THE PREMIER OF TONGA AND THE REV. SHIRLEY BAKER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11643, 3 May 1901, Page 3

THE PREMIER OF TONGA AND THE REV. SHIRLEY BAKER.

A SINGULAR CORRESPONDENCE. A cobbespondzkt at Tonga (Arietta) forwards us a correspondence which has taken place between the Rev. Shirley Baker a.nd the Premier of Tonga. ( In introducing the letters our correspondent says:—" the death of Sir John Thurston Mr. Baker returned to Tonga, and he has since diligently endeavoured to recover his lost estate there. To that end, he has assumed without tho slightest title of authority, so far as can be ascertained, the title of head of the Church of England. Though this church is highly regarded among the Tongans, it can hardly be supposed that they will look with favour upon its establishment in their land by one who has shown himself evil disponed towards their Government, and has gone so far as to threaten them. Mr. Baker's first letter on the subject, without any previous negotiation or request, is as follows. I should explain that the originals were written in Tongan, and have brer, translated as literally as possible by me: — " ' Kolofeou, Tonga, December 29,1500, ten a.m. To Josiateki Tonga, Premier of Tonga: T, Mr. Baker, the head of the Church of England in Tonga, inform you that if you do not find us a good site, and in a good position, on which to erect our church, within ■13 hours from now, I will report you and the Tonpan Government to Great Britain.— (Signed) 1, W. Bavjbr.' " To this demand the Premier vouchsafed no replv till learning that Mr. Baker had taken possession of a piece of land, the property of a widow, and was commencing building operations, when ho sent the following: — " Tho Premier's Office, Nukualofa, January 7, 1901. Sir,—On ray return from Mua I heard that you had finished digging the post holes for your house on tho site belonging to a widow named Akesa Tanganoa. J therefore inform you that you havo taken by force tho site belonging to widow, and have defied tho Government of Tonga. I therefore inform you that the work must be stopped on tho Bth of this month. You ; must not authorise any work to be done on tho site belonging to Akesa, and you must commence to remove at once the stones and timber and everything which has been taken to the widow's premises—all to be removed by the Bth of this month. And if the things are not removed to-morrow a. charge of 10 dollars will be mode for every day the timber and other materials remain on the widow's premises, commencing from to-morrow. — Pin, etc., Josiateki Tonga, Vunaki, Premier. To Mr. Baker." Tho following was the reply: —■ " Kolafoon, January 8, 1901. To Josiateki, Premier of Tonga: 1 have received your letter of yesterday, in which you say that I have taken forcible possession of the site belonging to a widow named Akesa Tanganoa. But tin; site is not owned by Akesa, for she lies given it to William J-atumailagi, and this has been sworn to by I.aturoailagi, Akesa, end some witnesses, and no law has been made by the. Tongan or any other Government by which a site can bo taken back by force after it has been given away, or to break an agreement. You say that lam to remove what, 1 have taken to the said site, and if I do not T shall have to pay 10 dollars a day. Will you allow me to ask you a small question? Who has appointed you as a judge to impose a fine upon a Britisher? In reference to the post holes which you have given orders to bo filled up, you will be responsible, because it is the work of a Britisher; and, as to your creating difficulty about the site and holding it for Tubou. you must, remember that the TAituna man is an illegitimate child, and thereforo a foreigner to Tonga. As to your reproof, yon are in the wrong, for yon »re preventing the building of a Church of England in Kolofoou. i shall therefore go on with my work, and if it ends badly for you it is on account of your interference, and that only.— remain, etc., S. W. Baker."

On. this letter our correspondent remarks: —" Ts this the way in which the Gospel of the meek and lowly Nazarene is to ho propagated among the natives? And look, too, at the use or abuse of the word ' Britisher To the. native mind, the word means the very embodiment of justice and liberty. How is fuch to ho sustained if the nam© is to be prostituted as it has been by Mr. Baker?" The last letter cf the series is dated January 8, 1901. and is as follows: —

"Premier's Office, Nukualofa, January 8, 1901. To Mr. Baker: T li3ve received your letter of to-day, in which you refer to the rf-erniscs of Akesa Tanganoa, ?ntl state that the site has been given to William Latumai;ai?;i. I beg to inform you that, you know it is not lawful for a Towran to give swi; a site to another except, through, and with the permission of the Minister for Lands. Awl, further. I have received a request from /wtcsa Tsushima asking that tin? Government will protect her property. You have informed mo in your letter that you will not stop your work. Will you allow mc to ask you who appointed you to administer the land of Tonga? You will get. into trouble over this mutter through taking the site by force to build the house on. I have already told you that you are not to touch the land on which the site is.l remain, etc.. JoRTATEKI Tonga, Vunnki, Premier."

Our correspondent adds:—" :ur. Baker is now absent from Tonga, and the work on his building has progressed no further, but T wish to know, sir, why he, a man who, by the act of the British Government, was expelled from the olace, should be allowed to return to it, and. in the name of religion, seek to stir up strife among a peaceable and well-disposed people?"