FIJIAN AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 12

FIJIAN AFFAIRS.

.FURTHER INTERNAL TROUBLES. (From Our Own Corpespondest.) WELLTNC4TQN, July 11. The New Zealand Times publishes particulars of further dis.'.snsion which a correspondent states has occurred behveen Governor O'Brien and come of the officials there. The correspondent reports the resignation of Mr Edlin, Acting Chief Justice. Mr Edlin, he states, is the Attorneygeneral of the colony appointed by the King, and upon the departure of Sir Henry Berkeley on leave for England, Mr Edlin was appointed Acting-Chief Justice. Mr Edlin teiitered hin resignation, as he told Sir George O'Brien, for the purpose of its being transmitted to the Secretary oi SUte iox fciis

C'olonie*. He also informed the Governor that, pending the decision of the Secretary of State, he was prepared to act as Cruet" Justice, in order that there might be no . miscarriage of justice. This offer the Go- ; vcrnor refused, and appointed the Collector of Customs (Mr Rosn). The criminal sessions have now commenced, and two men: [ have already been convicted of murder, and , will undoubtedly be hanged. On the opening day of the session Mr Edlin appeared j and claimed his position as Attorney-general ! for the colony, and Mr Humphrey Berkeley, as senior member of the English bar, appeared to support the Crown officers of the. colony. Mr Edlin pointed out that he waa Attorney-general, appointed direct from Home by his Majesty the King: that he had felt it his duty, on account of the Governor endeavouring to intimidate him in his office, I to resign his local appointment as ActingChief Justice, and also to send in hfs written resignation of the office of Attorney-general J for transmission to the Secretary of State; j but that pending the latter's decision he- | remained Attorney-general. He pointed out I that, according to ordinance, the information | must be signed by him,' and could only be presented by him, as Attorney-general ;" further, that in his opinion one of the informations before the court was calculated to kad to a miscarriage of justice Mr Ediin | &aid he was willing to sign the indictments j and to prosecute then and there. Mr Rossj overruled him, refusing to recognise him as ; Attorney-general of the colony. The correspondent goes on to pay: — "It is nnj possible to exaggerate the seriousness of the I position in Fiji. On Saturday la r .t the Goj vtrnor summoned a special meeting of the Council, and passed an ordinance rendering any person liable to six months' imprisonment, with or without hard labour, and without the option of a fine, who, in the opinion of any magistrate, should '<•" any Fijian to be disaffected towards r..e Government, or attempt to induce any Fijian to take any action having for its object the alteration of the present form of government.' Mr Burton, manager of rhe Bank of New Zealand, strongly opposed the passage of the bill, pointing out that there vi as only one duly qualified magistrate in Fiji, and that to place such powers in the hands of one unqualified would be a source of serious clanger to the public of Fiji." The correspondent further says: — "This is more especially ao when the Governor, according to his usual custom, directs the magistrates as to the course they are to pursue. Mr Edlin has telegraphed Home to the Secretary of State on t.'>e subject. A short time ago the Governor sent for Mr Edlin, the Attorney-general, and, in consequence of what pasr.ed at that interview, Mr Humph-rr-y Berkeley has issued a writ against the Governor for £1000 damages. A unique position now obtains, seeing that the Governor of the colony has been sued in his own courts for blander, Chief Justice Berkeley i& now in England, and the Governor (Sir George O'Brien) io also leaving for England immediately."