SAMOAN OB NAVIGATOR'S ISLANDS. 



SCHNAASE, KARL. 



701 



from the natives at about $35 per ton in trade, 

 equal to about, say, $20 per ton. There is an 

 estimated yearly export of 34,775 tons, with a 

 home value of $3,303,625. 



The natives are tall and well built, and of an 

 olive complexion. They possess considerable 

 intelligence. In the matter of dress they have 

 not passed far beyond the most primitive state, 

 so that the national Legislature was forced to 

 punish with a fine of $100 any member who 

 should appear naked in the session ! The group 

 is exceedingly well fitted for a coaling-station. 

 It has several good harbors, Pango-Pango on 

 Tutaila, Apia and Faloliti on Upolu, and Asan 

 in Savaii. 



A civil war raged on these islands in 1872, 

 caused by the proclamation of a young chief 

 to be king, without the consent of the separate 

 districts, as demanded by custom. It devas- 

 tated and impoverished the country, the chiefs 

 selling their land at merely nominal prices, in 

 order to obtain arms and ammunition. This 

 caused great suffering and dissensions among 

 the natives; and when, in 1872, Commodore 

 Meade, of the United States Navy, visited the 

 islands^ the chiefs caused him to take the har- 

 bor of Pango-Pango under the protection of 

 the United States. In 1873 a special agent, 

 Colonel A. B. Steinberger, was sent to these 

 islands by the United States Government, who 

 reported a large majority of the chiefs and 

 the inhabitants in favor of a protectorate by 

 the United States. In February, 1875, Colonel 

 Steinberger was again sent to the islands, ar- 

 riving at Pango-Pango in the latter part of 

 March. The object of this second expedition 

 was to establish, if possible, a permanent gov- 

 ernment, and to examine closely the demands 

 for damages made against the natives. The 

 arrival of Colonel Steinberger was hailed with 

 great enthusiasm by the natives, who immedi- 

 ately sent a large amount of provisions on 

 board. On April 22d Colonel Steinberger, 

 with the American officers, went to the seat 

 of government, where about ten thousand na- 

 tives were assembled. After the various docu- 

 ments had been read, he delivered the presents 

 of President Grant, consisting of arms and am- 

 munition, and a new flag, composed of seven 

 alternate red and white stripes, with one white 

 star on a blue field. A constitution was also 

 presented to the assembled Taimuas, which 

 was adopted on May 18th, with the single 

 change that, instead of electing the King for 

 life, he shall be elected for four years only, the 

 dignity to alternate between the families of 

 Malietoa and Topura. Colonel Steinberger 

 was also elected prime-minister for life. Ac- 

 cording to the new constitution, the Legisla- 

 ture consists of a Senate, called Taimua, and 

 an Assembly, called Taipuia. The Senate con- 

 sists of fifteen members, who belong to the first 

 families of the country, and the basis of repre- 

 sentation in the Assembly is one member for 

 every two thousand inhabitants, so that the 

 Assembly consists at present of eighteen mem- 



bers, who are elected for a term of two years. 

 The school law imposes a tax on every village 

 for the support of elementary schools, in which 

 the native as well as the English language shall 

 be taught. The marriage and divorce laws are 

 framed after those of California. Trial by jury 

 has also been instituted. If a white man is on 

 trial, the consul of his government may select 

 two of his countrymen to servo on the jury; 

 while, if a native is on trial, the jury is coin- 

 posed entirely of natives. The armed force 

 of the kingdom consists of one hundred and 

 fifty men. In Apia, the capital, a regular 

 police force has been organized. At present 

 there are only three saloons in Apia, and at 

 ten in the evening a cannon is fired as a signal 

 for all saloons to close. Roads are constructed 

 throughout the island. 



SAVIGNY, KARL FRIEDRICH VON, a Prus- 

 sian diplomatist and statesman, born Septem- 

 ber 19, 1814 ; died February 11, 1875. He was 

 the son of Friedrich Karl von Savigny, one of 

 the greatest jurists of his times. He studied 

 in his youth in Catholic institutions, and fin- 

 ished his education in the Universities of Paris, 

 Berlin, and Munich. He entered upon the 

 diplomatic career in 1838, and, having served 

 at the legations at various foreign courts, he 

 returned to Germany in 1849, in which year 

 he was appointed embassador in Baden. In 

 1859 he was transferred to the court of Dres- 

 den, and in 1863 to Brussels. In all of these 

 positions, he was very successful in advancing 

 the interests of Prussia, and in lessening the 

 influence of Austria in the affairs of the Ger- 

 manic Confederation. In 1864 he was ap- 

 pointed the embassador of Prussia at the 

 Federal Diet, in Frankfort. Here he took a 

 prominent part in the events which led to the 

 war of 1866. His declaration on June 1, 1866, 

 that the Confederation in its existing form did 

 not fulfill its chief objects, and that on June 

 14th, that the Confederation was dissolved, are 

 among the most important events in German 

 history during the present century. He also 

 took a leading part in the negotiations which 

 led to the union of North Germany after the 

 victory of Sadowa, and was regarded as being 

 the immediate representative of Prince Bis- 

 marck in such matters. He was expected to 

 be the probable chancellor of the new Confed- 

 eration, and so regarded himself, and, when 

 Prince Bismarck was appointed to that posi- 

 tion, he openly declared his disappointment, 

 and quitted the diplomatic service. In 1867 

 he was elected a member of the Reichstag, 

 and in 1870 of the Prussian House of Depu- 

 ties. In both of these positions he was the 

 leader of the Ultramontane or Catholic party, 

 declaring the war of 1866 to be a wrong on the 

 part of Prussia, and explaining his action at 

 that time as being under orders of Prince Bis- 

 marck. M. de Savigny married in 1853 a sister 

 of Count Harry von Arnim. (See ARNIM.) 



SCHNAASE, KARL, a German art-historian, 

 born September 7, 1798 ; died May 20, 1875. 



