Dec. 16.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1591

188. When a Volunteer on duty wishes to address an officer, he must be accompanied by a non-commissioned officer.

189. No Volunteer is to address in writing an officer on any subject connected with duty except through the prescribed channel.

190. No Volunteer is to fall out of the ranks without permission, or talk while in the ranks.

191. Commissioned officers and Sergeants only are permitted to wear side-arms when off duty, and then only the authorized weapons of their respective ranks.

192. Officers, when communicating with a superior authority, will do so individually. The collective opinion of the officers of any battalion or corps will not be received, such communication being contrary to the rules of military service and discipline.

BATTALIONS.

193. Battalions when complete shall consist of not less than six or more than ten corps or companies; and the staff establishment of officers shall not exceed 1 Lieut.-Colonel, 2 Majors, 1 Adjutant, 1 Surgeon-Major, and 2 Surgeons or 3 Surgeons, 1 Quartermaster, 1 Sergt.-Major, 1 Quartermaster Sergeant. A brigade when complete shall consist of three battalions. A division shall consist of two brigades.

194. Where one or more battalions may be formed within any Volunteer district, the Officers Commanding the Battalions, or the District Commanding Officer, in cases where no independent Lieut.-Colonel of the Battalion is appointed, will take, as nearly as the circumstances of the case permit, the positions of Officers Commanding Regiments in H.M. Service. All questions of equipment, general efficiency, and discipline, upon which the Officer Commanding the District desires to remark in the case of any company or corps in the battalion he will make through the Commander of the Battalion, who will communicate the same to the corps or company, and will give effect to the directions of the Officer Commanding the District.

195. The Officer Commanding the District will make a searching inspection of all independent corps and battalions under his command at least once in each year, and report to the Commander of the Forces. Except upon such occasions and upon matters of finance upon which there exist Treasury or Defence Office regulations, the Officer Commanding the District will not interfere with the control of a battalion which is under command of a Lieut.-Colonel, but will support by every means in his power the authority of the Officer Commanding the Battalion, unless he has any reason to find fault with that officer himself or of his administration of the battalion, or thinks that the requirements of the Defence Office are not being carried out by such Officer Commanding the Battalion, when he will at once report to the Commander of the Forces that the Officer Commanding the Battalion has neglected his duties.

196. The Commanding Officer of the District will give his orders for all general parades in which he desires any battalion or portion of a battalion to take part, either directly or through the district staff to the Officer Commanding such battalion or part thereof, who will thereupon be responsible for the due promulgation of the order. On all other occasions the Officer Commanding the Battalion will direct in what order and at what times and places his battalion will parade for drill inspection, camps, or any military exercise, using his own discretion where he has not had orders from the District Commanding Officer upon any point.

197. A battalion on parade will at all times act as a single corps, the company officers furnishing their states to the Battalion Adjutant, who will hand them to the Battalion Commander, to enable him to compile a general state of all the companies of the battalion for the Officer Commanding the District, if present, or for the Inspecting Officer, or Officer Commanding a general parade at which other corps or battalions may be present.

198. If such parade is for a Government capitation drill, the District Permanent Staff, if present, will verify the numbers; and if no member of the permanent staff be present, the Officer Commanding each corps will sign the certificate on honour of the absentees and numbers on parade.

199. The honorary staff and staff non-commissioned officers are made on the recommendation of the Officer Commanding the Battalion.

200. Where there is a battalion without an Adjutant or an acting Battalion Adjutant, the staff duty can only be performed by the District Adjutant; but, where there are such officers of battalions, the District Staff Officer is relieved from executive-staff duties on battalion parades, except as prescribed above.

201. At Adjutants’ parades for drill the attendance of officers senior to the Adjutant is optional; but should such officers attend they will not take command of the parade away from the Adjutant.

MUSTER PARADE.

