This first and most urgent question having been settled, the authority of King Malietoa's Government will be re-established. Perhaps the remaining of about three men-of-war in the waters of the islands will be required for a longer time. At any rate, it seems that only in this way the development of the islands will go on under the provisions of the Berlin Treaty.

By authorization of His Afroga the King Malietoa [sic], I have the honour to request your favourable consideration of the foregoing views, and the communication of them to your Governments. I have, &c.,

SENFFT VON PILSÁCH,

President of the Municipal Council.

SIR,

No. 117.-Foreign Office to Consul Cusack-Smith.

Foreign Office, September 8, 1891. I AM directed by the Marquess of Salisbury to state to you that he has carefully considered your despatches of the 26th June and 9th July last, in regard to the payment of the expenses entailed by the work of the Land Commission in Samoa.

It appears from the letter which the Land Commissioners addressed to the Consuls of the three Treaty Powers on the 1st July last, that the United States' Representative in Samoa is already fully authorized to defray one-third of the expenses in question, and that the United States' Land Commission joined in the appeal to the Consuls only to insure uniformity of action with his colleagues.

Lord Salisbury has ascertained that the German Government, ou their part, are prepared to give additional powers to their Representative in Samoa to advance their share of the expenses.

Lord Salisbury, therefore, authorizes you to advance one-third of the sum of 1,000 dollars as the share contributed by Her Majesty's Government towards defraying the immediate expenses of the Land Commission, as specified in your above-mentioned despatches.

You will reimburse yourself by drawing bills on the Chief Clerk of this Office up to an amount not exceeding 667. 138. 4d.

The German Government point out that, in order to insure strict economy, it would be advisable that the Chief Justice of Samoa should continue to decide as to the necessity for the disbursements to be made by the Land Commission in accordance with the provisions of section 2, Article IV, of the Final Act. In order to prevent any fresh difficulties arising, they suggest that the Representatives of the three Treaty Powers in Samoa should

request the Chief Justice to give such an interpretation to the section in question as will provide that not only the expenses of collecting evidence and of taking surveys, but also all other necessary and useful expenditure of the Land Commission, shall be borne by the Treaty Powers in the proportion of one-third each.

In this view of the case Lord Salisbury entirely concurs; and you will accordingly be so good as to make, in concert with your colleagues, a communication in the above sense to the Chief Justice and to the British Land Commissioner.

I am to add that your proceedings and those of Mr. Haggard this matter are approved.

T. B. Cusack-Smith, Esq.

I am, &c.,

T. H. SANDERSON.

No. 119.-Consul Cusack-Smith to the Marquess of Salisbury.(Received September 21.)

(Extract.)

Samoa, August 15, 1891.

I HAVE the honour to report that a certain amount of friction has arisen over the settlement under section 4, Article VI, of the Berlin Treaty, as to what is to be the recognized equivalent of the United States' dollar in the currencies.

The Samoan Government has wisely decided that the gold currencies of America and Great Britain shall be admitted as equal in value.

The silver money of the United States and Great Britain sha be the only silver currencies admitted.

All other currencies shall be expelled from Samoa.

Baron von Senfft, the Adviser to the King, refuses to permit this decision of the Samoan Government to be considered law, but the Samoan Government have up to now stood firm.

No doubt the question will be settled before I can write again. The Marquess of Salisbury. T. B. CUSACK-SMITH.

No. 120.-Consul Cusack-Smith to the Marquess of Salisbury.— (Received September 21.)

MY LORD,

Samoa, August 15, 1891.

of

I HAVE the honour to report the arrival, on the 7th August, the United States' war-ship Iroquois, Commander Read, which, with the German Sperber, will probably remain some time.

I do not think that Captain Read has any orders relative to the revolt of Mataafa; but that owing to Consul-General Sewall's

despatches the United States' Government have dispatched the vessel to Samoa.

The situation remains unchanged, except that the Municipal President, in his capacity of Adviser to the King, has assumed the position of Dictator to the Samoan Government.

The Samoan Government have resented this, and there is no doubt that his future influence in Samoa will be greatly lessened.

To guide the Samoans it is absolutely necessary to earn their confidence, and study in all things their ways and habits, which are deeply rooted in their nature.

I fear that the present form of government in Samoa cannot continue long, as the two white officials have little authority with the Samoans, and although the Chief Justice arrived in December 1890, and the Adviser to the King in April last, it is now close on September, and practically nothing has been done to put an end to the disorder prevailing in Samoa.

Not one law has been passed.

The Chief Justice informally announced that he was going to Fiji on the 7th August, despite informal protests from all the Consuls.

