The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 15, 1&44.

suggested—urge the abolition of the French Pro
teetorate.—(Cheers.) They should demand proper
guarantees, and if those could not be given, they
should demand that France alone should not he the
Protector of the island.—(Cheers.) If the French
were placed in difficulties in consequence, they should
have well considered before they accepted the Pro-
tectorate.—(Cheers.) They should consider they
ought to concede not to the fear of England, but to
the sense of right. Our own Government had brought
itself into these difficulties by not watching the Protec •
torate narrowly at first. He rejoiced that although these
difficulties had occurred, they were calculated to fix
an eternal hatred on the Roman Catholic religion.—
(Cheers.) Catholicity and Protestantism were now
face to face in Otaheite—Catholicity, supported by
French cannon, French brandy, and the debauchery
of French sailors ; Protestantism, supported by the
Bible, by the civilisation and happiness of the
Otaheitans.—(Cheers.) Give the Catholics every
liberty they might ask, only let them not gag the
defenders of the truth, and he had no fear for the
result.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was then put and carried by accla-
mation.
The Rev. J. BURNET, who was received with loud
cheering, came forward to propose the last resolution,
which was to the effect that, as the friends of Christian
missions in Otaheite, this meeting records its
deliberate opinion that the cause of Christian missions
would be endangered, so long as the French Protec-
torate continued at Otaheite, and that there was no
safety for Protestant missionaries, nor safety for the
lives and liberties of the Otaheitans, but by the with-
drawal of French protection ; that a memorial be
presented to the Queen founded on these resolutions;
and that the friends of evangelical Protestant Chris-
tianity throughout the world be invited to express their
sympathy with the missionaries and the Otaheitans.
The whole secret of the exertions of France to get
possession of Otaheite was to carry still further the
Roman Catholic religion.—(Hear, hear.) It could
not be on account of the number of their ships there
in the course of a year, because they were only.
twenty, while the number of English ships was eighty,
and the American 110. It had been admitted in the
French Chamber that Otaheite would cost that
country 100,0001. a-year ; and he was sure the
French Government never would be induced to ex-
pend so large a sum for so small a territory. except it
was for the sake of extending the Churcrli,t. Rome.—
(Cheers.) He trusted the meeting won agree to
the resolution with acclamation.
Mr. Pritchard was loudly called for, when
Mr. FREEMAN, the Secretary of the Society, stated
that Mr. Pritchard felt the honour of being called
upon, and would willingly have addressed the
meeting in obedienee to their wish, but as a
servant of the Crown, in the hands of the
Earl of Aberdeen, he was anxious not to give offence,
or to act in any way that might be construed into an
offence, and, perhaps, occasion excitement, which
might be referred to in other quarters, and become
the means of embarrassing other countries.—(Great
cheering.)
Mr. ELLis then proceeded to second the resolution,
which was declared to be carried unanimously.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the
meeting dispersed.

