Dog Tax War - Surrender and Imprisonment of Hone Toia

Surrender and Imprisonment of Hone Toia

The potential was there for serious conflict. However the situation was defused by the timely arrival of the Member of the House of Representative (MHR) for Northern Māori, Hone Heke Ngapua. He was the grand-nephew of the famous Hone Heke. He met with Hone Toia and negotiated a truce and the surrender of Hone, his people and some of their guns. Hone Toia was arrested on the 6th of May with four others, 11 more were arrested later.

Hone Heke Ngapua had previously sent a telegraph to Hone Toia, advising him to disband his people, withdraw peacefully and to petition parliament, this was seen as a wise move by Heke considering such acts as the 1863 Suppression of Rebellion Act which suspended habeas corpus and introduced martial law into disturbed districts and the New Zealand Settlements Act which provided for the punitive confiscation of 'rebel natives' land.

Charged with 'Intending by conspiring to levy war against the Queen in order to force her to change her measures, and conspiring by force to prevent collection of taxes.' Hone and four others were sentenced for a total of two and a half years of hard labour. Others were subsequently fined and heavy costs imposed but these were later remitted.

Hone Toia near the end of his sentence in Mount Eden prison, prophesied the date of the Huihuinga prisoners release, as the predicted day wore on his powers appeared to have left him, but later that night at 9pm, it was announced and the prisoners released. Te Huihuinga were released short of their full sentence, on the 15th March 1899, this was probably due to the petitions of numerous Iwi (tribes) of the Hokianga and far north.

These events are still remembered to this day, the dog tax in the Hokianga remains, yet is still somewhat neglected, up to this very day.

Later Hone's prophecy that "if dogs were to be taxed, men would be next" also came to be realised.