His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand will from time to time appoint Commissions, to consist of not less than three persons, to act at such places as circumstances may require, and each claim for reward will be referred to such Commission as may be considered the most convenient for its proper investigation. The acts of the majority will be deemed the acts of the Commission.

Each Commission shall be at liberty to adopt such means as it may deem most fit for determining the value and cost of production of the Merchandize, for ascertaining the process employed, and for fully investigating in all respects and reporting upon the validity of any claim.

Every competitor wishing to have flax inspected must apply to the Collector of Customs at the nearest Port, who shall forthwith give notice to the Commissioners acting for the particular locality, who shall forthwith appoint some convenient time and place for the inspection, and communicate the same in writing to the competitor. Any competitor may exhibit to the Commissioners any quantity of flax not less than five tons at a time.

For each quantity inspected and approved by the Commissioners they shall give the competitor a certificate signed by a majority of them, a duplicate of which must be forthwith deposited at the Collector’s Office, at the nearest Custom House.

When the total quantity shall have been inspected by instalments and more than one certificate is given to a claimant, then each certificate after the first shall state in words the quantity already passed and approved on behalf of the same competitor. Whenever the quantity approved of on behalf of any one competitor amounts to forty tons, the Commissioner shall certify in words, at length, the date on which the full quantity was passed, and the name of the competitor, which certificate they shall immediately deposit with the Colonial Secretary, keeping one copy for themselves, and giving the competitor one. The date of such certificate shall be deemed the day on which the claimant produced the forty tons of Merchandize required.

Whenever any quantity of flax is brought for inspection, satisfactory proof will have to be given to the Commissioners that no part of the flax has been already inspected by them.

One half of the reward will be paid at once to any person whom the Governor, on the report of a Commission, shall declare in writing to be entitled to the same. The other half of such reward will be paid upon satisfactory proof being given to the Governor, or his appointee in London, of the bona fide sale of twenty tons of the Merchandize in Europe, at an advance of not less than twenty per cent. upon the actual cost of the article landed in Europe.

All costs and expenses connected with the carriage to or removal from the place of inspection, of any flax offered for inspection and all other expenses, if any, connected therewith, to be borne by the competitor.

WILLIAM FOX.

Militia and Volunteers

Colonial Defence Office,

Auckland, 19th Dec., 1863.

His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to make the following appointments, viz.:—

In the Wanganui Militia.

George Fisk to be Lieutenant. Date of Commission—17th December, 1863.

In the “Prince of Wales’ Company” Wanganui Rifle Volunteers.

Charles Hulke to be Lieutenant. Date of Commission—18th December, 1863.

In the Wairarapa Militia.

Henry Thomas Spratt to be Surgeon. Date of Commission—3rd December, 1863.

In the “Carterton” Rifle Volunteers.

Thomas Hooker to be Lieutenant. Date of Commission—18th December, 1863.

In the “Porirua” Rifle Volunteers.

William France to be Ensign. Date of Commission—18th December, 1863.

In the “Taita” Rifle Volunteers.

William Whitewood to be Captain. Date of Commission—3rd December, 1863.
William Read Welch to be Lieutenant. Date of Commission—3rd December, 1863.
David Dalglty to be Ensign. Date of Commission—3rd December, 1863.

In the “Rangitikei” Cavalry Volunteers.

Henry Hammond to be Cornet. Date of Commission—3rd December, 1863.

T. RUSSELL.

Printed under the Authority of the Government of the Province of Wellington, by Joseph Bull, Printer for the time being for such Government.