A.—6

28

Enclosure No. 9. [Teanslation.] King John of Mangaia to Mr, F. J. Moss. To my friend, Mr. Moss. Mangaia, 21st September, 1892. Salutations. —I have received your letter. The man-of-war " Champion " called here on the 10th September. She landed at Ivirua. The landing was much too rough for her in Oneroa. An officer came over to see me, and was the bearer of your letter to me, dated the Bth September. We met, and he asked me how we were getting on. I told him we were in peace; and he said it was good, and told me that you said I was not to listen to any reports that I may hear. I told him what the Taiki Aus have written to you, because that was what passed at our meeting of the Council on the Ist instant. If what I have told him is misplaced and not right, do not be angry with me. Another. For marriages, we have made the fee $5, and for births 25 cents. Deaths we have not charged anything for. Chili money, 5 quarters French money to the dollar. Goods landed here brought by a foreigner are taken to the market, to see that there is no liquor landed. The weights belong to the Au 7, and if used in the market the charges are to be $1. This is all that passed at the meeting on the Ist September. Our meeting on that day was a good one ; they were all of one mind, Vaipo and Turoua, Ata, Kiri-iti, Pute, and Ngariu; not one of them differed in their decisions. Another. The law for divorcing we cannot agree to. If you hear of a Mangaian man or woman getting divorced, do not sanction it. Enough. Salutations to you. Your friend, John Teego. I had forgotten to put the names of the Tiaki Au on the front of this letter. Their names are Kakerua, Poito, and Miringatangi (for Oneroa); Te Aro (for Tamarua); Kiripaore (for Ivirua).

Enclosure No. 10. [Teanslation.] Mr. F. J. Moss to King John (for Chiefs of the Aus at Mangaia). To John Trego, Ariki, Mangaia. Earotonga, 23rd September, 1892. Salutations. —I have received your letter of the 21st September, enclosing one from the Tiaki Aus of Mangaia. You say they are Meringitangi, Kakerua, Poito, Te Aro, and Kiripaore. I know all of these chiefs; but what is the Tiaki Au? Ido not know it, and write to you because it is to you, as Ariki, I must look if anything wrong is done at Mangaia. As to the reports contained in the letter, none of them are true. I ask you now to tell me from whom these reports came. It must have been some idle or mischievous man who wished to do harm, and thought he could make the Mangaina believe anything he chose to say. You should not send me such reports without telling me at the same time from whom they came, and why you thought they might be true. Look at law (No. 1) made by Parliament on the sth of June, 1891. You have it in print at Mangaia. Then you will see what work is done for the Parliament, and what for the Councils in each island. Look at law (No. 4) of the 10th of June, 1891. Then you will see what work the Supreme Court has to do, and that it does not interfere with any of the Courts of Mangaia or other islands. Mangaia, like Earotonga, Aitutaki, and all other islands, makes laws of its own. When were you ever interfered with in doing so ? All you have to do is to make reasonable and just laws, which I can approve when you send them to me. But the import duty and the Post Office are for all the islands, and the Parliament only can deal with them. I have so often made this clear to you, and your members understand it so well, that I am surprised to get such a letter as you now send me. As to sending members to Parliament, Mangaia has a right to send three, and to choose them every year, so that she may have a fair share in making the laws. If the members are sent, well and good. If not, the laws will be made in Parliament without them; and all people must obey the laws whether they live at Mangaia or any other island. The law is good over all. Mangaia has its own Council and Government to do its own proper work—to make divorce laws, or liquor laws, roads and bridges, for the good of Mangaia. But if the Council attempts to charge duties on goods it will do very wrong, and bring punishment on Mangaia. The Parliament only can deal with that. The postage-stamp is the same. Other countries would not take letters unless they have the stamp of the Federation on them. No other stamp is of any use. Parliament decided that the elected Chief of the Federation should be upon the stamp. It was a good decision, and I approved of it at once. Therefore it is law, and will be done. How does this interfere with Mangaia any more than with Aitutaki, Earotonga, or other islands ? No divorce law was passed by Parliament; but the Earotonga Council has since passed one, which I send you herewith. You will see that it has nothing to do with Mangaia, or Mangaia with it. As to the Government House, I have nothing to do with that, and nothing to say about it. As to the money voted for Mangaia out of the import duty, you had full information about it. The money must be spent on some work for good of all Mangaia. Do that, and it will be paid at once, but not till then. As to the liquor law, it is for Mangaia to keep its present law, or make a new one if you wish. If a new one is made, and it is good, I will approve.