NEGOTIATIONS AT SAMOA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2006, 5 April 1878, Page 4

NEGOTIATIONS AT SAMOA.

The following is a resume of the proceedings at Samoa on the occasion of the recent visit of Sir Arthur Gordon as High Comissioner for Western Polynesia. His Excellency had an interview with the Taimua and Faipule on February 10, the day after he landed at Samoa, and delivered an address, giving the answer of her Majesty the Queen to the petition last year addressed to her to take these islands under her protection. His Excellency stated that the vague proposal made was not auch an one as she could seriously consider. It would bb impossible for her Majesty to accept the onerous responsibilities of proteotion without a corresponding right to direct the action and policy of those protected. The Queen, therelore, declined to aocept the offer, but at the same time expressed her grateful appreciation of tbe feelings which prompted it, and her solicitude for the stability and prosperity of the Samoan State. His Excellency desired that advantage ahould be taken of this opportunity to settle several pending questions, including that of tbe fines imposed on the GoTernment of tha Samoan State by the late Consult for England. He requested the Taimua and Faipule to select some four or five of their number, and empower them to discuss these milters with him, and enter into an agreement with respect to them. A deputation of chiefs was afterwards readily appointed to negotiate with hia Excellency, and on the first v. eel ing of these commissioners with Sir Arthur Gordon ell appeared to promise favorably. The first four articles of a convention were fully discussed and readily agreed to. But at the subsequent meetings (whioh were numerous) other chiefs appeared, by whom a very different spirit waa displayed ; and it became apparent that subsequently to the commencement of the disoussion, external influence, unfavorable to free action on the part of the chiefs, had been brought to bear, and that the negotiators, who on the first day discussed questions with freedom, and accepted reasonable propositions with readiness, oame primed with a lesson whioh they were taught to repeat like parrots, aad beyond whioh tbey dared not go. At last, on Thursday, the 21st February, a letter was delivered from the Taimua, stating that they declined to enter into any agreement on any subject, or. hold any further discussion with either his Excellency or the Imperial German consul until they had received from Washington a reply to their application for the protectorate of the United Stites which they had sent there by their secretary, Mamea. On this his Excellenoy and Mr Weber, 1 tha German Consul, requested the whole of the Taimua Jand Faipule to meet them on

Frid-iy, the 22nd. At this meeting his Ex- c cllency told them that, although m sending, t os they now siid they hid don-, a pe' it inn j for pr tection' from the United State-, be cc | they had received an answer t > that whi.-h ( they had addressed to the Qu-'en tliey had . shown some discourtesy to her Majesty, and . had distinctly br ken faith with the Emperor ', of Ger. "any, neither he nor Mr Weber meant ' lo dwell on the (act, ani were anxious to meet their wi-hes a* far as possible. They ! th. r-(ore absented to their, m tb-* cir-nm slnnees, i.atural desire that the consi lerati >n of all propositioiif for the refo m ot' the • Samoan Government, or for the c nstrumion ot a municipality of Apia, should be postponed till after the r. t irn of Mam-a. As regarded the B irricouta m lemnity, be must remind them that Lord Derby's letter, to which they had referred, distinctly showed that her Majesty's Government had no doubt whatever that the fir?t sliot was fired by Sumoanj. Iv such circumstances, an indemnity was u<udly demande 1. The sum mined by Mr Liardet ( O.OOOdol.) appeared to his Excellency excessive, and hnd bad been reduced by him to 6000d01., the sum origina ly recommended by Commod >re Hoskins. So long a< the claim was admitted, there would be no harshness known m exacting it. Plenty of time to p-iy it m small m stalments should be granted, and this shou'd be provided f<>r m the agreement, whilst probably a further r.'tnNsion of part of the amount claimed would be made. But if, on the other hand, they obstinately declined to enter into any agreement whatever on the subject, his Excellency would, however reluctantly, be compelled at once to take measures to ensure the ultimate payment of the sum demanded. So again with regard to the Paletua refugees. If thsy would give a written pledge for their safety Bimilar to that given m the case of the hostages taken on board the Sapphire m 1866, the refugees should be at once placed m their hands. But if they refused all agreement, his Excellency would be obliged himßelf to take precautious , to ensure their safety. The chiefs m reply readily admitted that they had done wrong m sending to America . for a protectorate before they had received an answer from Great Britain, and also tbat they had broken faith with Germany, for which they a- ked Mr Weber's pardon. They also agreed that they ought not to have entered into negotiation while intending to conclude nothing but said tii at at first their minds were not fo made up. Now they were so, and moreover they hud " promised" lo agr.-o to nothing which might he proposed to them, however unobjectionable. The first article proposed was read to them and they w. re usked what possible reason they cou'd have against such an agreement, even if they were to obtain American protection. They admitted there was none, but repealed that they promised Bot to agree. For more than five hours his Excellency and Mr Weber urged the chiefs to assent to reasonable terms of accommodation with respect to the refugees and ihe indemnity. At one moment there seemed some chance of iheir yi lding, but their hesitation was of short il ura< ion. lmmediatelv on the unfavourable tei'miiation of the conference being notiGe Ito Captain Murray, of H M.S. Sapphire, the Samoan Government, schooner E iz ibeth was seize I by the boats of the Sapphire, as p .rt security for the payment of the Barracouta fine. The high commissioner's first step on commencing the negotiations was to appeal to the German and American consuls for co-opera- ' tion. From Mr Weber his Excellency throughout received the most cordial and efficient assistance. Mr Griffin replied that he was forbidden by his instructions to cooperate with the representatives of any other power, or to interfere m any way m the internal affairs of Samoa. The original proposals of tha high commissioner uud Imperial German consul unbraced the formation among the foreign residents of a municipality for Apia, und suggestions for giving force and stability to the native Government. The consideration of these topics was, however, readily postponed until the return of Mamea, a chief who went on v mission to America. Alter the seizure of the Elizabeth the Taimiia and Faipule were informed that Sir Arthur Gordon had no wish to detain her, and that if before 4 p.m. on the following day they expressed readiness to enter into an agreement, acknowledging liability for lhe Barracouta indemnity, she would be restored to them. This, however, they would not do; and the judicial business of the high commissioner's court li'ivinir been got through the Sapphire, with the Elizabeth m tow, left Apia, and arrived at Fiji on February 27.