THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROOPS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2218, 13 June 1865, Page 8

THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE TROOPS.

(WKLi-rxciroN Indi:pj:.\ukt, },Liv 20.) As might have been anticipated from the tenor of Mr Cardwell's despatches, which we referred to on Thursday, orders were received from the Horse Guards by the February mail, that five Regiments, tho Goth, -13rd, 70lh, -i!)th. and o'Sfch, should be sent home. in the case of the G3th, these instructions will be carried out at once, and 300 men belonging to that Regiment will shortly embark for England, the remainder, being entitled to their discharge, will probably remain in the Colony. In the case of the other four llegiments, a discretionary power is loft to the Governor, and should lie think it absoj lutely necessary, they may be retained in the Colony for some time longer. But from the expressed feeling of the Ministry on this matter, as well as the nature of Mr Cardwell's instructions that the troops are onty to be employed in protecting the centres of population in the Island, and not to occupy confiscated land or to defend outsettlers — restrictions which will make them more useless than ever — it isprobable that Sir George Grey, urged thereto by his .Responsible Advisers, will not seek to retain a large Imperial force much longer. We understand that the 14th Eegf. vrill shortly proceed to Australia, and that any of , the men of the other Regiments under orders for home, whose term of service has expired, vrill receive their discharge and be permitted t» remain in the Colony. Any others who may wish to ««tar3 r can purchase their discharge. It is evident from this intelligence, that the Imperial Government is about to relinquish its attempts at suppressing the native rebellion — attempts which under the system it has adopted, could never have been successful. The proposals of the Weld Ministry, adopted by the Assembly, for the withdrawal of the troops, which reached Eugland before the February mail left, have had a powerful effect, and apparently the Colonial J office is going to leave ub to fight our own battles in the future. We trust that this is the case, but above all things we hope there will be no half measures. If will be a great misfortune — a misfortune indeed more have terrible to us than all tho others which | resulted from Imperial mismanagement iv tho past — not that the greater portion of the troops should be taken a\Tay, but that because a few are left, the right of Imperial ienceeutrsliouldrfe still be exercised. At all , events ifc is perfectly clear, that whatever else the Colonial Office may mean to do, it docs not mean the Imperial forces to be em ployed in fighting the natives. If we wish to occupy the land already confiscated we 5 arc to do so at our own proper cost, if we desire to protect the out-settlcmeuts and drive back rebellion from their borders, we must do it with a Colonial force. Were we but fully convinced that Imperial interference was at an end, we would be heartily j glad of this, and think that " the beginning iof the end" was coming at last. We believe ; that the scheme of the Weld Ministry for the. internal defence of the Colony will be | sufficient to meet the difficulty, and that we ( may even, ere long, if ifc be carried out with energy, dispense with the Imperial soldiers, who are to guard tho centres of population, while a colonial army keeps the rebels at such a distance as not lo disturb their equanimity. It is fortunate that the General Assembly will soon be called together, to decide on the measures to be adopted iv this crisis of our history.