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Municipality of Apia - Rowdy Half-castes - Municipal Convention - Magistrate - Native Ideas of Municipality - Police Incidents - Attempted German Autocracy - One- sided Disqualification - Factious Opposition - Restrictions on Liquor - Munitions of War - Hell of the Pacific reformed - White Agitators - Those Tyrant Consuls - Board Members - Indignation Meeting - Hunting up the Demagogues - Pernicious Visitors - New Zealand and Samoan Information.

THE establishment of the Municipality of Apia is a British institution, due almost entirely to Sir A. H. Gordon, when, as British Commissioner for the negotiation of a treaty with Samoa, he visited that place in August, 1879.

In effecting the Municipal Convention he was cordially assisted by the German Consul, who saw equally the necessity for such an institution.

The Americans were but lukewarm in the matter; in fact, objected to it. Their Consul, however, provisionally agreed to it; but up to this day the Senate have not confirmed his action. Previous to the convention, law and order were quite at a discount in Apia.

The Consuls had a certain amount of control over their own countrymen, who, however, obeyed their decisions, for want of proper appliances, just as they pleased ; but there were in the community many whites of no nationality whatever, or with no representation, who were responsible to no one, and acted accordingly.

A particularly rowdy half-caste population had sprung up, who led the natives into. all the vices of their beachcombing progenitors; the sale of liquors of the vilest and most maddening description was permitted, without restriction, to natives and whites, amongst whom were many men whose very existence depended upon disorder, and who occupied their whole time in fostering it. It was, according to report, a very pandemonium, and at that time well deserved the name of the ' Hell of the Pacific !'

Under the convention the Government of Samoa gave up all jurisdiction over the town, harbour, and neighbourhood of Apia, within certain defined limits ; the power to be invested in a Municipal Board consisting of the Consuls and their nominees, one apiece.

This Board was authorized to levy rates and issue licenses for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the government of the municipality, police, etc., and for carrying on the necessary public works, such as gaol, roads, and bridges.

A magistrate was to be appointed, who, within certain limits, could impose fines and imprison for breaches of the regulations, and who also had charge of the police and prisoners, superintending all public labour. At his court, always sitting, investigation of complaints and redress of wrongs could be obtained by any and every one.

The magistrate in Apia, however, has no pleasant billet. The undeserved abuse that is being continually heaped upon him by a certain class of whites, of degraded principles, and the vexatious obstructions that such men are for ever throwing in the way of his carrying out his duties, would deter many a good man from remaining long in the position. The natives are easily managed, and very rarely give any trouble. At first they imagined that the new rule was established for the purpose of squeezing dollars out of them; but soon they came to understand its intention, and seek its assistance for protection against foreigners, and redress of wrong amongst themselves.

As usual with native courts, cases occur of a very amusing nature, one or two of which may perhaps beneficially vary the monotony of dry details.

Two natives were arraigned before the municipal magistrate on a charge of stealing cocoa-nuts. The evidence against one of them was most conclusive, he having been found up the tree throwing down the nuts, and on trial he made no defence. Now the noise made by throwing down a nut of an average weight of eight pounds, from a height of thirty or forty feet is considerable, and the thump can be heard to a long distance; yet the second man, who owned to having been at the time within a few yards of the tree from which the plunder was taken, most manfully stood out that he heard nothing, saw nothing, and, moreover, was not in the prisoner's company. He was quite accidentally on the spot, and was attending to nothing but his smoking. The convicted one was asked whether this innocent was not in partnership with him in the robbery, and answered most emphatically that he was not, and that he knew nothing at all about him; whereupon the magistrate acquitted No. 2, and gave No. 1 a term of imprisonment. As soon as this decision was given the prisoner declaimed loudly against alone being punished, when the other man, who had planned the job with him, got off scot-free; but after his evidence nothing could be done, so the de facto gentleman had to suffer alone. Shortly after his release for the cocoa-nut robbery the same two men again faced the judge, this time for a most barefaced theft of bananas. No sooner did the culprits toe the line in front of the Municipal Rhadamanthus, than, before any charge could be made or word spoken, the man who had served his time for the first robbery burst out in vigorous speech as follows :

' Last time I was in this court I did not tell the truth, and said that my companion here did not steal with me, and I got locked up alone for that of which he was as guilty as I. This time I mean to tell the magistrate the whole truth of the case, so that all the guilty people shall be punished. This man at my side now, arranged with me to steal those bananas, and stole them with me. He took two bundles-I took one. It is no use his saying he did not; please not to believe him if he does. We arranged it together, and we stole together. Lock him up !'

The magistrate's salary is nine hundred dollars per annum, and the pilot's eighteen hundred; whilst the treasurer would realize about two hundred.

The municipal funds are derived from the imposition of licenses for stores, hotels, and businesses of all descriptions, in proportion to the value of the trade done; also upon handicraftsmen and professional men of all kinds, doctors and clergymen excepted. Besides these, there is a rate exacted of not more than one per cent. on all property within the limits, from which, however, churches, schools, and native holdings are exempt-the latter tacitly so, although liable; and also a levy of harbour dues and quarantine fees, which, together with the magisterial fines inflicted, make up an annual revenue of some five thousand dollars.

One of the first restrictions forbade, under heavy penalty, the supplying of liquor to natives of any Pacific island; the beneficial effect of which regulation was immediately felt. Also the reckless sale of firearms and ammunition received a most necessary cheek, to the great and loud-spoken indignation of the purveyors thereof.

