Whereas by an Act passed in the 17th year of Your Majesty's Reign, intituled "An Act for facilitating the payment of Her Majesty's Navy, and the payment and distribution of prize, bounty, salvage, and other monies, to and amongst the Officers and Crews of Her Majesty's ships and vessels of war, and for the better regulation of the accounts relating thereto," it is directed among other things that "the Lords of the Admiralty may from time to time make such rates, orders, and regulations as may to them seem expedient for facilitating the paying of the Navy, but that the same shall not have any force or effect until they have been previously approved by Your Majesty in Council."

And whereas we have had under our consideration the existing regulations for paying the Officers and Crews of Your Majesty's ships, and it appearing to us expedient to allow such Officers as may desire it, the privilege of receiving a portion of their pay every month, and to increase the sums of money which may he paid monthly to Seamen, Marines, and Boys, on account of their wages while serving in Your Majesty's Fleet:

We beg leave humbly to submit to Your Majesty the inclosed regulations for carrying these objects into effect, the same to come into operation from and after the 1st day of October next, in Your Majesty's ships at home, and in Your Majesty's ships abroad as soon thereafter as the instructions which may be issued by us on the subject are received on board, praying that in the event of Your Majesty being graciously pleased to approve thereof, You will authorize us by Your Order in Council to carry them into effect accordingly.

Regulations for Granting Monthly Payments to Officers of Her Majesty's Ships, and increased Monthly Advances to Seamen, &c.

Advances to Officers.

1. All Officers in the Navy who are at present entitled to be paid their full pay quarterly under existing regulations (Circular 292), may in future be paid a proportion thereof every month according to the scale in Table 1 annexed, framed with reference to the various rates of Officer's full pay, out of which it is to be clearly understood that all mess debts are to be defrayed on board.

2. These monthly advances on account of pay are to be paid to such Officers as may desire it as soon after the expiration of each month as may be convenient, and the Captains of Her Majestv's Ships may direct. They are to be paid by the Paymaster of the Ship upon a simple list showing the Officers names and rank, and the amounts paid to each Officer respectively with their signatures against the sums received by them. The lists to he signed by the Paymaster and approved by the Captain. Three separate lists will be required, as at present, for Commissioned Officers, Subordinate and Warrant Officers, and Marine Officers.

3. Upon any Officer's first appointment to a Ship at home from half-pay or Harbour Service, the amount of three such advances may be paid to him together, if he wishes it, at his first joining, under the Captain's authority and may be paid whether such Officer has been three months on half-pay or not j when Officers are so appointed to ships abroad, a similar advance will be paid to them upon application to the Accountant-General of the Navy, as at present.

4. The lists upon which advances are thus paid to Officers are to be described as "Officers Monthly Advance Lists," and they are to be made out in duplicate in ships abroad; the original to be sent into Office as the voucher for the payment along with the Paymaster's Cash Account; the duplicate to be retained on board in case of the original being miscarried or lost. In ships at home one list only will be necessary as a voucher for the payment.

5. The amounts so paid to Officers are to be charged against them in the Charge Books of Ships on the new system and in the Muster Books of other vessels.

6. Such advances are not to be paid, except on first joining, if the Officers in any exceptional case would thereby be brought in debt.

7. No remittances are to be made out of these monthly advances to Officers, but Warrant Officers on receiving a three monthly advance on first appointment under regulation 3, may remit the whole or a portion thereof as at present.

8. In the third month of each quarter the Officers' full pay accounts are to be prepared in accordance with the existing regulations (Circulars No. 292 and 318) on which accounts the monthly advances made to Officers in accordance with the foregoing regulations are to be shewn in the column for deductions, after Income-tax, and abated along with other charges for the quarter.

9. The three months advance made to Officers on first appointment from half-pay is to be adjusted on the full pay account of the succeeding quarter.

10. The Officers may remit the whole or a part of the balance due to them on the quarterly full pay accounts as at present; unserving however that the remittances made by an Officer should be limited, as a rule, to one remittance each quarter, and to sums not smaller than bl. The other existing regulations (Circular No. 318) are to be carefully observed in making out the Quarterly Remittance list of Officers.

