Departure of Troops.—The Taranaki Herald of February 17 aays that the detach ment of the 68th Kegiraent, under Colonel Morant, which has been stationed here a few months, embarked on Tuesday last in the Wellington, for Auckland, whence they will proceed at once to England. The 43rd L.1., it is expected, will leave shortly, and will be replaced, it is said, by th# 18th. We ( Wan ganui Chronicle) understand that the 12th Regiment and the Military Train are the next on the list for departure. The 14th and 18th Regiments are likely to remain for some time. Mr. Sewei-l on Mr. Stafford's Speech. —The Independent of Feb. 24 says "It will be recollected that in a recent issue, we ' published a letter, signed by Mr. Sewell, re ferring to Mr. Stafford's recent speech at Nelson, and that the writer stated it was published as a reply to that speech. With reference to this, the following letter lias been handed to us for publication ' Wel lington, Feb. 21, 1866. Sir,—l received on the 19th your letter of the 10th inst. I ob serve that you published this letter before it reached me, much less could be replied to. Some time since you published, for private circulation in England, a pamphlet addressed to LordLyttelton, which contained calumnious charges against myself and my colleagues (including Mr. Weld), when previously in office. Twice during last session in my place in the House of Representatives, I called upon you either to justify or to apologise for these calumnies, but you allowed the session to close without taking either one course or the other. Having thus failed to observe the rules which govern the conduct alike of pub lic men and gentlemen, you were not entitled to address to me your letter of the 10th mst. I decline, therefore, to enter into any cor respondence with you on the subject of it, or to remark further with respect to the allega tions contained in it, than that they are no • more correct than other statements of yours which have been objected to.—l am, sir, yours obediently, E. W. Stafford.-To H. Sewell, Esq,'"

THE LYTTELTON TIMES, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1866.
