MILITARY.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 310, 19 July 1848, Page 2

MILITARY.

The 99th Regiment is under orders for Van Dieraen's Land, whither it .will sail in a few days. The 11th Regiment will return to Sydney. The officers of the latter distinl guished corps were universal favourites when, formerly quartered here, and the return will be a source of gratification to the citizens. — Australian, June 9. The regiments now serving in 'Australia and New Zealand will be retained there for ten years, as in other colonies, but will not be j"'«ant on to India. — Cork Constitution, Jan. 4. [^ Inconsequence of the great- reduction in the number of prisoners in the island, one regiment, the 96th, will be shortly withdrawn. The first detachment will probably leave in about two months. — Hobart 7 own Advertizer, May 23.

Piracy in China. — We perceive ~by a China $ffl*7 received on Saturday, that^a Court of Admiralty was held at Hongkpn'g;in January last, composed (under a local ordinance we presume) of the Chief Justice, the Colonial Secretary, Captain MjQuhae (as senior naval officer on the station), and the

Magistrate. A number of Ch.nese were tried for piracy. In the first case thirty men were tried who were acquitted for want of proof of identity. Two men were next tried for separate acts of piracy, and found guilty and then thirteen were tried for robbing a Chinese fast boat of opium, valued at 30,000 dollars, the property of Messrs. Jardine and (Jo. The boat was on her passage from Hongkong _to Canton when she was suddenly attacked by a a vessel with a large number of men, who overpowered them after a scuffle, and took away the opium. Twelve .of the prisoners were sworn to, and being found guilty, sentence of death was passed upon them. Four of them were hanged at the usual place, in presence of a large number of Chinese. The others had their sentence commuted to transportation for life. Of the four men hanged, one was a Compradore in Canton three years ago, since then he had kept a shop near the bazaar ; another had for years been a licensed pilot in Hongkong. It is not the mere dregs of society who commit these outrages ; buc men who keep up an appearance of respectability. — Sydney Morning Herald.