11. The existing regulations (Circular No. 292) as to the mode of paying allowances in addition to Officers' pay are to be adhered to, and no part of such additions to pay is to be paid as monthly advance.

12. The present regulations are not to interfere with existing rules as to advances to Flag Officers at home and abroad, on their first appointment, but they may afterwards be paid monthly according to the Scale in Table 1, if they so desire.

Monthly Advances of Wages, Allotments and Remittances of Seamen, Marines, and Boys.

13. In lieu of the present scale of "monthly allowance" (Circular No. 163) the amounts shown in Table 2 annexed, are to be paid to such Men and Boys as may desire it, as a monthly advance on account of their wages.

14. To Men who have allotments in force, only the amounts assigned to the several rates of pay in Scale B, Table 2, are to be paid, but Men who do not allot may be paid at their option either the minimum rates in Scale B, or the maximum rates in Scale C of the Table, when the state of their accounts will admit of it.

15. The rate at which Men are entitled to be paid is to be governed by the daily pay of their respective ratings, exclusive of Badge Pay and other additions to pay.

16. Care is to be taken that all Men who are paid the higher rates in Scale C of the Table, have no allotments in force, and separate monthly advance Pay Lists are to be made out for Men who allot (whether paid at the higher rates or not) and for those who do not allot.

17. On the Home Station, these monthly advances on account are to be made to Men, whether they allot or not, as soon after the expiry of each month as the Captain may direct, but payment is only to be made to those persons who have sufficient wages due at the time to bear the advance.

18. At places abroad the Men who do not allot may be paid in like manner, at the rates in Scale B or C, under the Captain's authority.

19. Before making these payments at places abroad to Men who have allotments in force, care is to be taken that sufficient wages will thereafter remain due to each Man to cover his allotment, for two months on Stations within the distance of the North and South Atlantic, and three months on more distant Stations, in case any man so paid might afterwards suddenly die, desert, or be discharged. This regulation is framed with the view of guarding the public from loss that must arise if such payments on account of wages were made more closely up abroad to Men having allotments in force.

20. Every precaution is to be observed for avoiding the bringing of Men into debt by the payment of monthly advance, and the same power, as hitherto, is reserved to the Captains of Her Majesty's Ships, of stopping these monthly advances as punishment, or when they for other reasons may consider it undesirable to make the payments.

21. The Captains of Her Majesty's Ships will exercise their discretion as to the days upon which these monthly payments on account of wages are to be made to the crews of vessels, having due regard to the circumstances in which the ships under their command may be placed. When Men decline to receive such monthly advance, when it is in course of payment, they cannot afterwards receive it for the month so declined, but the Captain may defer making the payments for one or two months if he judges it absolutely necessary, and may afterwards authorize the deferred payments to be made together, but not exceeding two months. In such cases a brief explanation of the circumstances should be given either, if necessary, by special letter for their Lordship's information or upon the monthly Pay List on which deferred payments are made.

22. These payments of monthly advance may commence in accordance with existing regulations (Circular No. 361) at the end of the first month after a Man enters the service; but Men being thus promptly paid upon first joining, are not afterwards to be paid two months "Advance" as heretofore, before the ship proceeds to sea. Men who have not been paid monthly advance before proceeding to sea may be allowed to receive one month's advance, although not actually due, and such Men may afterwards receive monthly payments on account of their wages as soon as the state of their accounts will admit of their being so paid in accordance with the foregoing regulations.

23. The existing form of monthly allowance Pay List is to be used for making the monthly payments on account of wages at the new rates, and care is to be taken, that with all cash accounts for the months of March, June, September, and December, the Quarterly lists are sent in as vouchers. The certificates of the amounts paid in the first and second months of each quarter are only admissible as temporary vouchers, and the credits in the Paymaster's Cash Accounts can in no cafe be allowed in the absence of the Quarterly Pay Lists (vide Circular 163, s. 6).