202. During the last quarter of the Volunteer year Officers Commanding Districts shall order a muster parade of each corps in their command, at which every enrolled member is to attend, with the arms, accoutrements, and Government property in his possession.

203. The spare arms, accoutrements, &c., on issue to the corps are also to be produced for inspection at the same time; and, in the event of articles being found missing or deficient, the cost of the same will be deducted from the capitation grant of the corps.

INSPECTORS’ PARADES.

204. Any officer appointed for the purpose of inspection may once in each year order a parade of any Volunteer corps for inspection, and any officer or Volunteer who shall absent himself from such parade, without permission of the officer ordering the same or reasonable excuse, of which such Inspecting Officer shall be the judge, shall be liable to the penalty provided in section 52 of “The Defence Act, 1886.”

205. In the event of an officer or Volunteer being prevented from attending by sickness, the fine will be remitted on the production of a medical certificate to that effect, duly certified to by a medical man.

ARMS, ACCOUTREMENTS, AMMUNITION, AND STORES.

206. Arms and accoutrements will be supplied to all the enrolled members of a corps (except swords and belts for the commissioned officers thereof), and Honorary Reserve Corps.

207. All arms, accoutrements, and other articles issued to a Volunteer corps shall remain the property of the Government, and the Commanding Officer for the time being will be held responsible for their being at all times in a serviceable state, and for their being returned into store (when required) in good condition, fair wear and tear excepted.

208. It shall be the duty of Officers Commanding Districts to require of officers relinquishing or assuming command of individual corps to sign a mutual certificate of transfer, according to Form V.-5.

209. When the Commanding Officer of a corps applies for leave of absence, or intends to resign his commission, he must obtain a certificate from the officer next in command that all the arms and other articles issued to the corps—a list of which must be attached—are complete and in good order. This certificate must accompany the application for leave, or letter tendering the resignation.

210. The rifle must invariably be cleaned immediately after use. Any neglect will impair the accuracy of the weapon. Any Volunteer whose rifle or side arm is found dirty may be fined for each occasion.

211. Volunteers must not, under any circumstances, tamper with their rifles, or use other than the authorized ammunition; and any rifles which, on inspection, may be found to have had their locks or any other parts improperly altered, or damaged shall be at once returned into store, and repaired at the expense of the corps or individual.

212. All surplus stores—such as empty powder-barrels and cases, metal-lined cases, metal cylinders, or empty bursters—must be forwarded to Defence Storekeepers by the cheapest and most direct conveyance.

213. Ammunition in the following annual proportions, to be reckoned from the 1st of January in each year, is allowed to Volunteers of the several arms without payment, on the condition that such ammunition shall be expended under the command and supervision of either a commissioned or non-commissioned officer. When metal cartridges are supplied the corps is held responsible for the return of the cases; and if any deficiency exists beyond 10 per cent. it will be charged against the corps at the rate of 4s. per 100 cases:—

Ordnance Ammunition.

For Naval Artillery who have field-guns, and Artillery Volunteers, per Gun Detachment, not exceeding six detachments per corps (bandsmen not included)* … … … 5 shot.

5 shell.

Small-Arms Ammunition.

For every enrolled member (except reserve) 100 ball.

NOTE.—Rifle and carbine ammunition is allowed to be purchased by Volunteer corps, in such quantities as the supplies in store may permit.

214. Volunteers are not to lend any of their arms, appointments, or Government property, nor are they to use any of them except on duty or when practising at the butts, and any contravention of this regulation will be punished as disobedience of orders.

215. A Volunteer must immediately report any damage or deficiency in his arms, accoutrements, &c., to the officer in command of his corps.

216. Returns of arms and accoutrements and all Government property on issue to corps must be rendered to the Defence Storekeeper on whose books the same appear, made up to 30th June and 31st December, not later than the 15th July and 15th January respectively. (Vide Forms V.-7 and 8.)

• Blank ammunition for ordnance and small arms will be issued for reviews, field-days, salutes, &c., on approved requisition.