HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Colonist, Issue 63, 28 May 1858, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, April 21. Present: The Speaker arid 16 members. ] MILITIA.

Mr. Stafford, in moving for leave to bring in a bill for raising a Militia in the colony, said that the necessity for such a msasure had,;been forced upon the attention of Government* by recent occurrences at . Taranaki." Under the present act no power was given to call out • a portion of the Militia, and when, on a recent' occasion, the Governor issued instructions for calling out COO men at New Plymouth, a difficulty arose,as to how this number should be chosen out of the whole number on Roll. Tljis difficulty was got over by balloting for the men who should serve, but the step was entirely illegal, as any portion of the Militia might refuse to serve ■ unless the .whole were called out. It was evidently a" hardship that the whole militia force should be called out-when only £ very small portion of it might be required, and the bill which the Government proposed to introduce provided for calling out and balloting for a portion of the Militia in cases where the services ,of the' whole force Were not Required. Provision ,was also made in the i bill to enable a person called^ out to provide a substitute, and also for the~e'nrol- i ment of volunteer "corps. Tfie' bill'"also ,specified who shouldlde, exemjjt from'serving in the Militia, and also:the rates" at which-officers and non-commissioned offi-' cers should be paid. The hon. gentle&an having briefly touched upon other clauses concluded by asking leave to bring id1' the bill.^-Question.'put and passed, andihe billwas read'a first time. - " ,•'