Admiralty Order in Council No. 159.

21st December 1906.

N.L.

Whereas by the Regulations for the Government of Your Majesty's Naval Service provision is made for the recovery of debts owing by Officers to Ships' Messes by deduction thereof from their Full Pay :

And whereas in the cases of Officers discharged to Half Pay or to the Retired List the balance of Full Pay has on occasions been found insufficient to meet the full amount of the debt :

And whereas by Section 3 of the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act, 1865, it is enacted inter alia that all pay, pensions, or other allowances in the nature thereof payable in respect of services in Your Majesty's Naval or Royal Marine Forces to a person being or having been an Officer, Seaman or Marine there, shall be paid in such manner and subject to such restrictions, conditions, and provisions as are from time to time directed by Order in Council :

And whereas we consider it is desirable that we should have greater power of control with regard to the settlement of debts of the nature above specified :

We beg leave humbly to recommend that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased by Your Order in Council to direct that any Pay, Half Pay, Pension, Retired Pay, Gratuity or other allowances payable to an Officer shall be liable to be abated in order to meet Mess Debts or other liabilities in respect of his Mess or any similar debts or liabilities, subject always to any general regulations which we may think fit to make in that behalf and subject to any special directions which we may think fit to give in any particular case.

The Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury have expressed their concurrence in this proposal,

And whereas the provisions of Section 1 of the Rules Publication Act, 1893, have been complied with :

His Majesty, having taken the said Memorial into consideration, was pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to approve of what is therein proposed. And the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are to give the necessary directions herein accordingly.

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