9

A—No. 6

Pending a reply to that Memorial, it was arranged that no payments on that account should be made from the Colonial funds, on the understanding that, if required by the Imperial Government, after consideration of the Memorandum referred to, the sums expended for Officers' quarters after the sth April, 1858, until the next session of the General Assembly, should be provided by the Colonial Government. 1 have &c. (Signed) W. Gisborne, EL S. Jones, Esq. A. C. G., Under Secretary. Comptroller of Army Expenditure. COPT OP A MEMORANDUM BT THE GOVERNOR. Government House, sth October, 1858. As there appears to be some misunderstanding, the Governor declines to give the guarantee suggested by Colonel Wynyard in the 2nd paragraph of his letter, without some distinct assurance from Ministers, that they will abide by the decision of Her Majesty's Government. (Signed) T. Gore Browne. COPY OF A MEMORANDUM BY MR. STAFFORD. Colonial Secretary's Office, 6th October, 1858. Referring to the Governor's Memorandum of yesterday's date on Colonel Wynyard's letter of the Militaiy, 4th instant, it is observed, that the assurance required by His Excellency, was intended ; and appears — to have been conveyed in Mr. Stafford's Memorandum of the Bth September last (Military) ; wherein it is, in effect, stated, that the charge on account of Lodging money from the sth April, 1858, would be paid, until the next Session of the General Assembly—if, on reconsideration, the Imperial Authorities should decide to exact it. In accordance with that statement, all duly authorised payments on that account which may be made from the Military chest, pending the decision of the Imperial Government, will be replaced from Colonial Funds, —if the decision is adverse to the commutation of the charge, proposed in the Memorandum of the Bth ultimo. In the mean time, it is requested that the charges on account of this service may be periodically reported to the Colonial Government, in the form required by the Imperial Government, with a view to their ultimate audit. (Signed) E. W. Stafford. COPY OF A MEMORANDUM BY MR. WHITAKER. 24th November, 1858. His Excellency's Advisers have had under their consideration the Secretary of State's Despatch of Military. the 9th August last, with the enclosures, including Colonel Wynyard's suggestions relative to the formation in New Zealand, of local Corps to be composed of Pensioners, Volunteers from the line, Discharged Soldiers, and Militia. Colonel Wynyard offers no suggestion as to the manner in which he would attempt the formation of such a Corps, and His Excellency's Advisers are quite at a loss to understand in what manner it would be possible to carry such a scheme into effect. If Colonel Wynyard means that men in New Zealand would be inclined to enlist for the same pay that Her Majesty's regular Troops receive, there cannot be a doubt that he is altogether mistaken. With labourers' wages at from ss. to Bs. a day, it is impossible to conceive that men could be found to accept much less as soldiers. The pay given to the Police is a fair criterion, as they are mostly of the same class as those Colonel Wynyard states may he expected to avail themselves of an offer of 6ervice in a Colonial Corps. The Police pay in Auckland is as follows :— Inspector £275 per annum. Sergeant Major .'.... 9s. 7d. per day. Sergeants 6s. 7d. " Corporals 6s. " Privates ss. Gd. " As regards one class of men—discharged soldiers—Colonel Wynyard has himself tried the experiment as to whether, after being discharged, they are willing to enter the military service. In August 1857, about one hundred men were discharged from the 58th Regiment; a few days afterwards the news of the disaster in India was received, and Colonel Wynyard feeling that a large reduction of the force under his command was not desirable, was anxious to re-enlist some of the men, and having " reason to suspect that many good men had been much disappointed," he caused an advertisement to be inserted in the New Zealand Gazette, making known the terms upon which they could return to the Regiment; but the result was that not a single man re-enlisted.