FIJIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3331, 5 December 1883, Page 3

FIJIAN NEWS.

[By Telegraph.] (Per s.s. Penguin at Auckland.) Auckland, Dec. 4. The following items of news are taken from Fiji files up to November 28th The timber at Levuka is very active. In addition to several cargoes of New Zealand timber recently to hand, the Hobart barque Guiding Star has just completed discharging a cargo of hardwood, and has gone on to Suva to land a moiety there, while quickly succeeding her came the American vessel Newsboy and the Vega, bringing together nearly 1,000,000 ft of timber of various descriptions for the two ports. Two Fijians, who were suspected of having been perpetrators of the jate murder at Rewa, have been committed for trial by the Magistrate of the district.

H.M.S. Miranda has' taken her departure for Samoa. General Sir Fred. Haines was a passenger by the Miranda. The object of that gentleman’s visit was to get an insight into the labor trade. A Fijian, sentenced to death, was executed at Suva. The whole affair was (says the “Times”) most pitiable. The poor wretch was half dead from fright before he was placed on the scaffold, and when there it was found he was not properly pinioned, and the operation had to be renewed. He crouched down on the platform and had to be held up by others that he might be properly killed. In reference to Mr John London's movements at Samoa, the “ Fiji Times ” of November 24th contains the following :—John Lundon arrived in Levuka from Samoa, and according to bis statement W. B. Churchward, Acting British Consul and Deputy Commissioner under an Order in Council in the Western Pacific, is well sustaining the reputation established by his chief. Sir A. Gordon, lor indulgence in high-handed and arbitrary proceedings at the expense of British subjects. Lundon was attorney for the Auckland and South Sea Island Company, He arrived at Samoa on the 21et May, to secure certain lands in which his company is interested, and finding it necessary to secure the affidavit of Mr Augustus Nelson, he communicated with the British Consul who, however, declined to receive Nelson s affidavit on the ground that he was not an Englishman. It seems the land m question was held by 7 one A. McKenzie, who, Lundon states, threatened to put a bullet through him if found on tholand. Lundon’s grievances, however, consist in two letters he received from Mr Churchward, charging him with making “ unfounded statements,” “ giving incendiary advice,” and “urging Samoans to committ a breach of the peace,” and conduct generally calculated to draw them into serious trouble with the British authorities,and threatening him with proceedings under section 26 of the Order in Council. To this, Lundon, in a petition to His Excellency, the Assistant High Commissioner, replies by submitting a letter professed to be written by interpreters at the request of King Malotoa, and Scumtolfa, Governor of Apia, giving a direct contradiction to ■these charges. Ho also states ho has femd as an officer of a Now Zealand

force in the field ; has been elected three different times to the Provincial Council of Auckland, and was returned for the late Parliament of New Zealand at Wellington; is now a member of the Borough Council for Onehunga, having repeatedly filled a similar position in the country districts, and finally furnishes ample evidence of a high political and social standing in New Zealand. Ho also states that imputations of a personal and national character have been levelled at him by the Deputy-Commissioner, against which he advanced the high confidence he has enjoyed among his fellow citizens in New Zealand. Copies of the petition and accompanying documents have been sent to the directors in Auckland, and also to Sir George Grey, and will likewise be furnished to the Conference in Sydney.