Nov. 28.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1303

147. A non-commissioned officer is to be placed in charge of the camp equipage issued to each corps, and it will be his special duty to see that the equipment is returned to store or handed over to an authorised person complete and in proper order.

BOARDS OF INQUIRY.

148. Boards of Inquiry on other than commissioned officers will be formed according to the provisions of clause 84 of “The Defence Act, 1886,” and their duties shall be confined to taking evidence upon oath and reporting upon the evidence. Presidents shall cause minutes of the proceedings to be taken during the inquiry, and forward them to the Defence Minister through the Officer Commanding the District. These inquiries will be held with closed doors.

149. The decision shall be that of the majority of the Board, and signed by all the members; but, in case of difference of opinion, the minority may record and append to the proceedings their reasons for dissenting from the opinion of the majority.

150. The officer, non-commissioned officer, or other member of the Volunteer Force against whom any charge is preferred shall be entitled to have a written copy of the charge or charges delivered to him at least twenty-four hours before the inquiry is held; and the District Commanding Officer is held responsible that this is done.

151. The accused member is not allowed to be assisted by a solicitor during the inquiry, but may call witnesses, whose evidence, with any statement he may himself desire to make, shall be forwarded with the proceedings.

152. The President and members of a Board of Inquiry shall be dressed in uniform, and, on assembling, make a declaration upon honour, in writing, which will be attached to the proceedings, in the terms laid down in paragraph 159.

153. Any officer, non-commissioned officer, or member of the Force against whom any charge is preferred shall attend the Board in uniform, and, if in arrest or a prisoner, without his side-arms.

154. Boards of Inquiry upon commissioned officers shall be confined to taking evidence upon oath and reporting upon such evidence, as provided by clause 87 of “The Defence Act, 1886.”

155. Boards of Inquiry are not to be summoned in trivial cases by Commanding Officers.

COURTS OF INQUIRY.

156. In minor cases the Officer Commanding the District is empowered to assemble a Court of Inquiry, which is not a judicial body, the composition of which shall be as laid down for Boards of Inquiry in clause 84 of “The Defence Act, 1886,” to ascertain the truth or otherwise of any charge respecting which the evidence is conflicting.

157. Such Courts have no power to administer an oath, and are to be assembled only to assist the Officer Commanding the District or Defence Minister in arriving at a prima facie conclusion in cases of doubt, and to collect and arrange the necessary evidence.

158. Courts of Inquiry will take evidence, and record their opinion on the subject under investigation, unless otherwise ordered.

159. Courts of Inquiry are always to be held with closed doors, and the members will at the commencement make a declaration in writing in the following form, which will be attached to the proceedings: “I, A.B., do declare upon my honour that I will duly and impartially inquire into the matters to be brought before the Court. I further declare upon my honour that I will not on any account or at any time disclose or discover my own vote or opinion, or that of any particular member of the Court, or divulge any portion of the proceedings unless required to do so by competent authority.”

160. All evidence taken at a Court of Inquiry is to be recorded as nearly as possible in the words of the witnesses, and in the order in which it is received.

161. When the inquiry is concluded the minutes of the proceedings and report, will be signed by the President and members, and forwarded by the President to the convening authority.

162. A Court of Inquiry may be reassembled as often as the convening authority may deem necessary, and on every occasion of its meeting it is competent to receive and record new evidence.

DISCIPLINE.

163. Meetings of members of the Volunteer Force are not to be held for the purpose of expressing an opinion upon the acts of the Defence Department or of a superior officer, or recommending any particular course of action; nor are memorials to be drawn up to the same effect; and no meetings, except those called together by or under the authority of the Commanding Officer of a District or Corps, who will be responsible for doing so, will be recognised. If any officer or Volunteer has cause to think himself aggrieved, he will represent his case through his Commanding Officer to the Officer Commanding the District, and on no account is he permitted to communicate direct with the Defence Office, or to seek redress from any member of the Legislature. Any appeal against the decision of the Officer Commanding the District will be made through that officer for transmission to higher authority.

164. Members of the Volunteer Force, in uniform, are not individually or collectively to attend political meetings, or join in public, political, or sectarian discussions or demonstrations.

165. Although it is intended that every opportunity shall be given for inquiry into well-founded complaints and the redress of grievances, members of the Volunteer Force will be personally responsible if they prefer complaints of a litigious, frivolous, or malicious character.

166. When a Volunteer has been dismissed for misconduct, a notification of the fact, with the cause of dismissal, will be inserted in district and corps orders.

167. Disobedience of orders or any disrespect shown to any superior officer must be instantly reported to the Officer Commanding the Corps; and it is to be earnestly impressed upon all ranks that discipline depends so essentially upon obedience to superiors that all commissioned officers must see that it is duly enforced. Non-commissioned officers failing to report any contempt or neglect of their authority will be liable to reduction.

168. An arrest is held, in accordance with the custom of the military service, to mean a suspension from all military duty, including target practice, until the case leading to such arrest is disposed of.

169. After an officer or Volunteer is reported as having been placed under arrest he cannot be released except by order of the officer to whom he has been reported.

170. Military duty is held to mean not only presence under arms on parade, but the performance of all administrative duties of a military nature in or out of uniform.

171. Any Volunteer who fails to produce for inspection, as required, or on dismissal from the Force for misconduct to deliver up, any arms, accoutrements, or other property intrusted to his care, within fourteen days, will be proceeded against under the Defence Act.

172. Volunteers in uniform shall salute His Excellency the Governor and all commissioned officers of Her Majesty’s Service and officers of the Defence Forces of the colony, when in uniform.

173. Officers of corps are required to report, through the proper channel, all breaches of discipline and neglect of duty to the Officer Commanding the District.

174. Any member of the Volunteer Force proved to have written or to have instigated any communication to a newspaper on matters connected with the Defence Forces of the colony or any portion thereof, or calling in question or reflecting upon any act of any superior officer, shall, if an officer, be liable to be deprived of his commission, and, if a Volunteer, to be fined in accordance with “The Defence Act, 1886,” and to be summarily dismissed the Force.

175. Officers and non-commissioned officers of the Permanent Staff are held responsible that they do not allow themselves, without permission of the Defence Office, to be complimented, either directly or indirectly, by means of presents or collective expressions of opinion from persons who are serving or who have served under them, except in the case of resignation or departure from the district.

176. No Volunteer is to reply to an officer or non-commissioned officer when found fault with on duty or in the ranks.

177. When a Volunteer in uniform wishes to address an officer, he must be accompanied by a non-commissioned officer.

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

179. Non-commissioned officers above the rank of corporal are permitted to wear side-arms when off duty.

180. Officers when communicating with a superior authority will do so individually. The collective opinion of officers will not be received, being contrary to the rules of military service and discipline.

181. No corps is permitted to elect, as either member or honorary member, any person who has been dismissed from the Volunteer Force till after three years of such dismissal, and then only subject to the approval of His Excellency the Governor.

BATTALIONS.

182. At the four centres of population, should six or more corps desire to be formed into a battalion, the Governor may assent to the request, and will appoint the requisite staff officers. The Volunteers will be enrolled for the battalion and not for independent corps. The companies will be designated from Nos. 1 to 6 of the Battalion of Rifles. All regimental promotions will be made from officers belonging to the battalion, and it will in all respects be assimilated to a regiment, the individuality of corps being abolished.

In the event of an application being approved for the formation of a battalion, special standing orders and regulations for