MILITARY.

New Zealander, Volume XXII, Issue 2485, 18 July 1865, Page 2

MILITARY.

We understand that General Cameron is to be relieved in the command of the forces in New Zealand on tbe Ist of next month, and that he is to be succeeded by Major-General Chute, who will arrive from Melbourne for that purpose. “ Gazette,” April 11. 11th Foot.—Captain A. Gordon, from the 14th Foot, to be Captain, vice Dixon, who exchanges. 14th Foot.—Captain and Brevet-Major C. M. Foster, from 32nd Foot, to be Captain, vice Perry, who exchanges; Captain A. F. Dixon, from 11th Foot, to be Captain, vice Gordon, who exchanges. Ss? 60th Foot.—Staff-Assistant-Surgeon 0. Owen, to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice Davis, who resigns. BREVET. Lieut.-Colonel and Brevet-Colonel R. Waddy, C.6., 60th Foot, to have the temporary rank of Brigadier-General in New Zealand. April 26. 60th Foot.—Ensign A. S. Campbell to be Lieutenant, vice 0. Goldsmith, promoted by purchase to a half-pay company; J. P. Soote, gent., to be Ensign by purchase, vice A. 8. Campbell. Memorandum.—The exchange between Quartermaster J, E. Tripp, 12th Foot, and Quartermaster M. Lyne, 107 th Foot, which was notified in the Gazette of the 4th April, has been cancelled, the former officer having died on the 13th February. PRESENTATION OF THE VICTORIA CROSS. The interesting ceremony of presenting the Victoria Cross t« Lieutenant Pickard, of the Royal Artillery, took place in the Dublin Castleyard recently. Major-General Ridley, the general commanding the Dublin district, pronounced a high eulogium on the gallant officer’s merits, and read the following extracts from the London Gazette ; —“ Lieutenant A. F. Pickard, of the Royal Horse Artillery.—This officer, together with Assistant-Surgeon W. Temple, of the Royal Artillery, was recommended for the Victoria Cross, for gallant conduct during the assault on the enemy's position at Rangiriri, in New Zealand, on the 20th November, 1863, in exposing bis life to imminent danger in crossing with AssistantSurgeon W. Temple tbe entrance of the Maori keep—a point upon which the enemy had concentrated their fire—with a view to render assistance to the wounded, and more especially to the late Captain Mercer, of the Royal Artillery, Lieutenant Pickard, it is stated, crossed and recrossed tbe parapet to procure water for the wounded, when none of the men oould be induced to perform that service, the space over which he traversed being exposed to a cross fire; and testimony is borne to tbe oalraness displayed by him and Assistant-Surgeon Temple under the trying circumstances in which they were placed.” The order was then placed upon Lieutenant Pickard’s breast, and the troops having defiled before the major-general, the proceedings terminated,— Home News,

The usual weekly meeting of the City Board of Commissioners was held yesterday, Mr. Bain presiding. Several communications relating to the condition of various localities were received and laid on the table, with the determination that.they would each be attended to as soon as the Board should be in possession of ample funds for the carrying out of the repairs hinted at in the letters. No business of importance was transacted. The s.s. ‘ Egmont ’ sailed last night for Tauranga, to convey a number of the men of the Ist Waikato Regiment to Auckland. As some misapprehension has existed in the minds of the public relative to the meaning of this movement, and as it has been currently reported that these men are to be disbanded, we have ma 'e enquiries on the subject, and we believe that the intention is not as above stated. So far as we have been able to learn, these men are to be sent up the Waikato to do duty there for the present, whilst the men of the other regiments are being placed upon their lands. The Ist Waikatos are available for this service, because they alone of the Waikato forces have been necessarily kept upon pay, owing to the circumstances which have prevented their being placed on their land. We do not understand, however, that the intention of finally settling them at Tauranga is given np ; but they will probably be sent there again when no longer required elsewhere. We understand that the headquarters of the regiment, consisting of only a few men, will remain at Tauranga, under the command of Lieut.-Culonel Harington, and that the detachment now sent for will be under the command of Major St. John. We suppose that the families of the men, will, as far as may be possible, remain at Tauranga, where most of them have comfortable whores ready built. We need not say that we are not in the confidence of the Weld Ministry, and we cannot tell what may be their ultimate views with regard either to the Tauranga settlement or the Ist Waikato Regiment ; but the above account of the matter is the most probable one that we hare been able to obtain.

About twenty summonses have been issued at the Police Court against different parties, for non-payment of city rates. The hearings will come off on Friday, for which eighty civil cases are fixed. Mr. George Graham denies that he had any. thing to do with the petition to the Queen, alleged by the Canterbury Prut t) have proceeded from William Thompson. Mr. Graham also expresses his disbelief in the genuineness of this document, alleging that if Thompson bad written it, he would certainly have informed him of the circumstance. Id the Police Court yesterday, John Wareham was brought up, on remand, charged with a breach of the Post-office Regulations, in evading the payment of a letter, by sending it m a book packet from Otahnhn to Auckland. Mr. Beckham said he had carefully looked over the Act regulating the punishments for breaches of the Post Regulations, and, strangely enough, there was no clause which provided for the punishment of this particular offence. The

prisoner must therefore be discharged.—Several persons were brought up and fined for breaches of the Municipal Police Act. —Christopher Bake well was charged with contempt of Court, by interrupting the proceedings while the business of the Court was in progress.—Mr. Beckham fined him 405., or fortjr-eight hoars’ hard labor.