24. When Men decline, or are not entitled to be paid monthly advance from their being in debt, or its being stopped for punishment, &c., the words "declined," "in debt," or "stopped," as the case may be, are to be inserted against the Men's names in the pay lists.

25. Great care is to be taken that in the monthly advance Pay Lists for Men who allot, the name of every Man who has an allotment in force is to be inserted whether the Men are paid monthly advances thereon or not, and the rate of each Man's allotment is to be inserted against his name.

26. Such Men and Boys as do not wish to be paid monthly advance at any time may leave it undrawn, as at present, and the existing regulations which allow Men who have wages remaining due to them to remit from time to time an even portion thereof to friends, relatives, and others, or for deposit in the Savings Banks in London and at the Outports, are to continue in force, and these privileges of remitting are now to be extended to ships on the Home Station, as well as to those abroad. The prescribed form of Remittance Lists are to be used for remittances to friends, relatives, and others, and for remittances for deposit in Savings Banks. Seamen may also, after receiving their monthly advance, deposit it in the second money chest kept on board each ship for safe custody under the supervision of the Captain, in accordance with existing regulations (Circular 281).

27. Seamen and Marines may allot, as at present, a portion of their wages in favour of their wives, relatives, friends, or others in accordance with regulations (Circular No. 163), and at the rates shown in Scale A of Table 2 annexed, with the further privilege of allotting either at the particular rate assigned for each rate of daily pay in the Table, or at any of the lower rates, including that of 10s., now hereby established as a minimum rate of allotment.

28. The highly objectionable practice of allowing men to incur debts and afterwards to stop their allotments in consequence is to be avoided.

29. Care is also to be taken that the earliest possible notice is given to the Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy of the death, desertion, or discharges of Men who have allotments in force, in order that payment thereof may be stopped. In cases of emergency, when Men leaving the service are likely to be brought in debt, separate "stop letters" are to be written and despatched by the first opportunity, but in all ordinary cases of allotments requiring to be stopped or reduced, stop letters are to be dispensed with in ships on the new or Record Book system, as such allotments will be stopped or reduced by means of the monthly returns for the Record Book. In ships on the old Muster Book system "st02> letters" must be continued as at present.

30. The rate of a Man's allotment is in future not to be reduced upon his being disrated, unless the rate is in excess of that for his new rating, or his pay will not bear its continuance at the old rate, or unless he specially desires it to be reduced. The rate of allotment is in future to be inserted in ships' books and pay documents, and the payment of monthly advance is always to be regulated with due regard to the rate of allotment.

31. The date of the commencement of an allotment is always to be determined on board ship and to be clearly noted in the Allotment Declaration Lists, ships' books, and pay documents. In cases where allotments are increased in amount, or when the reduction of an allotment does take place, the allotment charge at the original rate is to be calculated up to such a date as will allow sufficient time to communicate the change to the Accountant-General of the Navy, and for making the necessary alterations in England.

32. Fresh Declaration Lists are required to be made out in all cases when allotments are to be increased in amount, and such Declaration Lists for the increase of allotments should be distinct from those for new allotments.

33. The Captains and Officers of Her Majesty's Ships will use their influence with the men under their command to induce them to make full use of the various privileges they have of allotting and remitting portions of their wages in support of their wives and families, or for deposits in Savings Banks. Men should not be allowed to stop their allotments for their families when once granted without the Captain being satisfied that there are sufficiently strong grounds for so doing.

Annual Balance and Adjustment of Wages.

34. In consideration of the foregoing regulations, whereby a much greater proportion of a Man's wages may be paid to him month by month whether at home or abroad, than at present, besides what he may allot or remit to his family or friends, the practice of "paying down," as it is usually termed, Her Majesty's Ships at home every six months is to be discontinued.

