THE ARMED CONSTABULARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4812, 24 August 1876, Page 6

THE ARMED CONSTABULARY.

The annual report of Colonel Moule, the Commissioner of the Armed Constabulary, has been laid upon tbe table of the House. It is as follows ;

Armed Constabulary Office, Wellington, June 9, 1876. Sir, —In compliance with clause No. 159 of the Armed Constabulary Regulations, I have the honor to submit the following report for the year 1875-76 ; At the close of the last financial year, the force consisted of 737 of all ranks. During the year there have been 54 enrolled, and 115 struck off the strength through resignations, discharges, deaths, and desertion, leaving the strength at the close of the year 676. During my absence in England on leave, the Armed Constabulary, and stations in tbe Districts of Auckland, Tauranga, Taupo, Poverty Bay, and Wairoa, were inspected by Lieut. - Colonel Lyon and the late Lieut.-Colonel St. John, —whose reports are attached, —showing that the. arms, accoutrements, equipments, the appearance of the men and horses, and the drill and discipline of the force continue to be satisfactory. Colonel Lyon, in the concluding part of his report, says, “ I consider the force in a most efficient state, and a credit, in every way, to the colony.” The number of men at some of the posts is very much reduced, in consequence of the numerous parties employed in making and repairing roads and bridges, over one-third of the force being so engaged, as shown by the attached reports from officers in charge of districts.

The good resulting from the continued annual course of musketry appears in the Instructor’s report, by the steady increase in the number of marksmen.

At the colonial prize firing, tbe force was not so|suooess£ul as in the previous year. However, eleven prizes fell to the share of the Armed Constabulary. Tbe blue tweed cloth now being made at tbe Mossgiel Woollen Company’s works, Dunedin, having been adopted for the uniform of tbe force, it will add considerably to the appearance of the men, as tbe serge lately used, from its faded look after being worn for a short time, was scarcely suited for uniform. The police force in the province of Auckland, which forms a part of the Armed Constabulary, continues to discharge its various duties in a highly satisfactory manner. Enclosed are reports from officers in charge of districts, showing the civil and military duties, also the public and useful works performed by the men of the force. In conclusion, I have much pleasure in stating that the conduct of all ranks has been good, offences against discipline few in number, and, considering the way in which the force is cut up into numerous small detachments, it is more efficient than could be expected.—l have, &0., W. Moule, Lieut.-Colonel, Commissioner A. C. Force. The Hon. the Native Minister, Wellington.

