Military and Naval Forces Regulation Act (1871 No 10a) (NSW)

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No. XIX.

An Act to provide for the Regulation and Discipline of the Military and Naval Forces in the service of Her Majesty's Govern­ ment in N e w South Wales. [10th May, 1871.]

Assembly of N e w South "Wales in Pa r l i amen t assembled and by the t he advice and consent of t he Legislat ive Council and Legislat ive au thor i ty of t h e same as follows :— BE
i t enacted by t h e Queen ' s Mos t Exce l len t Majesty by and wi th
1. This A c t m a y be cited as t h e " Mil i ta ry and Nava l Forces
Regu la t ion A c t . "

2. I n th i s A c t unless t h e contex t shall otherwise indicate
" Governor" means " Governor w i th t he advice of t he Execu t ive

C o u n c i l " — " Command ing Officer" t he " Officer in c o m m a n d of t h e

Mi l i ta ry or Nava l Forces engaged under th is A c t " — " F o r c e " — t h e
" Mi l i t a ry and Nava l Forces embodied u n d e r this A c t . "

3 . I t shall be lawful for t he Governor in t h e n a m e and on behalf of H e r Majesty to engage t h e services of and ma in t a in embodied upon t h e t e rms and conditions hereinafter prescribed such a n u m b e r of m e n to serve in t h e Mili tary and Nava l Forces of N e w South "Wales as t h e Pa r l i amen t thereof shall from t ime to t ime authorize and provide for A n d every m a n engag ing to serve as aforesaid and having t aken and subscribed t h e oath hereinafter provided shall thereupon and dur ing the cont inuance of his t e r m of engagemen t be subject to

t h e provisions of th is A c t and to t he regulat ions made the reunder .
4 . The oa th set forth in t h e first Schedule to th i s A c t shal l be

t a k e n and subscribed by every m a n upon engagement to serve in any Mi l i ta ry or Nava l Corps embodied unde r th is A c t before t h e Com­ m a n d i n g or o ther Commissioned Officer of t h e Corps in which he so engages such Officer hav ing himself previously before some Just ice of t h e Peace t aken t h e Oath of Al legiance to H e r Majesty contained in t he Promissory Oaths A c t of 1870 which first-mentioned oath hereinafter t e rmed t h e oath of engagement every such Officer is hereby empowered to adminis ter A n d every oath of engagemen t shall have t h e effect a t law of a wr i t ten agreement wi th H e r Majesty b inding the person t ak ing and subscribing the same to serve in t he par t icular force and in t he capaci ty for wh ich he shall have so engaged un t i l he shal l bo legally discharged or be dismissed or removed from service 0R his resignat ion shall have been duly accepted.

t e r m of service remain subject to t h e Queen ' s R u l e s and Regulat ions t h e Rules and Art ic les of W a r and to such o ther orders rules and regulat ions

5. Eve ry m a n who shall have t aken and subscribed the oa th of engagemen t as aforesaid shall dur ing his t e r m of service and un t i l such service be legally dispensed wi th r ema in subject if serving in the Mi l i t a ry Forces to t h e provisions of t he Imper i a l M u t i n y A c t in force for t he t ime be ing for H e r Majes ty ' s A r m y and if serving in t h e Naval Forces of t h e Colony (and whe ther wi th in t h e Colony or not) to the enac tments and regulat ions in force for t he t ime be ing for the discipline of H e r Majesty 's Navy A n d every m e m b e r w h e t h e r of the

Mil i ta ry or N a v a l Forces aforesaid shal l in l ike m a n n e r dur ing his

regulat ions of wha tever na tu r e or k ind to which H e r Majesty 's A r m y and N a v y are for t he t ime-being respectively subject so far as t he same are no t inconsis tent wi th t h e provisions of th is A c t and t h e regu­

lations the reunder .
G. The command-in-chief in H e r Majesty 's n a m e of t he said

Mil i tary and Nava l Forces is hereby vested in t he Governor or Officer adminis te r ing t h e Gove rnmen t of t he Colony who is empowered to exercise from t ime to t ime the powers following t h a t is to say—

(1.) H e m a y appoint t h e Officers of t he said Forces and issue Commissions unde r his h a n d and the seal of t he Colony to such Officers and may cancel a l ter or suspend such Com­ missions.
(2.) H e m a y ei ther in his own n a m e or by any person to w h o m

he m a y delegate his au thor i ty in t h a t behalf appoint t h e
W a r r a n t and Non-commiss ioned or pe t ty Officers of t he said
Forces.

