VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 746, 6 December 1870, Page 2

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

A General Government " Gazette," published on the 11th instant, contains a new set of rules and regulations of the New Zealand Volunteer Force. According to these the: maximum strength of a corps,. including all ranks, is not to exceed sevemy-one, while a separate detachment of ten men will be recognised, and will be permitted to have one sergeant and one corporal. A company of from seventeen to twenty men may have one comet, second lieutenant or ensign, one sergeant, one trumpeter, one corporal. A company of from twenty to thirty men may have one lieutenant, one second lieutenant, one colorsergeant, one sergeant, one trumpeter, two corporals, and one farrier. A company of from thirty to sixty men may have one captain, one lieutenant, one second lieutenant, one colorsergeant, two sergeants, one trumpeter, three corporals, one farrier. Any corps of thirty men and upwards will be entitled to an honorary assistantsurgeon. The formation of four or more corps into a battalion, will be allowed, and the battalion will be entitled to a major, a surgeon, assist-ant-surgeon, adjutant, sergeant-major, quarter-master-sergeant, and a drummajor. Instructions then follow as to the steps to be taken for the formation of corps, the relative precedence of companies and officers ; and rules for the appointment of commissioned ana non-commissioned officers, who should prove themselves qualified. The next series of clauses is devoted to enrolled members, and among them, clause 29 states that'' Persons dismissed from a

Volunteer" corps for misconduct are not eligible for enrolment in another corps," but no portion of the' rule states by whom a Volunteer may be dismissed. Regulations are given in full as to who shall be deemed efficient and honorary members. The rules drawn up by Volunteer companies for the management of their own affairs m,ay be.given legal force if forwaxdedin duplicate through the commanding officer of the, district for the approval of the Governor. If any Volunteer "company should not within one month - from the date of the " Gazette " submit for the approval of the Governor its own private- rules; then a model set of rules appended to the regulations will "be deemed to apply to such Volunteer corps, and snail have the same fprce and effect in respect to such Volunteer corps as though they bad been adopted, and submitted in accordance with section 46 of these regulations." Clauses 50 to 56 are concerning Courts of Inquiry, parades, assemblies of Volunteer corps, arms, accoutrements, and ammunition; the last authorising each; Volunteer rifleman to receive without payment 100 rounds of ball and twenty rounds of blank cartridge and 160 caps. Strict regulations for Volunteers ta salute officers'when both are in uniform| and for officers to return the compliment, are given in clauses 68 and 69. The remainder of the clauses (there are ,105 in all) refer to clothing and•:dress regulations, stores, rifle practice, cadet corps, pay and finance, adjutants, inspectors, returns and correspondence.