The Saint Paul globe., 1899-07-31

80
San Francisco I'm Advance of Re-
ceipt by the Three Governments
Interested The Kingship the
Cause of the Greatest Trouble.
SAN FRANCISCO. July 3a.-The Call
publishes the report of the commission
sent to Samoa, making various recon-
mendations regarding the new form of
government decided upon as most suit
able for the islanders. The details are
based upon the best features of the Ber-
lin treaty and include the principal feat
ures of the proposed new treaty as
amended and modified by the commits
siOners. The official report of the COM
missioners and the draft of the proposed
amended treaty are said to be now OH
the way to the respective governments.
The report of the commissioners is as
follows:
1--WE have the honor to submit here
with to the consideration of our three
governments the inclosed draft of a
modified and amended version of the
act of Berlin. In preparing these modi-
fications and amendments our method
has been to consider first, what are the
evils which have caused the recent
troubles in Samoa and the general con
ditions of the islands; and, secondly,
which are the measures most likely
to remove or minimize those evils.
CHIEF EVILS
THE chief evils may be grouped under
four heads:
Il. Those which appear to inevitably
attend the election of king in Samoa
and his efforts to exert his authority.
2. Those which are due to the rivalry
of foreign natiOnalities between them
selves and to their disposition to take
sides in the native politics and thus
increase the Importance and bitterness
of the disputes which arise.
3. third class of evils have their
origin in the fact that for many years
there has been no law or government in
Samoa other than native custom outside
the limits of the municipality Murder
and other serious crimes have remained
unpuniShed when committed by persons
Of rank, and the supreme court and the
nominal government have been powerleSs
to exert any force.
a. The insufficient enforcement of the
customs regulations has allowed unscru-
pulous trades to distribute large numbers
of arms among tse native population, sent
by political factions, ready to fight both
one another and Europeans.
END OF KINGSHIP.
"To meet the first of these evils we
have temporarily abolished the kingship
and recommend that it be permanently
abolished The action we have taken
in the matter does not appear to have
aroused any hostile feeling among the
natives.
No doubt, many great chiefs regret
that they Will no longer have an oppor>
tunity of gratifying their ambitions and
indulging that passion for rank and
ceremony which is innate in the breast
of every Samoan; but even the chiefs
have acquiesced in the change and some
of the most important have stated that
they think 1t is for the good of Samoa.
We believe that the population, unle ess
worked on by eXtraneOus influences
(Which is unhappily not impossble) will
assent to the abolition without a MUIR
muir and without regret.
"All white men-German, English and
American altke-who have given evidence
before the commission with the one ex-
ceptiOn of one or two lawyers who had
interest in the case) have recommended
that the commission do away with the
kingship, and we may also refer to the
opinion of Sir E. Malet recorded in the
protocols of the conference of Berlin,
and of Mr.. Bales in his report on Sa-
moa.
''It seems impossible to say of the Of
flee any good whatever 1t is COM
paratively modern as an institution. 1t
served no useful purpose. In recent
years, at any rate, the king had no au-
thority or political power to even col
lect taxes beyond the limits of the
municipality, and within those limits
his authority was superfuOus. The
greater part of the population was to
all intents and purposes in permanent re-
belliOn against him, and the mere fact
that orders were issued through him was
liable to provoke disobedience in many
districts.
Further, 1t seemed impossible to de-
wise any plan by which an undisputed
or even peaceful settlement can be Sc
cured. The title is not accepted and the
gist of all the laws and customs of Sa-
moa is that there is nothing to prevent
two candidates from being duly elected
king at the same time.
NEW SYSTEM
I'm tie place of the kingship we propose
to create system of native government
analogous to that which works success
fully in Fiji The islands will be divided
into certain administrative districts, for
each of which a chief will be responsible
and these chiefs will meet annually at a
place in native council to discuss such
matters as interest them and make rec
concentrations to the administrator and
council. Native courts will be allowed
to punish minor crimes, according TO ma
tive laws and customs, and every pro
vision has been made to secure to the
Samoan population complete independ-
ence and self-gove' nment We fear. how.
ever, that the same causes which pro-
duced rival kings will long continue tc
produce rival chiefs. who will claim the
posts of the provincial government and
create continued dissension.
NATIONAL RIvALRIEs.
''The present evils which 1t is least easy
TO cure are the second class, those which
arise from the rivalry and mutual hos
tility of the different nationalities This
hostility permeates all departments OF
life. The traders on one side combine
against those on the other. The munich
pal council is divided into two parties
each determined to support its own pro
gramme and defeat that of the other
Proposed reforms and meaures are MOI
judged on their merits, but by party con.
siderations, and officials, however impair.
tial they may wish to be, are considered
to belong to one side or the other, accord
ing to their nationality, and inevitably enc
by becoming more or less partisan.
I'VE do not think it will ever be pos
sible to do away with this state of things