The Sun. — London, England, 1865-04-13 00:00:00

The War in 'ealand, (From the Times' Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 11. Road-making, which the Weld Ministry an nounced as the cardinal point in their policy—a measure stamped with the authority of the late Iron Duke as the only one calculated to give perma nent security to a country inhabited by a warlike aboriginal race—is now being attempted on the west coast of this island. Preliminary to the actual work of road-making the troops are taking up posi tions, and are meeting with the opposition a people so astute as the New Zealanders were almost cer tain to offer. Waikato having become no longer the seat of war, in consequence of the inability of the natives to prevent the gradual occupation of that district by the troops, the only course open to the Governor was to direct the removal of the troops to the one remaining seat of rampant rebellion, with the view of impressing on the natives of the west coast the same hopelessness of further contention as it is now certain the Northern rebels at length feel. Not that the Waikato natives believe themselves inferior to our troops ; on the contrary, they regard themselves as vastly superior, man for man, and as having only been defeated by the overwhelming numbers and numerous appli ances brought against them. Against the thousands of soldiers, backed by the hitherto inconceivable re sources brought into the field, they feel powerless to contend, and, satisfied with having made a noble stand in the eyes of their own countrymen, they have abandoned Waikato as the seat of war, the few fiery spirits who still hold out having migrated to the country between Taranaki and Wanganui, through which the General is making his way. The country between Taranaki and Wanganui is, coastwise, about 120 miles in length, and contains the very scum of the Maori race, the population present ing nothing of that true nobility of character which distinguishes some of the Northern tribes. They are notorious as the murderers of women and children and the mutilators of the dead. Although few in number, unable to muster along the whole line more than 800 to 1,000 resident men, they have hitherto set at naught the efforts that the troops at Taranaki have made against them, and there can be no peace for New Zealand all the while their country continues to be an impervious nursery of the most utter law lessness. To make simple war with the hope of reducing them to submission is, under the present system of tactics, absolutely futile. The primary step is to establish military posts for the protection of road parties, and to leave time and employment for wages to do the rest. This is the Weld policy. It is desired to have no fighting but that which the natives insist upon. If they stop the way they are to be pushed on one side, but if they keep at a respectable distance they will not be interfered with. The "sharp and short" theory was never, unfortu nately, anything else than the tediously long in practice. Now the theory is to be as admittedly slow as its development,pust necessarily become. The reoccupation of the Tataraimaka block, 12 miles from the town of New Plymouth, has been fol lowed by one small forward movement on Jan. 23. The day previously Col. Warre and staff, Major Atkinson, the Defence Minister, and Mr. Parris, the interpreter, proceeded three miles southward to the pah belonging to about 30 natives, whose represen tative chiefs had expressed their intention of sur rendering last December.— They had erected a re doubt in true military style, from which they filed unarmed, expressing their intention to live in peace, and inviting the party inside, to re ceive the surrender of their arms. The sincerity of these natives is strongly evidenced by three of their number who had been concerned in some of the local murders accompanying the party to Tataraimaka and giving themselves up to confine ment as prisoners. Next morning 150 of the 43d left New Plymouth to relieve the garrison at Tata raimaka, the 212 men hitherto garrisoning it march ing on to Te Ngana, six Miles southward, where a redoubt was at once erected, to be eventually occupied by military settlers. We have learnt to be very thankful for the smallest mercies in connexion with Taranaki, but a six miles onward movement, together with the submission of 30 natives, andthe surrender of three self-condemned murderers, would make us jubi lant and ready to prophesy all manner of smooth things, were it not that the Upper Waitara natives, in the opposite or northern direction—the adherents of William King--had so recently shown how deter mined they were to resist every overture towards re conciliation: These people reside to the north of New Plymouth, and have hitherto been on tacitly friendly terms with those of their own countrymen who pro fessed to be favourable to the Europeans, but when William King heard of the Governor's peace pro clamation of last October his suspicions were more than ordinarily aroused, and he at once declared that it was but a bait covering a hook to catch him with, and that henceforth, " his eyes were shut and his ears stopped, so that the should not know any man coming to him ;!' in other words, that he would have nothing more to do with the Governor or any one friendly to him. At the end of December a loyal native went to King'splace to tell him of the ar rival of some natives fromthe Chatham Islands. He went unarmed, but with considerable misgivings, and before reaching his destination was met bysome rebels who fired, wounded, and eventually killed him. A week afterwards his wife and an adopted child, alarmed at his continued absence, went to seek him, and were likewise fired at, wounded, thrown into a hole, and killed. The settlers were even more horri fied at this barbarity than they had been at the murders that had been committed on themselves. The rebels might be expected to murder settlers, but to murder their own countrymen under such circum stances was altogether a new feature in the events of this unhappy struggle, and convincingly proves that with such an enemy swift punishment is the only argument that can be of any avail. Yet that even punishment might follow decently and in order, so that nothing might be left at which to cavil, the Coroner directed the police to exhume the bodies and bring them into camp for the purpose of inquest. Military aid was applied for, the place of burial being some miles within the rebel territory, but Gen. Cameron, who happined to be at Taranaki at the time, would not grant the request, and the loyal na tives of course regard us as not only incapable of i s protecting ourselves, but devoid of the courage re quisite for supporting those who are willing to do what they can to protect us. Murders of friendly natives, under very similar circumstances, have also taken place near Wanganui, where a loyal chief named Rio and three others have been barbarously shot by their rebel countrymen. New Plymouth is the northern basis of opera tions, and Wanganui, 120 miles lower down the coast, is the southern. Into this latter place troops and materiel have been paining for six weeks past, principally from the now quiet district of Auckland, Gen. Cameron himself arriving on the 20th January. Although the extreme number of natives that have yet congregated in the neighbourhood of the opera tions to be presently narrated can scarcely be more than from 400 to 600, the General has ordered out the Militia to the assistance of his large force of nearly 3,000 troops, and 200 of the rifle Volunteers have been sent forward to garrison an outpost. English readers will regard this imposing a something like breaking a fly 11 -- Y as pon a wheel, and must conclude that road making is progressing rapidly, but the troops have done nothing of that sort yet. Before the troops arrived an inland road had been in construction towards the Waitotara River by unarmed ordinary day labourers paid by the Provincial Government. It had progressed about 14 mile 3 from Wanganui, or within six or seven miles of the newly-acquired boundary of European land. Verbal opposition had been offered; the engi neers laying out the line thought it prudent to de sist, flc3 the survey was considerably in advance, but the labourers still kept at their work. To the Waito tard River, the boundary of the Queen's land, the road would probably have been continued by a little finessing with the 150 or 200 natives congregated there, but beyond it there was little prospect of the work being continued without coining