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23. The relative precedence of officers in the Volunteer Force is determined solely by the rank and date of their commissions in that Force. 24. The relative precedence of officers of different companies holding commissions of the same rank and date is determined by the relative precedence of the company to which they respectively belong. 25. The relative precedence of officers of one regiment, bearing commissions of the same rank and date, is determined by the order in which their names appear in the Army List. This order is the same as that in which the appointments are inserted in the Gazette. 26. The relative rank of Medical Officers in the Volunteer Force is determined by the same rule as that prescribed for Medical Officers of the army, except that Surgeons always rank as Captains, irrespective of their length of service. A Surgeon-Major ranks with a Major. 27. The relative rank of Acting Chaplain is Captain, and that of Quartermaster is Lieutenant. 28. An officer holding a substantive commission will take precedence of all officers holding acting appointments or honorary commissions. Staee. 29. An Imperial officer to be appointed as Colonel Commandant of Volunteers, whose orders with respect to the Volunteer Force will be issued through Officers Commanding Districts. 30. An Honorary Surgeon-General to be appointed by the Governor, who shall be responsible to the Commandant for the efficiency of the Medical Department. He will advise the appointment of so many Surgeons-Major and Surgeons as he may consider necessary. 81. His Excellency the Governor will from time to time appoint such and so many staff officers and non-commissioned officers to the Volunteer Force as he may consider expedient, and such officers and non-commissioned officers shall be deemed officers and non-commis-sioned officers of the Force in general, or any portion thereof. 32. It is proposed that the Colonel Commandant be Military UnderSecretary to the Defence Minister for all defence purposes apart from the Armed Constabulary Force, will take the command of the Volunteer Force, and will superintend the whole organization, training, payment, discipline, equipment, provisioning, and general management thereof, in which duties he will be assisted by the other members of the staff. 33. When undergoing instruction, Volunteers of all ranks are required to pay strict attention to the directions given by members of the staff. Oeganization. 34. The Volunteer Force will be divided into lines of defence as follows : — r First Line. Troops of Cavairy. —To consist of not less than thirty nor more than fifty sabres, exclusive of officers. Batteries of Artillery. —-To consist of not less than thirty nor more than fifty men, exclusive of officers. Pifle Companies. —To consist of not less than forty nor more than sixty men, exclusive of officers. N.B. Until the Government see their way to organize Engineer Companies, it is suggested that No. 1 Company in each Regiment of Infantry should consist exclusively of artisans wherever practicable, so as to be fairly considered material from which an Engineer Company could be raised. Second Line. Naval Companies. —To consist of not less than thirty nor more than sixty men, exclusive of officers. Pifle Companies. —To consist of not less than forty nor more than sixty men, exclusive of officers. N.B. Until the Government see their way to organize the permanent naval defences, the Naval Companies as above would be stationed at Thames, Auckland, Nelson, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers. Naval Companies should consist entirely of seamen, and they should take the right of the Second Line in order of precedence.