The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-02-19
the SAMOAN DIFFICULTY.

lngton on thursday night, the l4tn
January, by the Hawea from Auck-
land, have taken quarters at the
Nag's Head, and non-commissioned
officer of the A.C. force is in at
tendance upon them. On January
Is the Colonial Secretary and Cap
tain Lake, of II. M. s Nelson, called
upon them, and they afterwards
proceeded to Government House,
where they had an interview with
Ills Exccllcncy, after which they
went over Government Buildings.
In the afternoon they visited the
Admiral on board the Nelson. One
of the ENJOYS speaks English adj
mirably, and both are iine-looking,
intelligent men. A large number of
gentlemen called on them during the
day. They are most anxious to
have their country brought under
British rule, and annexed to New
Zealand.
l am enabled (says our Yelling
ton correspondent on Jan. 26) by
the kindness of one of the Minis
tiers, to forward you the text of the
allegations made to the Governor of
New Zealand by the Samoan chiefs,
and their petitions on behalf of King
Malietoa. 1t is rs follows:-
Wellington, New Zealand, 18th
January, 1886. TO His Excellency
the Governor of New Zealand:
Sir,-With reference to the recent
interviews which your Excellency
has been good enough to afford us
since our arrival in Wellington, we
deem it advisable to lay before you
the following representations relat-
ing to the state of affairs IN Samoa,
in the earnest hope that you and
YOUR responsible advisers will take
such steps as may induce Her Maj
esty's Government to agree to what
our people so much desire-the an
nexation of Samoa to New Zealand.
1t is all the more desirable to place
in writing the reasons and objects OF
our mission, inasmuch as King
Malietoa had not sufficient time,
from causes which will hereafter
appear, to state in his letter, which
we have conveyed from him to your
Excellency, the very unsatisfactory
state of matters at present existing
at Samoa in consequence of German
aggression.
In order fairly to represent the
harsh treatment which our people
have received at the hands of the
German authorities, it will be neces-
sary to go back some little time in
the history of events in Samoa.
About twelve months ago the Ger
man Consul at Apia sent an agree
ment to King Malietoa and the
Taimua, the Upper House, for
signature. The agreement required
that certain German officers were to
be appointed in the Samoan Govern
ment service, and that German
gaol and courthouse were to be
erected at Mahinimu. The King
and the Taimua declined to sign the
document. Immediately after this
had occurred the King forwarded a
petition to the English Government
asking that Samoa might be annexed
to England. This request, however,
as your Excellency is aware, was
not complied with. In consequence
of this petition having been sent to
England, the German Consul and
Mr.. Weber, the agent to a German
firm at Samoa, placed themselves in
communication with the vice-king,
Tamasese, offering to have him APP
pointed king in place of Malietoa,
provided that submission was yielded
to German rule. The first reply
by Tamasese was to the effect that
in consideration of his oath he could
not accept the offer. A few days
after the proposal was repeated
and Tamasese replied that if he
could be,made king without creating
trouble he would become party tC
the agreement. He was then told
by the German authorities to with
draw from the Government, and take
with him those members of it who
were willing to go with him. He
withdrew accordingly, but only a
few members of the Government
followed him. Immediately after
the German Consul addressed let
ter to Malietoa, forbidding the
Samoan flag to be hoisted again.
Next day some Of the crew of the
German sloop Albatross came on
shore, and erected, on property be-
longing to the Samoan Government,
flagstaff, on which they holsted
the German colors. The English
and the American Consuls protested
to the German Consul against this
outrage, but no attention was paid
to the protest. The German flag
remains there to this day. We
understand that the English and