to blows. They declared that not a sod should be turned on their own land on the other side of the river, and with this view a pah had been constructed on a hill commanding the passage of the river. The pah is on a portion of a reserve made for the use of the natives SPIRIT OP TEE PUBLIC JOURNALS. separate governor for every colony creates a definite I pecuniary interest in preserving their isolation. There is, too, an avowed mistrust of the motives by which the Canadian politicians are actuated. It is believed that the chronic difficulties between Upper and Lower Canada are as troublesome as ever, and that the politicians of b o th parties are seeking a way out of their difficulty by obtaining the separation of the two provinces under the cover of a general Federation. These are in substance the views re presented in the letter upon which we lately com mented, and the justice of that representation is since amply confirmed. We need not repeat the arguments which we urged at that time in answer to these narrow and one-sided motives. Of course New Brunswick would have to give up something, and it is easy to make out a respectable list of disadvantages ; the question, as in all such cases, is whether these are not more than balanced by advantages, and of these latter we do not read that any account has been made. What may be the object of the Canadians is not worth discus sion. Half the useful things that are done in the world are done from selfish motives under the cover of larger designs. There is, however, one of these arguments which seems to us to be refuted in great measure by the maritime colonists themselves. They have, they say, no common commercial interests with Canada. But, at the same time, they are clamouring eagerly for the completion of the Inter colonial Railroad. What can be the use of such a railroad if they neither have, nor wish to have, commercial relations with Canada ? For our part, we can conceive nothing more desirable than the establishment of such relations, and to encourage them might be one of the most beneficial results of the proposed Federation. There is probably, how ever, a furtker and still less satisfactory reason for this disposition of the Maritime Provinces. We noticed in the letter of " Union" the other day that scarcely anything was said of the importance of the Federation as a means of defence. That is one of the chief motives urged by the Canadian Govern ment, and is one of the principal reasons why the scheme is thought desirable in this country. It seems, however, to have little weight in the Maritime Pro vinces. The fact is, they do not feel the danger, and are not so sensible of the sacrifices which threaten them as Canada is • and this, probably, for two reasons. In the first place, as Canada is the principal colony, they may think that it would be the main object of attack and the chief sufferer in a war. Newfoundland, indeed, and Prince Edward Island may perhaps delude them selves with the notion that they are sufficiently pro tected by the sea. But there is a further reason still. They have a notion that we might, without serious danger, decline to defe n d C ana d a , but that we should find it absolutely necessary t o hold at all cost the Maritime Provinces, as affording us our only na va l s t at i on in the North Aiiierican waters. They suppose, therefore, that ve shall be sure to defend them, whatever they may do for themselves. Moreover, out of the small and sparse population of the minor colonies it would be ab surd for us to expect the formation of any effective militia, and therefore, so long as they retain their feeble individuality, they fancy themselves secure from all the ordinary sacrifices of independence. If they were incorporated with one large Federation, they would have to contribute their proportion both of men and money. It will be strange if the recent debates on Canadian defences do not show them that these calculations are entirely mistaken. What points of the Maritime Provinces it might be neces sary for us to hold in the event of war with the United States need not'be considered. It is certain that it would be unnecessary to hold the whole of their territory, and that from a military point of view it would be undesirable. If ever we attempted to defend either Canada or New Brunswick, it would only be in the event of the colonists displaying so resolute and high-spirited a determination to defend their soil that we should feel bound in honour to support them even at a great sacrifice. For the sake merely of maintaining our ultimate possession of the colonies it would be unnecessary, and probably very imprudent, to adopt such a course. In any case, such a system of defence must he for all the North British Provinces together. If, in short, these colonies ever wish us to defend their whole soil, they must combine in a general organisation and in mutual assistance. These unsatisfactory revelations could not come at a more opportune moment than when we are considering what course to take with regard to Canadian defence. It is plain that Canada is not the only colony which will think itself entitled in the event of war to special and complete protec tion from all the consequences of invasion, and with the whole force of the Empire. We must make up our minds, once for all, whether we will admit any such claim. If the Canadians think that because the Empire would suffer in Canada we should be bound to defend it there, we should recommend the depu tation which is about to come over here to take a few lessons in boxing. They would then learn that one of the first maxims of self-defence is not to put your hand wherever you are hit or expect to be hit. If the French invaded Ireland, and we thought we could better make them loose their hold by a counter invasion of France than by fighting a battle in Con nemara, we should certainly never listen to such nonsense as that every man in Connaught had a right to protection from the enemy. From the Peloponnesian War downwards, it has always been the hardest part of a General's duty to persuade his countrymen that the half is often better than the whole, and that even to abandon everything for the time may be the best means of regaining everything in the end. But it is a lesson which must be sooner or later learnt, and the House of Commons ought to the have the courage, if necessary, t o en f orce i t upon COUNTRY MARKETS HULL-TUESDAY. --- At our market to-day there was a rather limited supply of English wheat which met a heavy sale at a decline of is per qr.—red. 368 to 370 ; white, 42s to 43s per 5041 b. Foreign held with firmness, although much neglected. Barley rather cheaper. Peas very scarce. Beans fully as dear. Oats in demand, at is per qr. advance. - The arrivals of linseed during the week were very large, being 10,239 qrs., principally from Calcutta. SALISBURY.—TUESDAY. At to-day's market a moderately good supply of wheat was shown as regards quantity, but samples out of condi tion. Barley in favour of buyers. For oats there was better inquiry, and rather higher prices were paid. Beans dearer, and peas firm at previous currencies. For flour there was the usual inquiry. The following are present prices :—Wheat realised from 36s to 42s ; barley, 23s to 29s ; oats, 19s to 28s ; beans, 40s to 465; and peas, Ms to 48s per qr. Winter tares, from 8s to 11s per bushel ; Best bread, 10d ; household ditto, 9d per 81b loaf. NEWCAS TLE-ON - TYNE.—TUESDAY. There was a small supply of wheat from the growers, and only a moderate quantity coastwise, with nothing front abroad. Trade ruled dull. Barley, being scarce, was 10 per qr. higher, both for malting and feeding. Malt, beano, and peas 6d to is dearer. Oats is advance. Flour was 6d lower. Northumberland wheat sold from 32s to 445, Norfolk and Suffolk, 39s to 45s ' • Dantsic, 39 s t o 46 s ; oats, 21s to 26s ; barley, 26s to 31s ; beans, 36s to 40s; rye, 27s to 36s ; malt, 51s to 62s per qr. ; flour, 26s to 28s per sack. The averages were—wheat, 40s ld; barley, 32s Od; oats, 21s 7d ; and beans, per quarter. LYNN.—TITESDAY. At to-day's market the show of wheat was limited, the demand was slow, and where sales were made a reduction of 6d to is per qr. had to be submitted to. Several of our large growers refused to sell unless at last week's prices. Barley, beans, and oats were the turn in favour of sellers. New wheat, 44s to 475; new red, 88e to 395; old white, 41s to 42s ,• old red, 38s to 398 per 36 stone. Barley for malting, 33s to 355; secondary, 30s • ordinary, 26s to 280 per qr. Oats, 22s t o 24 s per •24 stone. Beans, large, OS to 36s ; small, 37s to 40s per 38. stone. . . MARKET HARBOROUGH.