NEW ZEALLAND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 71, 25 February 1885, Page 3

NEW ZEALLAND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SOUDAN.

(TJMTKD PRESS ASSOCIATION.). &pQkLAX.D t .'Fs\>. 123, .-. Mr A. D. Bennett to-day, incoinp'a'uy with the maydr, waited upon. Sir A Julius Yogel, and represented ; to hkn ;i that ; ho had been solicited by a large 1 ' mimber of men who\have s h ad 'military experience to raise a'co'rps.for service m the Soudan He was | prepared to form stich a corps at once, if the, proposal should meet, with the approval of the Government. The Colonial Treasurer replied that several applications had come m from various parts ot the coiony. They would come up for consideration at the Cabinet meeting this week. Mr Bennett might submit his offer formally. Acting upon these suggestions/the following telegram was despatched to the Hon. the Defence Minister, Wellington :— " I have the honor to oflcr to raise for service abroad to the Imperial Government, through the •tf ew Zealand Government, free, a volunteer naval contingent of 800 men, composed of ex-naval men, Armed Constabulary, and ex-volunteers, all hardy and experienced men ; each company of 100 men under a lieutenant who has previously seen service ; such men to be raised m the provincial district of Auckland within six weeks ; and, as a guarantee, to start a subscription with i>2s.— Arthur Ben Sett, late captain naval contingent on service."

(Per s.s. Te Anau at the Bl iff.) , (UN! IED PRESS ASSOCIATION. V Melbourne, Feb. 17. The death of General Gordon continues the subject of general conversation here and m the country. The news mudo.a great impression. Public meetings and church services manifested the general sorrow, and it is proposed to eroct a monument to General Gordon. Subscriptions arc pouring m rapidly. Arrangements have been made m some localties to organise a demonstration against the conduct of the Home Government. Sydney; Feb. 17. An extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet Council was held on Thursday last to consider a telegram addressed to the Agent-General by the Colonial Secretary. Haying ascertained that two batteries of the permanent artillery force, with ten sixteen-pound guns, were available for active force, and that a battalion of disciplined infantry could be obtained from the volunteer force, and having also ascertained that the Orient Company could laud troops at Suakhn within thirty days o£ departure from Sydney, the Acting-Colonial Secretary prepared a minute embodying his views on the subject. In a minute the Cabinet decided to tender to Her Majesty's Government an offer of the services of the troops for the Soudan campaign. Accordingly the following telegram \vadespntched : — " Saul Samuel, Agents General,— This Government offers Her Majesty's Government two batteries of the permanent field artillery, with ten sixteen-pound guns, properly horsed ; also an effectively disciplined battalion of infantry 500 strong ; the artillory to he under the command of Colonel Roberts ; the whole force under the command of Colonel Richardson ; and undertaking to land the troops at Suakim within thirty days' time from embarkation. ■ lieply at once." Since the offer was made numerous .citizens have signified their assent to the- movement' by giving contributions to the; fund ; for the purpose of assisting tho expedition. On Sunday the following . telegram: ■■ was received by the Government from the AgentGeneral .•— " Her Majesty's Government acceuts with much satisfaction the offer of yo«r Government, on the understanding that the force will be absolutely placed under the General commanding, as to diitios upon which it will be employed. The force of artillery is greater thau is required, and only one battery will be accepted. The transport should call at Aden for orders. If the Government desire the immediate despatch of the contingent, tho War Office does not desire to delay it." The telegram has been received with enthusiasm, and volunteers aro offering thomselves on every side. The difficulty will be to choose the most useful men. Offers of large sums of money for providing the cost of the troops have been received, and arrangements are now Ueing completed. The rate of pay will be as followes : — Married men, 2s 8d daily pay, and 2s 9d defeired paymrnt, or made payable to the wifp, with allowance of 2s per day, and 6d per day for every girl under 16, and for boys under 14. The patriotic fund has been established, and it seems likely, from the amount of the subscription received, that the cost of the expedition will be covered by this, thus costing the Government nothing. The following wilh be the strength of the New South Wales contingent : — Artillery ; 1 field officer, 1 captain, 3 subaltern, 1 staff-surgeon,- 1 extra officer, 26 non-commissioned officers, 8 artificers, 3 trnmpeterß, 168 gunners and drivers, 212 men, 172 horses, and 6 sixteen-pound guns, with 300 rounds of shot por giin. Infantry : Coloribl Richardson, m command of the whole contingent ; Lieuten-ant-Colonel Christie, Captain McKeuzie, a paymaster, 2 lieutenants-colonels, 2 majors, 3 captains (including adjutant), 2 surgeons. 9 lieutenants, 4 staff-serge-ants, 4 color-sergeants, 26 sergeants, 30 corporals, 8 bughrs, 433 rank and file ; total, 522 men, with 24 horses. Supplies fqr the men for six months will be sent. Melbourne, February 19. At drill of the naval reserve to-day, on volunteers being called for m case Victoria sent a contingent to the Soudun out of the whole force all the men stepped forward except those who were too old for active service. Feb. 12. Since the fall of Khartoum, and the news of General Gordon's death, public indication against the Gladstone Ministry has been freely expressed.

Feb. 13. Lord Wolseley has telegraphed to the Imperial Government stating that the report of the messenger who left Khartoum on the 2nd. inst., and. affirmed that the place had. not been fallen, is unreliable. The full of Khartoum, Lord Wolseley adds, is strongly confirmed, information to that effect having reached him from various sources. General Gordon is reported to have been shot while going to the Austrian Consulate. In a rush made by the rebels, after General Gordon fell, the Austrian Consul was killed. The consul representing Greece was made a prisoner, and remains m the keeping of the rebels. Feb. 16. A letter published to-day m the Daily Telegraph, suggests that the women of England should present the members of the New South Wales contingent for the Soudan with a silver bugle, as a special memento of their patriotism. The same writer further suggests that Her Majesty should present a special ensign to the Australian troops. The Times, m a leading article on the Gordon relief expedition, states that the despatch of Australian troops to Egypt is a step which has practically eftected the military federation of the British Empire.