MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 148, 30 October 1847, Page 3

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The Army.— The following will be found excluaive information with regard to the movements of the undermentioned regiments: — Fiom Cork, Ist battalion 67th to Gibralter, the 66th from Gibralter to West Indies, to relieve the 7th from America j from ditto, 2nd battalion 67th to Gibralter to relieve the 72nd for the West Indies to relieve the 19th for Ameiica. From England Ist battalion 69th to Malta, to relieve the 54th, for the West Indies, to relieve 16th battalion Ist Foot for America ; from ditto, 2nd battalion 691h to Jmaica, to relieve 3Sth for Ameiica j from ditto Ist battalion 76th to Corfu, to relieve 34ih for Gibralter to relieve 79th for America ; from ditto, 2nd battalion 761h to Gibralter. to relieve 16th for Corfu, to relieve Ist battalion 97th for America; fiom ditto, Ist battalion sth Foot to Mauritius, to relieve 12th Foot ; from ditto, 2nd battalion slh Foot to Mauritius, to relieve 35th Foot. To return home :— 46th, 77ih, 33rd, 82nd, 93rd, and Ist battalion 23rd from North America and Ist battalion 12th and 35th Regiments from the Mauritius.— Jersey Times.

The New War Decoration, — A circular similar 10 the one alieady published in the Gazette has been issued from the Horse Guards, to the commanding officers of the vaiious regiments in the service, detailing the patticulars of the new war decoration, — Globe, June 7.

Army and Military SfcßViCEs—An account of the receipt and expenditure for armj and militia services, for the year ending 31st of March 1846, has just been presented to Patliament by Her Majesty's command, and was iisued on Saturday by order of the House of Commons. It appears therefrom that the balance remaining from 1844-5, was £203814 ; the amount granted for army services fur 1845-6 was £5,979,272 ; that for militia services £126,224; and the amount received as appropriations in aid of the sums voted on the army estimates £162,475 odd —making a total of receipts £6,49,8 56 12s. sd. The expenditure in 1845-6 was £6,189,447 55. ; and the amount expended on account of supplies to the troops at Hongkong, between Sept. 1843, and March 1844, £12,041 05. lOd. ; making a total expenditure of £6,201.488 55., and leaving a balance unappropriated of £290,368 6»« 7d.~.Globe June 10.

Siege Operations at Chatham. — The 9th of June was a day of considerable interest to the military of the garrison, on account of an experiment in destroying a double stockade of very considerable strength, and resembling that ofHeki's pah in New Zealand, by the Chelsea out-pensioners, sent to this place to be instructed in field operations, under Colonel Sir Frederick Smith, K.H., of the Royal Engineers. The stockade was erected at the bottom of the field-works, and to witness the experiment were assembled the commandant of the garrison, Col. James Simpson, the brigade major, Capt.Wood, and the principal ofiiceis of the stair. The company of pensioners were put through their drill by Colonel Sir F Smith, and the Hist operation of breaching the stockade commenced by placing at some distance from the pah, four large sap rollers, and a small hand truck, on which were placed bags of gunpowder. The rollers and truck were moved forward with great precision and steadiness, the soldiers stooping as they advanced, the rollers covering them from the fire of musketry by the enemy inside of the stockade, i On arriving close up to the erection, the truck was disengaged from the rollers, and was run close under cover, and tilted, causing the powder to lie close up against the stockade; the j fuse (Blink ford's ) was then placed. Sir Fred. Smith had the whole of the company of pensioners drawn up in line in front of the building, and he described very minutely the effect of powder placed as the present charges were; and after detailing the nature of the experiments previously tried, oidered the pensioners to fall back, with the exception of two or three, who remuined to witness the fuse ignited by the slow match by the Hon. John James Bury, assisted by serjeant-major Allen, R. E. They then retired, and after the lapse of two minutes, a most awful explosion was made, which had the effect of destroying several balks of timber above a foot in thickness, and opening a breach in both sides from eight to nine feet. The bags contained 200 ll». of powder. On the 10th a similar ! experiment was made against a stockade, when charges containing 100 lbs. of powder were laid on the ground close up, and clamped up firmly by six damp bags filled with sand, and on being fired, a loud and terrific explosion took place, scattering the timber, and making a breach of thirteen feet. The explosion had such an effect that about 300 panes of glass were broken in the Casemate Barracks, occupied by the Invalid soldiers ; and the roof of a large building occupied by thello)al Engineers corps is so damaged, that the whole must be taken off and replaced ; several panes of glass of private houses in Exmouth Ten ace were also broken by the report, aivd the b)standeis at some distance stated, that the earth trembled under their feet The breaching was very satisfactory to Sir F. Smith, and also to the officers present. The pensioners are to go through a course of instruction in making gabions, sap-rollers, attacking stockades b) means of sapping, forming bridges with casks, breastwoiks, and everything connected .with field duties; and every means will be taken to make these veterans as perfect as possible within the time allowed, which is fourteen dajs. The British squadron under Sir Win. Paiker had captured and detained in custody the expeditionary forces of the Portuguese rebels under the Count Das Antas.