—TUESDAY. At to-day's market the supply of wheat was not over large, and the trade was' quiet. ' Barley steady. Oats firm• —New white wheat, 40s to 44s ; new red, 37s to 40s per 86 stone. Barley, fine, 345; other kinds, 26s to 28s per qr. Oats, new, 19s to 23s ; old, Tos to 28s per qr. Beans, old, 40s to 42s ; new, 34s to 38s per qr. Births. FREDERICK.—On the 12th inst., at Addlestone, Surrey, the wife of George Frederick, Esq., of a son. FxTzßov.—On the 11th inst., at 23, Grosvenor-street, the Lady Frederick Fitzßoy, of a daughter, stillborn. LAWRENCE. — On the 11th inst., atVersailles, Mrs. Lawrence/ of Wimbledon, of twin daughters. SMITH.—On the 11th inst., at Silvermere, Cobham, the wife of C. E. Smith, Esq., of a daughter. Marriages. • PICKETT — SWADDEN.—On the 11th inst., at St. Margaret's , Westminster, Mr. Jesse Pickett, to Dinah, the eldest daughter of Mr. John Swadden, of Winterbourn-Bassett Wilts. SELBY—HARRIS.—On the 12th inst., at St. Mary's, White, chapel, Thomas Milli n S e lb y, E sq., to Esther, second daughter of Samuel Harris, Esq., of Tickford Houses Bucks, and Mansell-street. Deaths. ---- BRIDGEB.—On the 9th inst., at Woolwich-common, Jame° Bridges, Esq., aged 65. CANDLER.—On the Bth inst., suddenly, at Malvern Liar/ William Candler, Esq., Commander R.N., aged 68. CARTER.—On the 10th inst., William Carter, Esq., of 28, Beekford-row, Walworth-road, and Woodside House, Pengo. PARRY.—At ljdny House, Woolwich, Henry Parry, Bscl•' aged 47. WILLIAMS.—On the 11th inst., at Lonsdale Villa, Barnet Surrey, Henry John Williams (otherwise Boddingtoni Artist), aged 54. WoucEszn.—On the 11th inst., at 20, Brunswick-terrace' Brighton, Anna Maria, wife of J. B. Worcester, Esill aged 42. Lo don : Prin ed and Published by WIL LIAM AN I,:a .CCVS' of No. 112, Strand, Pi inter, at TILE SIIN office, No 1 0 ; Strand, In the Precinct o f th e S avoy, i n the County Middleseas—Thuraday, April 13, 1865. THE SUN, LO DON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 13, 1865. when the land was sold to the Government, or so that the Ministry and nearly the whole of the official near to it that the natives no doubt deemed it to be departments are located in Wellington, the new so. As soon as the troops arrived at Wa'iganui a n capital ; but the mercenary motive which has pro outpost was formed, and while waiting Gen. Came- moted the agitation, and the attemptwhich is thereby ron's arrival Brigadier-Gen. Waddy made one or made to throw all the burden of maintaining peace two reconnoitring expeditions. On Jan. 11 a force on the Imperial Government, must be too palpable to of 600 men marched to within two miles of the pah deceive the Secretary of State into an acquiescence, already mentioned (Varirea), where it halted, send- although the influence of Governor Grey is paraded ing forward the 60 cavalry volunteers by which it by public speakers in its support. The agitation in was accompanied. When about 600 yards from the Otago to obtain the erection of that province also pah the natives fired a few shots of defiance, and into a distinct colony, but with a Governor limited Gen. Waddy, having seen all he could see, returned by the advice of a responsible Ministry, does not, to camp. The natives fully understood this intima- however, meet with individual local support. The tion. They looked upon it as the usual preliminary to minds of very many revolt from the idea of any such an attempt to drive them out of the pah, and knowing shabby method of clearing off from the Northern from northern experience that an attack does not Island while hampered with a war and an increas generally take place for a fe w w eeks afte r the fi rs t re - ing war debt, and a policy of i ncrease d powers to connaissance they have, from that time to this, been the provinces is advocated i ns t ea d. Th e cost o f so many petty governments, e ac h w ith its little court, strengthening it by every process known to Mao r i ingenuity ; have sent out and secured assi s t ance , would be intolerable. At th e l a t e S ess i on o f t h e and the whole are seen daily working together with Wellington Council a petition to the Queen, pro more than the industry of bees. Nothing further was testing against breaking u p th e un it y o f t h e colony, w done by the troops, and indeed nothing fu r ther was was unanimously agreed t o , an d o th er prov i nces are protesting in a similar di r e c ti on . Th e necessity for intended to be done until Gen. Cameron a rr ived, Federal action which lately man if este d i tself so and now if it is attacked at all (which I understand is not likely) a comparatively weak position, garri- strongly in Canada, and th e wan t o f i t which the coned by less than a couple of hundred nati v es, w ill Australians deplore, ought t o b e su ffi c i ent warning be found to have been converted into th e usua l against wantonly dest r oyi ng th e F e d eral constitu strong fortification, defended by a number th ree tion of New Zealand, no t w ith stan di ng the specious times as large. Our movements are slow a n d so pretexts advanced and th e gu b ernator i al influence cautious—" timid" would be the better wor d were believed to be se cre tl y b ac ki ng them. it not liable tobe misunderstood—as to increase the Proclamations have been issued by which certain toil and prolong the intended operati ons un til th e rebel lands in the T arana ki prov i nce have been con time has elapsed when they can be of th e a d van t age fiscated, amounti ng t o a m illi on acres. intended. It is doubtful whether General Cameron The Victoria Cross, which we are glad to see by intends to attempt any more p a h t a ki ng w hil e th e every mail from E ng l an d i s grac i ously sent to deco natives are in them, but hopes by pushing on in ad- rate some brave fellow's breast, has been recom ' vance to compel the pah oc cu p an t s i n hi s rear to mended by th e G overnor, at the instance of Dr. Featherston, for bestowal o n H a i mona, a M aor i chief vacate quietly, or leave him to go on unoppose d . How bold and dashing the na ti ve t ac ti cs are the whose courage changed th e fi g ht at M outoa (between events of the 24th and 25th of January testify. the loyal and rebel natives) from an approaching On the night of the 23d of J anuar y a par t y o f defeat into a famou s v i c t ory. W e hope the Queen about 30 natives with their w o men an d c hild ren will grant it, and th a t one or two of the most dis were on their way from Kai I w i t o j o i n their friends tinguished among the E uro p ean c i v ili an forces may at Waitotara, when th e y came a t ear l y d awn within come in for a simila r h onour, w hi c h i n several cases sight of the tents of the road party before men- has been richly earned. If the Queen could be tinned. Their own s t a t emen t i s t h at they knew also recommended to ext en d t o th e most prominent that if the Pakehas were frightened they would cut of her civil servants an occasional C.B. or K.C.8., and run, and theytherefore only fired a blank volley, as well as to the officers of her army serving in the but that before entering the tents, to loot them, colonies, she would fire an enthusiasm most bene they fired low with ball in case of ambush. The ficial to the interests of the Empire. I write labourers, many of them diggers from Marlborough, " Empire" advisedly, because the Empire sometimes being mostly unarmed, naturally made the best of shares directly by the devotion of those whose lives their way out of danger as soon as the first volley are spent in the drudgery of a Colonial Executive. was fired, and the women then plundered the tents In this province, for instance, larger than many a while the native men kept watch. When the camp colony, his Honour Dr. Featherston has filled the was informed the cavalry were called out, groomed office of superintendent for nearly twelve years, their horses, ate their breakfast, and arrived and obtained an honourable report. Ever since a on the ground of course t3o late to be of any constitution was granted to the colony he has held service. During the day (the 24th) 800 troops, that office, having been elected four times—the only under General Cameron, marched onwards to instance in which such has been the case—and by take up a new position. The tents were being his untiring exertion, personal courage, probity and pitched after a toilsome march along the sea coast tact, has not only prevented collision between the (avoiding the newly made