THE DETENTION OF THE TROOPS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 869, 20 March 1869, Page 2

THE DETENTION OF THE TROOPS.

There seems to have been some "cross purposes" going on with reference to the removal of the troops from New Zealand; but, whatever they were, the ' Himalaya' was ordered by Commodore Lambert to proceed to Queensland at once, and accordingly she took her departure for that Colony on the 2nd instant. With reference to this question, the only particulars we can gather from our files to band are as follows. When the telegram ofthe Poverty Bay massacre reaohed London, Earl Granville was in the country, and Under Seoretary Mousell in Ireland. The Suez mail was to leave the day after ; the Panama the day after that. Despatches from tha war office had been sent, vid Suez, to Major-Geueral Chute, requesting him to remove the troops from New Zealand by the ' Himalaya, 1 but giving him some discretionary power dependent on the requirements of the Australian Colonies. The Captain ofthe ' Himalaya' reoeived from the Admiralty a telegram of later date, countermanding his orders to call at New Zealand. General Chute not having received any telegram, acted on his written instructions, and determined to remove only one wing of the regiment. Meanwhile, orders were telegraphed by the Governor to Captain Kennedy of the ' Airedale,' which was at Nelson, not to remove the troops from Tarauaki. Commodore Lambert then ordered the ' Himalaya' to return to Australia and carry out the orders reoeived from the Admiralty. She accordingly sailed for Brisbane on the 2nd instant, and the 18th Regiment remains in New Zealand until further orders, as nothing new on the subject was brought by the Suez mail.