35. In all Her Majesty's Ships, both at home and abroad, an annual pay list or balance sheet is to be prepared up to 31st March, which is the close of the financial year, showing the balance due to each Man at that date. On this balance sheet, which is to be made out from the Record Book on the form of " Pay Book and Charge List" in ships on the new or Record Book system, the name of each Man borne for wages during the preceding twelve months, is to be inserted with the wages, additions to pay, and all credits due to each Man, and also all abatements from pay including that for allotment.

36. This balance sheet or annual pay list is to be completed as soon after the 31st of March, as possible, and transmitted to the Accountant-General of the Navy. As the list may be in a great measure prepared in anticipation, only one month is allowed for its final completion and dispatch into Office.

37. The balances of wages due upon the annual pay list or balance sheet are not to be paid unless their Lordships specially direct, but Men both at home and abroad may remit an even portion of the sums appearing due to them thereon in accordance with regulation 26 hereof, leaving however about one month's wages in hand at the time the remittance is made, and in ships abroad sufficient to cover any subsequent allotment charges, in accordance with regulation 19.

38. The several forms of remittance lists mentioned in regulation 26 are to be used for these remittances, and the amounts remitted are to be inserted on the balance sheet.

39. As soon as the annual balance sheet is prepared charge notes are to be made out therefrom, showing the credits and charges of each Man, and the balance then at his credit, and they are to delivered to the crew as the Captain may direct, that every Man borne for wages may thus be made aware of the exact state of his account at the close of each financial year, and have this special opportunity of depositing in Savings Banks, or otherwise disposing of his undrawn wages as he may deem expedient under the advice of his Officers, in accordance with regulation 33.

40. In ships on the new or Record Book system of ships' books and accounts, the wages and all credits and additions to pay up to 31st March, are to he cast out in the Record Book, to which also is to he transferred the total charges for monthly advances for supplies and making of clothing, and for dead and run effects purchased by each man for the same period, inserting also the amount of allotment charge up to that date, and each Man's account, when thus complete, is to be balanced on the Record Book, and the results carried into the annual balance sheet, and the charge notes made out therefrom, as directed by Article 39.

41. The balances creditor, after inserting and deducting the amounts then remitted, are to be inserted in the column for notations as "carried down" and entered as "Credits on 1st April" in the Record Book.

42. After all the entries and totals to 31st March have been inserted in the Record Book, a line is to be drawn across the columns to separate the transactions to 31st March, from those for the succeeding financial year. The date (3lst March) to which pay has then been cast and adjusted is to be inserted in the column for " Date of Discharge," and under the line closing these transactions, the date 1st April is to be inserted in the column for "Date of Entry."

43. In order to facilitate the ascertaining of the state of Men's accounts before making the monthly payments or remitting out of wages, and also to forward the preparation of the annual balance sheets, the Charge Books in Her Majesty's Ships on the Record Book system, are to be totalled in ink at the end of each quarter, and the gross total of charges, exclusive of those for allotment carried into the column for "notations." These gross totals of charges will also serve for insertion in the Quarterly Victualling Lists for persons borne for wages against whose names the details of the charges are not required.

44. The totals of charges at the end of each quarter are to be cumulative charges, including those for preceding quarters up to 31st March, 1861, and thereafter between 1st April and 31st March, the period of each financial year.

45. The total charges to 31st March in each year are to be carried into the Record Book, in accordance with Article 40, and thence transferred to the annual balance sheet, as before directed, and consequently they will not require to be inserted in the Victualling List for the Quarter ending 31st March, except for Officers and for Supernumeraries borne for victuals only.

46. When the totals of the charges appearing in the Charge Book to 31st March have been inserted, a distinct line is to be drawn across the columns of the Charge Book to separate the charges for the succeeding financial year from those previously incurred.

47. The charges for supernumeraries for victuals only are in like manner to be lined off from those subsequently incurred and not included with the subsequent charges inserted in the Quarterly Victualling Lists. A revised form of Quarterly Victualling List will immediately be issued with separate columns in which to show the details of charges against supernumeraries, as required by the regulations (Circular No. 401) which form should be demanded in the usual manner by all ships at home bearing supernumeraries for victuals only. The original form of Victualling List may be contrived for Men borne for wages, till the stock is exhausted.