road because it ran races during periods of great excitement, but through the bush occasionally), when the advanced has succeeded in preserving the most friendly guard, 80 men of the 18th, were fired upon from an relations between them. He was expected to have adjoining bush, five privates and Lieut. Johnston g one home last month on behalf of the Go killed, and four other privates wounded. A detach- vernment to negotiate the remainder of the two ment of the 50th was sen t t o suppor t, an d t h e na- million loan, but so length ene d an a b sence a t suc h a trues retreated without l oss . Thi s i nvu l nera bilit y juncture was thought u na d v i sa bl e b y hi s f r i en d s, was attributed to thei r a dh es i on t o th e P a i Mariri and he was induced to a b an d on hi s i ntent i on, faith, and they were em b o ld ene d t o m ak e on t h e although many of them we re sangu i ne enoug h to _ believe that those wh o k now hi s wort h to t h e co l ony next day the most d ar i ng a tt ac k th a t th e war re by repute would, f rom th e i r persona l acqua i ntance, cords. In front of th e cam p was a quan tit y o f scrub, which was set fi re t o b y th e G enera l' s or d ers, have left no stone u n t urne d t o h ave h a d hi m sent in order to pre v e n t sur p r i se: U n d er cover o f th e back as our Go vernor . smoke from this burning, the natives crept up, and the engagement of Nukumaru took place. An officer gives me the following account of it. He says : " There has been nothing like it in New Zealand before. The Maori plan of attack was admirable, and would have done credit to any European force. It appears that our troops wero busy taking up a position for an encampment, and pickets were thrown out in advance of each flank. The Maories, from a neighbouring bush, watched these move ments, and at length sent out three distinct bodies, two to drive in the pickets, and the other as a reserve to attackthe camp. This attack succeeded most admirably, for they drove in one picket belonging to the 18th before it could fire a shot; the other ono belonging to the 50th held its ground and saved the camp ; but had the Maori reserve come up it would have been very doubtful. It was as pretty as a field day to see the cavalry charge. They went over everything; but, unfortunately, the ti-tree was so thick that a good many Maories escaped. You may imagine what pluck these natives must have had when one was seen to seize a soldier of the 18th and drag him bodily away. Ono of the cavalry seeing this, however, came up and sabred the native." There have been 18 native bodies picked up, but I do not believe the report that there were 70 killed. After the first surprise the action was a constant re treat on the part of the natives, and they could not have carried off many dead, and, though I doubt not there were many wounded, yet Imuch fear their loss was not much more severe than our own. How severe that was the following list of casualties will tell. The number of natives attacking was, from the most reliable accounts, about 500. It has been stated to have been 1,000, but that is ridiculous : KILLED.-18th Regiment—Private James Brenny. 50th Regiment—Privates John Murphy, Smith Hargreaves, William Vine, George Poole, John Fisher, John Kenny, Wm. Erwin, Wm. Land, Joseph Gold, Henry Paris, and Robert Ridyard. WOUNDED-18th Regiment—Private Trevors, mortally ; Privates Thos. Lock, Daniel Wadkins, and Thos. Graham, severely ; Privates Thomas High and Patrick Whelan, slightly. 50th Regiment—Ensign D. L. Grant, dangerously; Lieut. W. H. Wilson, very severely ; Private John Lyden, dangerously ; Privates Arthur Poor, J. Cunningham, Jas. Reardon, George Box, John Barley, and John Christopher, very severely ; Privates Phelim Brown, Thomas Dobell, William Griffin, B. Hargreaveg, Wm. Miles, John Flynn. James Bleasdale, H. Handover, M. Burke, Robert Barret' and William Croat, severely. (From the Supplement to the London Gazelle of Tuesday, April 11.—Wednesday, April 12.) WAR-OFFICE, APRIL 12. The Secretary of State for War has this day re ceived a despatch, with its inclosures, from Lieut.- Gen. Sir D. A. Cameron, K.C.8., commanding the troops in New Zealand, of which the following are copies : "Head-quarters, Camp, Nukumaru, Feb. 4. "My Lord,—l have the honour to forward herewith the copy of a report from Brigadier-General Waddy,C.B., com manding the field force at Wanganui, of a skirmish which took place between one of our pickets and the rebels on the ' evening of the 24th of January, and also of a general attack made by the latter on our camp at Nukumaru on the follow ing day, when they were defeated with heavy loss. " The celerity with which the troops got under arms, and the spirit with which they met and repelled this sud den attack, was very creditable. " Brigadier-General Waddy was very active throughout the engagement, and showed great judgment in the dispo sition of the troops under his command. I beg to recom mend him strongly to your lordship's favourable notice, as well as those officers who are mentioned by him as having particularly distinguished themselves in the action. " The detachment of the Military Train were very gal lantly led by Capt. Witchell, and it was their steady and well executed charge that put the rebels to flight on their left attack. " Colonel Mould, C. 8., commanding Royal Engineers, was present, and Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, command ing Royal Artillery, directed the movements of the two Armstrong guns. " Col. Carey, C. 8., Deputy Adjutant-General, Lieut.- Col. Gamble, C. 8., Deputy Quartermaster-General, Major Pitt, Assistant Military Secretary, and my two Aides-de camp, Lieut.-Colonel M'Neil and Lieut. St. Hill, were also present, and were active in conveying orders.—l have, &c., "D. A. CAMERON, Lieut.-General. " P.S. A plan of the ground is herewith enclosad. " To the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for War, War-office, London." " Camp Nukumaru, Feb. 1. " Sir,—l have the honour to report, for the information of the Lieut.-General commanding the forces, that, in com pliance with orders received from him, I marched from Camp at Alexandeisfaun, on the 24th Jan., at 9.40 a.m., towards the Waitotara river. The advance of the troops was necessarily very slow, owing to the steep ascent of the road from the beach to the sand hills at the Okehu river, and the passage across these hills of the carts conveying baggage and stores. The force reached this position about 4 30 p.m., the same day, when I. formed the camp close to the Paetaia Lake, and about half a mile from the small native village of Nukumaru. Immediately after the camp had been formed I ordered out pickets, and, as a picket of the 18th Regiment approached a bush close to the village, which I considered necessary to occupy, it was fired upon by a party of rebels, who quickly retired and took up a strong position at the edge of the bush, further away from the village. The men of the picket got under cover behind a railed fence with a small ditch. Firing was kept up by both sides till dusk, after which it gradually slackened, and ceased altogether about midnight. " It is with deep regret I have to report the loss to the service of Lieutenant Johnston, 40th Regiment, Deputy-- Assistant-Adjutant-General, a most zealous and gallant officer, who proceeded with the picket to see it posted:as I had directed. He was mortally wounded soon after firing began, and died next day at noon. No farther engagement has taken place. General Cameron has reached the Waitotara river, into which a small steamer has succeeded in entering under the command of Capt. Cadell, of River Mur ray (Australia) celebrity, who has for some time past been engaged in opening up the New Zealand rivers. A further movement to the Patea river, distant about 15 miles, is contemplated, if the river can be entered so as to afford facilities for commissariat purposes. The loyal natives up the Wanganui river, those who fought so well when the rebel horde attempted to pass down last year, are still as zealous as ever. It occurs to me to state, in proof of the good fellow ship between the settlers and natives, between the much maligned, " greedy, covetous, land-sharking settlers," and the natives whom they are supposed to have maltreated during the last 25 years, that there is not a single soldier in the whole of the set tled districts of the Wellington province, the few formerly garrisoning this city having gone to the front last week, all the fighting being beyond the settled province of the