Amongst the enclosures is the following relating to the Wellington depot:— Armed Constabulary Depot, Wellington, May 31, 1876. Sir, —In accordance with regulations, I have the honor to forward you the following report on the Armed Constabulary Depot for the year 1875-76, covering the annual musketry return of the force: — MILITARY DUTIES. The average strength of the depot during the year was 55, of all ranks. With the exception of an interval of about ten weeks, when all the men were employed in forming the Polhill’s gully rifle range, under the direction of an officer of the Public Works department, three parades with drill have taken place on all working days, except Saturdays, when there have been two ; and parade in marching order once a week for your inspection, or that of the Acting Commissioner, during your absence from New Zealand. The picket posted at Government House gate was, on the loth of July last, replaced by a guard of one sergeant and three constables, which mounted daily till his Excellency left Wellington on the 15th February. A look-out picket has been maintained on the magazine as heretofore, when there were not a sufficient number of men here to allow of mounting a regular guard. Mounted escorts attended his Excellency the Governor on the occasions of his opening and proroguing the General Assembly, and on the latter occasion a guard of honor of Armed Constabulary received his Excellency at the entrance to the Legislative Council Chamber. Escorts on prisoners remanded from one jurisdiction to another have been furnished from the depot as required. CIVIL DUTIES. During the session of the General Assembly, constables were, as usual, placed at the disposal of the Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives for maintenance of order in the galleries of the House, and also during the sittings of the Court of Appeal orderlies have been told off for their Honors the Judges of the Supreme Conrt. In consequence of the presence in Wellington of an efficient body of provincial police, the men of the Armed Constabulary stationed at the depot for drill and instruction are rarely called upon to act in the capacityof constables, nevertheless some arrests have been made, and convictions against the offenders obtained in all cases, •PUBLIC AND USEFUL WORKS. Men not on duty or special employment have been always occupied between the hours of drill in cleaning and repairing barracks, gravelling parade ground, forming roads, and patting up fences on the Government property at Mount Cook. Fatigue parties have boon furnished constantly to other departments, notably lately on the removal of the treasury and audit from the old Government buildings to the new. All men available turned out with the barrack fire-engine on nine several occasions of fire during the past year, and particularly at the serious fire which commenced in Messrs. Turnbull’s store on the 25th March, and did excellent service, as was acknowledged by the public and the Press of Wellington, and were, with the sanction of the hon. the Native Minister, handsomely remunerated by the firm mentioned, and by others who were or might have been sufferers had tho fire not been subdued. Agricultural statistics were collected by a sergeant of the Armed Constabulary, under the directions of the Superintendent-Collector. Tho old Adelaide range may now be said to bo no longer available for practice. Alterations aro in progress on the Polbill’s Gully range, already referred to, which, when properly completed, will be of great advantage. MUSKETRY. The annual musketry return of force shows an improvement of I'sß points in the figure of merit of this year over last, and an increase of 4*90 points in the percentage of marksmen. The percentage of marksmen is very good, hut tho figure of merit has not yet reached that standard; however, it is to be

remembered that the members of the force this year fired with a weapon entirely new to them, the short Snider, and of which I said, in my report to the Acting Commissioner last year, that, while I believed it superior ta tbe medium rifle tor general service in New Zealand, I did not anticipate that it would be found superior, if even equal, to the old weapon on the practice range. _ These returns appear to have been kept in accordance with received from two of the districts there were points which I thought required explanation, and these I have brought under your notice in my letter No. 16, of the 16 th May last. ; It was directed by a circular memorandum from the Acting Commissioner, No. 172, of the 22nd of October last, that the money allotted by the Government to the Armed Constabulary out of the sum voted by the House of Representatives for prizes for rifle shooting should be distributed in the same manner as in the three preceding years ; I therefore, on the 16th ultimo, forwarded you an extract from the Annual Musketry Return, showing the distribution of the prizes for the year, which only reached 54 out of 83 who were qualified for those rewards by their shooting. In this firing the Armed Constabulary were not so successful as last year. Of the foot portion of the force, only six qualified, and only the three Government representatives attended the meeting. Of the mounted men, five qualified and three went to the firing at their own expense, besides the one Government representative.

ARMS, ETC. The arms, accoutrements, ammunition, &0., which I have inspected were serviceable and in good order. The new material now being issued for clothing will, I feel sure, give general satisfaction, and, with the new cap approved of by the Hon. the Native Minister, will very greatly improve the appearance of the force. REMARKS. I observe that a general order was issued in March last, considerably altering the regulations for target practice in the annual course of musketry in the army. I trust that during the year they may be introduced into the training of the Armed Constabulary. They are not numerous though important, and tend rather to simplify and shorten the course of instruction than otherwise ; one modification being, that men are to fire at two distances in each period ; at 200yds., standing ; at 300yds., kneeling ; and at all other distances, in any position. In future there are to be prizes given for judging distance, and a man’s failure in this practice will no longer disqualify him for a reward as marksman. These alterations will, I think, appear to those who study the subject to be improvements on the old system. It gives me much pleasure to be able to render the same report as in past years of the generally excellent conduct of the non-com-missioned officers and constables who have been placed under my command, and also that the health of the members of the force at tbe depot has been exempt from any attack of disease of a dangerous nature, and from serious accident, —I have, &c,, W. G. Stack, Captain, Instructor of Musketry, Commanding Armed Constabulary Depot. The Commissioner A. C. Force, "Wellington.