AFFAIRS AT RAROTONGA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11229, 27 September 1898, Page 8

AFFAIRS AT RAROTONGA.

(Pek United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 2\. The following address, propai-ed by the Law and Order League, was presented to Mr Moss on leaving Rarotonga:— Rarotonga, September 1, 1898. P. J. Moss, Esq. Dear Sir, —Earnestly ilesiring to address you before your departure from Rarotonga, we, therepresentatives of your many friends here, have cast about to find fitting words in which to express our confidence and esteem; but we find the time before your departure is all too short for our purpose, therefore we tender these few words of appreciation now, promising that a formal address, numerously signed, shall follow you to Now Zealand. Holding in kind remembrance your long stay and faithful and able services in our midst, and thanking you heartily for your many favours to us, and hoping your arduous labours to improvo the condition of the natives may yet be found to have been not in vain, we beg you God speed on your homeward voyage, and in every sphere of usefulness into which duty may lead you.—We are your sincere friends, etc. - ' Mr Moss, in returning thanks for the address, showed much feeling. He said ho felt sad at leaving Rarotontja, where he lind many good friends, both Eiuopean and native, and where ho had laboured hard for many years to improvo the condition of the Cook Group. He had retained tho confidence of the people till within the last year or two, when hi3 influence had been undermined. Ho felt sure the natives would be oil right if they were left alone. He was exceedingly glad at having received the commendation of his sovereign, as contained in the proclamation before he left the island, and that ho had been exonerated from the cliarges brought against him by his opponents, while they had received censure. Mr Moss then shook hands with all those present, including Judge Vamrakau and other influential natives, the Ariki Marutu Pa having previously taken leave of him. It can be readily understood that from its lonov tho contents of the proclamation read by Captain Browne, R.N., would not be very pleasing to the Arikis or to tho Foreign Resident, who supported them in their opposition to Mr Moss. The Arikis subsequently held a meeting, at which the following reply was drawn up, which is boms' forwarded by this mail to tho Governor of New Zealand: — Rarotonga, September 13, 1898. To the Right Hon. Earl of Hanhrrly, K.C.M.G., Governor of New Zealand, etc., etc. Greetings. Wo have heard the words of her Britannic Maje3ty Queen Victoria, and wish to inform your Excellency that had her Majesty known that Mr Moss did not inform us that a Federal Court Bill for Rarotonga was her wish, she would not have expressed her displeasure at us, her loyal subjects. This has made us sorry. We are also vexed that her Majesty has been informed that wo listened to mischiefmakers. This is not the case. It is Mr Moss who has listened to mischief-maters, and people who only work for their own pood and not for the good of all. We did not refuse to pass the Federal Court Bill, but only asked Mr Moss for time to understand it. AVe do not wish to say anything about Mr Moss, but we are grateful to you for sending us Lieutenant-colonel Gudgeon to bo our British Resident. We have also heard your words uttered by Captain Browne, of H.M.S. Tauranga, and si-o pleased to receive Lieutenant-colone! Cudgeo'i to be our British Resident and adviser. We have to.thank you, the Govrvror of New Zealand, for sending no srrent it man to us. You can rely on the goodwill of the inhabitants of the Cook Islands io support him in carrying out good laws, as becomes loyal subjects of her Majesty Queen Yictorja. Enough.—-From Maxea Ahiki, Chief of the Cook Islands Federal Go- | vernrnent.