BLOCKADING OF THE COAST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 147, 3 May 1864, Page 3

BLOCKADING OF THE COAST.

Wk are glad to Icain that the Colonial Government, uith c< liiinctidabic prudence, have leluscd clcaranci.-. lo ;.i. v vessel sailing to jolts mi the last Cot si. hclwecn Cii] e Culvillc and Napier, of lo allow any trading to be carried on from such | orts to ..'diets. 'Ibis is one of the lirst sic] s m le lal.en it we tire to bring llic unlives to sill mission, but this work must In: | carried "lit riguliy and lo the idler. We iiii- lid into these ri marks borinisevie heiicM' that vt Idle vessels owned by .kuropear.s are \ erv properly iicvetited lroni carrying down pn".visions and st.uis which may tali into I he litsscssioii ol the rebels, that the trade is carried on by cralls belonging to proiessedly Irieiidly natives, and thai al tin- lime we write the sc'li.'oi.er ' CJueeti.' with her notorious crew . is loa.i.d with yoods |..r the coast.. N'ouinii will believe lhat these g.0.1s arc not intended |..r tin- rebels: indeed, ll they arc going to anyone of llic puts between Cape Colville and Napier, we do u<\ see how thev tail to lind their wav to rebels, if landed at all." li' this blockade is to be maintained —and we assert that it should be with the almost vigour so that not a pound of Hour, not a stick of tobacco, not an article of clothing, should find its wav into native hands, whether rebels or rebels' friend the native as well as the J-.itropcan must In- withheld from the trade. Jf we allow " irieindv natives" to take down goods for themselves or for other " friendly" natives we do just the same as if we allowed tlie rebels to be supplied direct at once. Keen during the last engagement at 'fnurnngn, it was observed that sonic of the natives when they tied from the i'a betook themselves lo the village of the •■friendly" Maoris, from whence in the first instance no doubt thev ranie. We do'not know who is to blame for the fact that this indulgence, which is denied to J-mro-pcan traders, litis been permitted.lo the Mauris. We have heard the mime mentioned of a certain otlieial in the native ollice as the party lo blame for this act of partiality. Sureh —w hen the Colonial Government, with a desire to bring the war to a speedy termination, take the very_ best menus to do so, by culling oil' the supplies of the natives —it will not be permitted lhat their efforts shall lie thwarted by the same means anil bv tlie same individual who rendered ineffective tlie expeditions to the Thames in the early part of the war.