MAORI RULE ON EAST COAST

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10392, 9 May 1927, Page 7 (Supplement)

MAORI RULE ON EAST COAST

STIRRING INCIDENTS OF THE EARLY DAYS. BRITISH AUTHORITY DEFIED. NATIVES ADOPT PRODUCE CONTROL SYSTEM. SETTLERS FEAR EXPULSION. ‘ln the Maori kingdom as in all other Native districts in IS.Z. the •supreme authority, legislative and judicial, resides in the village runanga. When making laws, the runangas have no idea of any limits to the province of Government. Them regulations extend to the minutest details of private life. They make laws about behavior on Sunday; laws against falsehood, whether slanderous or not ; laws to fix the price o' igs, earn and pot- j atoes; laws to nx the payments for winch people snail carry the mails.

In short, the runanga is a uerieroiis tyranny and would be insupportable if it only possessed the power to carry its decrees into execution. . . But any Nat ve iv'io leels strong enough to redress wrongs received from pakehas without troubling the rmniiym will mm himself to a./lease' or a cow and obtain sat'sfaetion. Ar.y such action will too be approved and 'sustained by the runanga if the original claim to compensation is considered just. . . . 'Whi t a runanga may not have rower to enforce a sentence, it has the power to banish a man from society until he voluntarly submits. . . . Euring the time that I wrs stationed in the Waikato, the Maori king w vi visited by leading chic s from Taranaki, Wanganui, lia-fte’s Bnv, East Cape. Taur-anga and even from the Xgaovlias in the Far North.'’ —3. E. Orst M.A., in ’The Maori j King, 18G9.” For much of the inrormation that follows concerning the (ifgets of the runanga rule established y the Mao-

<3 24U 41 >' >.4-§444. ris in the 50’s in defiance of British authority in this <ji New Zeiiland, as well as in most other portions of the North Island, we were indebted to the proprietors of the “Hawke’s Bay Herald,” n ho verv kindly placed their earn riles at our disposal. That journal, lor instance, in Anril 1858, published the following letter from the Resident Magistrate at Gisborne to the no' MAGISTRATE IN A DIFFICULTY. Resident Magistrate’s Court, Turanga, Aoril 8, ’58.. “Yesterday Watnne Motu, Hira TCmri. and Pana. all of Taru Horu • Tamheru). in eonsepuerre of Kahutia being dissatisfied with the decision of the amount in the case Mnnabi y Newnliam. deliberately entered Newnham’s h'usp and remored from it all bis clothing and bedd’ng; a new double barrelled gun was taken and several ether articy- les: indeed, they completely stnpX- ped the Imuse. “A cause of the referred to was that I insisted on

deducting from the amount recovered from Aewnlnuu by ivianaln for Kahutia the price of a sledge whicn the latter some tune s.nce liad most unju*;ly taken from Xewnham. You are aware that, in .th s district, from the want of sufficient power, the only means which I can employ to obtain even restitution of these goods, are "derived from moral influences. “In these' circumstance's, T request your co-eperation in manifesting to ail the .Natives belonging to Taruheru that in the opinion of light-thinking- people, such conduct as that described and over -which they must collectively bo considered morally responsible renders them the object of contempt and aversion and that until goods so unjustly taken are returned they can look for no friendship or assistance from the Europeans.

“It is very desirable that the manifestation of this feeling should be universal and ■ continued while tiie goods are returned and I suggest that, in the meantime, the •offenders should be spoken of as i ngati rauru wahine—a term of contempt amongst themselves and one which they partly observe as at the tune the coeds Were -taken Xeivnham.’s wife was a.onevm the house i and against her Siiao violence was used. “I shall bo glad if you will exercise your influence with those Europeans and Natives w th whom you arc connected in order m t hot a general feeling uf disapproval may be manifested. , .It. is absolute.v necessary that these acts should be treated very gravely or the effect on thg minds of the Natives may lead to d.isnstr ms cor sequences.

