NEW ZEALAND VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 35, 27 February 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

Whereas by an Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand intituled, “The Militia Act, 1858,” it is enacted that it shall be lawful for the Governor in Council from time to time to make, vary, and abolish Regulations under which the services of Volunteers shall be accepted in any Militia District, Now therefore His Excellency the Governor with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the Colony and in exercise of the powers in behalf vested in him by the said recited Act, doth hereby make and ordain the following Regulations under which the Services of Volunteers shall be accepted in any Militia District within the colony ;

1. All such Regulations heretofore made are here by abolished.

2. That there shall be no limit to the term of service, of any Volunteer. Provided that any Volunteer shall be intitled to be discharged at the expiration of one month’s notice in writing given by him to the officer commanding the body of Volunteers to which he may belong of his own desire to be so discharged and in case such officer commanding shall be satisfied that urgent necessary exists for the discharge of any such Volunteer before the expiration of the said month’s notice he may give him his discharge accordingly. 3 Every Volunteer shall attend to be trained and exercised at such time and places as shall be appointed by notice in any Gazette or Newspaper, or by verbal order issued by or by the authority of the officer commanding the body of Volunteers to which he may belong, Provided always that no Volunteer shall be compelled to attend more than one hundred and sixty eight hours in any one year.

4. No Volunteer shall be absent during any part of any time appointed for training and exercise; and every Volunteer who shall offend against this Regulation shall for such otfonee forfeit and pay any such sura not exceeding one pound as shall bo fixed by the officer commanding, as aforesaid which sum so fixed shall be recoverable in summary way by any officer of the body of Volunteers to which the person so offending may belong, 5. No volunteer who shall, previous to the issue of a summons under the foregoing Regulations, produce to such officer commanding as aforesaid a certificate signed by a duly qualified Medical Practitioner, that such absence was unavoidably caused by illness, or satisfy the commanding officer of bis illness, and no Volunteer who shall be absent, having duly obtained leave of absence from such officer commanding as aforesaid, shall be liable to the penalty set forth in the foregoing Regulation. G. If any Volunteer’s Arras or Accoutrements shall in the opinion of the officer commanding as aforesaid be in a defective or dirty state he shall forfeit and pay any sum not exceceing two shillings and sixpence to be fixed and recoverable in manner as aforesaid.

7. If any Arms Accoutrements or other Government property shall be lost, destroyed, or injured in any way other than on service a fine not exceeding the value of the Arms Accoutrements or other Government property shall be paid by the Volunteer in whose charge they Avcre. Such fine shall be fixed by a board of officers appointed for that purpose by the officer commanding as aforesaid upon consideration of the circumstances, and if not paid to them on demand may he recovered by officer commanding as aforesaid on behalf of the Government, in any Resident Magistrate’s Court in the Colom - . 8. If any Volunteer shall not deliver to the officer commanding as aforesaid the Arms, Accoutrements and pother Government property entrusted to him as a Volunteer Avithin three days after an order to that effect shall liaA'o been giA-on to him by the officer commanding as aforesaid he shall be liable to a penalty of ton pounds to be recovered in a summary Avay.

9- All commissioned officers shall be appointed by the Governor, and names for that purpose shall be submitted to him (through the officer commanding as aforesaid for his approval,) by the troop or company to which they are proposed to he appointed. No commissions will ho issued (unless to officers who have held commissions in the regular service) until candidates arc found fit after examination.

10. All Non-commissioned officers shall be elected by the voluntcrs of the troop or company to which they arc to he appointed and shall be examined by the Senior officer of such troop or company and if passed as competent, shall be appointed by the officer commanding as aforesaid. 11. All Volunteers shall ho subject to provisions contained in the following Sections of the “ Militia Act, 1858,” viz. 1,3, 5, G, 7,9, IS, 19, 20, 23, and 24, and in the following Sections of the “ Militia Act Amendment Act, I 860,” viz.:—10, 11

13, 14, 16, and 18. 12. General Parades of all the Volunteers in each District shall be held on a day in each quarter to be fixed by the Governor. 13. Each troop or company which shall consist of sixty Volunteers or more, shall receive from the Government annually the sum of seventy-five pounds. 14. Each Volunteer after four years’ service as, such shall be at all times thereafter exempt from attendance for training and exercise in the Militia half the period of service of Volunteers under former Regulations this day abolished shall be allowed to reckon. 15. Every Volunteer shall take the following oath, to be administered to him by the commanding officer of the body of Volunteers in which he intends to serve, or by the Adjutant of Militia. I, do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and that I will faithfully serve in the until I shall be lawfuly discharged.” 16. In the construction of these Regulations the phrase “ officer commanding” shall in case of his absence from the District, or incapacity to act by reason of illness, or any other cause mean the officer of the same body of Volunteers next in seniority. Hampden Willis, For Clerk of Executive Council.