The San Francisco call., 1899-07-01
LUTHER w. OSBORN, American Consul at Apia

LUTHER w. OSBORN, A
@-~-@-e-H-~-%-~-@- o. - -
Z treaty does not contemplate any q
= appeal from the decision Of the 2
Z Chief Justice, provided he has 3
: acted within his jurisdiction, q
= His is a court from which there
4 Is no appeal. and as soon as 1t 8
. is proved that he has acted =
( within his jurisdiction his judg- 3
* ment is final and binding upc2 o.
3 the powers as we'll as upon the .
. Samoan Government, II 'ce any Q
3 question as to whethe Cham
Z bers' decision was in conformity .
. with the general act or with the
2 laws and customs of Samoa, or, 3
: in fact. was based upon any .
q fundamental truth whatever, is
:, merely a matter for him to set 3
{: tie with his own conscience. q
Before making public It's decision,
however. the Commission dethroned
Tanu and divested him of all authority
over the Samoan Government, hence
While the Supreme Court was able to
create a King it was not able to pre-
vent his removal, and the reign of
Tanu, the last of the Samoan Kings,
passes into history as the shortest and
one Of the stormiest of any monarch
that ever ruled over Samoa.
The Samoans on the peninsula of
Nuiinuu, however, do not seem to un-
derstand that they are not still the
Government. They have a vague idea
II, old &c . K
Tanu and his chiefs are still the rulers.
The same New Zealsnders that have
ever been prominent since the election
of Mataafa are still influencing these
Tanu men to disorder, and the latter
are growin~ bolder and bolder every
day. The little settlement on Mulinuu
is the property of the Samoan Govern
ment, and is the seat of that Govern
ment, but Notwithstanding this there
are nearly 1000 Tanu men there, inc}ud-
ing all of their chiefs and the ex-King,
although they have no more right there
according to the Samoan custom than
have Mataafa and his people.
Dr. SOlf, the new President, has had
the first experience with these men
since the proclamation was issued. At
the eastern end of Mulinuu is the Presi-
dents official residence, which has been
occupied by an English guard up to
week ago. After the house was vacated
Dr. SOlf went over to Mulinuu to see
about having his residence put in order,
but he found Tamasese and some other
chiefs in possession. Solf told Tama
sese he had come to see about occupy
ing his house, but Tamasese replied
that he couldn't give his consent until
he had consulted Tanu. The doctor,
who has acted with careful discretion
since his arrival here, did not further
press the subject, but he has sent a
communication to the Commission ask
ing that these people be dispersed and
sent away from Mulinuu without fur
ther delay Chairman Tripp, on being
asked the reason why they have not
been dispersed the same as the other
natives. replied that it was on account
of Tamasese's illness. This chief, how
ever. has been looking extremely we'll of
late and has been seen on the streets
daily consulting with his white advis-
ers; so there are many who think the
Commission will ultimately have to use
force to dispOssess these men of what
does not belong to them.
Ine continued presence OF the anus
on Mulinuu has also stirred the Mataafa
people up considerably. Three Mataafa
chiefs came in a few days ago and Wis
tied the Badger to protest against the
Tanu people being permitted to remain
on the Government property, making
pretense of carrying on Government
They were promised that the Tanus
would soon be dispersed. There is no
doubt that there is a deep sense Of in
Justice still ranking in the breasts Of
these people over the recent bunkO
game played on Mataafa by the Su-
preme Court. They sOlemnly declare
they will not recognize this tribunal in
any way as long as Justice Chambers
presides over it. They do not like the
wording of the proclamation continuing
Justice Chambers in office, and if the
Peace Commission does not wish, to
have it's name prove a misnomer it will
have to act instead of promise and pro-
crastinate. It would certainly take but
a spark to cause conf1agration at the
present time.
It has leaked out through reliable
sources that the relations between Ad-
miral Kautz and Consul Osborn be-
came very much strained before the
admirals departure for San Francisco
The differences began almost imme-
diately after the admirals arrival at
Apia. Consul Osborn's friends claim
that Admiral Kautz came here imbued
with the idea that the only way to set
tie the Samoan difficulty was to con-
quer the Sanoans. Consul Osborn was
of the opinion that useless slaughter
and possible international complica-
tiof1s should be avoided, that the
powers, having the settlement of the
troubles under consideration, bonn
bardment could accomplish no good re-
suit. and it would destroy vast
amount of property and probably cost
many human lives. The Mataafans
were not committing any breaches of