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854

2.1.

of

Act, 1916, 5 & 6 Geo. 5, c.104, but a certain discretion is given

to the Governor in Council in order that a speedy decision may

be obtainable on the question as to whether any particular body

should be regarded as a recognised religious denomination and on

the question as to whether any particular individual should be

regarded as a regular minister of a religious denomination.

Faragraph (d) is based on paragraph the First Schedule of the

above Act, as amended by section 3(1) of the Military Service Act,

1916 (Session 2), 6 ⋅ 7 Geo. 5, c.15.

It would have been

necessary to be more specific in this paragraph if the class com-

prised in it had been at all numerous in the Colony, as there may

conceivably be men who were discharged on the ground of ill-health

before the outbreak of the present war and who are now physically

fit, but the class must be an extremely small one in Hongkong.

8.

Sub-section (2) of section 3 deals with civil servants.

They are subject to compulsory enrolment under the Ordinance,

but the decision in their case rests solely with the Governor.

9. The references in section 4 to the substantial commercial

majority were inserted at the joint request of the non-Chinese

unofficial members. An amendment was proposed to the effect

that no member of the Executive Council should be appointed as

a member of the tribunal. The Governor stated that if a member

of the Executive Council were appointed to the tribunal such

member would not sit on any appeal to the Governor in Council.

The supporters of the above amendment objected that this would

tend to weaken the appeal tribunal, and they pointed out that the

unofficial element on the Executive Council would be reduced by

half if an unofficial member of the Council were appointed to the

tribunal. Eventually the point was met by the addition to the

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