(Copy.) Downing-street, Military 18th April, 1853. No. 4. Sir, — Referring to your Despatch, No, 106, of the 20th of Angust 1851, it has become necessary for me to enquire whether you have directed any further payment to be made to the Military Chest, in reimbursement of the advances which have been made by Her Majesty's Government on account of the New Zealand, Fencibles. By the accompanying paper, you will perceive that those advances amount to a considerable sum, and, as it would be impossible for Her Majesty's Government to withhold such an outstanding account much longer from the cognizance of Parliament, I have to express my earnest expectation that you will apply yourself seriously to its liquidation, and that you will report to me the steps which you may be enabled to take for that purpose. I have, the honor, &c., (signet 1 ) Newcastle. Governor Sir George Grey, K.C.B. &c., c&c.,

MEMORANDUM RESPECTING THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND FENCIBLES. In 1846 the attention of Her Majesty's Government was directed by Lieut Governor Grey to the necessity of stationing in New Zealand a force of at least 2,500 men, with the view of guarding against the recurrence of petty but expensive wars, Her Majesty's Government, in consequence of the no less urgent demands made upon them for the services of the Queen's troops in various other quarters, were unable to supply the whole of this reinforcement from the regular army ; and having taken into consideration the actual wants and condition of the colony, it was determined to raise for service in New Zealand, a corps consisting of 500 men, to be designated the " Royal New Zealand Fencibles," composed of discharged soldiers (with or without pensions) of good character and of vigorous constitution. The views of Her Majesty's Government on the subject were conveyed to Governor Grey on the 24th November 1846, and are set forth in the following extract from Earl Grey's dispatch of that date : •' As in New Zealand what you require is rather to be enabled to command at short notice an overwhelming force to put down any resistance which may be attempted to the authority of the Government, than the constant service of a large body of troops ; it is the opinion of Her Majesty's Government that men engaged for service when wanted, will hardly be less valuable for at least some military purposes than regiments permanently embodied, while at the same time they will afford a highly valuable increase of the supply of labonr in the colony." Immediate steps were taken to cairy out these views, and conditions of enrolment in the proposed corps were issued by the Secretary at War, in communication with Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies : of these conditions the following is an abstract : In the case of pensioners the maximum age was fixed at 48, and in that of men discharged without pension at 38 years. The period of enrolment was for seven years, and a muster under arms every Sunday at church parade, with twelve days drill throughout the year, without pay, were exacted from the Fencibles in return for the expense incurred by the Government for their settlement in the colony ; but in the event of their being called out for exercise or duty on other occaions, pay at the rates fixed by the Royal Warrant of the 7th September, 1843, was to be allowed. In addition to the advantages of a free passage with rations for themselvi-s and families, £l enrolment money for outfit, pay from the day of enrolment to the day of embarkation, advances of pension for the purchase of furniture, implements, and stock, (repayable by easy instalments after their arrival in the colony),

Formation of the Corps.

Object contemplated.

Conditions of enrolment.