, HER BEET S. ‘v. All D ELL. In June 1853 were received in Hawke’s 33.ty accounts thui were not mvourable concern mg JLNvarty Bay. The Natives were net working well with the'’ Eiuvpoans, but, a the contrary, some wore-still d.sposed to rc-si.-t jlr tisli authority. '"A private letter stated: "Hi »re is a movement among the Natives here the wrong way. They object to the prayers ..liered for the Queen. They have, in .several instances, taken the la a into -their own hands in defiance of the Resident’ Magistrate. “Ton wdl perceive that we have retrograded to the old times when wc had to apply to the one tribe lo obtain protection against 1 the ethers.

HOLD-UP OF PRODUCE. On June 29 185 S it was found necessary to petiition the Governor in respect of the Native movement in Poverty Bay.

“As yet, on account I presume of no mail having, arived, we are,'' wrote a correspondent, “ignorant < f its fate, although privately we learn that 'the Governor has said that we must manage the best way we can, despite the fact that we have r.o adequate means of enforcing the law. So I suppose we must wait a little longer under the idea that there is a good time coming. “Wo are still under tapu—the decision of the Runanga st-i 1! being in force. The Natives demand 12/por bushel for wheat, in consequence of which the Nat"ves here are poorly clod. Most of them, indeed", are heartily sick of this stupid movement —a movement for which they will feel tne ill-eflects for some time. There will not tins season be one-tenth of the land that there was brought under cultivation. 1

“You are doubtless aware r-f the Native character, unite. <•, “follow my leader” impulse in almost everything they do. Far and near in this locality they have been carrying on a war of extermination against the wild pigeons by way of preparation for a grand feast to come off in Sept, next and at which I Ijelievc •two matters' regarding the' terms on which we shall he allowed to trade are to be finally settled. “One blessing is that the Natives are quiet just now. Would they only remain in such a state of cmiie. as regards the pakchas they might for

what we care continue, that- tapu Jill the end of time.” “I ...am of opinion that much of this trouble lias arisen from ad-, vice/ given one .Natives here in 1851 by the Rev. Grace “to hold back tneir produce, by which they would raise prices in Auckland.” They* in a measure acted upon this advice. Gold was discovered in California and subsequently in Australia. J-'iices in consequence ruled high 1 and the Natives supposed that Mr. Grace’s advice led to this state of tilings. ‘.‘There being no cargo there is of course no inducement for vessels to caii. Tne Ann - and Queen from Napier and the Emerald Isle from Wellington on their way to Auckland have been only once during the month. The Ann took a cargo of wheat and oil, the latter amounting to 2,j tons of sperm and the produce of a ‘ whale stranded near Nick’s Head. The wheat had been purchased prior to the Runanga.'' Further evidence of tfite contempt

i in which British law was held in Pov i erty Bay is supplied by a correspond 3 ent under date October 20, 1858— j POWERLESSNESS OF BRITISH 3 LAW. ! “We have,” he says, “been ra ther excited in Gisborne lately b; 1 the following occurrence. Somi 1 time ago a European here was con victed of giving spirits to Native! ; arid sentenced to a fine of £lO This was not paid and some cattle Were distrained said to belong tt the defendant (tiiey ultimately proved to be the property of another person and were restored) on which the Natives, accompanied by defendant’s wife, demanded restitut on. This being refused they proceeded to the government property, broke down the fence, and drove away some Id head of cattle, belonging, it seems, to our Resident Magistrate and others. There the matter rests —a . pretty state of things, you will say, for a so-called l!o-i cuijii.y. * Tne tact is there ha« been finch _n temporising policy adopted in all matters appertaining to the Nat ves the government is (here at least) treated bj them with the utmost c-utekipt. it is in :act a farce —a piece of most unmitigated humbug to place a p?id magistrate anywhere without power to enforce. his decisions. He can mulct the unfortunate European who has committed -some tr ii ng fault that never would have boon -m tieed,-. had there not been a court to apply to, but he is fairly bullied and laughed ct by the Natives if he endeavours to coerce them. They use language most insulting to him when on the Bench and at other times both in apd out of Court. “Another instance of the powerlessness of the law. A stofe here was broken open on June 21 last ar.d property taken away amounting to more than £59. The perpetrators were known, p.nd the case put into the Magistrate's hands, and a dec’s'on given to amerce the parties concerned in £l5O which, pi course, has never been paid. I have no hesitation in saying we manage the Natives better when left to ourselves. The Court has now shared- the. fate of all scarecrows-by being openly laughed at and defied by all parties. “Why place a paid magistrate at the expense of the Colony of at least £o€o a year in such a district —a d"strict where he and his office are already scorned by the Natives. He is in a fair way to being equally scorned by the settlers. There have been numerous eases of crimp, including one case of abduction. The latter actually took place in the Court-house in the very face of the magistrate whither a woman (a native) had gone to he married, and to whom the female clung in her terror vainly imploring that protection he could net offer. The scene that followed was magnificent. Our Resident Magistrate (notwithstanding the assistance of his clerk) the wonld-he bride and the bride-groom abductor and one or two others rolling on tlie floor together.” On Oct. 20 1853. the Poverty Bay correspondent of the “H.B. Herald,, wrote: * “ Our runanga is still in full swing. The members have now for