Wanganui district, which does not extend more than 12 miles north of that town. There is not a soldier within 120 miles of Wellington city, nor a man-of-war in its harbour, though there are five at anchor in the port of Auck land. All the garrison duty is being done by volun teers, and not only are the natives quietbut friendly; even Wi Tako, whose kingism was once such a bug bear, lately paid into the Treasury a sum of £3O to obtain the grant in aid towards a road his people are making through the centre of his now friendly settlement. I only hope that the calling out the militia at Wanganui for service at the front will not give the rebels occasion for regarding it as a set tlers' war. It is bad enough for the orators of St. Stephen's to misname it a settlers' war, kit it would be far worse in its immediate consequences if the clearer knowledge of the natives should become simi larly beclouded. But I am afraid that my hopes will not be wholly realised, for only this morning the Wanganui steamer startles us with the intelli gence that on the night of the 9th Mr. J. D. Hewitt, M.P.C.,Ione of the settlers furthest out from Wanganui (about nine miles), was -brutally murdered in his own house by natives, who carried off his head. Mr. Hewitt's man servant escaped to the stockades close by, the family having providen tially been sent into Wanganui a few days ago for safety. As the news of the outrage spreads it will make the out-settlers elsewhere very timid, and I fear that if we hear of more such occurre nces it will tend to panic. The agitation in Auckland for a separation of that province into a distinct colony, under the irre sponsiblegovernment of a governor appointed by the Queen, is continued all the more vigorously now "Seeing the rebels were in a strongposition, and believing they occupied it in considerable numbers, which might soon be increased from the pah at Weicroa, about two miles off, I sent out a reinforcement o f 100 men . Th e re b e l s ret i red during the night, and next morning they were not to be seen or heard in the bush. " I have also to report that about 2 p.m. of the 25th of January the outlying pickets wore suddenly attacked by the rebels in large numbers, who managed to approach under cover of the high fern and flax plants unperceived till close upon the sentries ; after a short resistance the pickets were overpowered and forced to retire. Immediately after the firing commenced all the troops in camp got underarms, and I sent a reinforcement to each picket of 100 men. The attack on the left was at once checked, and the Maories were soon driven back, but on the right they advanced with great de termination, and pushed on through the village of Nuku marts. Into this bush the Royal Artillery, having movedto our right at the same time as the cavalry, fired some rounds from their two 6-pounder Armstrong guns, and the Maories soon retired from it. Considering the very difficult nature of the ground across which the cavalry had to move their advance was rapid and their charge effective. " Two wounded Maories were brought into the camp ; ono of them is Te Arawa, eldest son of Hine Pumipi Ngah mamapoto, a leading chief and, I believe, a near relative of Re wi. Both these men said that 600 Maories came on to the attack of our position ; 22 bodies have been buried by us, and I feel convinced they lost many more men, particu larly on the left. I have since heard on reliable information that the rebels acknowledge a loss of 70 men on the 25th of January ; their loss on the 24th was not ascertained. " I enclose a list of casualties, which I regret were heavy, particularly on the left, where the 50th Regiment was engaged. " I beg leave to mention most favourably the names of the following officers who were in action :—Colonel Weare, 50th Regiment (who happened to know the ground on:the left), most ably directed a portion of his regiment in the repulse and pursuit of the enemy. Brevet-Major Locke, 50th Regiment,who was in command of the first reinforce ment sent out, fully carried out the orders I gave him. Captain Witchel], Military Train, commanding the cavalry, led his men most gallantly, and kept them well in hand. Majtr Roche, commanding detachment of the 18th Regi ment with his force, took out a reinforcement of 100 men to the right picket on the evening of the 24th of January. He remained there during the night, and withdrew his men judiciously about daybreak. He was also engaged on the 25th of January. "Captain Shaw, 18th Regiment, who commanded the right picket, also behaved well, and directed his men with coolness and judgment. Captain Dgwson, 18th Regiment, was the first officer of his corps to move out with a rein forcement to the right picket on January 25 ; and I have always found him ready where duty required him. Brevet- Major Greaves, 70th Regiment, Deputy Assistant Quarter master-General, directed the cavalry in their advance to charge ; and afterwards he was conspicuous in cheering on the infantry, when driving the enemy into the bush on the right. From my aide-de-camp, Capt. Leach, 50th Regt., I received very great assistance on the 24th and 25th of January in the conveyance of orders with rapidity and cor rectness. Great Western was to obtain fair and remunerative rates for the shareholders. He hoped that a wiser and better frame of mind would come over the Grand Trunk authorities with respect to adoption of equal rates. "As Sir Duncan Cameron was in the field on the 24th and 25th of January, I have not thought it necessary to enter more fully into details of the affairs of those days, and I beg to say I felt fully sensible of the great advantage I derived from the presence and able advice of the Lieut.- General commanding the forces.—l have, &c., "R. WADDY, "Brigadier-General, Commanding Field Force. " The Assistant Military Secretary, &c., Camp Nukumaru." Mr. HOYES seconded the motion for the adoption of the report, &c. Mr. FILDES said he was glad the overture had come from the Great Western Company. He had advocated on for Mer occasions the joint-purse sys tem for both lines between certain places. He now advocated the same policy, and offered his services to conduct negotiations for that object between the Boards of the two companies. The joint-purse system was found to work advantageously between the London and North-Western and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Companies, with respect to the Liverpool and Manchester traffic, and also between the North British and Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Companies. He thought that they should not declare any dividend on the present occasion. " List of Killed and Wounded at Nukumaru, New Zea land, Jan. 24:-40th Regiment, Lieut. and Deputy-Assist ant Adjutant-General Thomas 0. Johnston, dangerously wounded; since dead, 2-18.—Lance-Corporal Patrick Cau line, killed ; Private Patrick Conolly and Private James Heathwood, dangerously wounded; since dead; Private John Bozle, Lance-Corporal John Scott, and Private Chas. Rivers and Private Charles Gallaghar, severely wounded; Private James Dorez and Private Patrick Cranny, slightly wounded.--J. MOUAT, Inspector-General, Principal Medi cal Officer.—The Assistant Military Secretary, Head quarters, Camp Nukumaru, New Zealand." "List of Killed and Wounded at Nukumaru, January 25, 2.l6.—Privates James Brien, killed ; Francis Trevor, mortallTwounded ; Thomas Lock, Daniel Watkins, and Thomas Graham, severely wounded ; Robert High and Patrick Wheelon, slightly wounded. 50th Regiment —Privates Michael Murphy, Smith Hargreaves, Joseph Gould, William Vine, George Poole, Jonathan Fisher, John Kenny, William Irvin, William Land, Henry Paris, and Robert Redyord, killed ; Private John Lyden and Ensign T. L. Grant, dangerously wounded ; Privates Ar thur Poor, James Reardon, George Box, John Barley, John Christopher, and Lieut. W. Wilson, very severely wounded ; Privates Phelon Brown, James Cunningham, Thomas Dobell, William Griffin, Henry Hargreaves, William Miles, John Flynn, James Bleasdale, Boez Hand over, Michael Burke, Robert Barnett, and William Crout, severely wounded.—J.MouAT, Inspector-General, Principal Medical Officer.—The Assistant Military Secretary, Head quarters, Camp Nukumaru, New Zealand." After a few observations by Mr. Evans, Colonel Evelyn, Mr. Conder, and Mr. Godfrey, the report was unanimously adopted, and the dividend at the rate of 2 per cent. per annum for the past half-year declared. Railway and other Companies. GREAT WESTERN GF CANADA. