Volunteer corps are raised under the Volunteer Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict., c. 65). They are subject to the provisions of that Act and any Acts amending it, and likewise to all regulations made with regard to Volunteer corps. The Volunteer (Military Service) Act of '96 provides that whenever an order for the embodiment of the Militia is in force, any member of a Volunteer corps may offer himself for actual military service, and if the services of such members of any corps are sufficient to enable them to be separately organized are accepted, then those members may be called out either as a corps or as part of a corps. Under the Volunteers Act 1900 new regulations were made as follows: - 1. A member of a Volunteer corps may contract to come out for actual military service in Great Britain whenever summoned, and to serve for a period not exceeding one month in the absence of a Royal Proclamation calling out the Volunteers generally. II. A member of a Volunteer corps may contract to proceed upon active service to any part of the world in a unit or company formed of Volunteers, on special conditions as defined by the terms of his contract.

The Volunteers, like the Militia, form junior battalions attached to the line regiments in their respective districts. Their own organization as a cohesive and independent fighting force is still imperfect, and the new Army scheme proposes a much higher level of efficiency and an improved organization.

Like the Militia, the Volunteers hold a considerable place in the new Army scheme of 1901-2, and now enter into the composition of the fourth Army Corps. The force numbers 223 battalions, and of these 27 are included in the Army Corps scheme. The Volunteers are to be specially trained for its work with the Army Corps and for positions round London, while increased drill and rifle shooting are to contribute to efficiency. The Government programme for reorganizing the Army, presented in February, 1900, included the providing for extended training in camp during the summer and for the supply of regimental transport and caused very considerable difficulty and dissatisfaction. The view of the War Office is that if Volunteers cannot conform to the new regulations, they must face some reduction of numbers, since it would be more to the purpose of the Government to get a smaller body of efficient men upon which it could rely. A controversy has raged round this point, and it was contended by many Volunteers that the most zealous among them could not conform to the requirements. The returns of Nov. 1st, 1902, showed a considerable decline in numbers as compared with the previous year (268,550 as compared with 288,476), and a decrease in the percentage of efficients to the enrolled strength (95.49 as compared with 97.43), and in numbers present at inspections (77.48 as compared with 83.93). The decline has been continued. Particulars are given below.