(3.) H e m a y fix t he scale of pay and allowances to be received

by all persons serving in t he said Forces b u t such pay and

allowances shall no t exceed the respective sums appropr ia ted

by P a r l i a m e n t for t h e said services.
7. The Governor m a y m a k e rules and regulat ions for t he

employment removal or dismissal of persons engaged to serve under this A c t for bi l le t ing cantoning and furnishing t h e m wi th conveyance and t ranspor t whils t on actual service and for t h e enforcement of order and discipline and general ly for t h e purposes of giving effect t o t h e provisions of th is A c t and m a y by such regula t ions impose fines for disobedience neglect or o ther violation of t h e same not exceeding t h e s u m of t en pounds for each offence a n d impr i sonment in default of paymen t no t exceeding seven days A n d such rules and regulat ions

shall be published in t he Government Gazette and be judicial ly noticed
by t h e J u d g e s in all Cour ts whatsoever a n d be laid before Pa r l i amen t
wi th in fourteen days after t he mee t ing thereof if Pa r l i amen t be t hen
s i t t ing and if no t t h e n wi th in fourteen days after t h e commencemen t

of the n e x t Session thereof.

8. I t shall be lawful for t he Governor from t ime to t ime to convene Courts of E n q u i r y and to appoin t any th ree or five Commis­ sioned Officers unde r this A c t to be a Court of E n q u i r y for t he purpose of invest igat ing and repor t ing to h i m on any m a t t e r connected wi th t h e government or discipline of t he Force embodied unde r this A c t or wi th t h e conduct of any Officer Non-Commissioned W a r r a n t or

P e t t y Officer or o ther m e m b e r of t h e said Force and

also to

convene

a t any t ime and to delegate power to convene a Cour t -mar t ia l a n d

to appoin t any l ike n u m b e r of such Officers as aforesaid to const i tute such Cour t for t he purpose of hea r ing and de te rmin ing all offences commi t t ed agains t th is A c t or t h e regula t ions m a d e in pur suance thereof Provided t h a t it shall be lawful for t he Governor to appoint any Officer of H e r Majesty 's Navy in c o m m a n d of any of he r ships of wa r t hen being in Po r t J ackson to ac t as Pres ident of any N a v a l Cour t -mar t ia l a n d to appoint in every case one of t h e said Officers to be t he Pres ident of such Cour t of E n q u i r y or Cour t -mar t ia l who shall in every case forward the proceedings a n d sentences of t he Court to t h e Governor for confirmation and the same shall by h im be re tu rned on confirmation to t he Pres ident for t ransmission to and record in t he Office of t he At to rney General .

9. The regula t ions for t h e composit ion of t he said Courts of E n q u i r y and Cour ts -mar t ia l and the modes of procedure and the powers a n d privileges thereof shal l be so far as applicable those which m a y a t t he t ime-being be in force wi th respect to Courts of E n q u i r y and Cour ts-

mar t ia l in H e r Majesty 's R e g u l a r A r m y and N a v y respectively and

which

which are not inconsis tent wi th t he provisions of th is A c t and t h e regulat ions the reunder a n d t h e pay and allowances of officers and others a t t end ing such Courts m a y be fixed by regulat ions to be made by the Governor.

10.    N o m e m b e r of t h e said Force shall be sentenced to dea th by

any Cour t -mar t ia l except for m u t i n y desertion to t he enemy or for t rai torously del ivering u p to t h e enemy any garrison fortress post or guard or for t ra i torous correspondence wi th t he enemy.

1 1 . N o person engaged under th is A c t shall be ent i t led to any

pay or al lowances whils t in confinement unde r t he sentence of any Cour t or dur ing absence from d u t y wi thou t leave or unde r any charge of which he shal l be afterwards convicted by any Court .

12. Al l constables and peace officers arc hereby directed and required to t ake cognizance of any wr i t t en order unde r t he h a n d of a Command ing Officer unde r this A c t au thor iz ing the apprehension of any deserter or absconder from any corps or vessel raised or commis­ sioned unde r th i s Ac t and his conveyance to any place named in such order and to aid and assist in t h e execut ion of such order and to lodge any such deserter or absconder in some place of securi ty un t i l such order can be executed.
1 3 . Every gaoler or keeper of a prison or gaol is hereby directed and required to receive in to his custody any offender unde r sentence of impr i sonment by a Cour t const i tuted unde r this A c t upon delivery to h i m of a w a r r a n t of c o m m i t m e n t in t h e form set forth in t he Second Schedule under t h e h a n d and seal of t he Pres ident of t he Court or of a C o m m a n d i n g Officer A n d such gaoler or keeper shall keep such offender in a proper place of confinement wi th or wi thou t ha r d labor and wi th or w i t h o u t solitary confinement according to t he sentence of t h e Cour t and for t h e t ime specified in t he said order and shall also receive in to his custody any absconder or deserter upon receipt of an order in

wr i t ing to t h a t effect unde r t he hand of such Command ing Officer.

