[Advertisement.] To the Editor of the Daily Southern C ross. Wanganm, May 2. 1864.
Sir, — Major Rooks, Commanding Militia and Voluuteers in this district, in Volunteer Ordeis, dated 19th October, 1863, disbanded the Matarawa Company of Volunteeis, of which I was captain, for the alleged 1 eason that it was not the regulation strength o£ forty membeis,. The company uumbcied at the time thiity-uine members, being one only under the regulation strength. Immediately on the oideis disbanding tlie company being issued I. at the request of the men, wrote an account of the whole transaction, duected to the Deputy-Adjutant-General, respectfully . omplaming of the precipitancy in which the company was "'broken up, without giving the men and myself the opportunity of recruiting to our proper strength, which we could have done, and more if we had only been permitted the opportunity, and also complaining that the company should have been pitched upon to be broken up beyond two otheis in the district, either of which was far less numerically strong than the Matarawa Company. To this I received a courteous reply to the effect that the legulations required all correspondence to be sent thiough the officer commanding at the station. I immediately wrote through the commanding officer here, Major Rooks, but although six months have elapsed I have not yet had an answer fiom the authorities I have been told from a private source that Major Rooks received instructions ftom the Government not to interfere with the company till further ordeis, which insti uctions— if iv existence— Major Rooks has litei ally complied with in not since calling a parade for the company, although he has "done all in his {power to break the company up and prevent its restoiation by issuing orders that the men might volunteer to other companies, &c, if they choose to do so ; but without effect. When the Matarawa Company was formed the minimum legulation strength w<v twenty men to a company, although from tke first formatiou we numbered over forty, until about the time of Major Rooks' disbanding the company. Foom its foimation IdiiUed and otherwise organized this company myself, the men most willingly submitting themselves to a severe course of drill till I vcntuied to say we had attained a highly efficient state of discipline, and without putting the Government to one farthing expense, the men being independent both in position and principle, beyond taking pay for at least any preparatory service. Men who had thus submitted themselves to voluntary inconvenience and expense to prepare themselves to uphold even with their lives Her Majesty's Government in the colony natmally feel offended at having their service unceremoniously dispensed with, and I feel the humiliation of my positien still more that I could not get au answer on their behalf from the Government, although wiiting thiough the channel directed. May I beg you will direct me in the course I am to pursue to proem c an answer fioir the Government. The insertion of the above letter in the Daily Southern Cross will much oblige me and many otheis. I am, Sir, yours, Ire. , William Kern,?, Captain, Matarawa Volunteeis.
Rumoured Discovery of Gold. — It is reported that gold 'has been discoveied by som« Waikato militiamen, bub the locality of the discovery has not been made known. We should think from the result of previous prospecting that it was a veiy easy matter to find gold, but its discovery in payable quantities is a problem which, if not solved now, will be solved very shortly, and that probably iv the valley of the Thaine*. We understand that a prospectin* party has ajrqady started for tliero,
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DSC18640507.2.27
Bibliographic details
Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2121, 7 May 1864, Page 5
Word Count
608[Advertisement.] To the Editor of the Daily Southern Cross. Wanganm, May 2. 1864. Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2121, 7 May 1864, Page 5
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.