Tongan News.

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 68, 17 September 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Tonga n News.

The Fiji papor3 which came to hand on Saturday (says tho Sydney Telegraph of 30th August) contain some later Tongan nows from their correspondent in that group. A Vavau correspondent roports a gross caßo of injustice i— A man called Watl was summoned tor " buying smuggled goods," found guilty and fined 250d01— £50. The facts of tlie case are these. On Con' stitution Day this man bought liquor and got drunk, and according to tho law should have beon mulct in some small fine or the other ; but as it was snspeoted that ho had strong Weslo van proclivities, ho was charged with the weightier offence, and sentenced to pay the exorbitant sum mentioned, or threo years' hard labour. Sunday after Sunday (writes the sama correspondent) for tho past two months has the Rev. E. E. Crosby, 8.A., attended at the Wesloyan Church hero, and from 14 to 20 adults havo congregated to hold their sor"vico, but as there are not Bix amongst them who have resided in Neiafu for tho twelve months, as required by Mr. Baker's new law, thoy have always been forced to separate without holding any service. These poople are still subjected to insult and persecution. No later than last week one of them, by name Baula Tabauka, an elderly man, a prisoner, for having given a loaf of broad to Tovita Finau, Wesleyan miniator, was assanltod by Finau Laki, a policeman, who after abusing him and tolling him that all tho Wesloyans in Tonga and olsowhero would be destroyed in three weoks, treated him very roughly. Complaint was made .to the Governor here, but no justice obtained in the case, and as for seeking a remedy at the hands of the police magistrate, that is simply a waste of time, for like the notorious Tongatoa of Nukualofa, ho is entirely body and soul a oroature of Baker's, and gives invariably his decision against a Wosloyan, or even against anyone supposed to be friendly to tho Wesleyan cause. The Nukualofa correspondent of the Fiji Times 'writes: — "We were assured by Sir Charles Mitohell that he had secured a guarantoe that there should be no moro persecution. Now, if persecution only means flogging poople, tying thorn up for hours in tho sun, pounding others with the butt end of muskets, trussing them up liko fowls, and then rubbing their nosos in the dust and stealing 'Wesleyan pigs,' a term which, owing to its frequent utterance during the inquiry is now a familiar ono, then tho said guarantee has proved perhaps to have been sufficient. But if the term 'guarantees ' also includes an assurance against intimidation, unjust fines, unjust imprisonment, illegal extortion, and anything short of the wholesale abominations which occurred previous to the arrival of the Diamond last March, it has proved to havo been by no means adequate to the oxigenoy of the occasion." Illustrative of the light in which the king's promise is looked upon, even by himself, I may mention what his Majesty told a dying friend, Temosi Fefita, of Fijan notoriety. "How," said tho dear friend, " how is it, Tubou, that tho Wesley&ns are started again in Tonga?" "It is not my wish," replied his Sapienoy, " bnt the Eovana told me that I must hold a fono to tell the peoplo that they could do as they liked as to religion. I was frightened, as a man-of-war was in, and I promised, but I am not going to do so, for he (the Kovana) is gone now." Of course no fono has been held at Vavau or anywhero else. A man, Joni Taufa, parson at Eva, was tried here on 21th May for having said that the Premier had promised, on the part of the King, that a fono should be held giving liborty of worship to the Wesleyans. This was his only alleged crime («i'e). The enormity of the same necessitated the trial to be put off till the 31st, and again to 7th Juno, and yot again till 14th June. There were witnesses to prove that the poor man had never said anything of the kind ; but the magistrate said he would put off tho trial so that he (the magistrate) could obtain witnesses to convict tho delinquent. Tho magistrate was equal to his word, for on 14th June the rev. culprit was condemned to work for two years.