7 5 Years Ago

Fiji's Deed of Cession

|N October 10, 1874, the Fiji Deed of f Cession was signed by Cakabau and the High Chiefs. It was as follows; “We, King of Fiji, together with other high Chiefs of Fiji, hereby give our country, Fiji, unreservedly to her Britannic Majesty, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. And we trust and fully repose in her that she will rule Fiji justly and affectionately, that we may continue to live in peace and pros- D€rity ** The King of Fiji, Cakabau, sent his mous war-club, insignia of his right to lie, to Queen Victoria of England, with is message:— . , .

“With this emblem of the past he sends his love to her Majesty, saying that he fully confides in her and her children who, succeeding her, shall be come Kings of Fiji, to exercise a watch ful control over the welfare of h?£ children and people.”

In 1931, 57 years later, King George V England sent the war-club back to ji to be used as the Mace in the

Dlony’s Legislative Council.

And on October 10, 1949—exactly 75 !a rs after the Deed of Cession was ynec i—King George VI of England sent 3 the people of Fiji the following mes g6“it is now 75 years since your fore fathers, by a signal act of faith, en trusted their country to the care and guidance of Queen Victoria.

“Since that time she and her succes sors on the British throne have watched with interest and satisfaction the notable progress which has been made by the people of the colony.

“I remember with pleasure my visit to Fiji in 1927, and I have every hope and confidence that the umted efforts of all my people in the colony, sustained by a common loyalty to the Crown, will bring happiness and prosperity to them and their descendants in future years.

The message was broadcast to the ;ople of Fiji by the Governor (Sir Brian reeston) on October 10, and it made a

;ry happy impression.

Native Land Rights

As the matter of the future ownership ’ Fiji lands is now receiving some atten an, and is closely tied in with the circurn ances of the Cession, it may be noted lat Sir Hercules Robinson (Governor J New South Wales, who represented ritain at the Cession) gave the follow ig explicit assurance to King Cakabau; “That all lands which can be shown to have been fairly and honestly ac quired by the whites shall be secured to them; that all lands which are now m the actual use or occupation of any tribe shall be set apart for them; and that all the residue of the land shall go to the Government, not for the per sonal advantage of her Majesty or the members of any Government, but tor the general good, for the purposes ot rule and order.”