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question of services rendered, as I understand the case, a simple
question of services rendered by obtaining soldiers to do some-
thing inside the ships of the Plaintiffs which they could take or
leave as they chose, for the performance of duties for which they
could make other arrangements to have performed if they could.
That is all there is in this case and I cannot see any more
than the Court could see in the case of the South Wales Police,
any reason at all why it should not be done.
There was one argument made and that was that this was
really maintaining a force without the consent of Parliament.
I do not think that is a serious point at all really. It is not
as though they raised a force on local pay which did not come
within what Parliament has authorised at all. They are simply
using the forces for reward and the forces are still paid by
moneys provided by Parliament, but this money which is received
is simply credited to the account and, therefore, the bill to
Parliament is rather legs. That is all it comes to. I do not
think there is anything more in it than that. In my judgment the
whole case is misconceived and the action must be dismissed
with costs.
5
{