690 



SAMOA. 



SAMPSON, WILLIAM THOMAS. 



SAMOA, a kingdom occupying the Samoan Is- 

 lands in the South Pacific Ocean, of which the in- 

 dependence and neutrality were guaranteed by the 

 act of the Samoan conference signed at Berlin on 

 June 14, 1889, by representatives of Germany, Great 

 Britain, and the United States. The reigning King 

 is Mataafa, elected to succeed Malietoa Laupepa, 

 who died on Aug. 22, 1898. The chief justice is 

 William Chambers. The president of the municipal 

 council is Dr. Raffel. 



The kingdom comprises fourteen volcanic islands, 

 having a total area of 1,701 square miles, with 35,- 

 565 inhabitants in 1897, native Christians of the 

 Polynesian race. The white residents number about 

 450. There are 800 or more laborers from other 

 islands working on the plantations. A commission 

 has confirmed the titles of Germans to 75,000, of 

 British to 36,000, and of Americans to 21,000 acres. 

 The foreigners pay nearly all the taxes, as the na- 

 tive poll tax of $1 a head never has been collected 

 except from the adherents of Malietoa in Tuama- 

 sanga, the middle part of Upolu. The principal 

 article of export is copra, of which 5,606 tons were 

 shipped during 1896. Cotton, coffee, and fruit are 

 also exported, and plantations of cacao have been 

 made. The total revenue in 1897 was $27,705, of 

 which $17,426came from import duties, $4,160 from 

 export duties, $2,006 from state taxes, and $4,113 

 from municipal taxes. The imports in 1897 amounted 

 to $346,111, in which the share of the Germans was 

 $186,938, of the English $54,328, of the Americans 

 $55,189, and of others $49,656. The total value of 

 the exports was $251,158, of which the German 

 share was $227,504, of the English $8,801, of the 

 Americans $8,412, and of others $6,433. In 1897 

 58 steamers, of 76,369 tons, and 22 sailing vessels, 

 of 5,367 tons, called at Apia. 



Political Affairs. The Samoan problem en- 

 tered on a new phase when Malietoa died. The 

 treaty provided for the election of his successor ac- 

 cording to the laws and customs of Samoa. The 

 loyal Samoans who paid taxes were far less numerous 

 than the rebels of Aana, Atua, Manono, and Savaii, 

 who had twice taken up arms against the Govern- 

 ment. If these hostile tribes were allowed to vote 

 the result would be the election of one of the rebel 

 chiefs, Tamasese or Mataafa, and the possible op- 

 pression of the loyal Tuamasanga. The Germans, 

 who had befriended these rebel candidates in pre- 

 vious struggles, considered the moment opportune, 

 when civil war was again threatened by rival claim- 

 ants for the throne, to urge the revision of the 

 treaty. If they could not obtain the sole protec- 

 torate for Germany, they desired a partition of the 

 islands, giving to them Upolu, to the English Savaii, 

 and to the Americans Tutuila. The American 

 Government took steps to occupy Pago Pago har- 

 bor, which it obtained for a naval station by the 

 treaty of 1878. When the American chief justice 

 of Samoa decided in favor of extending the munic- 

 ipal boundaries of Apia, upholding the action of 

 the municipal council against the appeal of some 

 Germans whose property would become subject to 

 taxation, the German Government protested that 

 the chief justice had exceeded his powers. The 

 reply of the United States conceded that a strict 

 interpretation of the treaty gave him no authority 

 in the matter, but pointed to a precedent established 

 by a former chief justice nominated by Germany, 

 and suggested a modification of the treaty provid- 

 ing for such contingencies. Germany would not 

 consent to a modification of the treaty except by a 

 conference authorized to make a complete revision. 

 Until the election of a new king, which did not 

 take place till December, the Government was ad- 

 ministered by a commission composed of the. Amer- 

 ican, British, and German consuls, with the chief 



justice as president. There was a dispute over the 

 election that nearly resulted in violent disturbances, 

 when Mataafa's followers took up a warlike attitude. 

 Plans for a United States coaling station at Pago 

 Pago were prepared by Commander R. B. Bradford 

 and Civil Engineer M. T. Endicott. The chief 

 justice finally decided the question of the royal 

 succession in favor of Malietoa Tanu. Mataafa, 

 who was declared ineligible, contested this decision 

 and prepared to enforce his claims with arms, being 

 supported by the German president of the munic- 

 ipality of Apia. 



SAMPSON, WILLIAM THOMAS, an Amer- 

 ican naval officer, born in Palmyra, Wayne County. 

 N. Y., Feb. 9, 1840. He was born on what "is- 

 known as the Mormon Hill farm, on which prop- 

 erty Joseph Smith made the excavation which, ac- 

 cording to his statement, resulted in the discovery 

 of the golden plates of the Book of Mormon. 1 1 iV 

 father was engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 

 the boy's early education was principally gained in 

 the country schools of Wayne County. As a youth 

 he was bright and promising. When he was in 

 his seventeenth year, Representative -Morgan, of] 

 New York State, nominated him for a cadetship in 

 the Naval Academy at Annapolis. Young Samp- 

 son entered upon his studies at the academy on 

 Sept. 24, 1857, proved an apt scholar, and was grad- 

 uated at the head of his class in 1861. Almost ira- ' 

 mediately, as midshipman, he was ordered to the < 

 frigate " Potomac" and he proved so proficient and 



WILLIAM THOMAS SAMPSON. 



attentive that his first promotion, as master, was 

 accorded before the close of the year. His sir 

 quent service in the navy furnishes a record of un- 

 swerving devotion to duty. His talents and exem- 

 plary conduct have from time to time received full 

 recognition at the hands of his official superiors. 



The second step in his advancement was r< 

 on July 16, 1862, when he was made a lieutenant. 

 In 1862-'63 he was ordered to service in the prac- 

 tice sloop " John Adams," and in the following year 

 he was stationed at the Naval Academy as an in- 

 structor. Next he was appointed to the i rone I ail 

 " Patapsco," one of the South Atlantic blockading 

 squadron doing duty before Charleston in 1st! I. 

 Lieut. Sampson was on that vessel when she \va< 

 destroyed in the harbor of Charleston, January, 

 1865. His next experience was on board the flair- 

 ship " Colorado " of the European squadron, from 

 1865 to 1867. During this tour of service, on -Inly 

 25, 1866, he was promoted to be lieutenant com- 

 mander. From 1868 to 1871 he was again at the 



