Sir Julian Pauncefote to Mr. Blaine.
Sir: In pursuance of instructions which I have received from Her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign affairs, I have the honor to inform you that, with the view to giving full effect to the final act of the Berlin Conference on the affairs of Samoa, the Marquis of Salisbury has directed her Majesty’s consul at Apia to concert with his German and United States colleagues, measures to be taken at once for that end, and I now beg to communicate to you the substance of the instructions which have been sent to Colonel de Coetlogon on the subject, which is as follows:
Samoan laws having been passed on the 18th December last, making the provisions of article iv respecting land and of article vii respecting arms and intoxicating liquors binding upon Samoans, Her Majesty’s Government are of opinion that regulations should be issued by the consuls of the three treaty powers enforcing the stipulations of those articles on their respective nationals, in so far as this has not been done, and that measures should also be taken to proceed with the division of the municipal territory into electoral wards, in order that the chief justice may be enabled, immediately on his assuming his functions, to order the election and induction into office of the local administration in accordance with article v.
Her Majesty’s consul has been informed at the same time that Her Majesty’s Government are further of opinion that it will be well, on financial grounds, that the provisions of article vi should come into force before the definitive organization of the municipal administration, which, under article v, can not take place until the chief justice and the president of the municipal council have been appointed and assumed office; and he has been therefore instructed to arrange with his German and United States colleagues, in concert with the Samoan Government, to fix by public notice an early date for the collection of taxes and duties, and to appoint, provisionally, the authorities charged with the collection and administration of the revenue, pending the time when the administration shall be taken over by the municipal council.
I have, etc.,