The Tongan Disturbances.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1581, 18 March 1887, Page 5

The Tongan Disturbances.

The varinna accounts to hand rel. live to the state of h(fairs in Tonga, seem to indicate that the rule of Kin.; George and the Rev. Shirley Baker i* not looked upon with t<H> much favor by the white inhabitants and Weslryan Natives of that island. For a considerable time past it has been generally known that the Ptcmierof Tutu:a Ins been doing his utmost to perMi.ule all a;i<l sundry to leave the Wesleyan ('lunch and .sit at the feet of himself and the Rev. Mr Watkin iu the Free Church. It has also l>een freely hinted that coercive measure* have not beeu wantiuj to persuade s me of the Xativis who v."*e wavering in tiieir faith. If we are 10 helieve thcorfi.ial re;>oits of the VVeslcvan minist- r j , the Kev. Shirley i»AkKR has all the voices, and none of the virtues of the worst of oriental despots- for laying that Mr Baker "was once a Wtsicyaii." A Native was fined i' 7 and sentenced to two years hard lat-our, whilst, for remarking that one of the magistrates was imt "a r ghtful inhabitant" (whatever that meanti, carried with it two years im| risounieiit and a tine of t'.'JO. A Native \Ve»lt y.in ntiiii.-t- r named Jon. was sentenced to twelve year.» in the T«»iiim'" , * : i | r>';:i and ri I £B4 f rati alleged libel on the King, tl.- inform ition for 1 be| ln-iiig laid after the Kev. Joel hid refused to join the Toucan Free ('lnirvh. Another poor man was impiisoi e I lor not ' , h'«ein« an I sweeping" the church lands, and whilst in -aol rcuice.i a further sentence for not "hm-ing ami sweeping" during his tirm of imprisonment

The a'-ove instance cleatly point ont that there is a need for a change of Government in Tonga, anil one ; ? nut really much surpris-o* t> hear that the hef savage po|Htlatio:i have taken the matter into their own ham Is and attempted t> kill Mr IvvKKK Luckily thru elT"it 'ii>l not siiceeeil, l-Ut his son mid il.iii.lit-i were sinus!) hint A i.iiiiilht of Natives have I eeli executed lor living implicated in the attempted assassination, and according to litest accounts there is every pro! a' ility that s-veral more will shire th-* same fit". Mr lIaKKU asserts or hints that the Wesleyan minisiers are at ti.e I'ottom of th- whole affair, whilst this charge it denied by the mi sionarie*. who, in their turn, accuse Mr Baker of doing all he can to stop and interfere with (heir work, 'lhe It-v. Mr I'.vkh; seems anxious to leave by the tirstlio.it for Auckland, an<l the white traders r.:nl mcrei...iits give it as tlure opinion that unless he loaves his life is not worth a diy'a purehase.

That Mich a state of affairs should exist in the Pacific nndci ;i.e rule »f an Enulish clergyman (for King • •►.ORiiE is i.either nor le>s than a I r M'l <-t 'ii Mr I'.akkr* hands), is perfectly seuunHl«»na ami reflects anything hut credit upon '.inat Bri'aia. Now that the ryckme season is over Admral TyRuS has dispatched a nun ■•:'. war to Tonga, and it is to Ik> hojH.il that the captain has p <ui r to hold some sort ot a., einjniry, ami if found iieevss<ry, to remove the Rev. Shirley BaKKRor evei tlie ilarkiy himself. Thete id, however, soinetlrn.' more than the peace and well I eing of Tonga atfeted by this attempt upon the Prcmiei a life. Boih Fiance ami (ieiirniny are doing their utmost to extend their colonies in the I'acilic, and are only ton i;lad c.f any opportunity to inteift re in the most triual dispute with a view to future annexation. The brniir Jiower, especfr'ly after the temporary cheek it has received with regard to the New Hebrides, will not he-itate in capital out of the state of affairs in Tonga to the discredit of (irent Britain. Another phase of tlie question is that as matters stand at present, a civil aar in Tonga is moie than likely, and when once tiiis is started the weakest party would roon in the aid of foreign power rather than lie beaten. Mi'iuld such a catastrophe happen it would lie extremely dilbcr'.t to afterwards dislodge the Kieucli; and their next step would I* to cenvert the islvnd into a convict sett'.eircut, and undo the good that ]'.,.'..-'.. missionaries have done It therefore behaves upon tlie (Jovernmcnta <A all the Australian colonics to urge the Admiral to Jake prompt and decisive measures, ami if it should !;>,• iHCemary he should hive authority t'iven hlin to est blLh a British {roicct over lliu Kingdom of Tonga.