FRENCH VERSION of the AFFAIRS
OF OTAHEITE.
The Journal des Debate has published the follow-
ing, as the best account the French can give of their
attack on Mr. Pritchard :
" At the first occupation of Otaheite, the governor
and the military and civil employes of the new colony,
imagined that the whole population of the island was
entirely devoted to the French, and that our being
established in their country afforded them pleasure. A
month and a half ago events happened which show that
the taste fur the French was far from being general,
and that the English missionaries preserved enough
of influence over the inhabitants of the distant bays
to cause serious embarrassment to the French au-
thorities. During the first months of our occupation
we found plenty of cattle, pigs, and fowls, &c., to
buy, so that the ships and the troops had almost
always fresh meat. This abundance soon dimi-
nished, and contractors had great difficulty in furnish-
ing supplies. Cattle became more and more scarce.
The reason given was that the island could not supply
so many additional inhabitants. The agents of the
police were then sent to the country, and they disco-
vered that the proprietors of cattle had created a fic-
titious scarcity to disgust the French with Otaheite' and
to disguise the resources of the country. All the
cattle had been carried to the interior, among the
mountains, where they wandered in flocks. The
natives refused to tell who the owners of the flocks
were. On this information, the Governor, in order
to upset the plot, published a proclamation on
the 11th of January, ordering the proprietors to
make a declaration of the quantity and sort of cattle
they possessed, and failing any such declaration they
w ere to be considered as renouncing their right to
property. The step appeared violent, and the anti-
French party was in commotion, but the inhabi-
tants of Papeiti submitted without hesitation. In
the distant bays, however, the predications of the
missionaries roused the people to revolt. The procla-
mation of the Governor was trodden under foot, and
they declared that they would not submit. The
Governor then sent to the chiefs, calling on them
to return to their duty ; but they refused,
and answered with threats. A strong armed
detachment was then sent to the place, and
four of the chiefs were arrested and sent on board
the corvette Ambuscade. In the meantime the
police arrested a messenger, who was the bearer
of a mission which compromised Queen Pomare
and indirectly Mr. Pritchard, the English Consul, her
intimate councillor. The whole plot about the cattle
was there set forth, and resistance was encouraged,
under the guise of counselling pardon. When Queen
Pomare discovered that her intrigues were discovered,
she ran frightened to the house of her neighbour, the
English Consul, and after a short interview it was
decided that she should go on board the Basilisk, an
English sloop of war, which was placed on the station
since the release of the Dublin, which left on the 17th
of January, and place herself under British protec-
tion. This happened on the 31st of January. Her
whole family followed her. On the Ist February the
Governor sent the head of his staff, M. Malmanche,
to inform the English commander that the French
Government would consider the landing of the ex-
Queen Pomare on any part of the Society Islands as
an act of hostility. But the captivity of the chiefs
of Mataria did not intimidate the people of Tairabou,
another populous bay, from braving the authority of
the Governor. An English steamer arrived on the
18th at Papeiti. The following day numerous equally
false as absurd reports were spread. Some English
were arrested for having spread false reports like
these—that a letter had been written to Queen
Pomare by the commander of an English naval
station in the Pacific, consoling her and announcing
the immediate arrival of a fleet to re-establish her on
her throne. It was thus, that by keeping up the hopes
of the Queen and her partisans, the chiefs of Tairabou
were drawn into rebellion. They threatened the
Governor's messengers, and said they would obey no
orders but those of their Queen Pomare. This de-
claration was made before an English missionary,
and the deference the chief showed him proved that
he was the author of the manifestation. The French
were prevented from showing themselves in the bay.
The Governor answered the bravado by ordering two
block-houses to be built on two heights which com-
mand Papeiti. Six hundred men worked at the
block-house night and day, and on the third day
they were finished. The following order appeared on
the 20th of February
French Establishment of Oceania.
" In the name of the King of the French. The Go-
vernor of the French possessions to the people of Ota-

heite.
" Taaniri, Kaheanu, Potowai, and Tereitane refused
to listen to my words of peace ; in consequence I declare
them rebels.
" "lheir goodi shall be put under sequestration.
Eight days are. given them to make their submission.
The district affording them refuge shall be laid under
contribution, which shall be fixed according to the im,
portance of the district.
" Let the persons friendly to peace and the laws re,
main tranquil under the protection of France. The se
verity of the law shall reach the guilty.

" ' BRUAT.

" Done at Papeiti, 17th February, 1844.'
" The Phaeton was appointed to go and receive the
submission of the four rebels, or to arrest them ; but
on its arrival at the bay of Tairabou, the people de-
clared that they would not only shelter, but defend
the chiefs and their property. The Phaeton not being
sufficiently strong to occupy the place returned, and
the corvette L'Ambuscade was met with a company
of voltigeurs, and one of marine artillery, to arrest
the chiefs by force of arms. They went on the 27th
of February. The Governor and the commander of
the marines have also gone. Tairabou is at a dis-
tance of fourteen leagues from Papeita. Letters of
February inform us that the people are flying to the
mountains. They are constructing block-houses in
this hay also, so that they cannot return without sub-
mitting. The last news from Nuka Iliva (Marquesas
Islands), are of the 14th of February. Every one
wishes to leave it to fight for Otaheite. Otaheite is
the object of every one's desires.
" MARCH 18.—Papeiti is in a state of siege since the
3d March. The natives assembled in our mountains
threaten our establishments. Mr. Pritchard, the Eng-
lish Consul and missionary, and the interested friend
of Queen Pomare, is the principal instigator of these
troubles. On the night of the '2d and 3d March, a
French sentinel having been attacked and disarmed
by the natives, they were pursued, and one only was
taken. In his examinations, having co:npromised
Mr. Pritchard, that person was arrested at once and
conducted to the block-house. The natives have de-
serted their villages, and are in the hills ready to at-
tack our establishments. Till now there has been no