He proposed to visit Sydney, and be absent three months from Samoa, on what was purely a pleasure trip. There is no provision in the Treaty for any of his duties being performed unless his office is vacant. He only sent a message to the captain of the steamer half-an-hour after its usual time of starting that he was not coming on board.

The steamer had been detained one hour expressly for the Chief Justice's convenience.

He still says that he will go to Fiji by the next steamer or by the first man-of-war that will take him.

His absence during the present unsettled state of affairs, with Mataafa's revolt still to be coped with, the currency still to be settled, and references from the Land Commission inevitable, to say nothing of the shutting up of the Supreme Court, which was not opened for hearing until the 15th July, would add enormously to the difficulties of the situation.

The Samoans talk openly of refusing "to pay the enormous salaries of the white men as soon as the three Powers cease to do so."

I should be very glad to be able to express civilly to the Chief Justice, on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, the hope that he will not absent himself from his post until the three Powers have agreed as to how his duties are to be carried on in his absence.

One vigorous official, in the place of the two who are bound to have continual friction between them, could in a few months, under

the existing Treaty, with very slight modifications, do much to establish a firm and popular Government in Samoa, but the official must understand the Samoans, and know all the difficulties of the place. I have, &c.,

The Marquess of Salisbury.

T. B. CUSACK-SMITH.

No. 121.-The Marquess of Salisbury to Consul Cusack-Smith.

(Telegraphic.) Foreign Office, September 26, 1891. THE Governments of the United States and of Germany have rejected the proposals contained in your despatch of the 19th July.

No. 122.-Consul Cusack-Smith to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received October 16.)

MY LORD,

Samoa, August 31, 1891. WITH further reference to my despatch of the 15th instant, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that although the currency question is still awaiting final settlement, yet satisfactory progress has been made.

On the 12th August the Municipal Council passed a Resolution adopting the rate of exchange for gold coins fixed by the Consuls in May 1890, and admitting American, Chilean, British, and German silver, which, however, was only to be legal tender up to the amount of 10 dollars.

This Resolution would have enabled the German silver mark to flood the country, as it has done in Tonga, to the great inconvenience of all British traders.

I therefore proposed the following amendment at the Consular Board, and induced my German colleague to give it his support, and the Consuls passed it unanimously:

"That the currency in use and the rates of exchange be for the present

"The United States' gold coinage.

"The British gold coinage; the sovereign to be equal to 4 dol. 86 c. United States' coin.

"The German gold coinage; the 20-mark piece to be equal to 4 dol. 76 c. United States' coin.

Only United States' silver, and Chilean at the rate of 7 dollars to the 5 dollars United States' coin, to be accepted, and without limit."

That this met the difficulty, for the time being at all events, is proved by the fact that the Municipal Council, with the sole

exception of the President, were unanimous in adopting the amendment in lieu of their own Resolution.

This rate of exchange is only for the purposes of all taxes and duties, &c., in the Municipality, and does not interfere with the right of traders to employ any coinage most suitable to their requirements.

King Malietoa having, by letter to each of the Consuls, complained of the action of Baron Senfft von Pilsach in refusing to accept the decision of the Samoan Government reported in my despatch of the 15th instant, and having asked our advice, we, in a joint letter on the 25th August, forwarded to the King a copy of the rates of exchange and the currencies adopted by the Municipal Council at the suggestion of the Consular Board. In this, as in all other matters, the Consuls have worked together with the most perfect harmony and unanimity.

The Marquess of Salisbury.

I have, &c.,

T. B. CUSACK-SMITH.

No. 123.-Consul Cusack-Smith to the Marquess of Salisbury.(Received October 16.)

MY LORD,

Samoa, September 2, 1891. IN further reference to my despatch of the 15th ultimo, I have the honour to inform your Lordship that on the 27th August I received a letter from M. Cedercrantz, Chief Justice of Samoa, informing me that he would leave Samoa on the 4th September for Fiji, and that he might be unable to return in less than eight weeks.

I formally acknowledged the letter on the 28th August.

I have the honour to inclose a copy of a joint note signed by all the Consuls and forwarded to M. Cedercrantz yesterday, drawing his attention to the serious consequences which may arise from his absence at the present political crisis.

I also inclose an extract from the "Samoa Times," which fairly describes the public feeling on the matter.

Mataafa asserts that the Chief Justice's absence is his opportunity, and that he will begin fighting.

In accordance with the joint letter of the Consuls to the Chief Justice, I have now the honour to request that, if possible, steps may be taken by the Treaty Powers to determine under what conditions, and with whose consent, the Chief Justice may for the future take leave of absence, and to provide for the delegation of his duties to a substitute during such absences.

I would point out that provided he cease for the time being to