The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 295, 14 December 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1868.

LATEST FROM THE FRONT. The Rangatira, which, arrived at Wellington on Friday last from Napier, does not appear to have brought any important intelligence. The Turanga correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald, writing on the 6th fnstant,- says: — The expedition has collapsed. Whitmore's assumption of command has proved the signal for the -return ftom the Front of all our native allies. Thus all Mr M'Lean's able and so far successful plans are rendered abortive. Even after 'Government had neutralised MrM 'Lean's efforts to a certain extent, that gentleman had retrieved their wretched blunder — a certain victory, was likely to have been achieved, and the murderers annihilated. By the arrival of the miserable pretender Whitmore, aDd his 'second wretched failure, thousands of pounds have been squandered for nothing. A memorial, which has already received some hundreds of signatures, has been forwarded to the Governor, denouncing interference with Mr M'Lean's management of native and -defence affairs on the East Coast; and remonstrating with the Government on their sending Colonel Whitmore to Poverty Bay, contrary, to the advice of Mr M'Lean, regardless of the memorials to the Government of the Poverty Bay settlers and Ngatiporou allies, as well as in utter defiance of public opinion generally. There is virtually ..no fresh news. Although one defeat after another has been inflicted upon the enemy, he has succeeded nevertheless in withdrawing his main body, together with women, children, and loot, to a place of comparative safety; for no one doubts tbat Te Kooti is now in his stronghold at Puketapu." Whether this would have happened had Mr M'Lean's instructions to Major Lambert been obeyed in the first instance, and Colonel Whitmore been subsequently permitted to remain in Wanganui, may well be open to question. The fighting on the East Coast' is at an end, at all events for the present. . The enemy, defeated and dispirited, have retiredto recruit their strength and take care of their wounded. Eighty of them have been killed, and that represents something like 100 more wounded. N Such a loss to a small force is very serious, and means that they will need time to recruit before" again adopting the offensive. Meantime neither Colonel Whitmore nor his force is of any use there, and . the * crushing blow' which the Ministry intended to strike there cannot be struck now. The Independent of Saturday therefore counsels the Ministry to undo its past action ; to sendjthe 300 men back to Wanganui; to appoint a commander better fitted than Colonel Whitmore for bushfighting; to reoccupy the outposts between I Wanganui and Patea- which they recklessly '* abandoned, and then, when' the present force is organised, attack Tito Kowaru in the field and the bush. If they do this they will drive back the war from the settled districts; and render any attack on Wanganui an impossibility. The Ahuriri arrived at Napier on Friday front Poverty Bay, with 200 Ahuriri friendly natives on. board, and the body of Karuria, the loyal chief,, who was lately killed in action. The Hon. J. C. Richmond and Colonel Whitmore were still at Turauganui. With reference to the state of affairs on the West Coast, the Wauganui Chronicle of Friday says we have nothing to report from the Front, or rather back/ Tito is quiet somewhere — locality not known — and as long as he leavfes the constabulary alone, they will leave him. A detachment of the Wanganui Cavalry, in command of Lieut, Day* made an attack on a portion of the enemy on Wednesday morning. ■The men dismounted and went at the work in right earnest, but to their vexation the rebels had decamped. Having destroyed /the works- as much as. poqssible, the troopers returned. Captain Graham has

succeeded in raising the necessary number of men to form the Guerilla corps, and will proceed on. active service at once. The Independent of Saturday states, on most reliable authority, that the toj^al number of the. force under Tito Kowa^lj including lads from 10 to 15 years old-, -does not exceed 300.