The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-07-06
The Fiiian Difficulty.

From the Sydney Herald.

OF tnat arcnlpelaGO VINO neeQeQ money 10 oh SSI
tain claims made by the Government of the United
States, as compensation for injuries done TO sub
jects of that Power by people who were, or vert
assumed to be- under the control of the Fian chief
tain Other persons-most of them, we believe
British Subjects but many of them the natural borr
subjects of other civilized states-bave bought es
tates in FIJI, and have settled there. The country
being admirably adapted for the growth of sugar
cotton, and other tropical productions, its latent
resources are by the enterprise of the white settlers
being rapidly developed But the manner in which
labor has been obtained for the plantations and the
general relations between the planters and their
wants, have caused already good deal of trouble.
The bulk of the white settlers are resident either
the island of Ovalau the adjacent regions Of
Viii Levu; but there are many of them scattered
through other islands. There are, it is stated, sew
eral thousands of white people-men, women and
children, thus domicied. But there seems TO be no
properly organised government in the archipelago.
There are, in round numbers, from 10000 to 200,
900 Fijians with tolerabe sprinkling of Tongans,
especially in the Eastern Islands These people are
subject to a number of native chiefs, among whom
some have a rank which corresponds TO the royalty
of civilized lands and exercise despotic sway over
all below them, although their rule is occasionally
resisted. OF these chiefs one-Thakombau-has
claimed to be regarded the sovereign OF the whole
archipelago, but his claim has never been acknow-
ledged, and has now, it would seem been abandon
ed; for we hear him spoken of only the "King of
Bau-" He is unquestionaby the chief of highest rank
and influence, but has no absolute rights of sover-
eighty or domain beyond his provinces, in va
rious parts of Fiji. Thakombau was crowned with
much ceremony some years ago. An account of his
coronation was published in the Sydney Mor1ling
Herald, also transcript of the 'Constitution
OF the Bau Kingdom" This Constitution-copied
or adapted from various precedents-looked admir-
able on paper. AT another time there published
in the same journal an announcement that a Govern
ment had been formed in the Eastern Islands of the
archipelago, by confederation OF chiefains, with
Maafu-a Tongan-at its head. This confederation
was also said to have Constitution" which was
published in the Herald, which also looked well on
paper, and which seemed all the more likely to be
brought into actual operation on account of its sim
plicity. But these attempts at governmental orga-
nisation seem to have been failures. The white set
tiers have means of protection against native ag
gressions, and (what is perhaps worse) them
selves subject to positive and well-susained
thority They have strongly urgedt the British Govern
ment TO assume the sovereignty of the archipelago;
but policy of the times, and the experiences of New
Zealand against any such extension of territorial
rule and responsibility Therefore, although the
tive chiefs would it is asserted have been very glad
TO have become British subjects, the offer has been
most decidedly rejected. There have been PROPOSE
tions for annexation" " to the United States, but
for various reasons it is scarcely likely that these
propositions will lead to any practical result
than the applications to the British Government 1t
is possible that France might, if applied to- be more
willing to accept Fijian supremacy, but even this is
doubtful. And the experiment is not very likely to
be made for the experiences of French rule in Tahiti
and New Caledonia have not made the tricolour
popular in Central Polynesia. The last idea, and
that which of the settlers are now endeavorng
to prevail the rest to adopt is to organise all in
dependent Government of their own. 1t is proposed
TO have president and governing COMMITTEE"
elected by and from the white residents by general
suffrage. These functionaries expected to serve
without pay but for the various inevitable expenses
of Government, and for the support of a militia to
act when necessary against Fiian aggressors it is
proposed to ievya small capitation tax We pre-
sumo (althongh is not quite clear that the pro-
posed Republic is intended to be government of
rather than of country; that what is desired is
TO organise govern, and protect the whole body of
white settlers, wherever they may reside, without
assuming the rights and responsibilities of soye-
reignty over any of the native tribes.
Now, although this scheme is one which-like the
Constitutions of the Bau Kingdom and of the Eas-
tern Confederation-looks pretty well on paper, it
can never be carried out 1t would even if it could
be brought into practical shape, involve an abso-
Lutte violation not only of British law but of inter.
national law. The president and governing COM
mittee would not only be without any chance of re-
cognition by foreign Powers but every act of coer
cion to which they might resort would be in law,
crime.
In the first place, this establishment of an inner
INN ia iape'io would be, in ITSELF clearly Illegal
However imperfect the governmental institutions of
the Fijans may be, the native authorities are the
only lawful rulers of the land They have been re-
cognsedas such by the making treaties with them,
by the appointment of consular officers to reside in
their dominious, and in other various ways The
very Limitation of consular authority, OF which the
white residents complain, is but ofthe incidents
of this admission of Fijian independence Thele
status of these settlers then, is that of foreigners
voluntarily domiciled in a country with recognised
native rulers. To those rulers-however unpleasant
it may be to admit the fact-the white residents owe
local allegiance, the nature of which has been well
defined by international law, and which would be
admitted and sustained by the jurists of any civil
ised country in the world. To organise a Govern
ment of such domlciled foreigners independent of
and antagonistic to the Government and people of
the country of their domicile, would be n proceed
ingto which none of the great maritime Powers
could lend the slightest countenance.
But the great bulk of these settlers are as we be-
ieve (and have already stated British subjects and
against the cooperation of these in any orgauisa
tion of the kind alluded to there is an absolute
prohibition in law. We need say nothing, for the
present, of the principle in British jurisprudence,
that subject cannot cast off his allegiance, for
that principle has been good deal modified in prac-
tice 1t is sufficient to point to the fact that the
jurisdiction over British subjects domiced in foreign
lands has never been abandoned and that as to res
dents on islands in the Pacific Ocean this jursdc.
tion has been expressly asserted by statute If by
any British subject who might be elevated to Gov
ernment post by the white settlers in Fiji any person
British born or foreign born-were arrested, the
arrest would be, in law, assault. If property of
any Kind were distrned upon TO satisfy fine or a
tax, it would be, in law, robbery. If man were
hanged-no matter for what reason-it would be- in ,
law, murder. And in none of these instances. or
in any other of the numerous other cases which
might be pointed out as likely to arise could auy
plea be set up that the act complained of was com
mitted under the orders of duly constituted Gov
ernment or the award of duly constituted tribunal