14. I f any Officer or member of t h e said Force shall be kil led
or wounded in ac tua l service or whils t on du ty t h e widow or family of

t he deceased or members so wounded shall be ent i t led to such pension

or g ra tu i ty as Pa r l i amen t m a y provide in t h a t behalf.

15. N o tolls or dues shall be demanded from any Officer or m e m b e r of t he said Force be ing on ac tua l du ty e i ther in respect of himself or of any prisoners under charge or of any conveyances or beasts of bu rden employed in t he service of t he said Force pass ing a n y tol l -gate tu rnpike- road br idge or ferry unde r a penal ty upon any

toll-collector demand ing or receiving any such toll or due of a sum no t

exceeding five pounds for every such offence.
16. A n y person falsely and wi th in t en t to defraud represent ing himself to be an Officer or member of t he said Force for t he purpose of evading p a y m e n t of any toll or due to which he would otherwise be liable shal l forfeit and pay for every such offence a s u m no t exceeding

five pounds .

17. A n y person not be ing a member of t he said Force who shal l be found wear ing t h e uniform or any pa r t thereof of any corps of the said Force shall for every such offence forfeit and pay a pena l ty not exceeding five pounds.

18 . A n y person who has ceased to be a member of t he said Force who shall refuse or neglect to give u p on demand of the Officer in command of t h e corps or vessel to which such person belonged all a rms accout rements ammuni t i on c lo th ing or appoin tments or any publ ic p roper ty in his possession or control shall forfeit and pay for every such offence a s u m not exceeding five pounds in addit ion to any other liability or penal ty he may have incurred in respect of t he re tent ion of any of t he said articles.

D 19.

19. A n y person who shall knowingly b u y t ake in exchange conceal or otherwise receive any a rms accout rements c lo th ing appoint­ men t s ammun i t i on or other publ ic proper ty whatsoever delivered to any m e m b e r of t h e said Fo rce for his use or t he use of any o ther m e m b e r thereof shall for every such offence forfeit and pay a s u m n o t exceeding

twen ty pounds .
20. Al l m e m b e r s of t he said Force are disqualified du r ing their

t e r m of service from vot ing a t elections for t h e Legislat ive Assembly unde r a pena l ty for every act of vot ing or offering to vote of a s u m not exceeding t e n pounds or of impr i sonment not exceeding one week.

2 1 .    N o proceedings of any Cour t const i tu ted or appointed unde r

th is A c t shal l be set aside or deemed void for w a n t of form only or be

removed b y certiorari or otherwise in to t h e Supreme Cour t .

22. I f a n y ac t ion or suit shall be b rough t agains t any person for any ac t done or alleged to be done by h i m in pu r suance of t h e provisions of th is A c t he may plead in answer to such act ion or suit t h e genera l issue and give th is A c t a n d the special m a t t e r in evidence unde r such plea.

23 . Al l penal t ies incur red unde r th is A c t or regula t ions there­

unde r t h e mode of recovering which is no t hereinbefore specified shall be recoverable w i th costs in a s u m m a r y way before any Jus t i ce of t he Peace in m a n n e r directed by t h e Ac t s for t h e t i m e being in force regu la t ing s u m m a r y proceedings before Jus t ices A n d t h e convict ing

Jus t i ce m a y in default of immedia te p a y m e n t of any such pena l ty

toge ther w i th costs commi t t he person convicted and m a k i n g default to gaol for a period of n o t more t h a n fourteen days or un t i l sooner p a y m e n t A n d every pena l ty w h e n recovered shall be paid in to t he

Consolidated R e v e n u e Fund .

S C H E D U L E S .

F I R S T S C H E D U L E .
I swear tha t I will well and truly serve Our Sovereign

Lady the Queen in the for the term of years or unt i l sooner lawfully discharged dismissed or removed and tha t I will resist Her Majesty's enemies and cause Her Majesty's peace to be kept both on land and a t sea—and tha t I will in all matters appertaining to my service faithfully discharge my duty according to law.

So help me God.
S E C O N D S C H E D U L E .
To the in the Colony of New South Wales and to the
Keeper of the Gaol at in the said Colony.
Whereas A .B . was this day duly convicted by Court-martial for

t ha t [state offence as in conviction] and it was by the said Court adjudged tha t the said A . B . for his said offence should be imprisoned in the Gaol a t in the said Colony

[and there kept to hard labor or solitary confinement] for the space of These
are therefore to command you the said to take the said A . B . and
him safely to convey to the Gaol a t aforesaid and there to deliver him to the

Keeper thereof together with this precept And I do hereby command you the said Keeper of the said Gaol to receive the said A . B . into your custody in the said Gaol there to imprison him [and keep him to hard labor or in solitary confinement] for the space of

and for your so doing this shall be your sufficient warrant .

Given under my hand and seal th is day of in the

year of our Lord 187

M.N. (President or Commanding Officer.)

No. X X .

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