AFFAIRS IN TONGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 24, 30 January 1888, Page 4

AFFAIRS IN TONGA.

INTERVIEW WITH THE EEV. J.I MOULTON.

The Rev. J. E. Moulton, pf Tonga, Iβ arrived at Sydney by the German steas Lvibeck, and the reverend gentteniM briefly explained to a " Telegraph "repo* the state of religious affairs in the'ftMl Islands. Mr Moulton, who after a two years' & sion in Tonga has returned to head-qus* to report the state of his 'mission to t> Wesleyan Conference now in session, sW> that affairs were quieting down, aIW there was a good deal of underhand f secution still going on, and the not even now prevented from entering* Wesleyan churches and carrying p%* property as they could find. A M 3 -1 case of this kind occurred but ago, and a week before he saj» l native minister of the Free If* whilst he (Mr Moulton) was preacW Kolovai, threatened to excite against the Wesleyans, adding that» would be the first to lead his the fray. These threats naturaUy .£ vented the people from joining the W«an Church. Thousands now \ttt#»\s place of worship whatever, ;»W Wjto refuge until better times in tbewiau | Roman Catholic Churchy which, >w under the protection of $ ellia ?Z% was less liable to molestation.. Alyji number of his people, who bad to Fiji or to the volcanic island «/.|; had not yet been restored ..tofflfy so that of the 12 ministers whoso «J£ were on the list of the Church, bu» J available for service. However,» n °L|s; regie of the pledges extorted by Mitchell from the King*: Church was slowly reviving. iti 45 churches open for worship, W* # gregations were gradually bec 7iii Mated again. The Opal, had fJV off the islands for four months ana ■ Raven was expected to succ?ean?'» - she had not put in an aPP M S|rL.B* It was rumoured that Mr Shirlef intended leaving the family for New Zealand in ?«»j 'a but he did not known whether plan had been definitely, piece of news from the islands Premier (Mr Baker) 9 declared the value of tbe-doUM* , -;. move was not in itself impw*--&,»* expected to bring British money , in place of the Chilian had currency, but the change had had- disastrous &*s>+ of the inhabitants. On the wj" (g[ «j look was perceptibly bnRjJ- w W Wesleyan Church than it some years past.