VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Issue 7619, 17 December 1886, Page 3

VOLUNTEER REGULATIONS.

Tlic new Volunteer regulations lmvo ■ ' lieen finally approved. Enrolments are to be quarterly— in January, April, July, and October of each year. No Volunteer is to be entitled to claim his discharge until a year after his enrolment. The niininium height for the Artillery is Oft , Oin, ami for the other corps sft 4in. The luaximum strength for Cavalry or mounted infantry is SO, but at present capitation will only be paid for three oilicers and (iO lion-coin missioned officers and mem Tlio minitumu strength is 40. For Naval Artillery, Artillery Engineers, and Rifles, the maximum strength is 100 and the minimum 40, but capitation will only 1)0 paid for 03. Companies may enrol up to tho maximum, and ammunition and. accountrements will be given by the Government, but except in the case of trained bandsmen no capitation will be given in excess of the number of men mentioned. The Volunteer force is to consist of Naval -Artillery, Cavalry when dismounted (when mounted they take precedence of all infantry and. dismounted corps), Mounted Infantry, Artillery Engineers, and Rifles, who will rank in the order named. Honorary reserve corps take precedence of other corps of the same arm. No Volunteers, except bandsmen, are to be enrolled unless they are 17 years of age, and in the case of an apprentice the.consent of the master must be given. Full provision is made for the examination of officers. The corps of all anus are to lie classified as follows :—(a.) Honorary Reserve corps, the members of which will not receive capitation or any other pecuniary allowance, who will provide .their own arms, accoutrements, and ammunition, and who will be permitted to draw up special - private rules for the general management and discipline of their corps, provided such rules are not repugnant to tho provisions of the Defence Act then in force, and are submitted for the approval of his Excellency the Governor, (b.) Volunteer corps, the members of which will be entitled lo capitation. • Cavalry Volunteeis must parade twice a day -for bix consecutive days onco a year, 1 or once a day for three consecutive days twice in the year, and attend for Government monthly inspection parades each year. A capitation allowance at the rate of £3 per annum from moneys appropriated' annually by Parliament will be granted to all efficient members of Volunteer corps who have («) attended eighteen Government parades or drills, six of which must have been by ■ daylight ; (6) fired in the first, second, and third periods of target practice, or, if the range is certified to by tlie musketry instructor to admit of it, in the first and second periods individual practice and in skirmishing and volley firing instead of the third period, and mast have passed into the second class as laid down in paragraph '221, relating to musketry instruction ; (c) gone through the first period of judging distance practices and at least four position and aiming drills. Two pounds per annum only will be granted to all efficient Volunteers who have attended twelve or less than eighteen CJovernment parades of two hours each, live 'of which must have been daylight parades, and gone through the practices as detailed in above sub-sections ' (ft and c) ; one pound per annum only will be granted to all efficient Volunteers who have attended eight or less than twelve Government parades ' of two hours each of which four must have been' by daylight, and have gone through the practices as detailed in the above sub-sections {b and c). The above rates are subject to the annual appropriations voted by Parliament, and are liable to reduction p-o rata. If for two successive years a Volunteer fails to pass into tho second class of musketry instruction, ho shall cease to be a Volunteer after the termination of his second volunteer year.. Guards of honor are to . consist of not less than 40 rank and file, and recruits are not to be detailed for them. Companies are to have power to make rules, but a model set is provided which will be held to apply to all corps when others have not been approved of, No capitation will be given to corps which are below the minimum on the last day of the volunteer year, and no Volunteer is to get capitation until he has served six months with his corps. Full provision is made as to camps, for which Volnnteers are to be paid 2s Gd per -day for not more than four days, and attendance at camp wil reckon as two daylight drills forcapilation. All corps, whether armed with long or short rifles, are to adopt the drill for the short rifle, and a new course of target practice, similar to that lately ordered for the Volunteer force in England, will be brought into force for the year 1887, but the mini her of points required to pass in the second class lias linen largely reduced, but will hereafter be gradually increased as the shooting improves, until the English standard is ' readied. In regard to medals and decora- ' tions, it is provided that no medals or decorations are allowed to be worn on the left breast except such as have been conferred by Her Majesty for military or I other service or by a foreign sovereign with Her Majesty's consent, or by the Government of New Zealand for military or long service. Medate gtyinted by humane societies for saving life, and decorations granted heretofore by the New Zealand Government for rifle sbootintr nmv be worn on the right breast.