the law laid down to them pretty clearly before I left, and 1 don't believe that Captain Kane will have any trouble on that score. As for the seaich of goods after they have been landed, I cannot speak for certain. The lawyers ashore gave it as their opinion that the Geimans could have the goods landed at a certain place and searched. The Germans, however, will not be permitted to search the Richmond on her present tiip as they did before. Their light is to look at the ship's papers, and see that she is a merchant ship. They were not allowed to look ab more than the papers of the steamer YVainui when she went down. 1 sent an officer on board, and when the German officer visited the steamer he was told that he could not look ab the Wainui's papers, but thab was all, and ho did no more." Concerning the part that the Nipsic was reported to have played, Captain Hand said that the arrest of Mr Gelling was a matter that did not concei n the Americans, Mr Gelling being a British subject. Ho (Captain Hand) told the Germans that Mr Gelling was to be sent back to the Richmond, and he was sent back. As for the breaking of British cargo he stopped that immediately he heard of it. It was true that, owing to represenbabions made by the Captain of the Nipsic, the Germans ceased bo break open American consignments, but he believed that this was only for a time and thab bhe order was subsoquenbly countermanded. Our representative, who was most courteously received by Captain Hand, then expressed his acknowledgments and withdrew. — Auckland ' Star.'

The Edlingham, police have been acquitted from blame in connection with the false imprisonment of the two supposed rectory burglars. The •' T;imes " is. applying to have the actions brqught by Parnell against it in Ireland dismissed, pending tho result of the Scotch aotion.