53835-1917-Supplementary-Military-Service-Bill-and-Regulations — Page 1

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Military Service Bill and Regulations.

No. S. 199. The following bill, which has been read a first time, is published with certain proposed amendments indicated by means of italics and square brackets. The italics indicate proposed additions and the square brackets indicate words which it is intended to omit. The bill in its original form was published in the Supplement to the Gazette of the 3rd August, 1917.

The draft regulations which follow the bill are the regulations which it is proposed to make under the Ordinance when it is passed.

The bill will come before the Legislative Council again on the 24th August.

A BILL

Short title.

Liability to military service,

Calling up for service.

Power of exemption.

Power to accept excepted persons.

INTITULE D

An Ordinance to make provision with respect to military service and to provide for the establishment maintenance and control of a local defence corps.

Br it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:----

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Military Service Ordinance, 1917.

2. Every male British subject who for the time being shall be ordinarily resident in the Colony and who for the time being shall have attained the age of eighteen years and shall not have attained the age of fifty-five years shall be liable to military service in the Colony as pro- vided for in this Ordinance : provided that the follow- ing persons shall not be liable under the provisions of

this section :-

(a) Members of His Majesty's Regular Naval or

Military Forces,

(b) Civilians in the employment of the Naval or Military authorities if recommended for exemption by the Naval or Military authori- ties.

(c) Men in holy orders or regular ministers of

any religious denomination.

3. (1.) I shall be lawful for the Governor la Coun- cil at any time to call up for military service any persón liable to military service under this Ordinance,

(2.) The order calling up any such person for military service may be in the form provided in the Schedule hereto and such order shall be served personally on the person whom it is desired to call up.

(3) Upon the service of such order the person to whom it is addressed shall become a member of the Hongkong Defence Corps which is hereby established.

4.- (1.) It shall be lawful for the Governor in Coun- cil to exempt any person from military service under this Ordinance on the ground of physical unfitness or for any other reason whatsoever.

(2.) Any person who has been so exempted may be called up for military service at any time if it appears to the Governor in Council that it is probable that ground for exemption no longer exists in such case.

5.--(1.) It shall be lawful for the Governor to accept for the Hongkong Defence Corps any male British subject who would otherwise be exempt from military service under this Ordinance.

(2.) If any such person is so accepted by the Governor he shall upon taking the oath or declaration of alle- giance and signing the enrolment form as provided by this Ordinance become a member of the Hongkong Defence Corps.