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 No. 292), may in future be paid a proportion thereof every month, according to the Scale in Table I, annexed, - framed with reference to the various rates of Officers� 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 desire it, as soon after the expiration of each month as may be convenient and the Captain of Her Majesty�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 are to be 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. 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 Book 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 into debt.
7. No remittances are to be made out of these three 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 292 and 318), on which Accounts the Monthly Advances made to Officers in accordance with the foregoing Regulations, are to be shown 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 the first appointment from Half-Pay 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 ; observing ; 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 five pounds. 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 Officer�s 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 the 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 I., 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 II, 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 II, 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 rate 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 the 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 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 Lordships� information, or upon the Monthly Pay List on which the 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 amount paid in the first and second months of each quarter are only admissible as temporary vouchers, and the credits on the Paymasters� cash accounts can in no case be allowed in the absence of the Quarterly Pay Lists. (Vide Circular No. 163, sec. 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 not to be extended to Ships on the Home Station as well as to those Abroad. The prescribed Forms of Remittance Lists are to be used for remittance 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 No. 281).
27. Seaman and marines may allot, as at present, a portion of their wages in favour of their wives, relatives, friends, or others, in accordance with the Regulations (Circular No. 163), and at the rates shown in Scale A, of Table II, annexed ; with further privileges 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 stop their Allotments in consequence, is to be avoided.
29. Care is 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 discharge 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 dispatched 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 "stop-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 Ship�s 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 deposit 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 31st 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 Balance 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 changes, in accordance with Regulation 19.
38. The several Forms of Remittance List 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 be delivered to the crew, as the Captain may direct, that every man borne for wages may thus be aware of the exact state of his account at the close of each financial year, and have this special opportunity of depositing in savings� bank, 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 be cast out in the Record Book, to which also is to be 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 completed, 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 (31st March) to which pay has thus been cast and adjusted is to be inserted in the column for "Date of Discharge," and under the line closing these transactions the date "1 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 1 April and 31 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 born 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 List. A revised 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) L 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 continued 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, and 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, - 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 so far as applicable ; but as the form of Muster Book does not serve to show a Dr. and Cr. 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 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 it, and the results are to be carried to the Annual Pay List 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 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 has been opened upon Pay Book paper, as directed by Article 52, is about to be paid off, it will not be necessary to prepare another Pay Book, as the new complete book will serve 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.

TABLE I

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. 438.

SCALE showing the amounts payable out of the Wages of Seamen, Marines, and Boys in Her Majesty�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. 438.

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