390
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 16

panied by a Treasury contingency voucher made out in favour
of the corps, which is to be signed by the Officer in Command,
as applicant, and certified to by the Officer Commanding the
District.

274. Any charges debited against capitation are to be de-
     ducted in the body of the voucher from the amount earned, and
     the balance thus remaining will represent the sum a corps will
     be entitled to receive.

275. Capitation rolls, after being carefully checked, accom-
     panied by the annual account of receipts and expenditure
     referred to in paragraph 159, are to be transmitted by Officers
     Commanding Districts to the Defence Office not later than
     the 15th March in each year.

276. Forms of requisitions, capitation rolls, &c., will be sup-
     plied to corps on application to the District Office.

LONG-SERVICE MEDALS.

277. Volunteers who have served efficiently in the Volunteer
     Force for twenty years, or who have served continuously for
     sixteen years as efficient Volunteers, are entitled to a long-
     service medal, as also are officers and non-commissioned
     officers of the Permanent Staff, and officers on the Honorary
     Unattached List who had the above service before being
     transferred to that list. Volunteers who have served on active
     service are entitled to count the period of each year or part of
     a year of such service as double towards a medal.

278. In the event of any corps being returned non-efficient
     for capitation for any year by reason of failing to capitale
     three-fourths of its minimum strength, the individual members
     of such corps who have done all the duties required by the
     regulations shall, notwithstanding that they have not received
     capitation, nevertheless count any such year as efficient service
     towards the long- and efficient-service medal.

MEDALS AND DECORATIONS.

278. No medals or decorations are allowed to be worn on the
     left breast except such as have been conferred by Her Majesty
     for military or other service, or by a foreign Sovereign with
     Her Majesty's consent, or by the Government of New Zealand
     for military or long service. Medals granted by Humane
     Societies for saving life, and decorations granted heretofore by
     the New Zealand Government for rifle-shooting, may be worn
     on the right breast, but no other decorations are at any time
     to be worn on parades or military duties.

The Imperial Volunteer Officers' Decoration.

279. Volunteer officers shall be eligible for this decoration
     when they have been recommended as efficient and capable and
     have served the time laid down in the under-mentioned Royal
     Warrant :—

" War Office, 29th July, 1892.

" THE VOLUNTEER OFFICERS' DECORATION WARRANT.

" Victoria, R.

" Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the
Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come,
greeting.

" WHEREAS it is our Royal desire to reward the long and
meritorious services of officers of proved capacity in our
Volunteer Force: Now, for the purpose of attaining this end
We have instituted, constituted, and created, and by these
presents for Us, our heirs and successors, do institute, con-
stitute, and create, a new Decoration which We are desirous
should be highly prized by the officers of our Volunteer Force ;
and We are graciously pleased to make, ordain, and establish
the following rules and ordinances for the government of the
same, which shall from henceforth be observed and kept :—

" Firstly.—It is ordained that the Decoration shall be styled
and designated 'The Volunteer Officers' Decoration,' and shall
consist of an oak wreath in silver tied with gold, having in the
centre the Royal cipher and Crown in gold.

" Secondly.—It is ordained that the Decoration shall be sus-
pended from the left breast by a green riband of one inch and
a half in width from a silver oak bar-brooch.

" Thirdly.—It is ordained that the Decoration may be worn
by Us, our heirs and successors, Kings and Queens Regnant of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ; and it
shall be competent for Us, our heirs and successors, to confer
the Decoration upon any of the Princes of the Royal Family
of Great Britain and Ireland.

" Fourthly.—It is ordained that no person shall be eligible
for this Decoration nor be nominated thereto unless he is
or was a commissioned officer and has served twenty years
in our Volunteer Force, is recommended by the Commanding
Officer of the corps in which he has served, and is duly
certified by the district military authorities in which the corps
is located as having been an efficient and thoroughly capable
officer, in every way deserving of such a Decoration: Provided
nevertheless, and We do hereby declare, that half of any time
during which an officer of our Volunteer Force may have
served in the ranks of our said Force shall reckon as qualifying
service towards the twenty years required as aforesaid.

