PARLIAMENTARY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 645, 6 September 1869, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

The Piemier has announced that Dr Featherston and Mr Dillon Bell are to form the Defence Commission to England.

The Ofcago and Southland Reunion Bill has been read a second time. It is of a permissive nature, to take effect if the people of Southland desire it. A general election will take place, and the Provincial Council will then decide, and their decision will affect the .Union, one way or another. ARMS FOR THE FIELD FORCES. Mv Brown -moved that the following rules should be adhered to in obtaining 300(X additional arms for the use of the field forces of the colony :— The rifles, of carbine description, sighted to 500 yards, not exceeding 40 inches in total length, without rods, and with swivel rings and slings •of #45 bore ; breech-loading ; needle action; with a central fire cartridge of the Boxer description; with a knife-bayonet to fix on the underside of the; muzzle,' the knife with a keen cutting edge for cutting through the under scrub, and not exceeding from l£lb to l£ld. His main object in bringing forward the motion

was that it .miglitHbe^iiiade publicly known sis soon !as possible what bore the.GoVernment]intended to adopt, so that persons desirous of supplying themselves with -arms might know what bore to geti The 45 bore was that of the Henry rifle. The Defence Minister- was -aware that the Small Arms Committee had taken a great deal of trouble in carryout the object for which-they were appointed ; and although the Government could not, having in considera-. tiori the fact of the numerous' improvements now being made, pledge themselves to adopt the recommendations contained in the resolution, they would take care that whatever weapon they ordered should be of the best and newest description aud most suitable for bush warfare/ ' Mr Brown said he would withdraw his motion. ■ •

WAR MEDAL. Major Brown said that the committee had not been able to ascertain the exact number of persons who would be entitled to the medal. -His own opinion was that about 3000 was the number.' After due consideration, the committee had decided that the medal ought to be only given to those who had been under fire; and that instances of distinguished gallantry exhibited elsewhere than in action or skifmisnes should be considered- on their own merits. . Mr Heaphy, as a member of the select committee, had objected to' the medal being restricted to those who had been under fire ; and if this were done, a large number of persons who had done good service to the country would be excluded from the decoration. Mr Travers suggested that the nearest relatives of persons who had been killed in action or who had distinguished themselves should be entitled to the medal. After some other members had spoken, .

The Defence Minister moved that the committee concurs in the report of the joint committee in granting the New Zealand war medal to such of the colonial forces.andixiendly natives in all cases where the claimants have been actually under fire or otherwise conspicuous for distinguished services in the field; the medal to be also given to the nearest relatives of any who have died of wounds or been killed in action.

The resolution was carried, reported to the House, and agreed to. :