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7. Clause 11 (1) differs in form though not in sub- stance from section 11 of the existing Volunteer Or- dinance. Sub-clause (2) provides that any regulations so made may be rescinded or amended by the Legislative Council. Sub-clause (3) merely provides that the first regulations under the Ordinance shall be those contain- ed in the First Schedule to the bill.
8. The wording of clause 12 has been slightly altered so as to bring out one object for the formation of a volunteer force, ie, the desirability of having a vol- unteer force which may be called out in aid of the police and the regular forces in case of serious local disturbance.
9. Clause 18 has been slightly altered but it is sub- stantially the same as section 18 of the existing Or- dinance.
10. A similar remark applies to clause 19, the added words being merely intended to avoid any difficulties of legal procedure,
11. In clause 26 a sub-clause has been added in order to obviate the necessity of swearing in in the new corps any persons who were on the 23rd December, 1919, members of the Hongkong Defence Corps.
12. All references to the Coast Defence Volunteers have been omitted.
13. The last clause of the bill provides for the repeal of the Volunteer Ordinance, 1893, and the Volunteer Reserve Ordinance, 1910. The repeal of these Ordi- nances is not to take effect until a date to be proclaimed by the Governor. The object of this is to keep alive an organisation which will take care of the property of the two existing volunteer bodies and which can be used for the purpose of receiving applications for admission to the new volunteer corps, and of making such arrange- ments as may be necessary before the new corps can be properly constituted. One important duty of the old Organisation will be to place the members of the new corps in such a position as to enable them to choose their officers and non-commissioned officers. Clause 28 also provides that upon the coming into effect of the repeal of the two existing Ordinances all property, rights, and powers vested in the Commanding Officer of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps and in the President of the Hongkong Volunteer Reserve shall vest in the Administrative Commandant of the new volunteer corps. This will transfer the property of the two exist-- ing bodies to the head of the new body.
14. With regard to regulations 5 (1) and 6 (1) in the First Schedule, the intention is that on the first for- mation of the corps the members of each company are to have the opportunity of selecting the persons whom they desire to see appointed as officers and non- commissioned officers of that company, and that they are to have a similar opportunity when any vacancy subsequently occurs in the total number of officers or non-commissioned officers. These two regulations do not apply to promotions, and once a man reaches non- commissioned rank, or commissioned rank, as the case may be, his promotion will depend on other considera- tions, but upon the first formation of the corps the members of each company will be given an opportunity of saying what person they desire to see appointed as commanding officer of that company. Regulation 5 (1) does not apply to the appointment of the Administrative Commandant or his staff.
J. H. KEMP,
Attorney General.
5th January, 1924,
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