5

A—No. 6a

If on the othei hand this expense be paid by Her Majesty's Government, and the Colonial funds are not burdened until the arrival of the men in the Colony, no objection could possibly be raised. The Imperial Government would then have at its disposal a certain number of men available for general service, maintained entirely by the Colony of New Zealand, until they were required more urgently elsewhere. I have, &c, (Signed) T. Gore Browne. COLONEL WYNYARD, C.8., TO SOVERNOR GORE BIIOWNE, C.B. Auckland, 31st July, 1858. ( Sir,— In submitting the enclosed Memorandum, just placed in my hands, for the consideration of ! Tour Excellency, I do not see that it requires any observation whatever on my part in support of a a suggestion so obviously advantageous to the Colony. The only point I conceive it right to allude to, is the desirability of bearing in mind the propriety of the men so employed being under the command of their own Officers, and further that all the Public Works should be under the special direction of the Officer Commanding that branch of the Sprvice in this Command, or at all events of that Corps, who from his position and rank could equally protect the interest of the Imperial as well as the Colonial Government, and at the same time watch over the discipline and well -beinjj of the men under his more immediate control. I have, &c, (Signed) E. H. Wynyard, His Excellency the Governor, Colonel Commanding the Forces in New Zealand. &c, &c, &c, New Zealand. MEMORANDUM BY COL. MOULD, R.E. Auckland, 30th July, 1858. It is submitted for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor that it would be a desirable < measurefor the Colony of New Zealand to support an entire Company of Royal Engineers at their own expense, as a useful addition to the Military Force which it may be proposed by the Imperial Government to retain in the Colony. In time of war such a body would be extremely valuable, indeed the want of a few trained men in the operations carried on in the North of New Zealand, was severely felt, and aid such as would have been afforded by them would doubtless have saved many valuable lives. In times of peace their services would be equally valuable not only for the purpose of executing such works, and repairs, as may be required to maintain Barrack Accommodation for the Troops, the cost of which is henceforth to be borne by the Colony, but also in performing Civil Works for the Governments, both General and Provincial, of the Colony. The 6th Company of Royal Engineers now in New Zealand, is reduced to a small number, and it will probably in a short time be still further diminished in number by the discharge of men who wil have served eight years in the Colony, at the end of which period it has been held out to the men that they would be allowed to retire from the Service for the purpose of settling in the Colony; thus the number of Military Artificers at the disposal of the Royal Engineer Department will be quite insufficient to execute the Military Works ; and Civil Labour, at high rates, from 11s. to 15s. a day, according to trade, must necessarily be resorted to, adding most materially to the cost of the several works and repairs performed. The subsistence (including a probable amount of good conduct pay) of a Company of Royal Engineers consisting of Five Sergeants, Ninety-three Rank and File, and Two Buglers, One Hundred in all, would be about £2GBO a-year, the cost of clothing about £395, and of contingencies, allowances, &c, about £05 : making a total of say £3,150 a-year. Besides that there would be a working pay of 9d. to Is. per diem for each man when actually employed, thus presuming that four-fifths of the whole number were employed at the highest rate during the whole year, that is to say 80 men a-day for 312 days, the outlay for working pay would be say £1,250 a year. Thi3 added to the amount of subsistence would make a total of £4,400 a-year for the support of a Company of the strength named. Now supposing that the Colonial Government should assign a sum of £5000 a-year for the maintenance of existing- Barracks and the construction of such additions as may be required, and that Military labour was not available, the cost of Civil Labour would absorb at least two-fifths of the above, say £2000 a-year ; but supposing the services of the Royal Engineers were available, one-fifth of a Company (20 men) employed during the whole year at a cost of say £900 would execute all the Military Works, effecting a direct saving on that head alone of say £1,100 a-year, leaving three-fifths of the Company (for it is presumed that about one-fifth will be at all times absent from sickness, employment, on fatigue duties, or from other causes) available for Civil Works, which would be executed with a corresponding saving.

(No. 1778.) (Enclosure,) 30th July. 1858.

(Enclosure.)

£ s. d. I,U*> 0 l> :;'>.-, (i 0 69 0 ii £3,140 0 0 £ s. d, 3,15(1 0 0 1,360 0 U £4,400 o 0