MINUTES OF MEETING HELD AT BRITISH CONSULATE, APAI, SA. MOA, ON THE 14TH JANUARY, 1876.

Auckland Star, Volume VII, Issue 1894, 13 March 1876, Page 2

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD AT BRITISH CONSULATE, APAI, SA. MOA, ON THE 14TH JANUARY, 1876.

Mr. S. F. Williams, H.B.M. Acting Consul; Mr. S. S. Forster, U.S. Consul; Mr. .Alfred Le Poppie, Assistant Consul for Germany, and I sixty-one foreign residents of Samoa. Mr. Williams : The representatives of foreign powers have requested you to attend at this Consulate to-day to hear the result of the deliberation of Captain Steytens, of H.E.M.S. Barracouta, and ourselves, 'which took pkce oti hoard that ship yesterday; and we desire 1 that you will in all respects be guided by what f is set forth in the proclamation lam about to ; read to you : — Inasmuch as the Samoan Governmerft have thought fit to set aside, interfere with/and ignore, the legitimate jurisdiction and authority § of the foreign representatives of foreign powers: in Samoa, and have committed and adopted several malpractices in direct opposition to : civilised laws, customs, and usage, and v have; % wilfully endorsed these actions in every respect '-.'■ when represented to it (the Samoan Govern- |' ment) at the public conferences of the 24th,:'. 1 27th, and 29th ultimo, in the presence of they undersigned and Mr. Layard, H.B.M. Consul for Tonga and Fiji, and the Captain of H.l.M.'' h German ship-of-war Gazelle; and we having :$■ this day assembled on board H.B.M. ship Barracouta in the interests of our respective ' nations to discuss and decide what course we I should adopt for the proper protection (of the ;/!' safety), freedom, and protection of property of |§ our subjects. Be it resolved as follows :— Ist. That no subject or citizen of a nation l, | which is represented lay a/ Consul shall be I arrested without the consem of the'said authority, as previous to July,/i873. 2nd. That no laws in lany way relating- to foreigners shall be carriedV into effect in aay | respect. V ; ..■ j, ■', § 3rd. No Samoan shall be\ allowed tlput 1 | irons on any foreigner at anY time untes so I ordered by the foreign Consul. '-^' I | 4th. All trials and condemnatiorA^herpfe I made by this present ..GovernmenfyMraA r subject or subjects, oi^^against a \& citizens of any of the nations as are_re-!|||,!^|. | by an accredited official, such official! V■ * | and approval not having been obtaineij ft^, |' shall be pronounced null and void, fy :N|^ p sth. Foreigners in Samoa belongh| :M:| nation which has no representative^..,.,^ ■-..* k country shall be entitled to obtain protection '«■ from any Consul in Samoa that they may | choose, provided always consent tosuch pro-, .|; tection be given from such representative, but 1; under such circumstances it is to be distinctly §, understood that they the said foreign subjects p seeking the protection of another flag shall | forthwith register themselves in the, consulate : of the notion, that the flag represents; and shall X thenceforth be subject .^to and governed by the | decision of the Consular representative of the : said nation. \ \ 6th. All persons of foreign extraction residaig || in Samoa, and held to sei-vice sod labour shall be subject to and governed only by the laws of their employers, his or their nation. . ■ : 7 th. From time to time lists of such persons ; as are referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6 registered in each Consulate shall be furnished to | the Samoan Government. ~t m Bth. And we finally withdraw our subjects,' * and the citizen from the jurisdiction and mfluence of this Government; until the Samoan Government consent to foreign representatives having due authority in the framing of their laws, and they, the v subjects and citizens, are, hereby withdrawn. ' . ■ • ■. D ; Be it understood that the claims in this Pro-. | clamation have not been framed or set form | for any other purpose than that of. the protec- | > tion of the lives and property of the subjects ot -j foreign representatives enumerated above, ana ;. for their security and safety, and they are hereby enjoined to commit no impropriety ; : whatever, and are expected to behave as they would do in their own native country. ■ Given under our hands at Apai, Samoa, | Navigator Islands, this 13* W | ofjanuaiy, 1876. .. (Signed) C. E. Stevens, H.M.S. Barracouta. I A. L, Poppie, German Consul. | S. S. Foster, United States Consul--: S. T. Williams, English Consul.; ; : | Mr. S. Dean proposed a vote of thanks to JV the three Consuls and to Captain Stevens, «■ | Her Majesty's ship Barracouta, for their con- | duct in the present crisis. v \ >'M Three cheers were then given for consp \/p and Captain Stevens. ~, ■ VjjKv. Mr. Williams, the':British Consul^ ;p|| returned thanks. *•■ i«' ,. *rf;; 1