Circular No. 33-LMM.

Admiralty, 9th May 1872.

(Naval Agency and Distribution Act, 1864.)

The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have observed that the provisions of the Naval Agency and Distribution Act, 1864 (27 and 28 Vict. cap. 24), relating to the appointment of Ships' Agents have not in all cases been complied with; and they desire to call the attention of Naval Officers to this Act generally and especially to Sections 4 and 5 which impose a duty on the Commanding Officers of Her Majesty's Ships.

Section 4 is as follows:- " Each of Her Majesty's Ships of War shall at all times while in Commission have, for the purposes of this Act, an Agent styled the Ship's Agent, to be appointed in the first instance as soon as may be after the Ship is put in Commission, and afterwards from time to time as a vacancy in the office or other occasion may require;" - and

Section 5. " The Ship's Agent shall be appointed from time to time at pleasure by the Commanding Officer of the Ship for the time being, by an instrument signed and attested in the form given in the schedule to this Act."

The schedule contains the form of appointment of Ships Agent.

" I __________ (*)Commanding Officer of Her Majesty' ___________ (�) hereby appoint (�) of _______(�) to be the Ships Agent for the purposes of the Naval Agency and Distribution Act, 1864. Dated the _______day of ________.

Witness __________________(Signed) A.B.

(Signed) A.B.

(*) Name of Officer.

(�) Description and name of Ship.

(�) Name of Agent

(�) Address of Agent.

3. As great inconvenience has occasionally arisen from the want of a properly constituted Ship's Agent in this country, my Lords desire that, upon a Ship being put in Commission, the Officer appointed to the command shall, without delay, appoint a Ship's Agent in accordance with the provisions of the above-recited Act, and shall report the name of such Agent (as also the name of any substituted Agent) to their Lordships' Secretary.
4. In the event of its being found necessary to institute proceedings against any Vessel or property, the Commanding Officer will take care that all costs and expenses incurred in such proceedings are paid either by himself, or by arrangement with the Ship's Agent. He will also forward to the Ship's Agent all the necessary documents to enable him to claim the bounties or proceeds, if any, to which the Captains are entitled, or re-payment of an expenses which may have been incurred in their behalf.

By Command of their Lordships,

Vernon Lushington To all Commanders-in-Chief, &c.

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