This was followed on Dee. 3, 1853,' l>y the following report:

“I hear that the committee of the runanga have agreed to allow the sale of wheat provided it never rules at a lower rate here than 5s cash, but as they say we haVe been making a profitable ‘spec’ by. .sending timber to the Napier market, they have stopped that branch of our trade by stopping the salo of all timber, firewood, etc. either for sale or for home consumption . With their usual liberality they will allow us to make use of the standing timber though- the trees have been purchased and marked but still unused to the amount of perhaps £IOOO. So much for the honour of the Natives by many so loudly proclaimed.

‘ ‘The idea of turning t-lio whole of the Europeans off their properties and expelling them from the district has again been mooted. This state of "things is calmly viewed Hy our paternal government without even raising its voice on our behalf. We are tolcl the poor fellows (tlie Natives) are in a transition stage. This has been the cry far and wide ‘for the last 18 years i e back to 18-10. How much longer it will take to transform the Native grub into a civilised butter-fly remains to be seen.

“In the interim, we pay our share of the expense of being governed without receiving the slightest advantage. In fact as a member said in the House they, have no sympathy with the ‘tobacco and blanket man.’ If so they can have none for themselves as the Governfent gave two or three cases of tobacco for the Treaty of Waitangi and paid tlie Natives here and at other, places in blankets and other trade to obtain their signatures to that Treaty.” GRAVE CHARGE AGAINST MAGISTRATE. In 1859, it was reported, under date j Feb, 19, that, “The runanga law is still going on and the settlers are not allowed to remove even wheat grown before it same into existence. The effect of the runanga will probably be felt- up to the Fast Gape. They (the Maoris) will ?iot allow., any grain to be moved till (they say) the prohibition on trade is removed, and which is not to take place till the traders succumb to their terms. But, subsequently, a section of the 1 settlers came to the conclusion that a

better state of affairs would never he reached until a charge was brought about in connection with the Resident Magistrate. And they were by no means half-hearted in their condemnation of the then occupant of the office. For example, the late Opt. J. W. Harr’s, on April IS, ’59, published his views as fellows : “A young protege of the Government was sent here direct from England. He could not he supposed to know* enough about the Colonies or of the usages therein which are in many instances at variance with those of the Motherland. On receiving his appointment he probably supposed that the became the great man of the district and that the settlers would look at him with an awe inspired hv his situation and never attempt to cavil at his proceedings.” Mr. Wm. Scott Greene, it seems, was chairman of a public meeting of protest against the magistrate,, when numerous complaints were voiced:

the last few days;- been- in full committee, taking cattle and other . thmgs from those parties who have - sold in defiance of their fiats. They ; now say they will prevent tlie sale of everything, including timber, j firewood, etc.', unless we come to : terms. At present we don’t know ; what turn things will ‘ take. All j sorts of reports are rile even to the closing the river here against vessels and not allow us to take away produce now on hand. Is it not cruel that the settlers in a British colony and supposed to be living) under British rule should be subjected to such laws and annoyance without our government taking (as far as we are aware) the slightest notice.. j.

