MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the reports of the statement made by Herr von Bulow in the German Reichstag on Friday 14th April relative to Samoa, to the effect that a special Commission of three members has been appointed by Great Britain, the United States, and Germany to assume provisional powers of government over the 1453 Samoa Islands; that HO measure adopted by the Commission is to have legal effect unless all three Commissioners agree to it; that this principle of necessary unanimity set up by Germany has been accepted first by America and ultimately by England also; and that the English Government, through its Ambassador in Berlin, has officially intimated its acceptance of the proposals of the German Government with regard to the procedure and functions of the special Commission; whether these reports are correct; whether any provision has been made for the possible case of all three Commissioners failing unanimously to agree on the measures with which they have to deal: and, if so, what that provision is; and when he proposes to lay upon the Table of this House the Papers embodying the negotiations which have thus been brought to a conclusion?
§ MR. BRODRICKThe arrangement made by the three Governments is to the following effect: —In view of the recent troubles in Samoa, and for the purposes of restoring tranquillity and order therein, the three Powers parties to the Conference of Berlin have appointed a Commission to undertake the provisional government of the islands. For this purpose they are to exercise supreme authority in the islands, and all persons exercising authority therein, whether acting under the provisions of the final Act of Berlin, or otherwise, are to be under their orders. No action taken by the Commissioners in pursuance of the above authority is to be considered as valid unless it is assented to by all three Commissioners. If on any point they are unable to come to an agreement, they will refer to their Governments for instructions. They are to furnish separate reports on the recent events, and to make recommendations either unanimously or separately as to the future government of the islands. Papers will be laid as soon as circumstances admit, but in view of the conflicting and incomplete nature of the information received, it is impossible at present to state when this can be done without public inconvenience.