The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-07-27


white administrator there by the pow
ers.
THE commission was unanimous in
its behalf that the decision of the su-
preme court must be sustained. Wheth-
er we agreed with the reasoning that
led the court to that decision or not, it
was the decision of the tribunal which
the powers had themselves established
and bound themselves to support. But
we coupled with this decision an agree
ment to recommend to the powers the
abolition of the kingship. We found
that the kingship was not native or
indigenous institution. 1t was intro
duced by the missionaries who doubt
less believed that it would be better to
have one central authority, than the
many local, district authorities and
chieftainships which originally prevail
ed, and still prevail among the Sa-
means. The Samoans have hereditary
chiefs, but the king is elective. We
found that there had never been an
election of a king which was not follow
ed by insurrection and rebellion. There
never was time when process run
ming in the kings name could be exc
cuted in all the districts. The very idea
of an elective king was in antagonism
with the idea of kingship. SO that there
was nothing subversive of Samoan Gus
toms or idea in abolishing the king
ship. AS matter of fact, Malietoa's
father, after he had been elected king
was defeated by a faction of his sub
jects and sent into exile, and between
the first years of his reign and the last
years, there had been three kings,
Tanus uncle, TamaSase and Mataafa
80 while we upheld the decision of
the supreme court and made Tanu king
he and his advisers could see that with
our recommendation for the abolition
of the kingship on the one hand, and
the probability of his being unable to
maintain himself as king even if the
kingship should not be abolished, on the
other hand, made his title an unstable
one. He is young man of eighteen,
without any particular force of char
acter, and he told us that he had rather
be local chief undisturbed, than
king with such prospects before us
and that he would resign. The pressure
king with such prospects before him.
but from the circumstances. However
his resignation gave us an opening to
work out our plans with less embar-
rassment. Malietoa was king for about
twenty-four hours.
I'VE spent about two or three weeks,
visiting every district. We would ap-
point meetings for a certain time at
what are called fono places, in each
district, where we asked the people of
that district to come and meet us and
confer with us as to the form Of the
government to be established The
whole people of the district were al
ways an hand to meet us at these fonos
They brought chickens and pigs, and all
that sort of thing as gifts of hospitality
to us. We drank kava with them. We
outlined to them what we thought was
the best form of government adapted to
the country and the customs. We ask
ed thir views. In this way we met all
the chiefs and all the people.
a nnl 1aI -
Apia for July IA, at which we invited
all the chiefs above a certain rank to
be present. There We're $50 there In all
these fOnos we allowed no one to be
present except the Samoans and our
selves. For we did not feel at liberty
to make public our plan of government
yet in order that we might get at the
views and opinions of the Samoans, We
told them what our plans We're. In these
various fonos, the general outline of oul
plans had become so well known to the
: Samoans, that at the general fono, helC
in Apia, July IA, the Mataafa chiefs
presented a draft of a form of govern
: ment that almost exactly coincideC
with the draft we had drawn up. Ma
taafa who was sick at the time anC
couIu not be present at this fono, sen
the draft by his representatives will
| the request that it be read. When thi
was done, the Malietoa chiefs, not to b.
l OuluOllt, Sdlu IndI II cOlnclueQ VIII
l their views exactly. We said that thi
being the case, while it was impractic
? able for 45O to sign the draft of our re
2 port, we would ask each side to selec
: thirteen to represent them all, and t
; meet us on the Badger the next morn
ing, and sign 1t, so that ii could go T.
our governments not only as the eX
preston of our judgment, but with tn
= approval of the Samoan people The,
. appointed their representatives, an,
f the next morning the twenty-six chief
2 representing the two factions, met o
t the Badger and signed our report A
l this meeting there were great demon
t strations of friendship and good fellow
= snip between the representatives of tn
two factions. They shook hands an
, rubbed noses, and We'd with each othe
!, improving that they were once more a
- amity.
- "Of course, pending the establishment
f of permanent form of government, W
;. had to leave a provisional governmen
;, Ihe only available material was tn
s three consuls, Mr.. Osborne the Amer
! can consul, Mr.. GrunOw the former Gel
e man vice consul, now acting consul, an
o Hamilton Hunter, British subject VIII
o has been in the Fijis and other island
a for twenty-five years, holding import
|, ant positions, the acting British cor
= sui. The three consuls take the plaC
q of the king and council. In certai
d matters provided for by the Berli
n treaty, there has to be unanimity of a,
y tion. But in all. matters of executiV
# government, a majority acts for tn
h whole The president Of the municipi
o council is adviser to this executive, &
l. he formerly was to the king. We le
l. with this government as thus const
n tuted all the powers we had, whiC
o were plenary.
= "'rhe form of government we will re,
e ommend to the three powers, in oI
judgment, combines strength, simpl
3 city and economy, three essentials in
N government for Samoa, and econom
% not less than the other qualities, whei
1T the revenues are so small
le I'VE accomplished our purpose. "
n went to Samoa to restore peace, and v
n have done 1t. We went to devise a sui
l. able form of government to avoid Il
ii causes which disturbed the peace theT
n and we have unanimously agreed on
< form which also meets the approval
Of the SamOans."
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