TROOPS FOR TASMANIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2712, 27 March 1866, Page 5

TROOPS FOR TASMANIA.

The Sobart Town Mercury, in its issue of the 22nd February, has an able article on a letter, of the special correspondent of the Melbourne Argus, who writes from Nelson, on New Zealand affairs- The letter is an absurd glorification of General Chute at the expense of General Sir Duncan Cameron. The veracity of the writer may be guessed from the statement that General Cameron was " the most odious and despised of men during the latter portion of his career." We should not be surprised if the " special " at Nelson held a seat in the New Zealand Executive under Mr. Weld. The remark quoted by us savours strongly of the love of truth and fair-play which distinguishes the politician we hint at ; but certainly it would not reflect credit upon any one else. In the article in question, the JSobart Town Mercury has the following relative to the troops in New Zealand : — " On topics so invidious as this, however, we have no desire to dwell further. We simply wish to recall attention to a topic upon which we slightly touched yesterday, — to the importance of some stir being made about the detention of military in New Zealand that belong of right to this colony. When the war broke out in New Zealand, we let our military go fast enough. But what has ever been done about getting them back ? Have the Home Government ever been applied to ? Or has any communication been forwarded to New Zealand on the subject? If not, whyP When Sir George Grey wanted our troops, he sent to us for them ? And now that we want them back, should not he be written to in return ? Novr, supposing the troops to be leaving New Zealand as Mr. Stafford says, where do they go ? As we were among the first,— nay, we were the very first to send our contingent of troops thither on the outbreak of the war, — ought not we to be among the first to get them back again ? But who has ever heard anything of this ? We know that we are entitled to them. We ought, in fact, to have been supplied with our contingent of troops, whether the war went on in New Zealand or not. We were even promised that that should be the case. But are such promises worth, unless those whose business it is to see to their fulfilment are constantly kept in mind of them? This correspondence brings the whole question to the surface again, and that is our only reason for noticing it. We are quite content to leave them to settle their differences among themselves in New Zealand, so they only do justice to us. Why not invite tenders for the return of our contingent of military, if they wish, as they say, to clear out the Imperial troops as fast as they can get ships to carry them away."