The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-07
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SAMOAN COMMISSION.
They Have The rifles Which Be-
Iongcd to The Nntivcs.

Iongcd to The Nnttvcs.
Chicago August ga Tribune special
from San Francisco says: Bartlett Trlpp
and Baron Sternberg, the American ana
German members OF the Samoan commits
sion, who arrived in this city SATURDAY
on the United States steamer Badger,
will leave for Washington tomorrow night.
On board the Badger are $500 rifles wnlch
the commissioners took from the followers
OF Mataafa and Malletoa Tanu.
! In speaking about these arms Mr.. Trip
said: THE commissioners on their ar
| rival at Apia. May 10. saw at once that
| the natives would have to be disarmed
I II peace was to be restored and the COM
mittee placed in position to accomplish
anything definite. All the white people
on the islands. including the naval Of
fcials and the missionaries, thought dis
! armament was IMPOSSIBLE The conn
missioners made UP their minds to have
1t done. Mataafa and his chiefs were
sounded on the subject They were told
that the Maietoa Tanu people would be
compelled to give UP their arms If they
did SO. Negotiations were carried on
Mataafa people wanted to know IL they
would receive pay for their guns. We
had no power to reimburse them. We
promised. however that after peace was
established and we returned home that
they should be compensated tor their arms
orr the latter would be restored to them
"On May 81 last. the Alataafa people
surrendered to us 200 guns. General sur
prise was expressed at their action The
tat dat- 1lt l.
cred their arms. the latter including 700
rifles of the English man of war at Apia.
The Mataafa people soon came IN with
the remainder of their weapons. The
commissioners Will recommend that the
natives be paid for the guns.
Now, as 10 the form of government
the commissioners have decided upon Tor
the Samoan Islands, we think we have ac-
complished something definite. | can not
talk about what we have agreed upon.
Only three copies of the proposed form OF
government are in existence. Those are in
the possession of three commissioners and
are intended for their respective govern
ments. While in a general way some of
the features OF this proposed form of gov
eminent are known, it Is not true that
the document has heen given out for pub
LEGATION here or anywhere else.
The proposed government provides for
a white mans administration of the island
"a governor general in other words. He
will take the place of Samoan king Much
OF the trouble In the islands has been due
to the fact that the natives have always
had an elective instead OF an hereditary
king. The natives realize that fact them
selves Malietoa having resigned as king,
that troublesome proposition is now at an
end. BY having white adm Aistrator in
supreme control, it is the hope OF the
commission that peace is permanent in the
! islands The authority OF the cOnsuls will
be more curtailed than at present The
natives will be allowed local selfgovern-
ment. TEe idea of the commissioners is to
let the natives govern themselves so far
as possih"
we believe that the government we
have raised meets with general approval
on the part OF the natives. The three
drafts or copies we have are signed by
thirteen Mataafa chiefs and like number
OF Malietoa men.
4 Chief Lauti. u Mataafan, read a lengthy
statement embodying his views as 10 a
form or government. it contained many
points we mad already decided upon. This
coincidence was not strange because OF the
fact THAI we had previously exchanged
1 Views with the natives as TO what was
best for them. II was the day following
this meeting that twenty six chiefs, thir-
teen from each faction signed our three
uEaItS OF the proposed government. Inc
plan will have to be ratified by the three
governments before it is enforced.
Chief Laut is a nne orator. He would
/ rank AS an orator in any country Chief
| Fat OF the Malietoa following is also an
able speaker. Chiefs Lemanu and Wou
can also be placed in the same category
When Chief Lemanu babe us good bye he
remarked You are not going back home
to make fools Of yourselves?' He ex-
planned this singular remark by saying.
You will tell your people that you made
peace at Samoa We do not want to dis
appoint you. We will keep our word with
! you. We will keep peace Chief Lemanu
u belongs to the Mataafa following
Mr.. Trip admitted that Chief Justice
Chambers had returned to this country
with the intention OF resigning He de-
Mad tina, there had been any friction be-
tNeen Chef Justice Chambers and the
commission and insisted that all along
there lad been the utmost good feeling.
HH cid not know at what time Chief Jus
.ics Chambers wou.a A5ign nor did lie
know What effect tho resignation would
have
i YES" Commissioner Trip wsn. en-
I'VE p'eEared confidential report -rat rd-
Ing de fight at Samoa last spring 1 can
not discuss the character of this nor even
! Intimate whom think responsible Tor the
untr"raate loss Of life Considerable dam
a., reeulted from the bombardment and
claims aggresating 100000 are being pre-