In the Resident Magistrate’s Court the following cases were heard Finley v. Henley ; claim, £8 Us. 6d., for work done and materials supplied. The case was partly heard last Thursday. Nonsuit, on the ground that the power of attorney granted to the plaintiff by his father, was not properly made out to the satisfaction of the Court.: —Brick!e\ v. Cotterill; claim, £2O 175., for the balance of an account contracted by him for building an oven and ehimney. Defendant replied that the sum of £37, which he had paid to plaintiff, was quite sufficient; for the work was done in so bad a manner that the whole of it fell down, and he found it necessary to pay another brickayer to finish ir, so tnat it could lie useful. A number of witnesses were called uu both sides, some of whom swore that the work was done as it should be, and that the falling down was caused by a hole being dug at the back of the oven, so as to undermine tbe foundation. Ultimately, his Worship decided to give judgment on Thursday. -Kelly v. Farrell; claim, £22. In this case the plaintiff sued for £22, which he alleged he had lent to the defendant at different times. Defendant denied t.hat he owed him anything whatever. Nonsuited.— Farreil now sued for £fo, which he alleged be ought to recover from Kelly ; but ultimately the parties consented to arbitration, which was to be considered as the judgment of the Court. —Fogg v. Gardener; claim, £4 16s. 4d., for goods supplied. Decision deferred.—Hargreave v. Robinson ; claim, £3l. This case had not concluded when, the Court rose.

One of the horses and carts belonging to Mr. Kelly, of Official Bay, had a narrow escape of being destroyed and also of injuring several people yesterday. It appears th at the horse was standing with the cart loaded with bread behind him yesterday in Shortland-street, when he took fright from some unascertained cause and ran away nt headlong speed down Shortland. crescent, throwing off loaves of breed in every direction in his course. When he got to the bottom of Shortland-street, he missed bis footing, and after rolling over once or twice, was firmly secured. Curious to relate, neither horse nor cart seemed to have received much harm from their severe knocking about. We are reliably informed that the General Cameron Hotel was very nearly destroyed by fire the night before last.* It appears that some men sleeping in one of' the upper rooms were awakened by a stifling smoke which filled the bed-rooms. On descending to ascertain the cause they found that one of the wooden partitions in the hotel was burnt through, and was then in a blazing slate. Happily the firs was at once extinguished j but ha I it hid power for a few minutes longer, it would have been impossible to get it under. The New- Zealand Examiner of April 13th says :—“ A monster petition, signed by 7,920 of the inhabitants of Auckland, has arrived by this mail, to be forwarded to her Majesty, and the Houses of Parliament, praying that the Province of Auckland may be constituted a distinct and independent colony Mr, Venon Webster took a benefit at the Theatre Royal last night, and was very favorably received. The performances were attended with every success. We hope that Mrs Foley will continue herentertainraents for some nights, as we have not the slightest doubt that, should fine weather ensue, she will te patronised with audiences so large as her talents unquestionably entitle her to.

The report of the Otago and Son :hl«nd In vestment Company has been issued, showing that the directors have advanced £35,264 on unquestionable security at good rates of interest. The directors recommend a' divi 'end at the rate of six per cent, per annum, free of income tax, ior six months, the period during which the company has been in operation in the colony, which will absorb £1,117, leaving a balance of £197 to be carried forward to next account,.— Exerting Standard, April 26. Tenders for £400,000 New Zealand Government 8 per cent. Treasury Bi'ls were opened on the 30th March at the B.mk of New Zealand. Applications amounting to nearly £700,000 were received, |ol which £130,00 ) was above the minimum. The balance could all hare been allotted in the room ; but the agents for the issue have decided to receive applications till 12 o’eto k on April 3 for the unallotted portion of the second series at and above £1 Bs. per cent, premium, and of the third series at and above £1 16s. per cent, premium. The whole of the first series was taken above the minimum.

A fatal and very melancholy accident haa occurred at the Mataura. The Southland Newt of the 27th says;—“We are aorry to have to report the death by drowning of Mr. James Aitken, an old resident of this town, for some y. are past living in Don-street; as also that of his son—a young hj d -together with the loss of two horses and a dray, which were swept away by the current, in crossing the Mataura River, at Mcnaies’s Ford, in the latter Dart of last week. The particulars of the sad occurrence cannot be given, but from the fact thst Mr. Aitken was seen on the morning on which the calamity happened, yoking np his horses for the purpose of crossing, and a portion of the load having been since recovered, there is, unhappily, no doubt of the truth of <he accident. The hat worn by the lad has also been found lovrer down the stream. The bereaved widow and mother is, as may be supposed, in a state of deep mental distress, and we are sorry to say. is also at the present time in a state of total desti ntion.” Tne next issue of thi same journal has the following“ We hare received fnnher particulars relative to tits di owning of Mr. James Aitken and his son, at the Mataura Ford, some few days sine ; but nothing throwing light on the actual circumstances of :ho calamity. Mr. Maciai iane, of the ferry, reports having seen what he supposed to be a gr> y horse moving up and down the river, and rising and falling with the current. The part of the river indicated by Mr. Macfarla le has been searched by the police ; but owing to its great depth and breaking of the grapnel rope, no de'tinite result has been arrived at. itjs, however, believed that the bodies of Mr. Aitken and his eoi will be found in a deep hole at this particular spot, and probably the horses and principal part of the dray, portions of which, and also two bags of fionr and a box of candles, with a Scotch bonne:, have been found on the Otago Han't. The river is now unfordabie, and is rising at the rate of two inches each hour.”