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service, and to the relatives of general officers who have no other adequate provision; leaving it of course still open for a departure from this rule in any individual instance of particular service, or of extreme distress. The circumstances of each case are stated to the Secretary of War, by whom the same are particularly investigated; and then submitted for the royal consideration.

COMPASSIONATE LIST.

Proper Objects of the Bounty. Children of officers of the regular army who die on full pay.

Officers of fencible regiments who die on full pay and out of Great Britain.

Officers of the invalids.
Medical officers.

Staff officers, including commissaries.

Chaplains.

Officers who have been reduced upon half-pay.

Widows and children of adjutants of local militia, who had previously served as officers in the line. Widows of officers not strictly entitled to the regular widows' pension have been placed on this list in cases of particular distress, and in some special cases at rates equivalent to such pension.

These allowances are in no case considered as being granted for life, but only so long as the persons enjoying them shall remain unprovided for: the daughters of officers, therefore, cease to receive them upon their marriage, unless they can show in a satisfactory manner that they are still in circumstances to require the assistance of the bounty, when they are sometimes allowed to retain it by

special permission to that effect. The sons (except in cases of mental or bodily infirmities which incapacitate them from obtaining a livelihood) are struck off the list on their attaining the age of 18 years, or on receiving commissions in the army or navy, or other appointments which may be supposed to afford a provision; and generally, all persons on the list are discontinued, on its being known at the War Office, that they are provided for in a way to render this assistance unnecessary. Persons ceasing to apply for payment for four years are also considered as giving up their claim to the allowance, and their names are struck off the list.

SUPERANNUATION ALLOWANCES.

Upon the allowances, compensations, and emoluments, in the nature of superannuations, a considerable increase is to be observed. The amount for 1816 was 17,9641.; it is for this year 25,5661.; which is accounted for by the various reductions which have been made in some of the departments, giving claims for compensations or retired allowances to several of those

who have been hitherto employed in effective service; but this head of charge should always be watched with peculiar attention, and the injunction contained in the letter from the treasury of 1816, which prescribes that no allowance should be made within any department whatever to its own officers, without the special sanction of the Lords Commissioners

of the Treasury, should in no case whatever be departed from.

EXCHEQUER FEES.

On the charge of 35,000l. for
Exchequer

Exchequer fees, your committee observe, with much satisfaction, that in consequence of the late generous and patriotic conduct of the distinguished nobleman who holds the only tellership which continued upon the old establishment, the whole produce of these fees, with some inconsiderable exceptions, is now applicable to national purposes, in conformity to the act for regulating the Exchequer, 23d of the King, c. 83, without affording an increase of emolument to any individual

whatever.

March 29, 1817.

PROPOSALS AND REGULATIONS RE

LATIVE TO THE ROYAL NAVY,

Made by the Board of Admiralty, and sanctioned by Order in Council, commencing on the 1st of January, 1817.

It was to be expected, that, in the natural lapse of time, and still more, in the course of a war, unexampled in duration and extent, several variations from the old establishment and regulations of the Royal Navy should have taken place; and however desirable, in the view either of economy or convenience, uniformity may be, it was impossible, during the pressure of war, either to resist the innovations which temporary circumstances rendered necessary, or to remould and reform the whole system of the navy, on every occasion on which some alteration was introduced.

We therefore find that there have grown up several inconsistencies, irregularities, and departures from the establishments, in particular articles of the naval VOL. LIX.

service; and as we think this a favourable occasion for endeavouring to remedy the inconvenience which arises from these irregùlarities, and to reduce, as far as may be practicable, the several alterations which have been made into one regular system, we most humbly beg leave to submit to your Royal Highness's gracious consideration, the following observations and propositions, on the rates, classification, and schemes of arming and manning His Majesty's ships; and on the pay, ratings, and numbers of the officers and warrant and petty and noncommissioned officers of His Majesty's navy and royal marines, and the establishment of the companies of Royal Marine Artillery.

1. The postships of the Royal Navy are divided into six rates; besides which, there are the various classes of sloops, fire-ships, bombs, gun-vessels, yachts, schooners, and cutters.

The division of the Royal Navy into six rates took place in the reign of King Charles I. and at that period, and for several years afterwards these rates included the whole navy.

In the reign of King Charles II. the sloops, fire-ships, and yachts, became distinguished from the sixth rates.

At the Revolution, the rates comprised nearly the same classes of ships which they now do, except that the sixth rate still included vessels of a less number of guns than twenty.

In the year 1719, a general establishment for building was adopted, which however was not long adhered to.

In 1733, a scheme of manning Z and

and armament, or gunning, as it was called, was proposed, buit the latter was not adopted till the year 1742, and then only as applying to ships built since 1740.

In 1742, the ships of 20 guns, of the sixth rate, were increased to 24 guns, and 160 men, and this became for the time the lowest class of post ships.

In the year 1745, the Board of Admiralty, observing that "no "establishment or regulation for "building ships had been made "since the year 1719, which had "been long discontinued; that "instead thereof ships had been "built according to particular "schemes and proportions, without "any standard or uniformity; those of the same rate being often of "unequal dimensions, so that the "stores and furniture of one "would not suit another of the

same class, a matter of infi"nite inconvenience in point of "service, as well as the occasion "of extravagance in point of expense, &c.;" directed a committee composed of all flag officers unemployed, of the commissioners of the navy who were sea officers, under the presidency of Sir John Norris, admiral of the fleet, and assisted by all the master shipwrights, to consider and propose proper establishments of guns, men, scantling of timbers, masts, yards, stores, &c. for each rate and class of his Majesty's ships.

