H.—l9a

1901. NEW ZEALAND.

NEWTOWN PARK CAMP (INQUIRY INTO CONDUCT OF).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

ORDER. By order of the Hon. the Defence Minister, a Committee of inquiry will assemble at the Officers' Room, Wellington Drill-hall, at 11 a.m. on Monday, the sth instant, to inquire and report upon : — 1. Whether due and proper arrangements were made for the comfort, housing, and victualling of the men at Newtown Park Camp and Volunteer billets between the 15th and 22nd June. 2. The alleged deficiency and bad quality and bad cooking of the rations at the camp at Newtown Park and in the various Volunteer billets from the 15th to the 22nd June. 3. To inquire into complaints, if any, at the time or since, as 1.0 the housing, victualling, and discomforts of the officers and men. 4. The supply of forage and foraging for horses. 5. The discipline and management generally of the camp. 6. The alleged breach of discipline committed by Volunteers in taking part in a procession through the streets of Wellington on the evening of the 19th June. The Committee to consist of Hon. Lieut.-Colonel A. Pitt, M.L.C., (President) ; Lieut.-Colonel Davis, C.8.; and Major Hawkins. A. P. Penton, Colonel, 3rd August, 1901. Commanding New Zealand Forces.

Sir, — Wellington, 26th August, 1901. I have the honour to forward herewith, for the information of the Right Hon. the Defence Minister, report and proceedings of Committee of inquiry re Newtown Park Camp. I have, &c, Albert Pitt, Lieut.-Colonel, The Commandant of the Forces, Wellington. President.

BEPOET.

Wellington, 26th August, 1901. We, the undersigned members of a Committee of inquiry, assembled by order of the Right Hon. the Defence Minister, and pursuant to the orders of the Commandant of the Forces of the 3rd August, 1901, having met and taken evidence pursuant to such orders, have now the honour to report upon the various matters into and upon which we were by the said orders directed to inquire and report, as follows : — It appears from the evidence given before us that Newtown Park was decided upon as the site for the mounted rifles camp in June last, as the result of conversation in the month of the preceding April between the Commandant of the Forces and Lieut.-Colonel Stuart I—H, 19a,