FURTHER DETAILS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XX, Issue 1165, 3 December 1863, Page 3

FURTHER DETAILS.

(From the ' New Zealander's Own Correspondent.) Rangariri, Saturday, Nov. 21. At 6.30 a.m. yesterday morning, about 500 troops left the Queen's Redoubt, and were embarked on board the Pioneer and Avon. Halting at Meremere the General and staff landed, and accompanied the force which had been assembled there the day before. The land party marched along the track to Rangiriri while the steamers towing four gun boats proceeded up the river. On arriving at Rangariri we saw that the land force had taken up a position a few hundred yards in front of the Maori position, and that they had got two Armstrong guns into position. At 3 o'clock these guns opened fire on the enemy, and the steamers as quickly as possible took up their position so as to enable them to rake the pits. At four the land force advanced to the attack, and were met by a withering cross-fire from behind the iutrenchments, by which several officers and privates were knocked down; but with only a slight hesitation the scaling ladders were placed and our men swarmed over, baynetting right and left. A private of the 65th Regiment was the first to unfurl the regimental flag on the parapet: his name was, I believe, Gallagher. The troops scaled the left flank of the rifle pits, and then charged round to the rear, but it was found that the enemy had a very strong position in the i centre, so that was charged from the rear, but with-

jut success, as there was only a narrow opening by Q which our men could find entrance; several times nras this place endeavoured to be taken but each ( j time our men were driven back with loss. Lieut. n 3t. Hill, A.D.C., led on a party twice, and Captain 2 Mercer, whilst attempting the same thing, was bdaly wounded in the face and lay just under the jnemy's position; several attempts were made to •each him, but without effect, and at last he was )nly brought back by a sap being dug to the place where he lay. I cannot, at present, give a full account of the o iffair, but must leave that for my next communi- g :ation. Whilst this was going on at the front, the troops " yere landed from the steamers, and attacked the j jneiiiy in the other positions some hundred yards to a ;he rear; the enemy fled from these, and took to g ,he Lake Waikari, some in canoes and some swim- e ning. It was here that the greatest slaughter took r dace. The enemy were shot down as they retired, n iring, towards the Lake. It is supposed that at f east fifty fell here, and the blue-jackets are now J jngaged in the search after the bodies. I Towards evening, a request was sent down to the 8 Commodore that he would send up as many blue- ( ackets as possible to assist in storming. A large s jarty accordingly started, under the command of I Commander Mayne, of the Eclipse, and the first j Lieutenant of the Miranda, Mr. Bowler. On ar- £ •iving, this party charged the Maori stronghold, f )ut were driven back with the loss of several £ tilled, and Commander Mayne and Mr. Bowler j vounded. ' It is now determined to undermine the spot i svhich was only a small redoubt, as it were, filled j ivith natives, and our men in the ditch outside. A ] mine was therefore commenced, but after proceed- j ing some distance it was found to be impracticable the soil falling in. 1 A breach was therefore commenced on the left : side of the position (our men were all round it), and is the day began to dawn, a party was told off for the " forlorn hope;" but now the white flag shows above the work, and the enemy marched out to the number of 200, and were taken prisoners. Most of the principal Chiefs of Waikato are either dead or taken prisoners. The Phoebe arrived from Auckland this morning at 11.30, bringing the important news of the attack on Rangiriri, by which a crushing blow has been given to the rebels, accompanied however by a very severe loss to our own forces. The 4 New Zealand Herald' says the Inter-colo-nial Royal Mail Steam Company have, we learn, taken up the Panama route, and intend at once to lay on a line of steamers to New Zealand. They have already secured several suitable vessels, and are in treaty for others. The Rangatira had been detained in Auckland, and would leave on the 25th. I The Assembly was to be prorogued about the 26tli of November ; but many of the Southern members, were to leave in the Rangitira. The site in Cook's Strait for the seat of Government, was expected to be reserved to Commissioners appointed by three Australian Governors, who were to take evidence and give a final decision. The Parliamentary news is important. The resolution relative to changing the seat of Government had been carried, arid led to a most serious

parliamentary fracas. The ' Nelson Colonist' correspondent of 24th November, thus describes it : — A resolution has been carried to the effect that the time has arrived when the seat of Government should be removed to some suitable site in Cook's Straits. After a great many attempts to postpone the question until a number of Southern members had gone home, and some very ill-judged threats to speak against time unless the postponement were consented to, in which Mr. Stafford took a very prominent part, Mr. Fitzherbert brought the house to a division about 12 o'clock on the night of Friday last, by moving the previous question "that this house do now divide;" this being carried, and all further discussion thereby prohibited, Mr. Stafford rose in great wrath, and said, addressing the Speaker, t' This is very unfair, —so unfair that I shall not stay in the house whilst the division is being taken;" and immediately walked out, followed by all his Auckland friends. Major Richardson called the Speaker's attention to Mr. Stafford's conduct, and Mr. Mantell proposed that Mr. Stafford's words be taken down, which was put to the House and agreed to. Mr. Bell proposed that Mr. Stafford should be sent for to give his own words, and Mr. Sergeant-at-Arras with his white rod was despatched to bring Mr. Stafford in, but he reported that Mr. Stafford was not to be found in any part of the House, so that the taking down of the words was postponed until Tuesday. The House then proceeded to divide, but in order to get a division two of the Southern had to vote No, when the numbers appeared, Ayes 24, Noes 2. The Auckland members and the Auckland newspapers seem to have quite lost their temper and their judgment upon this question—roundly accuse the Southern members with having systematically treated Auckland unfairly, and appear to treat the subject as if of far greater importance than the loan, the war, or the suppression of the rebellion. The same correspondent also says:— Mr. FitzGerald has obtained leave to introduce a bill to appoint a " high commission " to enquire into the Waitara purchase, &c. Mr. Weld naturally prefers to appeal to the House of Representatives, and had given notice of a motion for Wednesday last, " That this House do forthwith resolve itself into a committee of the whole House to take into consideration the despatches of his Excellency Sir George Grey on the Waitara question which have been laid before the House this session by command of his Excellency. A committee to consider the Representation of the Colony have reported in favor of increasing the number of Representatives to seventy by the addition of thirteen more members for Otago, Southland, Canterbury, and Auckland. Mr. FitzGerald chose the Loan Bill as the subject for his great speech this session. He spoke for two hours, was very attentively listened to by a very crowded house. His speech was a master-piece so long as he confined it to finding fault with the present and last ministry; but universally admitted to be a miserable failure when he came to say what he would do himself. His speech is fully reported in the Auckland papers, and evidently corrected by himself.