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday at the London Tavern; Mr. Alderman Dakin in the chair. Mr. B. Baker, the secretary, having read the notice convening the meeting, the report, an abstract of which has appeared in The Sun, was taken as read. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report and statement of accounts to Jan. 31 last, and also a dividend at the rate of 2 per cent. per annum for the half-year, payable on May 2, said he did not think it necessary to make many remarks on that occasion. He thought they would agree with him that, under the circumstances of the past half-year, the report was tolerably satisfactory. The sum available for dividend was a matter for con gratulation. The capital account had been reduced by the discharge of the 6 per cent. bonds (172,681) which became due, and were paid off. This ope ration saved about £4,362 in interest, and he had no doubt they would be able to re-issue those bonds at a lower rate of interest. The revenue account for the past half-year was as satisfactory as could be ex pected. The passenger traffic showed an increase of £24,550, and the goods traffic a decrease of £13,455 as compared with the corresponding half-year, leav ing an increase on the whole of £10,093. The pro portion of the through traffic for the half-year end ing Jan. 31, 1864, was 591 per cent., and of local traffic 404 per cent. ; for the half-year ending Jan. 31, 1865, the through traffic amounted to 65f per cent., and the local traffic to 34i per cent. The larger proportion of through traffic receipts was caused by the increase in the through rates. The charges for through traffic were increased under the convention agreed to in July, 1864. That gave the advantage in amount as compared with the local traffic. Were it not for the large deductions for losses on the American currency and the heavy cost for the renewal of the permanent way they would have had a very satisfactory amount for dividend. The heavy charge for the latter was being brought to a close, and the loss by exchange of the American currency would become less. But for those two items the revenue would have presented a most satisfac tory account. The working expenses had been re duced and the traffic receipts increased. The per centage of working expenses was 43.95 per cent. for the past half-year, against 45.5 per cent. for the corresponding half of the preceding year. When he and his colleague, Mr. Falconer, were in New York last year they undertook the responsibility of stop ping the conversion of $340,000 at 280, and even tually they were converted at 192, by which a saving of £8,415 was effected, and this sum came in oppor tunely for this half-year's account. The sum of £74,502 was a large amount of loss on the conver sion of American currency, but that rate was gra dually reduced during the half-year. On the 6th of August it was 260, and on September 29 185. Now the rate was only a little over 150. If they could keep up the increased staff, and the rate of conver sion should be further reduced, they would be for tunate. The directors and their new e xecu ti ve gave the utmost attention to the interests of the company, including their general manager, Mr. Swinyard. They were now obliged to reckon on a diminished traffic, but the causes were purely temporary. The traffic from their line had been stopped on the New York Central from a deficiency of rolling stock on the line, but the Central Company had ordered 50 new locomotives to prevent a recurrence of such stoppages in future. They had made arrangements to lease a new line now m course of construction, which would give them an alternate route for the conveyance of the through traffic in case other routes should be impeded. The short line into Buffalo would give them access to the New York Central and the Atlantic Great Western. The agreement was to work the Erie and Niagara line for 12 months, and to lease it for 21 years on the basis of the traffic, or on terms to be settled by arbitration. The Board had taken no steps for laying down the third rail, nor would they do so until they saw their way clear. Another obstruction to the traffic of the company was the passport system, which had now been abolished. With regard to the renewal of the rails The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks, to the chairman and directors. BRISTOL AND EXETER. The Earl of Devon has, at the invitation of the board of directors, accepted a seat at the board and the chairmanship of the company, which was held for many years by the late respected chairman, Mr. Buller, M.P. Mr. M. Castle succeeds Mr. W. D. Wills as deputy-chairman. Mr. Wills retains his seat as a director, which he has held from the ori ginal formation of the company, being named in the act of incorporation. SUNNINGDALE AND CAMBRIDGE TOWN. A special meeting of this company was held yes terday at the offices, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster —Mr. J. Garrard in the chair. The CHAIRMAN stated that the meeting was held for the purpose of considering a bill to authorise the Sunningdale and Cambridge Town Railway Com pany to make new railways, to use part of the South Eastern Railway, and for other purposes. It had passed the House of Commons, and if they approved the bill it would be proceeded with in the House of Lords. A formal resolution approving the bill was adopted and the proceedings terminated. ___ .• ___ __ ....._— _ on the line, it was commenced by Mr. Reid, their engineer, on the Ist of Feb., 1861, and the estimated cost was £331,279, which was to be spread over ten half-years. Of. that amount £257,403 had been expended, leavi ng £73 , 87 6 to b e expended. Instea d of expending th e sum over t h e next two half-years, their engineer proposed spreading it over two half- MUNTZ METAL. The first general meeting was held at Birmingham yesterday. The report announced the gross profit for the year ending Dec. 31 to have been £33,828 ; and after writing off the whole of the preliminary expenses, and providing for all bad and doubtful debts, the net profit remaining was £25,364. An interim dividend at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum for the half-year ending June 30 was paid, and for the half-year to Dec. 31 a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum was recommended, leaving a balance of £7,685 to be carried forward. The re port was adopted, and the -dividend declared as recommended. years, averaging about £24,600 for each half-year instead of £37,000 . Th e renewa l o f th e w h o l e of the permanent way had been a very heavy tax on the. shareholders, but that charge would soon be removed. Another gratify ing matter was that the company would soon have much more convenient goods and passengers stations in the city of Toronto. The traffic on the Detroit and Milwaukie Railway had not pro- gressed so satisfactorily as they had expected. It had suffered from the passport system and the high price of labour and materials, which latter had caused the working expenses to increase by 5 or 6 per cent. as compared with the corresponding period of last year. They had, however, been able to pay their ordinary bond interest. The appeal case of the bank suit would be settled in the course of the next three months by the Privy Council in this country, and they were assured that the company could not be made liable for anything more than was authorised by the proprietors, and that the company could not be:bound by Messrs. Brydges and Reynolds. The directors had succeeded in get ting the rates for the through traffic increased. He then read a correspondence which had been printed by the Grand Trunk Company for political pur poses, with a view to show that application on the part of the Great Western of Canada had been made to the executive of the Grand Trunk Company with a view to raise and equalise the local rates between certain points on both lines ; and that the Grand Trunk had declined to act on the proposition with a view to give the Canadians the full benefit of the present low rates. The object on the part of the HERALD.