NEW PLYMOUTH.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 120, 14 December 1858, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH.

With a knowledge of the still unsettled state of several of the Native tribes in this neighboui'hood, it is difficult to understand upon what principle or under what necessity the rapid reduction of the Military Force stationed here is taking place. Is proof wanting of the necessity of a considerable force being for some time to come stationed at New Plymouth, or is the frequent removal <of troops from one part of a colony to another an inevitable result of our military system ? Or is the Government in possession of intelligence necessitating the concentration of troops in Auckland ? The commanding officer residing at the Capital, we have heard it advanced, would naturally desire to surround himself with as full and imposing a display of military strength as possible; but as this could only be accomplished at the risk of unduly weakening the isolated and exposed out-sta-tions, such a motive would be, to say the least of it, very improbable in the present instance. A regiment has just been dispatched home without any prospect of its being replaced, and the remaining one is only conceded to New Zealand upon the urgent representation of his Excellency's government that we in this northern island cannot dispense with military protection. This observation applies with peculiar force to this province. It us scarcely more than a twelvemonth since the horrible tragedy occurred which led to the retreat of ■the chief actors to a spot of land only a few hours march from Waitaia, and it is scarcely five months since the retreat took place after a memorable siege and defence in which neither side could <jlaim an absolute advantage. All the elements which have for so long a period disturbed and crippled New Plymouth, and reduced her to the .' unenviable position of being a stipendiary province, exist still, and the most trivial accident or circumstance may at any moment call these into active operation.— TaranaM Herald, December 11.