Volunteers and their duties in cases of Riot.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3450, 15 January 1880, Page 2

Volunteers and their duties in cases of Riot.

Her Majesty's subjects are bound, in case of the existence of riots, to use all reasonable endeavors, according to the necessity of the occasion, to repress and quell vuch riots. Members of the Volunteer Force are not exempted from this general obligation, and they may, in common with all other Her Majesty's subjects, be required by the Civil Autuo riiy to act as Special Constables for such purposes, but they must not when so acting appear in uniform. The Civil Authority is not in any case entitled to call upon or order Volunteers to act as a Military body in the preservation of the peace. In cases of riots and disturbances not amounting to insurrection, and not having for their object the commission of felonious acts of the subversion of the Civil Government, members of the Volunteer Force, it employed as Special Constables, should be armed with the ordinary constable's staff.

In cases of serious and dangerous riots and disturbances, the Civil Authority may require Her Majesty's subjects generally including members of the Volunteer Force, to arm themselves with and use other weapons suitable to the occasion; and such other weapons may be used accordingly by members of the Volunteer Force, according to the necessity of the occasion.

In the event of an attack upon their Storehouses or Armouries, members of the Volunteer Force may combine and avail themselves of their organization to repel such attack, and to defend such Storehouses and Armouries, and for such purposes may, if the necessity of the occasion require it, u«e mum/