KING GEORGE'S TONGA PARLIAMENT AND FEAST.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1794, 20 November 1862, Page 4

KING GEORGE'S TONGA PARLIAMENT AND FEAST.

[communicated to the S. M. Herald."] At the present time, when many circumstances combine to attach a larger amount of political importance to the condition of various groups in the . great Polynesian Archipelago than has been accorded to them, the following details may prove of considerable interest to many who are already disposed to regard with attention anything connected with the social or moral aspect of these interesting people and localities. On the 4th of June last, a great native Parliament— probably the last of the kind that will ever be assembled — was held in Tonga, for the purpose of discussing the details of a constitn* tion about to be granted by George Tubou (more generally kuown as King George), and arranging other ma ttersof importance connected with this part of the Pacific. The Parliament lasted six days, and was attended by forty-fire chiefs of different ranks from Hapnii, Vavaii, Fiji and Navigator's Islands, the chiefs from the last-named group being- merely visitors. Hitherto the people of the Friendly Islands, have been in a condition little better than slaves, the chiefs having a perfect despotic power over them, their position being somewhat analagous to that of a kind of hereditary magistrates. They no longer possess the power of life or death, and are expected to judge the lower classes in strict conformity with laws and regulations promulgated from time to time by the Government. They receive salaries varying from £100 to £300 per annum Kicg George's salary is put down at £500 for the first year, but with liberty, at his option, of increasing or decreasing it ; and these salaries are paid out of certain taxes andimposls. The chiefs have not any longer a light to the labour, oj the produce of the labour, of an inferior, without payment in accordance with a fixed rule, unless when such labour is required for any particular Government occasion. The tax now imposed is three dollars per bead on the people, payable either iv oil or money, every year. Among other imposts there is on — Spirits a duty of Bs. a gallon Wines and liquers, 4s. per gallon Muskels and rifles, 8s each Powder and Bullets, Is. per lb. All taxes payable by purchaser. The object of this tax is to prevent war, all munitions of war being purchased and issued by Government when necessary. Calico, groceries, hardware, and clothing admitted free. Spirits manufactured in the Islands pay a mere nominal duty, and any party selling spirits required to pay a license fee of one hundred dollars per annum. King George has been very ably assisted in the framing of his laws and regulations by Mr. D. J. Moss, a gentleman long resident in Vavau, the King being anxious to follow as far as possible the laws of more enlightened countries. On the occasion of this Parliament upwards of 6000 visitors were assembled at Tonga from the above mentioned Islands, and as it i s the custom for the King to feed all strangers, when assembled on matters of public moment, a copy of bis Majesty's bill of fare may not be altoj gether uninteresting to some of our Sydney 1 gastronomes. There were consumed 167,000 yams, 61,000 pigs, 1900 native puddings, 50 turkeys, 2 sheep, 4000 lbs arrowroot, 140 turtles, average about 200 lbs each, 6COO large fisb, 1700 baskets I shellfish, 1200 fowls, English provisions to the

There were also given away 3840 pieces of tappa. or native cloth twenty yards square each, one large piece 80 x 60 yards, and eighty mats of Island manufacture. A Loi'd Mayot's feast is child's play in comparison with such as described above. A great seal has been adopted for appending to all public documents. King George is at present at peace with all the neighbouring islands, although there were some reports of a fight with the Navigator Islands, but happily this has been averted ; . and the late fight in Fiji was quite unknown to him. It appears that a chief, Wynangola, was called in to assist a Fiji chief, iv a war with an adjoining town, which he did, and resulted in a total defeat and dealh of Wynangola and his people, most of whom have been for many years in Fiji, on the islands belonging to King George by conquest. This fight was done it) the absence of Maafu, King George's deputy, who was in Tonga at the time, and without his knowledge. The Parliament ended by a very serious accident ; three of the large canoes employed in taking the people back to their respective islands, being driven across to the Fiji Islands in a gale of wind, and totally lost, with about j twenty people drowued ; and fears were entertained for the King's schooner, the Elenoa, which sailed fov the Navigator Islands, with about sixty people. LATER NEWS FROx\I EUROPE AND AMERICA. VIA PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS. (From the Argus.) [The following appeared in an Extra, to the " Independent," published on Tuesday.] By the ship Prince Carl, which arrived at the Heads on Tuesday, and reached Hobsou's Bay yesterday, we have dates from Port Louis to the 29th September. From an extraordinary edition of the Cemeen of tbat date we translate tbe following important items of news, taken from a telegraphic summary in the Moniteur de la Reunion of the 27ih September : MARCH OF GENERAL JACKSON ON WASHINGTON. New York, Aug. 21. General Pope has been repulsed by General Stonewall Jackson. He made a retreat. The Confederate General is marching upon Washington. ITALY. Paris, Sept. 1. The state of siege is closely maintained at Naples and in Sicily. The trial of Garibaldi will commence in a short time- An emeute has been suppressed at Milan. The troops had to do their duty, and there was one killed and some wounded. There have been manifestations at Brescia and at Coino. j Aug. 31. The Moniteur slates that the insurrection that threatened to compromise the destiny of Italy has been suppressed. Garibaldi has been taken on board an Italian frigate and conveyed to the hospital at Spezzia. The battle of St. Stephano (in Calabria) lasted for five hours. Many were killed and wounded. The royal troops were commanded by Major the Marquis De Pallaviccino. Garibaldi requested to be put on board the English frigate Doris, but the favour was refused him. The Doris accompanied tbe Italian frigate to her destination. Avar. 30. It is stated officially that Garibaldi has beeu beaten. He was wounded in the head, and has been made a prisoner. His sou, Menotti, is more severely wounded. The combat with the royal troops took place at St. Stephano, in Calabria. Aug. 29. The Morning Post demands for Rome a French-Italian garrison. The conferences of Constantinople are suspended, in consequence of a series of great difficulties having arisen. Lord Palmerston has made a speech in which he insisted on the urgency and necessity of hastening on the English armaments. Toulon, Aug. 27. The French fleet has been unexpectedly ordered from here. It is thought to be directed upon Naples. Constantinople, Aug. 30. Tbe Turks have entered Lettigue Prince Nicholas and Mirko-PelrowUz abandoned their capital, and have fled to Austria. The above is taken from the Argus of November 6. In the same paper we find the following remarks : — 1 ' The fragments of later English, and American news that have come to hand, within the last few houra, will whet the anxiety of the public for the details that will be brought by tha incoming mail of the late important events in American and Italy . The Confederates in full march on Washington, is iudeed a pregnaut piece of intelligence ; and there is a melancholy interest in the fate of Garibaldi, wounded and a prisoner in rhe hands of the Italian Government which he so powerfully helped to raise. The mail 'steamer is due in Hobson'a Bay on the 10th inst. It is probable, however, from the favourable character of the winds experienced by the Carl on her voyage from Batavia, and the Prince Carl on her run from the Mauritius, that the iM orthara may reach King Geoige's Sound a day or two before her time. Should she succeed in doing so, and the Wonga Wonga being in waiting off Albany, it ia not improbable that the usual telegraphic summary by way of Adelaide may reach us in the course of tomorrow. The Melbourne Herald, of the same date, has the following remarks : — . '' Slight as is the American news via Batavia from England, it is too important to be entirely passed over. The English mail of the 12th of September had aarived overland, and brought accounts of the continued buccesa of the Confederates. The date is important —the 12th September, and the 4th September, — the former, and not the latter, being the date of the intermediate overland mail. This, consequently, brings down the news another fortnight, and leaves us only from the 12th September to the 26th September for anticipation of events by the next mail."