LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 784, 18 June 1864, Page 5

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(from our our correspondent.)

AUCKLAND,

Bth June.

Since my last communication, no change ha» taken place in the warlike aspect of affairs. The natives, on their parti hare remained quiet in their hiding places, and our troops appear to have been too busily employed in erecting huts, and other camp duties, to permit them to make any extended •xpedition* in oewch of the rebels. The rainy weather which has alio set in, appears likely to hare itt effect in retarding military operations for a time ; and the *oldiers will doubtlesß find themselves busily c ough employed in finishing the huts on casual diy« of flae waather, before the necessity will bare passed away for them in th? return of more genial and sunny days It is true a few natives are heard of now and then as appearing in the vie'nity cf some of our ad> vancel positions, but they seem sedulously to shrink from ob-ervation ; and hasten at once to get out of sight when even they find themselves appronciing too closely and within observation of the troops. On a recent trip up the Waipa by the steamer Avon towards Kopua, a few natives were noticed ; but these quickly decamped on perceivinsr the approach of the soldiers who had token to a boat to proceed further up the river than the steamer could get on aosount of the rapid current. Five Mao1 is were noticed—and one or two of these were belie ed to be women. They had been bnsilyemnloyed in the removal of potatoes and Indian corn from one of their storehouses ; but in their haste to escape left behind them all their treasure in the vegetable way. The friendly Chief Haul and his companions who have been on a visit to the rebels to persuade them to mend their ways, a*e said to be on their way hack to Auckland. The last place visited was Peria which has been so frequently mentioned !as Thompson's stronghold. It is said the friendly ambassadors, are the bearers of importaut documents to the Governor. There is little news from Tauranga, with the exception that some of the friendly natives around Maket'u and elsewhere are assisting' the rebels, now the dearth (of (Commissariat supplies begins Feriously to be felt by them. It is to be heped in thus rendering their brethren assistance in their time of adversity, the friendlies are not imposing upon the generous riiture of the officials of the native office, and making use of a portion of the floar, sus;ar, and rice, which was forwarded for their special use a few weeks ago. A shocking case of murder and attempted suicide occurred on the 3rd instant, near the Queen's Redoubt. A settler, named Maclean, in a fit of jealousy! shot his wife through the heart, and then attempted to destroy himself. He placed the muzzle of the jrun underneath his chin and discharged it, but without the deadly effect anticipated- A portion of the jaw was shot away, but no vittl part of the body touched, and he has now sufficiently recovered to be brought to Auckland and peaned in gaol. He i* an old life-guardsman, and has been in this Province about three years, but appears lately to have got into pecuniary difficulties. He is said to have previously attempted his wife's life on two'ccasious—once at Brighton, with a knife; and the second time at Melbourne, by attacking her with a sword. The son and daughter of the accused were the principal witnesses against him on the occasion of the holding the inquest over the body of Mrs Maclean. The prisoner was fully committed for trial. There is also another charge of wilful murder already on the list to b<) tried at the next sittings of the Supreme Court in September—the June session, having only terminated cm Monday last.

This is the case of Sergeant Boyle of the 3rd Waikato Militia, for shooting Thomas Green, private in the same regiment, whilst on his way as escort from Auckland to Otahuhu. The civil *eßsio"s of *he Supreme Court is at present being held. There are only four cases on the causelist one being a special jury rase. An extraordinary occurrence happened on Monday last, unprecedented. I believe I may truly say, in the annals of the Auckland press. I Tliis was no less than a disturbance at the " New Zealander" office in Shortland street, and which at one time threatened to become of a most serious nature. The circumstances are thus narrated by a person who was an eye-witness of the proceedings :—" About ten o'clock a number of men belonging to the Esk, man-of-war, assembled ut the "New Zealander" office, and made iuquuy for the editor, or other responsible party connected with thnt journal. As lam informed, neither the editor nor proprietor -were at that time at the office. There was a good deal of confusion, but the object the men had in view in thus assembling appeared to be, that they might obtain a retractation of a statement made in the "New Zealander". of-Saturday last, the 4th inst. So much for the freedom of the Press 2 The number of men assembled outside was about fifty, but thsre were many who had forced their way into the inside of the publishing office of the paper. While some were inquiring for the person responsible for the statement, others had taken out one of the windows o* the premises, with the view of fastening a rope to pull the building down, and it is a noticeable feature in the proceedings that, at this point, a voice called out in the crowd, " We have the authority of our offic«r« for what we are doing.' The window having been removed, a rope wa* actually poked through it—for the seamen had a rope with them — and preparations were made for a haul. At this moment. Mr George Graham, Justice of the peace, was passing, and seeing what was going on begged of the men to d^ist. Mr Graham was tareasked-"Was he the editor?" and he was assured that if he was they would "chuck him into the mud.1 * Mr Graham pleaded innocence; but fearing that something serious inigut happea, he at once communicated with the Commodore, Sir William Wiseman, Bart, and, through the Hon. Thomas Euusell. with his Excellency the Governor. Mr Grahtm also warned thoa* of the police foroe who were at hand of wh%t was going on. At this time the confusion continued, but nothing more serious was done than one of the men in the ciwd ruining in and fearing up one of the papers of Saturday last. A gentleman connected with the " New Zealander" now gave a promise that an extraordinary should be issued before twelve o'clock containing a retractation of the statement, and the mob were in kome measure pacified, end rapidly began to disperse. Meanwhile the police had been mußtered in force, and were near at hand, but it was deemed more advisable that they should not appear, and they were not «alled to -the scene of the disturbance. The whole did not last over half an hour, and at twelve o'clock there was no appearance whatever to indicate any disturbance. It was commonly alleged in the city, yesterday, that the officers had authorised the men to go on shore and seek what redress they could get; but without committing any violence. I understand that the following extract from an article published in the " New Zealander" on the Ist inst, and repub'ished in that journal of Saturday last, is the ground of complaint by the men of the Esk. After giving a biographical notice of the late Captain Hamilton (of the Esk), the writer of the article says :—" It is much feared that this brave officer was cruelly deserted by his men, who were seized with a panic and fled back to our position, after being gallantly lei as the forlorn hope to the attack. It is true it was a ■ critical moment, but if the men had displayed half the courage and daring of their officer, a very different result would have to be chronicle} respecting this unfortunate encounter." The reply made by the " New Zealander" yesterday was the following, 8s publishe.l in an extra, about noon:—" ' New Zealander Office, Monday morninir, June 6. * A Visit to Te Papa Cemetery.'— With reference to an article from our own correspondent, headed as above, which appeared in the 'New Zealander' of Saturday last, we are requested by seamen of H. M. s.'s. Esk to publish the following stat ment, made by them at our office this morning :—The attacking party fell in Colonel Hamilton, and the officers in the charge of the battery. After the attacking party went up to the pah the men were wavering in the centre of the pah. Some time afterwards Captain Hamilton walked up, and had no sooner done so than he fell. Four of his men drßgge 1 him down off the parapet into the pits, thinking that the pah would be their own. They tried to lift him, but he was too heavy, and in the rush they were dragged away from him, and only his cap and pistol krought out. The panic was not caused by the Naval Brigade, By a mittake of the 68th rushing in on the opposite side of the pah, a panic was cau?ed amoust those in possession of the pah. The retire was sounded, the oincer exclaiming—Good God ! they are coming iv thousands. Thi« wis the cause of the panic,' -John P. Bbckbtt, Quartermaster."