It is most difficult, if not impossible, to compel strict observance of the former regulation, there being a lot of blackguard half-castes in the place who do not come under this restriction, and who are useful in procuring liquor for their mother's side of the family; and also an African native or two who live upon and drive a thriving trade in this practice. It was a common thing in the evening to see the ladies one after another coming out of the dancing-dens when a sailors' ball was going on, with their mouths full of spirits, which they would eject into the mouths of their relations expectantly waiting outside.

With regard to firearms, long after the prohibition of sale in the municipality, suspicion was aroused that such a trade was going on, and inspection was made in the town, with the view of putting all munition of war under seal, to prevent their sale in Samoa. The inspection brought to light over six hundred breech-loading rifles, sixty-three thousand rounds of ball-cartridge, three tons of powder, and a large quantity of cast bullets.

Salutary regulations were rapidly made and put into force, and soon Apia emerged from its degraded status as the Hell of the Pacific,' into a well-ordered district, with a community particularly jealous of the maintenance of law and order; where property and person were as safe as they would be anywhere in England; and whose criminal record would compare most favourably, in proportion to its inhabitants, with any seaport town in the world.

The establishment of the municipality, and the consequent insistence on the observation of law, was obnoxious to a certain class of whites, some of whom were of doubtful antecedents, and had found it convenient, for reasons more or less private, to repudiate their home obligations, and seek the great and hitherto irresponsible freedom of Samoa. To these 'lien the settlement of Samoa meant ruin, at all events so far as their living at ease on the troubles of others was concerned.

Having no stake or interest in the country, beyond filling their pockets anyhow, and caring nothing who lost, so long as they held some sort of position whereby dollars could be ever so doubtfully obtained, they were ever at work inciting international animosities and ill-feeling towards the municipality, both from native and white sources.

A great amount of nonsense was continually being publicly talked about popular representation, 'vox populi,' ' freedom of election,' ' Consular oppression,' etc.; but when any of the agitators was requested by his Consul to take a seat on the Board, and render him his valuable assistance in legislating in the most popular manner, a refusal was certain to be met with, and it was ever with great difficulty that the Consuls could persuade anyone to sacrifice his convenience for a few hours each month for the public benefit, and assist in the duties of the municipality.

One or two of them did try it, but sang very small when the really responsible business came on, and the amount of abuse they had to endure after each meeting of the Board, when they were put through a lively course of cross-examination by their friends before what was called the beach 'parliament,' caused them very quickly to throw up such a thankless billet.

One instance of a general meeting in Apia, got up by people who had nothing better to do, will suffice to illustrate the value of all such. It was to protest against the rates and licenses.

The instigator was a German who, the whole time of his residence, had never paid a single rate or one halfpenny of license, from which he was by profession free.

The meeting, as a matter of course, took place at one of the hotels, where, after much beer, a protest against pretty nearly everything was drawn up, duly signed, and forwarded to the Consuls, who could not constitutionally see their way to notice it favourably, and iii due course returned an answer to that effect.

A meeting to receive this answer, and to discuss further proceedings-which, by-the-bye, were threatened to be of a most severe nature-was advertised by placard to assemble in full strength, and pass the usual vote of censure upon those arbitrary Consuls and all their works.

Punctually at the time fixed upon, the saloon-keeper had got his place brilliantly illuminated, and lots of beer handy for the refreshment of these Apian Magna Chartists, who from that night forward were going to revel in revolution.

One hour elapsed, but not one demagogue had put in an appearance; nor did one even of the figurative thousands of an indignant populace who were to support his ravings arrive. Becoming impatient after another half-hour's law, off started the publican down the street in search of his meeting.

He found some of the agitators in the road calmly taking their evening stroll, others in various saloons refreshing themselves in a most unfair manner to him, and discussing, anything but politics. He lost no time in informing the doughty leaders that if the public indignation meeting did not come off soon, he would put the 'qualified' lights out, and they might go somewhere else to boil over.

He managed to rouse some ten or so to a sense of what a Consularly outraged and downtrodden community required of their leaders, and started them off to the scene of the demonstration that was to be.

By way of beginning business, a dozen of beer was put on the table, which was duly discussed as a 'shout.' A little pleasant desultory conversation then took place, when, no more refreshment at the same price making its appearance, the party broke up, and did not assemble again in its thousands until it was time for the discussion of the regular bi-monthly grievance, without which the citizens of the municipality would not be happy, but of which they would hardly be conscious were it not placed before them by such men as those before mentioned, whose loss would be a real gain to everyone concerned.

Incredible as it appears, these agitators received considerable encouragement from outside visitors from the neighbouring Colonies, whose carelessly ignorant maunderings would occasionally appear in the Colonial Press, giving the outside world the most erroneous ideas of the real state of affairs.

These people, some of them of certain professional position, others mere adventurers in search of something to do, would invariably rush headlong into opposition to the municipality, as it was conducted openly hinting, in their ignorance, that the Consuls were carrying on an illegal legislation, oppressive alike to both natives and whites.

One gentleman in a responsible position in the Colonies told me that the general Colonial impression was that the whole system was the creation of the Consuls, who paid themselves out of the money levied from the people.

In fact the fuss and bother the Colonies, New Zealand in particular, have made lately over Samoan affairs would have been very much more justifiable had they, previous to crying out, taken the trouble to obtain correct information concerning the country and its method of government.

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