(103)

Downing street, 1st March, 1847,—having
reference to the proposed employment of con-
victs under certain restrictions.
Despatch read and ordered to be printed.

MILITARY, No. 12.

Downing Street,
1st March, 1847.

SIR:—

I have to acknowledge the receipt of your
despatch, No. 101, of the 6th October last, in
which with reference to a suggestion which has
been submitted to you by the Commanding
Royal Engineer in New Zealand, that convict
mechanics should he sent to that colony with the
view of being employed on Military Works and
Buildings, you take occasion to recommend
that a company of Sappers and Miners should be
detached from this country for the performance
of that service.

I am aware of the inconvenience which must
be felt from the want of Mechanics, and in fact
arrangements had been made previously to the
receipt of your communication on the subject,
which will in some measure supply that defi-
ciency; care having been taken that in selecting
the Military Pensioners who are enrolled for
service in New Zealand, a selection should be
made of about 50 men who have worked as car-
penters, sawyers, bricklayers, masons, black-
smiths, painters, glaziers, and miners; and I
have instructed the Master-General of the Ord-
nance to send out a Serjeant and 12 Sappers and
Miners, who from their superior qualifications
will be able to superintend the labors of the
persons in question.

The employment of convicts in New Zealand,
under the effect of a general measure of Trans-
portation, would be entirely out of the question
but it may be deserving of consideration whe-
ther a limited number of men of that class,
whose good conduct under confinement may
render them fit objects of the Royal clemency,
might not be sent to New Zealand with con-
ditional pardons, in which, in addition to the
ordinary conditions of such instruments, there
should be one introduced requiring the persons
to whom they should be assigned, to work for
the Government for a period of two years.

I have to add, that I do not contemplate the
maintenance of any considerable force of Regu-
lar Troops in New Zealand, for more than a
very short time, as when emigration from this
country shall be resumed, as I trust it soon will
be, the increase of the European population
will enable you to organize a Militia, sufficient
for all purposes of defence. I have, therefore,
to instruct you to abstain from incurring any ex-
pense in the erection of permanent Barracks
which can possibly be avoided.

I have, &c.,
(Signed) GREY.

Governor Grey,
&c., &c., &c.

His Excellency also laid on the table two
despatches from the Officer commanding the
troops at Wanganui, dated respectively the
20th and 23rd July last, detailing the parti-
culars of an engagement which took place
between H. M.'s forces and the rebel natives
at the above settlement, on the 19th ultimo.
Despatches read and ordered to be printed.

Camp, Wanganui,
July 20th, 1847.

SIR,—I have the honour to report to your
Excellency, the proceedings of the force under
my command, in action with the enemy, yester-
day afternoon, extending from our position to
St. John's Wood.

I acquainted your Excellency, in letters, dated
5th, 10th, and 17th inst., despatched by the Race-
horse, of the daring manner in which the enemy
penetrated into our own earthen outworks, on
more than one occasion; I therefore decided on
at once checking this custom, should an oppor-
tunity offer.

Yesterday, about 12 o'clock, they approached,
evidently with an intention to draw the troops
out of the stockade, and two, more daring than
the rest, in hopes to cut off a settler and some
cattle, were pursued by two parties of the 58th
under Lieutenant Pedder, and 65th, under En-
sign Thelwall, and joined by a further rein-
forcement of the 58th Regt., under Ensign Mid-
dleton, the whole under my orders; these two
men narrowly escaped capture, and fled by the
ravine and intrenchments, towards Mr. Harri-
son's, at the back of St. John's Wood, where a
body of the rebels lay concealed.

This brought on an action with the enemy,
and sending back for reinforcements, I indulged
a hope that they might be induced to fight on our
own ground, in front of, and towards our position:
After four hours fighting, the enemy declined
advancing beyond the cover of their own breast-
works, on the face of the hill, which your Excel-
lency will remember, at St. John's Wood, and
which have been multiplied and extended; a
gallant charge was here made with the bayonet,
15 yards distant, and the enemy broke and fled,
on hearing the cheer by detachments of the 58th
and 65th Regiments, under the command of Cap-
tain Wolf, of the latter corps; Lieutenant Bal-
neavis commanded that of the 58th Regiment,
Lieutenants Page, 58th Regiment, and Barnard,
of the 65th Regiment, though previously
wounded in the head, and Ensigns Middleton,
58th, and Thelwall, 65th Regiment, were pre-
sent in this charge, made at the distance of 15
yards; the latter officer narrowly escaped being
tomahawked by one of the enemy, who was shot
by a soldier of the 58th Regiment; some of the
enemy were here bayonetted.

We had 400 men engaged, the enemy about
the same number, but owing to the difficult,
broken, and swampy nature of the ground which
extends from the right of our position to St.
John's Wood; I was of necessity obliged to place
junior officers in command of detachments in ex-
tension, under the general superintendence of
the seniors, and thus protecting our flanks.

Captain Henderson, Royal Artillery, with the
assistance of Lieutenant, the Honourable W.
Yelverton pushed forward a brass 3-pounder,
and and a 4 2-5th inch field howitzer, to can-
nonade the enemy's position, and I cannot help
drawing attention to the devoted gallantry of
this small body, who from the nature of their
service were exposed to the most galling fire, by
which they had one man mortally, and another
severely wounded. In the meantime, I had de-
tached Lieutenant Hay, 58th Regiment, in com-
mand of a party of the 58th and 65th Regiments,
the latter commanded by Lieutenant M'Coy, and
some of the armed police, to endeavour to out-
flank the enemy by the left, by which means the
enemy's fire was partially diverted from our ad-
vanced body; and they were obliged to detach
a body against this party, who had pushed across
a swamp of some extent, above their knees in
water. Lieutenant Hay was now supported by
Captain Hardy, 58th Regiment, who, as next
in command, I had left in charge of the post,
with discretionary powers. Captain O'Connell,
65th Regiment, a Peninsular Officer, though in