West Coast Times
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1889.
It is not a little singular that the same mail steamer which brings us news of the recent interference by Germans in the affairs of Samoa should also bring us a transcript of the views of the American Secretary of State on former aggressions, contained in a memorandum addressed to the German Charge d' Affaire. What the Americans will say to the recent German action is not hard to tell. Being convinced, apparently, that their friends were getting the worst of it they resolved upon taking "peaceful" steps to put an end to the war, and to effect this placed 200 of Tamasese soldiers into position and then landed 120 German soldiers who were joined by a number of plantation laborers. This very peaceful beginning was followed by other steps of an equally concilatory character such as firing at the retiring followers of Mataafa, and afterwards shelling his position. They say they were first fired upon and are determined to crush Mataafa, and reading this our minds are at once brought back to that little story in the children's books wherein a fox abuses a lamb for fouling the water where he was drinking. Even if the Samoans fired the first shot it is not to be wondered at as the Germans had first placed a body of their enemy's troops into position and were then marching upon them. In reading their own description we cannot but conclude that they did a mischievous and imprudent thing, from the other account there can be no doubt but that they did a very reprehensible one. Even in this last affair the action has, no doubt, been largely prompted by what Secretary Bayard calls "The desire exhibited in a marked degree by those in the large local German interests to obtain personal and commercial advantage and political supremacy." This desire the representatives of the other nations, particularly the British and Americans should keep from its fulfilment. The same steamer which brought us news of the fresh complexion which things had assumed in Samoa would also, in all probability, have taken instructions to the commanders of the American vessels there, and as we learn that war vessels are to be kept at Apia until all trouble is over, and Americans are to be afforded full protection, it is not unlikely that further action on the part of the Germans will be stayed. Such would assuredly, be the case if the British Government acted with the same force and promtitude as the American. The last statement from the Imperial authorities on the matter was that England would remain neutral; any indication of her policy if another Power interfered was not vouchsafed to us. Formerly, as we learn from the American Secretary of State, she was playing into the hands of the Germans, and apparently fostering their designs. Such a policy would be very much disapproved of by the Australian Colonies, and especially by New Zealand. We have, all along, insisted upon our interests in Samoa being properly preserved and have protested against German control. It has been a source of annoyance that whilst tacitly accepting our views the Imperial Government has neglected to advance them in any way, and it would be doubly so if at a critical time like this she should assist a foreign power gaining possession of a country that we have some measure of claim to. Probably there would not be so much objection to German sway were it not from the fact that the traders of other countries are not treated to equal priveleges; they are, in fact, practically excluded from trading. Under such circumstances allowing them to gain possession of the islands would be equivalent to withdrawing from the field we have profitably occupied for so long. It is hardly to the credit of any of us that the interests of the Samoans have scarcely been considered at all. An intelligent and in-offensive race is being hustled about because some wealthy nations wish to add to their wealth. It is not a very entertaining spectacle whichever way it it is looked at.
At the races held at Wrey's Bush, Southland, during the holidays, a lad named Morgan was fatally injured, dying an hour or two afterwards. The horse he was riding fell immediately after starting, and another fell over it. Others passed over or close to the lad on the ground. It is supposed that the crown of his skull was broken by a stroke from a horse's hoof.
The report of gold having been washed from the soil of Fiji, so often raised before, is now a real fact, the leader of the prospecting party having brought into Suva recently a parcel of some 3½oz of light flaky gold, obtained from washings in the bed of the Yanu Wai creek, on the southern side of the island of Vanua Levu, and reports that for want of quicksilver appliances a quantity of gold was lost in the tailings. No traces of gold-bearing quartz have yet been discovered by the prospector, but the leader, Nicholls, a practical miner of many years' experience, professes himself fairly confident of tracing present discoveries up to the parent leads. That there is not much cause for a rush may be judged by the fact that the show of gold cost about £120 per ounce to obtain. Gold has also been shown to exist in the island of Mango. A shipment of ores obtained about 40ft from the surface and sent forward by the manager to be tested for manganese, yielded a small button of gold—a proportion of 4dwt to the ton of ore—which was rich in manganese.
