A.—3

5

shall be the European Secretaries of State, who shall be members ex officio. Each Parliament shall last for three years, when fresh elections shall be held and fresh appointments shall be made. 2. An Executive Council, consisting of eight persons, four Europeans or Americans and four Samoans, shall be formed, having all Executive power. 3. The Executive Council shall be appointed and dismissed by the King, but shall be removable individually or collectively upon a vote of the majority of the Legislature to that effect. 4. The Executive Council shall consist of four European or American Secretaries and four assistant Native Secretaries, who must be elected members of the Legislature, and they shall hold the following offices respectively: (1.) Chief Secretary and Assistant Chief Secretary, including native and foreign affairs. (2.) Attorney-General who shall also be Secretary for Justice and Education and Assistant Secretary. (3.) Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Finance, Customs, and Postal arrangements. (4.) Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Land and Public Works. 5. The Legislature shall sit twice a year at Apia, and shall elect its own officers. 6. The Legislature shall have full power and sole power to make all laws for the peace and good government of Samoa. 7. All laws must be assented to by the King, but the King shall have the power of veto, provided that if the King exercise this power such law may again be passed; and, if it be so passed by a majority consisting of two-thirds in number of the Legislature, such law shall be as valid and effectual as if assented to by the King. 8. Eevenue for the carrying out of the ordinary work of the Government shall be raised by taxation, but for public works, purchase of lands, and other extraordinary purposes money may be borrowed, but all money shall be raised and expended by vote of the Legislature. 9 and 10. A Supreme Court consisting of a Chief Justice and two other Judges shall be formed, which shall have jurisdiction over all matters civil and criminal in Samoa. 11. The Judges shall be appointed by the King, but shall be removable by a vote of the Legislature to that effect, and by that only. Every Judge shall be a lawyer of at least ten years' standing in Germany, or some part of the United States of America, or the British Empire. 12. Titles to land in Samoa shall be determined as soon as possible by the Supreme Court. 13. There shall be six Assessors, three white and three natives, who shall be appointed by the King, and approved by the Consuls for the three Powers. 14. In every civil trial where the value in dispute is above £200 two Assessors shall sit with the Judge, one of whom shall concur in opinion with the Judge, and in every criminal case the punishment for which shall be death or imprisonment for upwards of one year, shall be tried with four Assessors, whose verdict must be unanimous, and coincide with that of the Judge. 15. Where lands are in dispute between Europeans or between Europeans and natives the title shall be decided by a Commission consisting of one Judge of the Supreme Court, and three Assessors, one of whom shall be appointed by each of the three Governments of Germany, United States, and England. 16.-For the purpose of settling all titles to land, and for the further purpose of bringing the rebels under the authority of the Government a proclamation shall be issued, calling upon all owners of or claimants to land within each district as at present constituted to send in their claims in writing to the Governor of such district within six months after the issue of such proclamation, otherwise their rights will not be regarded, but will be absolutely debarred and lost, while such lands will become the property of the Government. 17. Agents shall be appointed in London in England, Washington and San Francisco in United States, and Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand, to manage and act for Samoa in those places. 18. The word " European " herein used shall include all persons other than native coloured races of the Pacific.

No. 8. The Agent-Genebal to the Peemiee. Sic, — 7, Westminster Chambers, London, S.W., 2nd June, 1886. A Press telegram from Melbourne arrived yesterday to the effect that towards the end of May the German man-of-war at Samoa had left Apia for that part of the island occupied by the chief Tamasese, whom Germany meant to uphold against Malietoa; that the British and United States Consuls had drawn up a formal protest, and that in response to an appeal from Malietoa for protection, the American Consul had hoisted the Samoan flag underneath that of the United States. To-day a Press telegram from Washington states that Mr. Bayard, the Secretary of State, has received a short despatch from the United States Consul at Apia, announcing that he " had hoisted the Samoan flag beneath that of the United States as a recognition of the rights of King Malietoa against the pretensions of King Tamasese;" it also states that the despatch contained no further particulars. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. P. D. Bell.

Enclosures. [Extract from the Times, Tuesday, Ist June, 1886.] Geemany, Amebica, and Samoa. Melbourne, 31st May. Accoeding to the latest information from Samoa, dated the 22nd May, the German war vessel had left Apia for the territory governed by King Tamasese, whose rule is upheld by Germany against