48. The charges for supernumeraries for victuals only, and for clothing, &c., to Officers, inserted in the Victualling List for the Quarter ending 31st March, are to be totalled; as these totals taken in connection with the totals of the columns for monthly advance, clothing, &c. in the annual pay list or balance sheet, for persons borne for wages will suffice to finally clear the Paymaster's accounts, as regards these items to the end of the financial year, without waiting as at present till he is superseded or the ship is paid off.

49. When a Paymaster dies or is superseded, a list of charges for monthly advances, clothing supplied and made up, or dead and run effects purchased, will only in future be required for the period subsequent to the date of the last annual Pay List or Balance Sheet, the previous charges having been already returned to the Admiralty as provided in the last and previous Articles.

50. The List of Charges required by the preceding Article to the date of a Paymaster's supercession or death, will also enable his final cash and clothing accounts to be finally audited with dispatch.

51. On tickets and other pay documents only the credits and charges for any Man subsequent to 31st March, will in future require to be inserted, after the annual Pay List or Balance Sheet has been sent in from a ship as the previous charges will be found thereon.

52. As regards ships remaining on the old Muster Book system, the foregoing regulations are to be observed as far as applicable, but as the form of Muster Book does not serve to show a debtor and creditor account for each Man as the Record Book does, upon receipt of these instructions, a copy of the complete book is to be made out to the end of the current Quarter upon Pay Book paper, (instead of upon the form for Muster Books) which after being carefully compared with the old Complete Book, is to be substituted for it and retained on board, and the former Complete Book is to have the columns for checks and abstract of victualling filled in and to be sent into Office as the Muster Book for that quarter.

53. On the 31st March, the new Complete Book made out as before directed on Pay Book paper, is to have the Men's wages cast thereon, and the balance worked out as distinctly as the form will admit of, and the results are to be carried to the annual paylist or balance sheet, made out upon "Pay List" paper in the same manner as directed for Ships on the new system, and to be dealt with as before directed.

54. When the Complete Book has thus been balanced after the allotment charges to 31st March have been inserted, and the amounts remitted from the balance sheet have also been noted in the column headed "Remitted," the net balance due to each Man is to be inserted as "carried down" to 1st April, and a line is to be drawn across the columns to separate subsequent transactions from those prior to that date; carrying out as far as possible all the directions herein for balancing the Record Books and opening fresh accounts as from 1st April in each year.

55. In opening the new Complete Book upon the Pay Book form, every alternate line only may be used if this additional space is judged necessary, considering the time the ship will probably remain in commission.

56. In the Muster Books sent into Office subsequent to the 31st March, only the credits and charges from 1st April are in future to be inserted, omitting the prior transactions, the details of which have already been sent into Office on the annual balance sheet. On tickets and all pay documents in like manner, credits and charges prior to the period of the annual balance sheet are to be omitted.

57. When a ship on the old system, in which a new Complete Book had been opened upon Pay Book paper, as directed by Article 52, is directed to be paid off, it will not be necessary to prepare another Pay Book, as the new Complete Book will serve for the purpose, but a Pay-off Muster Book must be prepared as at present, and must be completed before the Complete Book is sent into Office for final adjustment, and retained on board for reference, while the Complete Book is at the Admiralty. A final Pay List will also be required.

58. All existing instructions are to be considered as in force so far as they are not modified or rendered unnecessary by the preceding regulations.

Scale showing the amounts of monthly advance which may be paid to Naval Officers according to their rate of pay, exclusive of all allowances and additions to pay under Circular ------------No. ��

Table 2.

Scale showing the amounts payable out of the Wages of Seamen, Marines, and Boys in H.M.'s Ships, according to their various rates of pay (exclusive of badge pay and other additions to pay) either as monthly advance on account without allotment, or partly as allotment and partly as monthly advance, in accordance with Circular No. _____.

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Regulations for Paying the Officers and Crews of Ships - 1861.

