4

PAPERS RELATIVE TO THE PAY AND EXPENSES

of a Letter (vhich I have addressed to the Assistant Commissary General at this post, relative to the supplies and payments to be issued, until further instructions are received, to that portion of the above Force which is called out for actual service. With a view alike to economy, to prevent an interruption of industrial pursuits, and to mitigate the inconvenience and hardship sustained by those who would otherwise be compelled to attend from considerable distances, it is desirable that leave of absence be granted periodically to those members of the Militia residing in the Upper Hutt, and at other places distant from the Guard-room in that district, and that the number of men retained for duty there, should be such as to require that each man was on duty every four or at most, five days. The same considerations should regulate the number of men retained for actual service in the City of Wellington. I have, &c, (Signed) E. W. Stafford. Major Trafford, Commanding Wellington Militia, &c, &c, &c.

Enclosure in No. 3. MR. STAFFORD TO ASSISTANT COMMISSARY GENERAL ADAMS. Wellington, 28th April, 1860. Sir,— I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Letter of this day's date on the subject of supplies and payments on account of the Wellington Militia, enclosing copy of a Letter from the Senior Commissariat Officer, and intimating that unless I would guarantee the refund of sums expended on account of the Militia service, you would be unable to make payments on that account. In reply, I have to state that the question of payments on account of that service will be considered on my return to Auckland, but in the meantime, as His Excellency has directed a portion of the Wellington Militia Force to be called out for actual service in connection with the Military operations undertaken for the maintenance of Her Majesty's authority, I will guarantee that any sums which may be expended on account of that Force from the Ist instant will, if required by the Imperial Government, be repaid from Colonial funds on the following conditions. That the payments to the Militia Officers of each grade who may be called out shall be at the same rate as those to Officers of the Line serving in England with the same scale of rations as those allowed in New Zealand. No Colonial or Lodging allowance being given except in the case of any Officer whose duties compel him to reside away from his usual place of residence, in which case the authorised Lodging allowance to be given. That the supplies and payments, including such clothing as has been already issued to the noncommissioned Officers and Privates doing duty, shall be the same as those to Her Majesty's regular troops serving in New Zealand, rations being issued each day or additional pay at the present contract prices. I have to request that I may be furnished with abstracts of the Pay Lists, and of the payments made, and that for the future, weekly abstracts of the payments on account of the Wellington Militia, with copies of the pay lists, may be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary's Office at Auckland. I have, &c, A. F. Adams, Esq., (Signed) E. W. Stafford. Assistant Commissary General, Wellington. P.S. All contingent expenses incurred on the requisition of Major Trafford since the Ist April are comprised in this guarantee. (Signed) E. W. Stafford.

(No. 65.)

No. 4. THE GOVERNOR TO THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE TROOPS. Government House, Auckland, 17th May, 1860. Sib,— In reply to your Letter of the 12th instant, transmitting a Letter from the Boatmen at Taranaki, applying to be allowed to draw pay and rations as Militiamen in addition to their wages as Boatmen, I have the honour to annex for your information, a copy of a Memorandum from my Responsible Advisers on the subject of this application. I have, &c, (Signed) T. Gohe Browne, The Honorable the Officer Commanding the Troops, Governor. New Plymouth.

Sir,—

(No. 53.)