When the House on Monday took up the clause permitting
the Government by Order in Council to remould the Appeal Tribunals to their heart's desire, there was strong criticism of such arbitrary powers. Mr. Hayes Fisher then made a concession, by which men called up under the new law would have the same rights of appeal as the men enlisted under the Act of 1916. The Tribunals would be instructed "to take a somewhat more harsh view" of eases, and to decide more quickly. The members of the local Tribunals would be Government nominees, instead of being appointed locally. Mr. Hayes Fisher adhered to the proposal that a man should leSse the right to appeal to the' Central Tribunal, except by leave of the local Tribunal, though the Minister of National Service should retain the, right of appeals However, at a later stage the Home Secretary admitted that the conscript should have the same right of appeal as the' Department, in accordance with our old Constitu- tional maxim that the Crown is as much subject to the law as the humblest citizen. The existing right of appeal will be preserved.
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