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Volunteers to enroll themselves under their provisions, that they are not generally acceptable, but the Government are not aware what special objections are entertained towards them, or what alterations (beyond those already promised) are desired. The Government are, however, fully disposed to make such reasonable modifications in them as the well ascertained wishes of Volunteers, and of those who wish to serve, may indicate.

5. Orders have been sent by the last mail to England for the supply of 1750 Uniforms, and it is the intention of the Government to furnish them to Volunteer Corps without cost, on condition that the Legislature of the Province in which those Corps are enrolled contribute one-third of the expense. This Provincial contribution is requisite, both on account of the limited funds at the disposal of the General Government, and also because it is only equitable that the particular Province which benefits by the presence of an organised Volunteer Force should bear some special share of the expense of that organisation.

6. The Government will of course continue the supply of arms and accoutrements, as heretofore, and they will use every effort within the means at their disposal, by the supply of ammunition, the payment of drill instructors, the laying out of proper firing grounds, and by other modes, to assist the Volunteers in rendering themselves a disciplined and efficient Force. The Provincial authorities will, no doubt, co-operate in the same direction.

7. It is highly desirable in a Colony, on many accounts, that effective Volunteer Forces should be formed for self protection (which of course is the only object in view) rather than that the Militia should be called out for training and exercise, for, with Volunteers, the services of able and willing men in the prime of life are secured without an injurious interference with industrial pursuits, while, by calling out the Militia, the progress of colonisation is materially retarded,—where, as in a colony, labour is of such value, and a large portion of the male population is not restrained by any ties from immediate migration,—and a serious blow is struck at the very root of the ability of the colony to assist itself, and to contribute—as it has done for the last three years, to such a considerable ex-

tent in proportion to its resources,—towards the expense of its local defences.

8. It is also inexpedient that a Volunteer movement should be conducted simultaneously with the calling out of the Militia for drill, for, although the ranks of the Volunteers would be nominally swelled by the adhesion of many who prefer that service to the Militia, a real injury would be inflicted on the Volunteer cause by this fictitious enrollment (followed as it would be by a sudden reaction as soon as practicable) in addition to the evils to which I have referred as likely to arise from calling out the Militia.

9. It is, however, impossible that a state of affairs should permanently continue here in which neither the colonists voluntarily enroll, nor the Government take any steps for calling out a Militia, and the Government fully trust that, when their intentions with respect to the organisation of Volunteer Forces are generally known, the accession to these corps will be such as to render them creditable to the Colony, and effective for that object which so vitally affects the colonists themselves.

10. I am to request you to forward a copy of this letter to the Officers Commanding the Militia and Volunteers in each District, with a request that they will give it every publicity in their power.

I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
W. GISBORNE,
Under Secretary.

Lieut.-Colonel Balneavis,
Deputy Adjutant-General
of Militia and Volunteers.

Resident Magistrate’s Office,
Blenheim, January 15th, 1863.

I HEREBY certify that Julius Decius TRIPE has this day produced before me his Diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons, England, and another as Doctor of Medicine, from the University of Edinburgh, and has hereby qualified himself as a Medical Practitioner, in terms of the Ordinance, Session I, No. 2, of the Province of New Munster, intituled “An Ordinance to define the qualifications, and provide for the remuneration in certain cases, of Medical Practitioners.”

S. L. MULLEN,
Resident Magistrate.