600061-1939-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Volunteer-No-2-amendment — Page 1

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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

No. S. 523. The following Bills were read a first time at a meeting of the Council held on the 12th October, 1939:

A BILL

[No. 40-29.9.39.-1.]

Short title.

Amend- ments of Ordinance No. 10 of 1933, s. 5, as amended by Ordinance No. 45 of 1935, s. 3.

INTITULED

An Ordinance to amend further the Volunteer Ordinance,

1933.

BE it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Volunteer (No. 2) Amendment Ordinance, 1939.

2. Section 5 of the Volunteer Ordinance, 1933, as amended by section 3 of the Volunteer Amendment Ordin- ance, 1935, is further amended as follows :-

(i) in the first paragraph of sub-section (1) by the insertion after the words "except on actual military service" of the words "and except during the period of any war between His Majesty and any foreign country ";

(ii) by the addition of the following sub-section after sub-section (4) :—

(5) During the period of any war between His Majesty and any foreign country any volunteer, if not on actual military service, shall be entitled to quit the corps only with the previous sanction in writing of the Governor. Nothing in this sub-section shall prevent the granting of leave of absence from the Colony not involving quitting the corps by the Commandant in his discretion; but without such leave no volunteer may quit the Colony.

Objects and Reasons,

1. Section 5 of the Volunteer Ordinance, 1933, permits volunteers to quit the corps, on complying with certain formalities, except when on actual military service.

2. Under section 11 (7) of the Compulsory Service Ordinance, (No. 32 of 1939) members of the Hong Kong Defence Reserve may quit the same only with the previous sanction of the Governor.

3. The object of this Bill is to require similar permission in the case of volunteers who may desire to quit the corps, during the war, if not called out for actual military service under section 11 of the principal Ordinance. Provision is also made, in accordance with the existing practice, for the granting to such volunteers of leave of absence from the Colony, not involving quitting the corps, by the Commandant in his discretion.

September, 1939.

C. G. ALABASTER,

Attorney General.