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Enclosure 9 in No. 1. Captain Stack, Wellington, to the Commissioner, Armed Constabulary Force. Sic, — Armed Constabulary Depot, Wellington, 14th June, 1875. I have the honor, in accordance with regulations, to forward you the following report upon the Armed Constabulary Depot for the year 1874-5, and the annual musketry return of the Force. y Military Duties. Average Strength. —The average strength of the depot during the period was 54, of all ranks. Drills and Parades. —There have been three parades for drill, of at least one hour's duration, on all working days except Saturday; a parade in marching order, on Wednesdays, for inspection of the Commissioner ; and a general parade for inspection of the Hon. Sir Donald McLean, Native Minister, on the 25th of September. Escorts and Guards. —The piquets at Government House gate and Magazine guard have been furnished as usual until lately, when, in consequence of the removal of the old guard-house to make room for the building of a new lodge, the piquet has been discontinued for a time; and because of the small number of duty men at the Depot at present, a watchman is kept on the Magazine instead of the guard. Mounted escorts were furnished for His Excellency the Governor on the occasions of his opening and proroguing the General Assembly; and on the latter occasion and two others guards of honor of the Armed Constabulary Force received His Excellency. A mounted escort accompanied him on a visit to the West Coast. Escorts from the depot have also taken charge of prisoners in transitu from one part of the colony to another. Target Practice Ranges. —The old range at the Adelaide Butts is still available for practice up to 400 yards. An alteration has been effected in the Polhill's Gully Eange, which, though it shortens the distance obtainable, is an improvement on the whole. Citil Duties. During the session of the General Assembly, three orderlies were, as heretofore, placed at the disposal of the Hon. the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the maintenance of order in the galleries and passages of the House. Cases seldom have occurred requiring the interference of the men at the depot with persons in their capacity of constables ; but I can report that, when such cases have arisen, the conduct of the Armed Constabulary has always met with the approval of the Bench in the Eesident Magistrate's Court. A strong party of the Armed Constabulary kept order at the railway stations on the day of the Hutt Eaces. Public and Useful Works. —All men not on duty, or otherwise ordered, are employed daily, between the hours of drill, cleaning and repairing barracks, parade-ground, roads, fences, &c. Fatigue parties have also been furnished to other departments at the wharf, and also at the Magazine, shifting ammunition. A party of the Armed Constabulary was furnished, at the request of the officer commanding the Volunteers, to shift the targets at Polhill's Gully, when the alteration of which I have before spoken was made. The full strength of the depot turned out with fire-engine on ten different occasions of alarm of fire during the year, and in one instance the preservation of the premises on fire, a dwelling in Hopper Street, was entirely owing to the presence and exertions of the Armed Constabulary, who, from the proximity of their barracks to the scene of the fire, were enabled to be on the spot long before the Town Brigades appeared. Two constables, mounted and foot, were employed for about a month in collecting agricultural statistics, under the direction of the Superintendent Collector. Annual Musketry Practice. —The annual course of musketry has been carried out in accordance with the altered system introduced last year, and may on the whole, I think, be considered satisfactory, although as I perceive from the information contained in General Orders published at Horse Guards in April, 1874, the figure of merit for the target practice of the Force comes only midway between the minimum standards of " good " and " moderately good," and is 2-55 points below the figure of merit of last year. This, I think, is sufficientlyjaccounted for by the amalgamation of a portion of the Native Contingent, and their practice with the Armed Constabulary ; though I found those of the Natives that I myself put through the course were as apt and quick in learning as could be expected; and I think my view of this matter is borne out by the fact that the percentage of marksmen this year is much greater than last, the figures being, in 1873-4, 1122 ; and in 1874-5, 1404 ; showing that there has been no falling off in the shooting of the Europeans, but the contrary; and this is further confirmed by the results of the firing for colonial prizes, which I shall have to notice presently. Drill and Practice Returns. —These returns have been kept with regularity in the districts, with one exception which I shall bring under your notice, together with some details of minor errors that have occurred in the other returns, prior to your issuing orders for tho course of instruction for next year. Printed forms of return, in accordance with the alterations made in the musketry system, have been procured by the Armed Constabulary storekeeper, and will be forwarded in due time to officers commanding districts. Armed Constabulary Prizes. —Circular Memorandum from the Commissioner's Office No. 155, of the 9th October last, having directed that the money allotted by the Government to the Armed Constabulary, out of the sum voted by the House of Representatives for prizes for rifle shooting, should be distributed in the same manner as in the previous year, I forwarded you on the 15th ultimo an ex-