—The suppression of vagrancy and the extinction of the National Debt may be almost ranked as parallel enterprises. We have scarcely any more hope of the one than of the other. It may be well to aim at the highest kind of success. Yet we doubt whether a fond delusion is altogether a healthy thing. We are now encouraged to believe that, by the adoption of two or three peculiar clauses in the Metropolitan Houseless Poor Bill, the reproach of mendicancy will be altogether swept from the streets of London, providing the bill passes into law and the authorities are faithful to its provisions. The grand panacea is found in the granting of enlarged powers to the police, whereby the latter will be enabled to convey all destitute persons not having committed or being charged with any offence punish able by law, to the nearest casual ward or work house, where such persons will find shelter, and where they will receive some measure of relief. It is expected,. on the other hand, that being thus enabled to provide for what may be termed the de serving members of the vagrant class, the police will supplement the process by taking before the magis trates all who are mere professional beggars andim postors. This they might have done long ago, and so far as concerns the plan of handing over the really destitute to the parish authorities, even that has been a legal and practicable duty on the part of the police d ur i ng t h e temporary operation of the houseless Poor Act. The President of the Poor law Board recently stated in Parliament that in the case of the Strand Union an arrangement had been made between the guardians and the police, whereby the police-station became a species of relieving office where tickets were distributed conferring the right of admission to the casual ward. The same provi sion was available for all the metropolitan parishes, and Sir Richard Mayne had announced that three constables would be placed at the disposal of each board of guardians for such purpose. Only one union, however, took advantage of the offer, and it is com plained that the streets still swarm with beggars, and did so while th e t emporary act was supposed toi be in full operation. At the same time, we make no question that that the amended bill, if passed into law, will be far more perfect than that which existed during the past winter, and the result s w ill b e more complete. After all the boasting which inaugurated the defunct measure, it is palpable that' from some cane or other it fell short of its promise. In the case of three important parishes the relief was so niggard that the expense has been disallowed, on the ground that the act has not been complied with. In two of these cases—St. Mary, Rotherhithe, and St. George the Martyr, Southwark—it was shown by Mr. Henley in the recent debate, that the mode in which the poor creatures were " packed" away, was, to say the least of it, highly objectionable on the score of health. But for the fact that it was winter instead of summer a case of asphyxia might have been expected. In St. George's, Southwark, it would appear by the returns that the women were not allowed sufficient space to lie side by side upon the floor ; and it was suggested by the hon. member who drew attention to the fact that these recipients of parochial hospitality must have laid one upon another, somewhat after the fashion of " candles in a shop window." Turning, however, from the con templation of these horrors, we are flattered with the expectation that destitution is at last to be vigorously dealt with—so far as concerns the me tropolis. The shameless scamp who hates work and simulates misery must fly from the capital, or Policeman X will take him by the arm and do his best to get him lodged in gaol. This, we say, might have been done before ; but the mere fact that the re was no certai n re li e f for destitution 'practically un nerved the arm of the law, and beggary was gene rally winked at, though occasionally punished. Now there is to be no more of it—the poor law at last is to relieve us of this pest. The suffering poor are to be taken under shelter, and the scamps are to be left for the gaoler. Encouraged by the perma nency of the law, the metropolitan parishes are ex pected to prepare sufficient wards, and the very sight of a beggar is to be unknown in the streets of London. We wish it may come to pass; but we have our doubts. The deserving poor must be really cared for, for this purging of our thorougnfares can only be accom plished by a process which will multiply the deaths by starvation which now horrify us so often in the records of the coroner's court. The question arises— Will the guardians allow effective relief ? The fact is, that at the present time the poor rates have to be largely supplemented by the hand of private charity. Not only do we find' the casual wards of the work houses opened under the provisions of a general me tropolitan rate, but at the same time the " refuges" and " asylums," p rov id e d b y t h e voluntary benevo lence of the public, are in full operation, receiving more than 27,000 persons during the mouth of January. It is notorious that in the case of paupers receiving regular out-door relief the allowance is often so small as scarcely to pay for the rent of the miserable room in which the recipient dwells. But for private beneficence, either the poor rates must rise or many of the poor must perish. The clergy of those parishes which contain a large leaven of the working classes can tell sorrowful tales of the desti tution which they are compelled to witness, and for the relief of which they are perpetually imploring funds from the rich and charitable. The poor law administers but a part of the relief which is required for the sustenance of those who from sickness, widowhood, or other causes, are rendered really des titute. Many a half-starved woman carries on a practical mendicancy under the guise of selling some trifling articles which she carries in her hands from house to house. If this be vagrancy the law dare not touch if ; for if it is to be prevented there must be a wondrous enlargement in the amount of out-door relief, or else in the size of our metropolitan workhouses, unless we are to build bigger prisons, and shut up the destitute out of our sight along with thieves and veritable vagabonds. At the same time we have no o bj ec ti on to the experiment on which Mr. Villiers seems so san guine. Some good will come of it, no doubt. It will throw the plumb-line a little deeper, and show yet more distinctly how far we have come short of a law which really helps the destitute while it frowns upon the idle and disorderly. The tempo rary nature of the relief offered under the proposed system is one defect. Destitution is a slow fever, and is not soon over. There is misery in this mighty London which needs a very patient and dis criminating hand for its successful treatment. We have great faith in the operation of our voluntary institutions. The money placed in the hands of the clergyman of an east end parish goes far more directly to the relief of the poor than the so much per pound which is paid in obedience to the demand of the overseer. The poor rate is a compound article, only a small portion of which goes towards filling the belly or clothing the back of the hungry and ragged Lazarus who appears at the gate. There are those who boast of the poor law ; but to this hour the relief of the poor is very largely dependent on other hands than those of the parish officer. The police are now called to the rescue, and we are told to expect great things when the man of the trun cheon helps to distribute the parish loaf. The beg gars are to vanish, and we hope they may; but we have no doubt that destitution will yet remain, and we are rather doubtful whether even the beggars will be got rid of. No modification of the poor law will be successful until the guardians are able and willing to afford effective relief. TIMES.