OLD SOLDIERS' CLAIMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 811, 7 May 1910, Page 3

OLD SOLDIERS' CLAIMS.

WHO ARE ELIGIBLE? "PEINCTPEES TO BE FOLLOWED, ' In regard to the pending investigatioH of claims for grants for naval and military services rendered during the Maori wars, it is the desire of the Governmenif that finality in the matter shall be attained by the present investigation, and, with that'object in \view, it is essential' that the judgments of the magistrates in Tegard to the various classes of'claim* brought before them shall be uniform. The following principles are therefor* laid down.—(a) No claim shall be' admitted that does not come' within the limits defined in any previous Act of Parliament or regulation dealing with the granting of awards to naval and military settlers and Volunteers, (b) All claimants must prove by documentary or other sufficient evidence either that thej were employed on actual service against the late Queen's enemies in New Zealand, .and retired from such service with a good character, or that they retired from the service for the purpose of settling' continuously in New Zealand, and did ao tually so settle prior to December 31, 1872. To prevent waste of time magistrates are further instructed tomake it known that no claims will be considered' from those persons who have previously. received grants of land or money for naval, mili-. tary, or Volunteer services, or from persons -who settle in New Zealand subsv qnently to December 31, 1872, or in-cases-where-the service-performed was in tha' Militia, unless such militia service wa« undertaken by any Volunteer by com.V mand of his superior, officer or the Governor. The persons who are to be considered eligible to make claims are defined as follow:— I. All officers, non-commissioned or war. rant officers, private soldiers, seamen, and marines formerly of .Her late. Majesty's naval and military'forces, wh6 'were engaged in suppressing the insurrection of the Natives in the northern part of th« former province of and, having been discharged from the said services,' have since then been resident within Nejar Zealand,' - and ■ claim under • "The Naval and Military Scrip Act, 185fi."

2. All-persons, who retired' from' Her .late Majesty's ,nava}: or military;.servica with a good character for the purposs of settling in New Zealand at any tim« before December 31, 1868, and who. havr so settled in New Zealand as aforesaid. 3. All persons; who. served in New' Zealand and who. retired . from . Her . lats Majesty's naval or. military service with a. good character for the. purpose of settling in New Zealand at any time'befor - December 31,-1872, and ; who, prior to" such date, have so settled and resided in any part of- New Zealand.

i. All persons who'were enrolled in theForest Bangers under, the,conditions'prescribed in a memorandum of the Hon. Thomas Kussell, Minister for' Colonial Defence,: dated August- 6, 1863, or'in another memorandum of the 6ame Minister dated November. 9, .1863, respectively. _5. All officers of Volunteers or efficient'. Volunteers who', were enrolled in any •Volunteer, corps' within' the ' colony on' or prior to October 31, 1876, and who, either'_ prior to the 6aid October "31,- or, inclusive of any period of service prior, as aforesaid,"" subsequently .completed- fiva years' continuous service."" • 6. All persons enrolled under Th« Colonial Defence Force, Act, 1862, who, served within the Provincial District of .Auckland under the-late Colonel Nixon or Major Walmsley, and who .had, on or. before; October 10, 1867, completed the conditions of their enrolment under such' Act before the said date, ai, having : served under such Act partly before th» said date, completed such service after; that date. ■'. 7. Every person who at any time here. ■ tofore has sent, in a claim for land under Ihe Naval and Military' Claims' Settle-' ment and Extinguishment Act,'2B96, or: any act of a similar tenor thereW6re7in r force, and has had the same rejected by; any commissioner. .■'■' '. '..

,8r Every person who, through death op through injuries received during ths time of his,actual service, was thereby prevented from completing the full: fend of service to entitle-him to a claim of land, or the widow and children or" legal representative of such person. .

9. The widow or children or legal re. presentative of every.person who served on active service in. the Volunteer : or Colonial Defence Forces, and who, ha* he lived, would have been, "entitled '■ to land for such service..

■ 10. Every person who, having at any time heretofore, received a remission certificate,- shall produce conclusive proof that such certificate was absolutely Bestroyed by" fire or other inevitable accident _before the expiration of the time) within which it could' have been exercised, .and ... ... ..

11. Any Voluneer who by. command of his superior officer or the Governor took service_in the Militia, and thereby lost his claim for full time of service aa a Volunteer. •■■ ..- - .