A CRISIS IN THE TARANAKI NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5415, 23 June 1879, Page 2

A CRISIS IN THE TARANAKI NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

Tiie news from Taranaki, which we publish in another' column, is of a : very serious character^ The "native difficulty 1 ' lias itd\v assumed a critical phase ; one' that renders it doubtful whether .-we may not, in a very brief time, be plunged in1;o. a Maori war. It appears that after the Parihaka ■meeting, 'the' natives' being emboldened .by Te Whiti's insane harangues became. more insolent and aggresive in tiieir ploughing bperatidns, and proceeded to plough tip the lawn in front of k Mr Livingstone s house, near Hawera.. This excited the settlers very much, and having held a public meeting on the subject on Saturday evening, they came to the determination to remove the native ploughmen, their ploughs, and all their belongings off the settlers* lands to the other side of the Wairigdngoro river. This determination was communicated to the Premier, who replied yesterday, deprecating excitement, and counselling abstention from any nasty action leading to bloodshed, The Premier's advice, however) was too late, for yesterday morning the settlers carried out their determination, and put the natives off the land. The settlors, it is .said* used no more force than was necessary ; but some force was used, for there was a tussle with one Maori) and had the natives offered much resistance a serious conflict must have ensued, and war at once entered upon. Even as it is the step that has been taken may lead to serious results. The natives say they will return} and if they do what action will the settler's take ? It is more than probable that if the natives return it will be iv much larger numbers, bent still more determinedly than ever upon their purpose, and perhaps also excited at the insult put upon them in turning them off. "Will the settlers attempt to repeat the process of ejectment ? If they ,dp-;we very much fear that the " bloodshed and evils which follow from an unnecessary war," of which the Premier speaks, Avill be quickly upon us. The Government should look to it at once, and not leave the matter to the settlers and the "local authorities." The situation is so grave, and the probable consequences so great and so imminent as to require the immediate presence on the spot of a member of the Government. Tho Premier, as we gather froni his telegram to Major Brown, is unable to travel, but the other Ministers, we presume, are more happily circumstanced, and one of them, could with little difficulty take the matter in hand. We hope to hear that this step has been determined-upon.