DISTURBANCE AT HOKIANGA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 102, 2 May 1898, Page 3

DISTURBANCE AT HOKIANGA.

BODY OF NATIVES UN^R

A EMS

ALARM OF THE SETTLERS,

AHMED POKc Es SENT ItO THE SCENE. }

PERMANENT AftTILLKI/y AND

FIELD GUNS

tli\irV Ilokianga, in the North, o which we referred tat week, h«w' njromed dimensions wheh have led the \Z? T l i 0 *md ■>• formidable armed IZJI t0 tlu; smi° of t'w trouble in order to restore order, A forco of over 130 men oi t c Unnauent Artillery is mow on ts way to the "front" in the steamers ' oi'mamKiairk:!,, and they have with them basidea their titles four tiold gunsan expedition which recalls the days of the campaigns against To Kooti. It is not ejected, however, that there will lie any serious trouble at llokianga. A demonstration ot force such as will be mado by the Government to-morrow afternoon or Wednesday at Ilokianga will show the troublesomo section of the Northern natives the advisability of going homo quietly. Ihe do--tax is .said to he the primary cause of the present manifestation of hostile intentions on the part of the Maoris. Ihe " rowdy " natives belong to the Utakura section of the Ngapuhi triho, which tribe has been on most friendly terina with the Europeans for half-a-eentury. The Northern .Maoris, however, protest kltom"!v against the dog tax, and it is bdieve'd that the fact 1 of several snnihiunscs being out against some of Uiu Uta kura natives for failing to register their dogs has led up to this trouble, hi addition to this the Uauhan fanaticism which was spread amongst thesu people some years ago by oiniss'urion from Parihaka, Io Wliiti's place a t Taranaki, is a disturbing element. The leadin■■■ man amongst the "belligerent" Maoris h Hone lorn, a man of about 40 years of n^V, lielonging to Taheke, llokian»a. This native is said to be a bouncoablo ehaiaeter, anxiou-i to " make a name" for himself, lie was concerned in some of the previous little Maori troubles up North. The following telegram.*; from Wellington will explain (lie situation : ■

MR CLENDON'S OPINION

(By Telesraph.-P.-eris Association.)

WELLINGTON", Saturday

A telegram has been received by the Government from Mr Clondou, Slinondiary Magistrate in the North Auckland district, stating that he has visited the Maori .settlement at Waima, Koine distance from Rawene, and is of opinion tint then! is no immediate cau.so for alarm. Ife mentions that the scare in Kawcnc li.h subsided, and that the wives and children of the .settlers there arc returning from the neighbouring settlement of Kohukohu.

WELLINGTON, Sunday

Ministers were in Cabinet yesterday talking over the native dispute. " The telegrams received are of a rather more pacific nature, and it is understood hole that tho cases connected with the dot; las will not be heavd before the I lth.

Mr Hone Heke, M.H.R. for the district, attaches no importance to the disturbance, and asserts it there was likely to bo trouble he would have heard from the elder chiefs there.