THE Tuesday, January 29, 1861. FROM ENGLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1492, 29 January 1861, Page 5

THE Tuesday, January 29, 1861. FROM ENGLAND.

IThe News from England by the November Mail, specially relating to New Zealand, is highjy satisfactory. The Home -authorities seem fully alive to the necessity of doing all in their power towards "making the war at Taranaki a short one, and the men and materiel they are forwarding, excite the belief that when advices of the slow progress made at Taranaki is received, a younger and more active leader will be sent out also. •Captain Mercer's battery of Armstrong guns, with 256 men, and 22 women and children of. the Royal Artillery, had sailed. So desirous were the authorities that no delay should take place in bringing these powerful guns into service, that they, "despatched an officer to Australia

by the overland route, for the purpose of purchasing and shipping to Taranaki the horses requisite for mounting the battery. The idea of sending to Melbourne for artillery horses, and incurring the large expense of . freightage &c, while any number of suitable horses might be had in New Zealand, shows that notwith-

•standing all the information the Statis--1 tical Blue Books and other documents .have contained for several years past, there i 3 really very little known of New Zealand at the War Department. However we may readily excuse such a mistake when the motive prompting it is remembered— an eager desire to permit nothing to delay the speedy termination of the war. The bullocks of the siege train now in use will probably be set at liberty; their cost has been we have read, about £30,000 a year— the hay, turnips, &c. for their subsistence being all imported from Sydney and Nelson. A special Board has reported that a change in the equipment of the men should be made. It sees, what the officers in command here will not see, that bush fighting must be adopted. The coat, shako, and accoutrements which prevent the soldier from making his way readily are to be discontinued, and a jersey shirt and foraging cap substituted. This is as it should be. The late Sir Harry Smith was obliged to adopt the same course in the Caffir War, denuding the soldier of his ordinary clothing and substituting a suit of moleskin instead. When the instructions are carried out we hope the same amount of good sense which dictated the change will be brought to bear in improving the mode of equipment recommended. The " thick flannel jersey, fatigue cap, buffleather gaiters and boots to lace outside " will make a capital fighting costume; but we cannot say that the directing each man to carry a " hatchet, a tomahawk, a strong jack-knife, a tin pot, a cloak rolled up in an oilskin haversack with provisions ready cooked, and a pot to boil tea on a bivouac " is likely to conduce to his agility of movement in the bush. The idea of the Home Authorities is that the troops should be clothed and provided for bush warfare; it is for the Colonial Authorities to fall in with the idea, and, by relieving the soldier of all unnecessary, hamper, enable him to cope with the native in his present vantage ground. When these instructions reach Taranaki, we trust there will no longer be any hesitation in allowing the military to volunteer lor bush service. A portion of the Indian reinforcements have doubtless arrived by this time somewhere in Now Zealand -, a

vessel from Bombay with GOO on board having been spoken with.

Private letters tell us that it is the wish of the Horse Guards that the head quarters of the 14th Regt., should be stationed at Wellington as soon as circumstances permit.

The tone of the Home Government and Press is now decidedly favorable to sending us such a force as may be necessary to quell the present rebellion, and to maintain peace when made.

Turning from these warlike topics, we are happy to notice an increase in the price of wool. This stimulus was much wanted to induce local sales of the present clip it will also put both buyers and sellers in good heart.

The Inter Colonial Mail Company have presented a highly satisfactory report. The .Chairman informed the meeting that after all expenses were paid, the traffic was remunerative independently of the Government subsidy, which was at that time £35,000 a year.

In consequence of the promotion of Sir W. Donnison to the Governorship of Madras, it is said that Sir Henry Young, the present Governor of Tasmania is to succeed to the Governorship of N. S. Wales.

The Sydney Morning Herald of the sth January contains tho following telegraphic announcement from Adelaide.

ADELAIDE

. Friday, 4.Tan., 4 p.m. The Countess of Fife arrived from London, f-po'ce the Star Qu.en Wave, twelve days since with 600 troops from Buinbay to New Zealand