New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23
OUTBREAK FEARED Nv SAMOA.
THE RIVAL FACTIONS FlGH llN"'
NATIVES DECLARE THAT THEY PREFER DEATH
TO THE RULE OF MALIEToA-woRk OF

| NATIVES DECLARE THAT THEY PREFER DEATH
To THE RIFLE OF MALIEroA-woRK OF
THE LAND COMMISSION.
Apia. Samoa Dec. ). via San Francisco Dec =
A, Iuf-Iun the capital town OF the Atua district
.ho, .hs land commissioners held session there
| IN November a. the natives declined TO receive
tho commissioners in their official capacity ana IL
was found difficult secure a house In whlch 'ne
court of inquiry could be held. Eventuaiiy she'-
ter was discovered and the court ihiorne' 'ne
natives through the interpreter that II was pre-
pared to hear native DIRECTORS Immediately
Samoan named Nofoatou. VINO declared 'h"' he
renresented Atua. arose and addressing the com
missioners said:
want no court held about our lands. Our rea-
son is this: II 1t done BY the three fo"ers
wn;,,d not object to it, but we now do object to 1t
because Maetoa Is part Of tns cHu s ca nD have
raised up their hands and sworn they VIII n or
anyhns that is dor done by an Ma Way
people here present today ana yns ~ t this
win d s rather naMrv '1 no sns TILES We're
by the three great Powers only, we wonlu suo i
It, This is all we want to say Tne lana r cais
We will not allow II.
Commissioner Chambers said that the cominis-
soners were not officers Of Malietoa's government
They held papers from that government they
made no report to Malietoa; they reported to the
The commissioners not Ike the consuis, TO
Inoure into political affairs Their only duty was
to inquire into land disputes Mae;oa himself mad
been before the commission az native obJec'or
to land claimed By whites. and not as King OF
Samoa. The commissioners were bound to state
that Samoa is party to the Berlin treaty Male
toa was King when the treaty was made ana
signed and he signed il for all Samoa az its King
and In this way he connected with the land
commission.
Nofoa tou replied that he understood the posi-
ton. lie aware that the work of the com
missioners binding. No objections need be
called for, DIRECTORS would be allowed to
appear. once for ALL" he said we have sworn
| to have nothing to do with Mae;oa and we VIII
die in support OF orr resolution"
The commissioners. the application OF com
sci for certain alien claimants then confirmed GER
tain lands to them and before closing the ses-
sion Informed the natives that certain days would
be apart the Office In Apia for hearing
Atuan native DIRECTORS who might avail them
selves OF the services OF the natives advocate NJ.
Nofoatolu replied that while the present Govern
ment existed the Atuan natives would not recos.
MR. GuTr 6c as , he was H an
The commissioners returned to Apia on NovemDeI
L. The work OF the land commission Is now
ended. The last witness has been e%amined ana
all reports have been sent forward 70 me Sli-
p Es &1n%n of Som 'V'
4 rebel native killed IN the Falealih dis
uict ~" my aho W. Il poi'a'rm d 4s'I ,,re,ar
Ing for n renewal Of tost,irs y new outbreak
cannot be avoided unless Malietoa abdicates or IL
murdered
For some weeks the natives have been IN arms
In the ISLAND OF SARAH Frequent skrmishes nave
occurred or thc north coast but no fatal casual
tics have been reported. II II certain. however,
that the representatives Of each side or the po-
tcal question jealousy watching each other
From Iefaga in Atua the Government adhsrcntF
report having killed two OF the rebels on Saiur-
day December ]. but this lacks confirma ton.
Mrs T. r. Cusacf- Smith the wife OF tho Isritis'
Consul. dIed OF malarial fever November -
Her body placed in a shell: and temporarily
buried In the consular compound. pending the ar
rival OF "A leaden coffin in which IL will proceed TO
England In January
The Walleroo arrived to relieve the Curacao on
Soyrmbrr 10 Two days later the Curacao sailed
for New Zealand. The Bussard was relieved by
the Fake on tn. list inst. and sailed for w-Iea-
land She had nearly forty invalids on board.
principally from the prevailing epidemic. which Ia
a form OF influenza.