“The Natives,” it was reported, “don’t apprehend the nature of an oath and the responsibility thereunto attaching. The testimony of the Natives should be received with caution and no conclusions drawn therefrom unless such testimony tend to corroborate or clnciclats facts already given in evidence, sworn to and of which there could be no .doubt. A malicious charge'has been laid against Capt. Read. Our clerk or interpreter has considered it his duty to carry to the magistrate anything he hears. It was a.case of felonv but it was dismissed. Captain Read attended a-whole dav at Court to answer any charge t l ’"t might he laid against him. Ha was told there 'was none. _ The same evening ho went to Napier, when it was immediately reported by Air. Thorne, the magistrate’s brother-in-law, that be had bolted. On bis return and the ease bein''dismissed Capt. Read complained to the magistrate hut tlfio mag'strnte simply sn-’d that lie h~d brought the trouble on himself hy going away.” SERIES OF ALLEGATIONS.

On June 4, 1859, a. petition by W. S. Greene, James Dunlop, George Goldsmith, Geo. Poulgrnin. Robert Ncwnhnm. G. E. Read. John Tnrr, Richard Horsley. J. Herv«v. Joseph Cross, Thos. TJren junr., Wm. Tnrr, James Mnekav, Wm. Brown, J. AY. Harris. James Wilson, J. Wvles, Wm. Howard, R. H. Uren, Thos. Halbert Thos. Uren sen-r., Rnbt. Read. John Edwards, was Published, in the “H.B. Herald.” It said:—

“That the gentleman bolding the I office of Resident Magistrate here [ appears to consider himself more in the light of a Public Prosecutor than an impartial administrator of tlie law of the Colony, and that be tends to improve his activities as a magistrate bv procuring as many eases as possible to bo Drought before his Court. “That the Resident Magistrate ha= on more than one occasion used threats towards some of your petitioners b.v threatenin° r to torn them off tlie land on which thev j are living. j “That the clerk or interpreter j often uses leading questions in his > examination, thereby obtaining answers not always consistent wth the truth. On more than one occasion be has threatened to throw i discredit on Native evidence when | given in favor of Europeans by i tellum i bom (out of Cinurt) tliev j were cuder'-nring to screen the Fm- , r-inoaes. H : s arpneral conduct is * exceedirrdv m’sohievnns and irri+or{,• , v and i l ’•vjnV- birth fmd education near l ’’ all Ids sympathies on the si-te of bis Native countrymen and little if any with, the Eurovon.i population, he is unfit to fulfil Ir’s present office in a purely Native district.

COVER vnT? "ctac. \ SURLY RECEPTION. The “Snu+hern Cross,” under date Jan. 23, 1860. says:— ‘.‘The reception of His Excellency the Governor by the Natives of Poverty Bay was just what might hayn been expected from the recaption given to the T and Commissioner as lately described by us. “At the school those who were under pupilage were of course polity .en n o<*h. but. the main bodv of th« Natives chewed themselves sur-v and d.isa ffeeted t.n the last degree. Thev freelv ask in the district what business +be Governor has there brir>g : ng the Queen’s flag amongst them. “The runanga partakes somewhat of the character of a judicial''and of an ecclesiastical court as well as that of a council. “Its power and influence extends over nearly the whole of the North Island and had its origin like the King Movement in the Waikato. The runanga is the most powerful of the supports of the King movement. “Tt appears to exercise undisputed jurisdiction over all the Native lands and while it meddles with everything it will not allow its decisions^to be re-considered or delavecl. Lands which have been, purchased from the Native owners and paid for have been said bv this Council to be restored to Native possession by the re-onymcut of the purchase money whilst unpur-

chased lands we are told have been made over by the 'proprietors to the Maori King for the avowed purpose of preventing them from being purchased by the . Grown. The runanga works under the guise of religion and for the Natives’ good alone.” SYMPATHY WITH MAORI KING MOVEMENT. In some notes from Tura.nga (Gisborne) to’the “Hawke’s Bay Herald” under date August 5, 1862, it is stated - “We are quiet in this district. Still the Natives are, I believe, watching for events. They are decidedly averse to the settlers getting any further footing in Turanga.' They profess to be Queen’s men; but all their sympathies are with the Waikatos. I should not be surprised to see the King flag hoisted at any moment. We cannot disguise the fact that we are living under the rule of the runanga with which the laws of England have as much connection as with the laws of Timbuctco. “The Natives’ foot is virtually placed in the neck of the settlers and we appear to have no other course but to worship the image set up by the authors in this mis- i called British colony of New Zealand.