Mr William Simpson, the well-known special artist of the Illustrated London News, was duly installed in the chair of the Quatuor Coronat Lodge of Freemasons on Nov. 8. This Lodge, of which Sir Charles Warren was the first Master, and Mr Walter Besant (who has been since annually re-elected) the first Treasurer, requires either a literary or an artistic qualification of its members. The Correspondence Circle, a literary society attached to the Lodge, and consisting of subscribers to its "Transactions," has reached a total of 447 members. being an increase of nearly 300 during the past year.
According to the European Mail a curious and not unimportant discovery has been made with regard to the Parnell letter in the Times. The gentleman who has been employed to enlarge for magic lantern purposes the letter which appeared in the Times in Mr Parnell's alleged handwriting has discovered that the pen has stopped at least twenty times in forming the characters. On the other hand, in the case of the genuine letters of Mr Parnell the pen travelled up and down without stopping.
According to the Feilding Star a valuable historical document, of which a copy is now given, is in the possession of Mr Baker, Clerk of the Court, Feilding. It is said it to be the intention of Mr Baker to send it to the Auckland Museum, as a voucher of the true and intrinsic value of the body of a New Zealand slave taken in war, who was intended to be killed and eaten on the Bay, but was rescued by purchase by Mr Baker's father, "in the good old times." "This is to certify, that I, Te Potai, do give up and renounce for ever all claims to Tahi, my slave, to Mr Charles Baker, in consideration of the payment duly delivered, in kind as undernamed, being two blankets. In witness thereof I have hereby affixed my mark, this 17th day of December 1831, Te Potai (his mark), witness Thomas Chapman (Church Mission), John Hobbs (Wesleyan Mission."
A deadlock has taken place in the Oamaru Borough Council. At the last meeting the question of the Mayor's honorarium was considered. Councillors at that meeting were unable to agree, and decided to take the sense of the meeting by a kind of ballot. After ascertaining the feeling of the meeting it was resolved that the honorarium be £50. This was a reduction of £50 on the previous Mayor's honorarium. At a subsequent meeting the Mayor refused to allow the minutes of the last meeting to be confirmed saying that, as the method by which the amount of the honorarium was fixed was illegal, the minutes were also illegal. He refused to accept a resolution on the subject and four of the councillors leaving the room there was no quorum present, and the meeting broke up. The Mayor holds that the amount of the honorarium was fixed by ballot, and is illegal; and several of the Councillors hold that the unanimous resolution of the Council was perfectly legal.
A petition for the establishment of a British Protectorate has been forwarded by the rulers of the Islands of Rurutu and Rimatara. The petitioners say,—We, Teuruarii, King of Rurutu, and Te Maere, Queen of Rimatara and our nobles, ask for the Prime Minister to place our islands and our ships under the Protectorate of the British flag. We have heard that you have taken Raratonga and the neighboring islands under your protection, but we remain without anyone to protect us. When we received news that Rarotonga and the neighboring islands were placed under your protection, we wept aloud, because we were forsaken by you. We were afraid lest we should be adopted by another parent. The strange parent we mean is the French. They did not feed us with the milk of the Gospel. but you did, O Great Britain; you fed us with that milk that has given life to us. This is our last word to you—we do not wish for French annexation or protection, not at all, but we wish you to be our parent, O Great Britain." Rurutu and Rimatara are important islands, lying between Raratonga and Tahiti, which on account of their proximity to the latter place, have entered to a large extent into trading relations with the colonists of French Oceania.
A correspondent of a Southland paper raises the following novel question in athletics. He says:—Thompson, is asked to give Collins two inches handicap. He jump two inches higher, and then has to clear another inch above that to win. This he failed to do, and the result is given as a tie. It is a nice point to decide, no doubt, but is Thompson had been raised the sixteeenth part of an inch, I think it would have been fairer to him, although I hold that he fairly won the contest. I never remember seeing a handicap high jump before, and as it may be the custom in future, the matter wants to be put clearly before the public.