—The result of the elections inNew Bruns wick is. now completely known, and it is quite as adverse to the prospects of Confederation as was anticipated in the letter which we recently noticed. Out of the 41 members who compose the Assembly 30 are returned in opposition to the scheme, so that its rejection must be expected by a majority of three to one. There is reason to fear that this unfortu nate result will greatly affect the decision of Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, it is said, will require the exercise of considerable influence to insure the success of the proposal. In short, there can, we fear, be little doubt that the prospects of the scheme were at first represented to us in too flatter ing colours. It was said to have the approval of the Colonial Governments and of the principal members of the Oppositions. We are now told that, at least in New Brunswick, it was only approved by a majority of the Government, and that if the leading members of Opposition assented they ex pressed no opinion but their own. Under such cir cumstances the project must probably be considered to have failed for the time, and indeed we lately published the intelligence that one of the Govern ments had already assumed its failure, and had pro posed to proceed instead with the scheme for the legislative union of the Martime Provinces, which was already u n de r formal discussion last any such year, when the larger scheme was started. schem thee,h m owev a e ri r ti , even Provinces, the lete arrangedas ly stof th be tweeneHome Government would, of course, be necessary, and we should be justified in refusing our consent to a partial Union when a wider, and therefore more complete, Federation has been proposed, and has been heartily accepted by the most important of the colonies. If the New Brunswickers and other colo nists reject so peremptorily a proposal which we think desirable, they could have no reason to com plain if we acted from Imperial considerations in a similar way. The motives of their perverse determi nation are but too evident. There is plainly, in the first place, a keen jealousy of Canada, and a very strong dislike to any plan by which the minor Pro vinces would become liable to the influence of the larger colony. The New Brunswickers say they are very good friends with the Canadians, and wish to remain so, but that is no reason why they should enter into a partnership with them. They have, they say, no common commercial interests, and it may be added that the present establishment of a The Federals in the South-West. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, March 21. Only two divisions of the fourth corps, under General Stanley, advanced towards Virginia, and are now at Bull's Gap, a pass in the mountains 70 miles from Knox ville, and only a short distance from the Virginia line. Six thousand or more cavalry are in the advance, and the usual amount of artillery accompanies the infantry. The remaining division is still at the old camp at Huntsville, Alabama. This "army of the Tennessee," which may be considered the left wing of Gen. Thomas's command, will advance into South-western Virginia and occupy the fertile and elevated region of country on the Atlantic slope of the Alleghanies, west of Lynchburg ; and seize upon and con sume the supplies now growing and in store ; and thus cut a the rebel army under Lee from food in that direction. • They will also gradually advance to Lynchburg, and form part of that immense coil which is closing and tightening around the great centre where will culminate the summer campaign of 1865, and where the fate of the whole rebellion may be decided. The great ,military ability of Gen. Lee, who has no equal on this continent, must soon manifest itself in some abrupt and bold movement. My own opinion is that he will flee to the mountains if he can get out. He sees or pretends to see no cause for alarm. The negroes were furnished him too late. I think he will soon find that he cannot much longer prolong the unequal struggle, and that he will report his inability in that respect to Jefferson Davis. Davis cannot afford to accept his resignation, and will beg him to continue. The whole thing will then re solve into contentions and strife and partisanship, andper haps peace on the basis of the expulsion of the French from Mexico, or some other adventnre or undertaking which will unite. the opposing armies by a band of common sympathy. The people of the West are by no means so heartily sick of the war as to accept a dis-union peace. The West is very prosperous. The farming interest, which is the controlling and most important interest, isflourishing, and the farmers have largely invested in Government securities. They have consecrated the cause by the sacrifice of their relatives in this wicked rebellion ; and the blood of their sons and brothers cries around from the ground. They have sold their produce at enormous prices, and the fall in the price of gold is, pari passu, increasing and confirming the value of their paper acquisitions. The taxes and duties required to be paid are, of course, a great draback, and a source of much complaint among a certain class ; but the famers hold the balance of trading commodities, and a bushel of corn will buy nearly as much as it ever did. They are therefore incoming rich in stock and land, and Government securities. They have paid in depreciated paper debts contracted in gold, and thus easily cleared their farms of encumbrances. The very scarcity of labour compels them to do their own work and retain the wages. But there is a large class at the West as well as at the East to whom there have accrued no advantages to counterbalance the enormous cost of living. They have been left high and dry by the shifting channels opened by the flood of an expensive war. The treasonable organisation called the "Sons of Liberty" numbered 75,000 members in Illinois alone. Professional men, those who live on small fixed incomes, money loaners, men of middle age who have no longer the energy and versatility of youth, and cannot substitute new occupations and habits for old ones ; disappointed political adventurers and office-seekers, whose antecedents are of the Copperhead and unpopular stamp, and many others, all now producers of the same kindred, including Englishmen and other foreigners of quiet and steady habits, all lack the enthusiasm of the bellicose popu lation, and fail to see anything but ruin to themselves re sulting from a " vigorous prosecution of the war." When the popular spirit begins to flag, it is lashed into fury by a press dependent to a great extent upon the administration and the fickle favours of the prevailing party. I have not room to say more on this prevailing subject. The 10,000 cavalry who, as I informed you some time ago, have started on their destructive raid through Missis sippi and Alabama, will endeavour to make an end of Forrest's small force of 5,000 or 6,000, which is prowling around below Memphis. After this is done, and some other things, Mobile will fall of its own weight. Kirby Smith's force is so disposed beyond the Mississippi as to be incapable of any mischief in this vicinity at present. Dick Taylor has the remnant of Wood's army, which does not amount to much. He will probably assist in the defence of Mobile. I do not think the draft has been very productive yet, though many new regiments have passed through this city to fill up the vacancies left by the advancing forces. Our cause is eminently prosperous. The rebels are disheart ened. They are only flesh and blood like ourselves. Why should all the heroic virtues be ascribed to them, and no thing but venality and self-interest to us? Davis is a hero, and so is Lee ; but their followers have been enthusiasts, and are now dupes and victims. Where is their liberty ? Where is their security? Where is their property? What is their present condition ? Where is their future ? There is by no means so much self-sacrifice on the part of the North as there was at first. Every one is seeking his own aggrandisement ; but it must be observed that the pa triotism of the South has also in a great measure abated, and very naturally too. What does it really signify to the ignorant mountaineers of Tennessee and Alabama who is President ? But it does signify something whether their wives and families perish of starvation while they are waging a disastrous war and upholding gratuitously the falling timbers of the rotten Confederacy. Forty trains of cars passed through Chattanooga for Knoxsville, not beyond a day or two since, conveying the stores and supplies of the fourth corps, and a cavalry brigade under Col. Palmer, the able commander of the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry. Gen. Thomas has just returned from Knoxsville. He will not take the field in person un less in case of emergency. ADVERTISEMENT,]—HoIIoway's Pills.—Functional Dis orders.—Who would be well must see that every organ of the body does it duty fully and fairly, which every one may certainly insure by occasionally resorting to these pills, or by taking a course of them, according to the printed directions folded round each box. Stomach, liver, kidneys, and bowels are all reached by their purifying and correc tive powers, and any departure from their natural action is strenuously resisted, and order and regularity enforced. Health may always be preserved by attentive obedience to Holloway's directions, and by using his medicine as ad vised by them. All obstructions will by this means be re moved, the blood will be purified, 'and its free and faultless circulation established. Get Suin 0 that such . 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