H.—22

1882. NEW ZEALAND.

VOLUNTEER FORCE OF NEW ZEALND (REPORT ON).

Presented to hoth Souses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

The TTndee-Seceetaby for Defence to the Hon. the Defence Ministeb. Sie,— Defence Office, Wellington, Ist June, 1882. I have the honor to submit to you the accompanying returns showing the strength and distribution of the Volunteer Force on the 30th April, 1882, and of the ordnance and small arms on issue in the various districts on that date. It will be seen that the returns show an increase in the North Island of 635, and in the South Island of 104, Volunteers. In October last, when it was decided to advance on Parihaka, the Districts of Auckland, Nelson, Marlborough, Wellington, and Canterbury were called upon for Volunteers for active service on the West Coast, and in answer to the call the Thames sent 7 officers and 164 men, Nelson 13 officers and 376 men, Marlborough 3 officers and 49 men, Wellington 21 officers and 283 men, and Canterbury 5 officers and 74 men ; which, together with the Volunteers furnished by the Taranaki and Wanganui Districts, gave a valuable contingent of 64 officers and 1,048 men. Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts, N.Z.C., Commanding on the West Coast, in his annual report of his district, desires to record his high appreciation of the exemplary manner in which the whole force behaved, the strictest attention was paid to all orders, discipline and good conduct existing throughout. The Hon. the Defence Minister complimented the officers for the prompt and orderly way in which all orders had been executed, and Lieut.-Colonel Eoberts considers the mustering so suddenly of such a number of Volunteers in the district has had an excellent effect on the Native mind, as convincing them that, in an emergency, the Constabulary can be reinforced with little delay. A most successful Easter encampment was held at Wanganui, at which 544 of all ranks assisted, Nelson contributing 184 of this number. An effort was made to hold a good meeting at Dunedin at Easter, but Lieut.-Colonel Stavely reports several circumstances conspired to mar the success of it, namely, the attraction to Christchurch by the Exhibition, which drew away many who would have attended, the want of camp-equipage, and the very wet weather. The total number of Volunteers on the 31gt December, 1881, the close of the Volunteer financial year, was 8,318 adults and 1,976 cadets, of whom 6,216 adults and 1,454 cadets qualified for capitation. I have, &c.j H. E. Eeadee, Lieut.-Colonel, The Hon. the Defence Minister, Wellington. TJnder-Secretary for Defence.

Return of Small Arms and Ammunition. Bifles, fyc. —ln Store and on Issue — Snider (all sizes) —On issue ... ... ... ... 8,184 In store ... ... ... ... 2,997 Enfield—ln store ... ... ... ... ... 10,553 On issue ... ... ... ... ... 914 Ammunition — Snider —In store ... ... ... ... ~, ... 1,206,218 Enfield—ln store ... ... ... ... ... 429,127