NB I don't have the Circular mentioned, but I would think it possible to substitute paragraphs in the Order in Council.

Whereas Your Majesty by an Order in Council, dated the 30th day of June, 1860, was graciously pleased to approve of certain regulations for paying the Officers and Crews of your Majesty's Ships, and it appearing to us to be expedient to modify those regulations, and to increase still further the sums of money which may be advanced to Seamen and Marines who do not allot any portion of their Wages while serving in Your Majesty's Fleet, under the powers vested in us by the Navy Pay and Prize Act, 17 Vict., chap. 19, we beg leave humbly to submit to Your Majesty the following regulations for this purpose, the same to come into operation as soon as the instructions which may be issued by us on this subject are received on hoard Your Majesty's Ships, praying that in the event of Your Majesty being pleased to approve thereof, you will authorize us by Your Order in Council to carry them into effect accordingly:

1. Articles 13 and 14 of Admiralty Circular No. 438 are thus to be modified. In lieu of the rates of Monthly Advance in Scale C, Table 2, of Circular 438, for Men who do not allot, such Men may in future be paid advances equal in amount to the rate in Scale B of that Table, and in addition thereto, the rates at which they might have allotted according to Scale A, thus making the payments on account of their wages to Men who do not allot the same as to those who do allot; when Men allot at lower rates than those assigned for each rate of daily pay in Table 2, the rate of their Monthly Advances may be correspondingly increased, and paid to them if they so desire.

2. On the Home Station these advances on account of wages are to be made monthly, as soon after the expiry of each month as the Captain may direct, but only to such persons as have sufficient wages due at the time to leave a reserve of one month's gross wages in hand after payment.

3. At places abroad the advances are to be paid monthly, or at other times when most convenient, at the discretion of the Captain; but a reserve of two months' gross wages is to be retained in hand for each person when such payments of advance are made.

4. The above Clauses 2 and 3 are in lieu of Articles 17, 18, and 19 of Circular No. 438.

5. Article 21 of Circular No. 438 is to be modified as follows: when the payments of advance have been withheld from Men, or declined to be received by them, the deferred payments may afterwards be paid when desired, under the Captain's authority; but in making all such back payments a separate list is to be made out, distinct from the ordinary Advance Lists, on which the regular payments of Monthly Advance are made.

6. The payments of advances on account of wages are to be optional as in Article 26 of Circular 438; and such Men and Boys as leave their wages undrawn are to be allowed the privilege of remitting an even portion thereof, as in that Article, once in six months; but although more frequent remittances are not to be allowed as a rule, Men and Boys, when serving abroad, may be allowed specially to remit at other times, if necessary, at the Commanding Officer's discretion.

7. Care is to be taken in making payments of advance, and allowing remittances out of wages, that a reserve of one month's wages at home, and of two months' wages abroad, is always retained in hand, when such payments or remittances have been made.

8. The payments of advance are to be charged in the ship's books in the column for monthly advance (formerly monthly allowances), and the amounts remitted are to be charged in the proper column for " Remittances," and the Commanding Officers and Paymasters of Your Majesty's Ships are to be held responsible for these charges being correctly made on ship's books, on transfer lists, and on all pay documents.

9. The annual balance sheet established by Article 35 of Circular No. 438 is in future to be made up to 31st December in each year instead of to 31st March. The next balance sheet will be made up fo� the nine months, from 1st April to 31st December, 1861, and afterwards between the 1st January and 31st December of each year.

10. The balances appearing due on the annual balance sheets may be paid to the men, or an even portion thereof may be remitted, reserving always, however, one month's wages at home, and two months' wages abroad, when the payments or remittances are made.

11th. The other regulations established by Admiralty Circular No. 438 are to be strictly adhered to, so far as not modified or altered by these regulations, and great care is to be taken, both as to charging all payments and remittances made on account of wages on the ship's boots, transfer lists, and pay documents, and as to inserting thereon the rates of all allotments in force, in order to guard against errors and over-payments.

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