MILITIA.

No. 6

COPT 01' A DESPATCH FROM GOVERNOR GORE BROWNE TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE. Government House, Auckland, New Zealand, 6th May, 1861. My Lord Duke, — In reply to your Grace's Despatch, No. 13, of the 26th January, 1861, I have the honor to' forward the accompanying Memorandum from my Responsible Advisers. I have from the first intimated to these gentlemen that it must rest with Her Majesty's Government to decide what part of the Militia expenditure shall be defrayed by the Colony. With this view I exacted a guarantee on the subject before I consented to incur any expense on account of the Militia force at Taranaki, and I only consented to alter the terms originally agreed upon because it appeared that they were not in exact accordance with Mr. Labouchere's Despatch of the 22nd October, 1857. It appears by your Grace's Despatch that you did not observe that the circular Memorandum addressed by the Horse Gnards to Commanding Officers was sent to me in a Despatch from the Secretary of State (Mr. Labouchere) for my " information and guidance," and that therefore it was inoumbent on me to obey it. I always, however, considered that the Memorandum did contemplate the recovery of expenses incurred from the Colony in whose interests the expenditure is made; and, however ill I may have expressed myself, I never considered that the Colonists are at liberty to dispute such a demand if Her Majesty's Government insist upon it. I have also strictly avoided any pledge on the part of Her Majesty's Government that the money advanced would not be reclaimed, and uniformly expressed my private opinion that Her Majesty's Government would reclaim all payment on account of Militia expenditure, although, on the part of the Colonists, I expressed in my Despatch a hope that the whole amount would not be exacted. I have advised Lieut.-General Cameron that no advances are in future to be made except those for which the Colonial Secretary is prepared to guarantee the repayment. I have, &c, T. Gore Browne. His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, &c, &c, &c.

No. 68. Military and Financial.

*plpe A '^ N °l" B™k '"'

Enclosure in No. 6. MEMORANDUM BY MR. STAFFORD. Colonial Secretary's Office, Aukland, 4th May, 1861. Ministers have had under their consideration the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch referring to the l>ay and allowances granted to the Taranaki Militia, No. 13, of the 26th January last, in which tl»e Governor is instructed not to make any further advances from the Commissariat Chest, in respect of the maintenauce of any Local Force, except on a distinct pledge given by the Government of the Colony that all such advances will be repaid from Colonial funds, so far as the Imperial Government shall require repayment. Ministers are unable to eive any general pledge to that effect which would comprise the cost of the maintenance of all Local Forces which the Governor of the Colony may from time to time call out for actual service in the field or for Garrison duty, as no funds have been appropriated by the Legislature which could be pledged to that extent. It is, however, absolutely necessary, in the present critical circumstances of the Colony, that the Taranaki Militia should not be immediately dismissed; and, if the current cost of that Force will not be provided from the Commissariat Chest without a pledge of repayment, if required by the Imperial Government, Ministers will give that pledge for the present, and will submit to the Legislature in the approaching Session the whole question of the maintenance of Colonial Forces for the future. While giving this pledge, Ministers at the same time request that it may be represented to the Secretary of State that the Colonial Forces have been called out for service by the Governor, in exercise of the Royal Prerogative, to assist Her Majesty's Regular Forces in maintaining Her Majesty's authority, at a time when the small number of Regular Forces in the Colony made such assistance especially valuable; and the Taranaki Militia have, for more than a year, been entirely at the disposal of the Officers commanding Her Majesty's Forces—have on all occasions taken part in the Military operations —and have at all times been available for duties which would otherwise have been required to be performed by Troops maintained by Imperial funds. E. W. Stafford.

Expbmbi or Militia

A—No. 6a

7

MILITARY AND NAVAL ALLOWANCES IN THE COLONY.