FIFTY YEARS AGO

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2139, 4 May 1914, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO

THE NEWS OF THAT PAY,

Fifty years ago there were stirring times in New Zealand, and on May '6, 1864, the Auckland "Herald" printed tho following:—"We are gkd to Jeara that the Colonial Government, with commendable prudence, have refused clearances to any vessel sailing to ports oil the East Coast, between Cape Colville and Napier, or to allow any trading to 1)0 carried on from sncli ports to others. This is one of tho Srst steps to he takes, if w-o are to bring the Natives to submission, but this work must be carried out rigidly and to the letter. We arc led into these remarks because wo believe that, while vessels owned by Europeans are very properly prevented from carrying down provisions and store's which may fall into the possession of the rebels, tho trade ?s carried on hy crafts helouging to j>rafe.ssecHy friendly Natives,, and that at the time- wo write tho schooner Queen, ■with her notorious crew, is loaded with goods for the eoast. No man will believe that- these goadis at© not intended for the rebels: indeed, if they are going to any one of the ports between Capo ColvflJe and Napier we do not sco how they fail to find their .way to,rebels, if landed at all. If this blockade is to be maintained—and we assert that it should bo with tho utmost, vigour, so that not n pound of flour, riot a "stick of tobacco, not an article of clothing, should find its way into Native hands, whether-rebels or rebels-' friends—the Native, as well as the European, must be withheld from the trade. If we allow 'friendly Natives' to take down goods for themselves or for other 'friendly Natives,' we do just the same as if \vo allowed the rebels to be supplied direct at once. Even, during the last engagement at Tauranga, it was olwervcd"tliat some of the Natives, .when they fled from the pa, betook themselves to the village of the 'friendly' Maoris, from whence, in tho first instance, no doubt they came.'.'