“Efforts are being made here to induce the Ministry to allow the sale of powder, shot and caps under certain restrictions, the idea being the unfairness of debarring the Natives from the the use n f these articles for sporting purposes and the bagging of a few nnkehas to 'be included of course in the list of game. Will tire Government be mad enough 'to gran! this?” Thus the Wa’voa eorrr-'nendcrt <•* the “Hawke’s Bay Herald* on llv.v 13, 1863: “I cannot mu re el in obtaining any reliable information concernin'* the feast at Turanga • (Gisborne). There appears to h-ve been a very large concourse of Natives; the Maoris say 2000 were there. The gathering seems to have been o r a uolit’eal nature, many subjects being discussed. Amongst others Hanaro te Apatere mode a strong appeal in favor of the Maori kinir but was not Jistened to: on the contrary, the desire was expressed that he should refrain from speaking on the subject. According to rumor there were consumed or given away—--1400 bags of. flour 800 bags of sugar besides other articles of food in . much profusion.” HIGH-HANDED ACTION OF COAST NATIVES. The following alarnr‘"g statement was handed to ‘the “Hawke’s Bay

Herald” by the master of the Tawera on May 30, 1863:

‘‘The schooner Taweza, anchored off Kawakawa on the 12th inst. It was blowing hard from the south and we could not communicate with the shore.

“Next day a boat came out and we asked if we could get any water from the river. Being told that we could we sent a boat ashore with two casks to be filled. “After thev had been filled, and the boat had left, the Natives came to me and- demanded one shilling per cask, threatening-that if I didn’t pay to take a boat as payment when she next came ashore. This demand I paid.

“On the 14th they went to the store of Messrs. Peachey and Collier and said that, if the magistrate. Mr. Baker, should come round that side of the Clape they would make him pay £100: if he should come by the inland route, the sum would be £2OO. “They were determined, they said, to drive him away, as he was trying to buy over all the Natives to* his side. ' Their next talk was that I should make it known to

the masters of all vessels that i they wanted wood or water anywhere eff the coast they should pay for the same or else they would take a boat for payment.-. “They next informed Messrs. Peachey and. Colder that they should pay for the grass and water which their horses and cows had used, also for the water drunk by their ducks and fowls. This being refused, they intimated their intention of there and then takiim away four horses the property of the firm and two belonging to*Mr. Parsons left there to be shipped bv the 'Sea' Breeze’ and of coming hack for the cows and poultry. “The Native* will not allow the Europeans to dig an inch of ground anywhere.” A DOLEFUL STORY. A d'de c vl ae"o7i«t of hi« treat/umi' at a runanga held "t Te H«ro. W •' pu, was told bv Hen are Pa ere. a >u j Te WaVn. Maori o f March 7, 1876 He says that he became int"x‘rated and on a.tterontmg to ride away from the settlement he fell from his .-;o:.*«c; which galloped away, leaving him stretched senseless on the. bra Hi, Some person, seeing him in that

state, coolly drew off his trousers and appropriated them to himself. As he lay in this pitiable condition, a -woman named Havata Harete, pitying his condition, came up and covered ii.m with a valuable Native mat. Some time later, she poured water over him, which restored him to consciousness. Ho then went into the presence of the Natives, who wore holding a runanga in the village, to the number of some 300, and begged for a pair of trousers but they only laughed at his misfortune and suffered him to depart in bis nakedness.

A good trait in Captain Read’s character, stated Captain Ferris, shortlr before his death, was that, if he had ..wanted to buy up the whole township he could have done so, but instead of that he contented himself with a feysections, and advised and assisted his 1 friends to go in for others. The best of the town sections ran to ab ut £3O at the auction, that being the price paid for the section where the Argyll Hotel now stands. A feature of the town in those dajs was the old Courthouse (now known as Mr. Balrympie’s store), which was erected shortly before the massacre, and during the troublous times was loopholed and protected by a chevaux do frise. For a number of years this . building served as the rendezvous of the small community on all public occasions. Church services were held there regularly. As the result oi considerable agitation, the Government erected tlio- bridge across the Waipaca- River at Matswhero, knewu as the Big Bridge, which gave connection with the l’atutahi confiscated lands. These were thrown open for selection, and their settlement marked another distinct step in the pro- 1 gress of the place. It is interesting to note that the land brought up to £23 an acre.