COLONIAL DEFENCES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 123, 29 April 1885, Page 3

COLONIAL DEFENCES.

(pEfc UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Auckland, April 28. A fresh Volunteers corps is being formed here. "Wellington, April 28. The allocations of officers who are to take permanent charges of marine and land forces, should hostilities occur, will probably be decided tomorrow, . , The Government have received information that a large quantity of war material, including that required for torpedo defence, will be shipped from Sydney in a day or two. Captain Medly will probably have charge of the Auckland marine defence, and leaves for Auckland in a day or two. . Major Cautley and Lieutenant Douglas returned to Wellington this afternoon from Auckland. Doubt is expressed at the vessel seen off Wakapuaka being Her Majesty's ship Espeigle, as no further information about her has been received. It was probably the Wakatipu passing from Sydney. A number of persons desiring commissions in the militia waued on Captain Hume to-day. Ihe only condition stipulated is that those who desire appointments shall undergo a course of drill instructions before they are definitely accepted. It is not expected that the farstelass militia will be called- out until war is actually declared, but the Defence Department is anxious to have a body of competent officers to select from whenever it is found necessary to call upon the militia to serve. . , Captain Bedham, who is to take charge of the artillery, is on his way to New Zealand.