"Fifthly.—It is ordained that the names of those upon
whom We may be pleased to confer the Decoration shall be
published in the London Gazette, and a Registry thereof kept
in the office of our Principal Secretary of State for War.

"Sixthly.—In order to make such additional provision as
shall effectually preserve pure this most honourable distinction,
it is ordained that, if any person on whom it shall be conferred
be convicted of any act derogatory to his honour as an officer
and a gentleman, his name shall forthwith be erased from the
Registry of individuals upon whom the said Decoration shall
be conferred, by an order from Us under our Royal Sign-
manual; and a notification thereof shall be duly published in
the London Gazette.

"Lastly.—We reserve to Ourselves, our heirs and successors,
full power of annulling, altering, abrogating, augmenting,
interpreting, or dispensing with these regulations, or any part
thereof, by a notification under our Royal Sign-manual.

"Given at our Court at Osborne, the twenty-fifth day of
July, in the fifty-sixth year of our reign, and in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
ninety-two.

"By Her Majesty's command.

"EDWARD STANHOPE."

MISCELLANEOUS.

280. All accounts must be rendered for settlement monthly.
     This particularly applies to expenses incurred in advertising
     in newspapers, and in the carriage, freight, or cartage of arms
     and stores.

281. No expenditure is to be authorised or incurred by
     Officers in Command of Districts or Corps without authority
     being first obtained from the Defence Office.

282. Officers or non-commissioned officers to whom forage
     allowance is granted will be required to keep a horse and ap-
     pointments, which must be their own bonâ fide property, and
     suitable for military purposes.

283. Anonymous complaints against individuals on the ad-
     ministration of a command or corps are not to be acted upon
     by Officers in Command.

284. Officers and non-commissioned officers of the paid staff
     who, in furtherance of personal claims or grievances, bring or
     attempt to bring outside pressure or influence to bear upon
     the Government will be subject to instant dismissal from the
     service.

285. No member of the Force is to be buried with military
     honours except by the express desire of his friends, notified to
     and approved by the Officer Commanding the Corps.

286. The Queen's Regulations and customs of the Imperial
     Services will be taken generally as guides in all matters
     not specifically dealt with in the Defence Act and these
     regulations.

FINANCE COMMITTEE.

287. In every Volunteer corps the officers and two non-
     commissioned officers shall form the Finance Committee for
     the management of the affairs of the corps, of which the Com-
     manding Officer will be the treasurer. The secretary of the
     corps shall not be eligible for this Committee.

288. Every Volunteer corps shall have one general meeting
     in the first month of each year, at which the Commanding
     Officer and Committee shall produce and explain the accounts
     of the corps for the approval of the meeting. A copy of the
     statement of accounts will be posted in the orderly-room, and
     remain during the year.

289. The Finance Committee of a Garrison Band shall
     consist of the Officer Commanding the District, two Officers
     Commanding corps, and the Bandmaster or Band-Sergeant,
     who will act in accordance with the provisions of the preceding
     paragraph.

DRESS REGULATIONS.

290. The Dress Regulations, which are published separately,
     provide for the uniforms to be worn by each arm of the service,
     and are to be strictly adhered to.

REGULATIONS.—CANTEENS.

291. Canteens may be established at military camps of exer-
     cise, or other assemblies of Volunteers, under the authority
     and supervision of the Officer Commanding the Force so
     assembled (hereinafter referred to as "the Officer Command-
     ing").

292. Every canteen is to remain closed between tattoo and
     10 a.m. daily, also during the hours of Divine Service on
     Sundays, and at such other times as may be deemed necessary
     by the Officer Commanding.

293. A piquet is invariably to be detailed for duty at the
     canteen to preserve order, and the canteen will be frequently
     inspected by the officers of the day to see that no irregularity
     takes place.

294. In case of disorderly behaviour, or for other cause that
     may appear sufficient to the Officer Commanding, the canteen
     may be closed absolutely at any time by order of such officer,
     and the canteen tenant shall have no claim for compensation
     for any loss sustained by reason of such closing.