Colonial Despatches

I have laid before the Secretary of State for War your letter of the 13th Ultimo together with its enclosure from the Governor of Vancouvers Island in which he requests to be furnished with the Copy of any Colonial Volunteer Act which may be deemed most applicable to that Island.

In reply I am to request that you will acquaint Mr Secretary Cardwell that the Imperial Act, a copy of which will be found at the commencement of the Bookof of Regulations for the Volunteer Force, is the best model for legislation on this subject which Earl de Grey can suggest, subject of course to such modifications as the local circumstances of the Colony may require.

It would be well however that the Governor should be informed that a Colonial Act should contain no provision defining the relative rank of Volunteer Officers and Officers of the Regular Army—this being fixed by the recent General Order of the Field Marshal Commanding in Chief.

In compliance with your request I am to annex a copy of the Regulations of 1863 together with a set of the Volunteer Circulars which have been issued since the publication of that Volume. The works which are recommended to be used in the instruction of Volunteers are specified in Article 245 of the Regulations.