SIR MINTO FARQUHARsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether any Despatches have been received by him that day relative to the late unfortunate battle in New Zealand?
§ Mr. CARDWELLSir, some des- 1470 patches have been received to day, and it was my intention on moving the first Order of the Day, the second reading of the New Zealand Loan Bill, to have stated to the House that they had been received, and that I should lose no time in placing them in the hands of Members. The principal despatch relates to the action at a place called Tauranga, in the northern Island, the telegram respecting which has already created so much anxiety and sorrow in this House and the country. As the whole of the despatches will shortly be in the hands of Members, perhaps it may be better that I should leave them to gather the story from the despatches themselves. I may, however, state that the repulse is attributed by that distinguished officer, General Cameron, to the intricate construction of the interior defences and to the confusion consequent upon the loss of so many officers at the moment of the assault. General Cameron uses these words—
Lieutenant Colonel Booth and Commander Hay, who led into the work, fell mortally wounded. Captain Hamilton was shot dead on the top of the parapet while in the act of encouraging his men to advance, and in a few minutes almost every officer of the column was either killed or wounded. Up to this moment the men, so nobly led by their officers, fought gallantly, and appeared to have carried the position, when they suddenly gave way and fell back from the work to the nearest cover. This repulse I am at a loss to explain otherwise than by attributing it to the confusion created among the men by the intricate nature of the interior defences and the sudden fall of so many of their officers. … The Natives, availing themselves of the darkness of the night, abandoned the work, leaving some of their killed and wounded behind. On taking possession of the work in the morning Lieutenant Colonel Booth and some men were found still living, and, to the credit of the Natives, had not been maltreated; nor had any of the bodies of the killed been mutilated. I enclose a list of our own casualties. I deeply deplore the loss of the many brave and valuable officers who fell in the noble discharge of their duty on this occasion. The 43rd Regiment and the service have sustained a serious loss in the death of Lieutenant Colonel. Booth, which took place on the night after the attack. I have already mentioned the brilliant example shown by this officer in the assault; and when I met him on the following morning, as he was being carried out of the work, his first words were an expression of regret that be found it impossible to carry out my orders. The heroism and devotion of Captain Hamilton and Commander Hay reflect the highest honour on the naval service.I am happy to say that the same papers contain an account of two other engagements in which the result was very different—the one on the same day in the immediate neighbourhood, and the other a 1471 most gallant exploit at Taranaki. I will lose no time, however, in placing the papers in the hands of hon. Members.