This committee made a very elaborate report, and the whole was established by Order in Council of his Majesty King George the Second, on the 27th of March, 1746.

By this establishment, the rates, armament, and complements, of

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On this establishment, it is to be observed, that the eighty-gun ships of the third rate were on three decks, and that the Board of Admiralty had suggested to the committee the expediency of substituting, instead of this class, ships of 74 guns on two decks and a half, a proposition decidedly rejected by the committee.

A short period only had however elapsed, before a very striking instance was given, both of the way in which innovations are preduced, and of the impossibility of resisting them; for, on the 3d of February, 1747, the Board of Admiralty acquainted his Majesty, that, "the French ship Invincible,

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to be built, from the forms and models so lately established. This was granted, but not till the Board had been called upon by the Council, to lay before it a particular account of the alterations and variations designed; and on several subsequent occasions, in which the said establishment was departed from, a minute detail of the variation was previously submitted for the approbation of his Majesty in Council. We the rather notice these particulars, to show the difficulty, not to say the impossibility, of establishing and adhering to any fixed forms or scantlings; on which subject we shall humbly submit some observations hereafter.

Subsequent to this period, the introduction of 74's appears to have gradually advanced, as well as of frigates of intermediate sizes, between 44's and 24's; for, in the latter end of the reign of King George the Second, the classes of ships comprised in the several rates were as follow, viz.:

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course of the first revolutionary war, increased the armament of the vessels, as they were found able to carry a greater number of carronades than the guns in whose stead they were adopted, so that the real force of the ships has no longer corresponded with their nominal force; and that principle of variation being once admitted, ships have since that time received denominations as to their number of guns, often, we believe, capriciously, and in one or two classes only, of the whole navy, agreeing with their real force.

A few instances will show your Royal Highness the inconsistencies into which this deviation from the old rules of the service has led.

The Caledonia, rated 120 guns, carries 120 guns; while the Hibernia, a ship of nearly the same dimensions, which carries exactly the same number of guns, is rated only at 110 guns, being a less number by 4 than that at which the San Joseph is rated, though the former has in fact 10 guns more than the latter.

All ships of the second rate, though rated at 93, carry upwards of 100 guns, and they have all more guns than the St. George, a first rate, which is rated and carries 100 guns; and they ought all, therefore, according to the established regulations, to be included in the first rate, and there are in fact no real second rates, viz. threedeckers of between 90 and 100 guns, at present existing in the Royal Navy, in a sea-going condition.

In the third rate, some of the ships rated at 80 guns carry near 90, and others rated at 74 carry SO guns, but the majority of the Z 2

same

same denomination carry 74, and this is one of the very few cases in which the real and nominal force agree.

In the fourth rate, of the ships rated at 50 guns, one class (that on two decks) carries 58 guns, another, (that on one deck) carries 60 and upwards.

In the fifth rate there are three frigates rated as of 44 guns, namely, the Sybille, taken from the French, which carries 48 guns; the Lavinia, built after her, which carries 50 guns; and the late American ship President, the guns mounted in which, on the day of her capture, were 54, besides one 42. pounder howitzer.

The frigates rated at 40 guns carry 50, and those rated at 38 carry 46 and upwards.

The majority of those rated at 36 guns carry 44, and some of those rated at 32 carry 46 and 48, being more than others that are rated at 38 and 36.

Similar differences between the real and the nominal amount of force exist in the fifth rate, but it is unnecessary to specify the details.

We trust we shall be excused for observing to your Royal Highness that it is wholly unworthy the character of the Royal Navy of this kingdom to maintain this system, which, though introduced by the accidental cause we have mentioned, and without any design of deception, yet may give occasion to foreign nations to accuse us of misrepresentation, when we state that a British frigate of 38 guns has taken a foreign frigate of 44, when, in fact, the British frigate was of equal, if not superior, force.

We therefore humbly recommend, that your Royal Highness will be pleased to order, that the rule for stating the force of his Majesty's ships, which prevailed prior to the year 1793, and which, in fact, never was formally abrogated, should be revived and established; and that in future all his Majesty's ships should be rated at the number of guns and carronades which they actually carry, on their decks, quarter-decks, and forecastles.

The recurrence to this ancient practice of the service will render some slight variation, as to the limits of some of the rates themselves, necessary; and we therefore humbly propose that the following scale of rates be adopted :

The first rate to include all 3deckers, inasmuch as all sea-going ships of that description carry 100 guns and upwards.

The second rate to include all ships of 80 guns and upwards, on two decks.

The third rate to include all ships of 70 or upwards, and less than 80 guns.

The fourth rate to include all ships of 50 and upwards, but less than 70 guns.

The fifth rate to include all ships from 36 to 50 guns.

The sixth rate to include all ships from 24 to 36 guns.

Though, by this regulation, no ship under 24 guns will hereafter be a post ship, we, in pursuance of the ancient practice of the service, propose that all his Majesty's yachts should be considered as post ships, and should be rated, one as a second rate, and the rest as third rates, but with such complements as we may appoint.

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