The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

HARBOUR PAY.

Per day. Per annum.
s. d. £ s. d.
{ Ist Rate
Ist Class This pay to be eventually tkat of the Ist class.
2d Rate 5 2
3d Rate 4 9
4th Rate 4 4
2d Class This pay to be eventually that of the 2d class.
sth Rate 3 11
3d class{ 6th Rate 3 6
This pay to be eventually that of the 3d class.

"In the cases of warrant officers of long service, and
of exemplary character and conduct, my lords recom-
mend that two years' harbour service should, in award-
ing pensions, be considered as equal to one year's sea
service, in lieu of the proportion of three to one, as at
present;

"Having reference to the increased responsibility at-
taching to the situations of commissioned and chief boat-
men, their lordships recommend that time served in the
former capacity should count as first class, and in the
latter as second-class petty officer's time, in awarding
pensions ; and whereas coast-guard men from the naval
service are now entitled to higher gratuities than seamen
it appears desirable that the former should be placed on
the same footing as the latter.

"An estimate is transmitted herewith from the Ac-
countant-General of the Navy, showing the total ex
pence that will eventually be incurred by the proposed
increase of 'pay to the warrant officers-petty: officers,.
and seamen of the fleet. The sum that *ill be required
for the ensuing financial year will not, probably exceed
55,000/. ;and it is estimated that the surplus under vote
No. 1, of the naval estimates, will be sufficient. at the
close of the next financial year, to meet this additional
expense. _ _

" The pay has been voted for the whole number of
men from the sth of April next. The number entered
falls short of the number voted to a considerable extent;
and the deficient number will not probably be completed
for four or five months. Hence arises the estimated
surplus sufficient to cover the increase of charge for the
ensuing year. A large proportion of the increased pay
and allowances is contingent on the voluntary adoption
by the seamen of the altered terms of entry and of ser-
vice.
" Considering the sreat national importance of the
objects to be attained,hy the proposed measures, the
increased maritime starogth which will be gained, when
they shall have proved otweesful ; considering also the
necessity of increasing ti may of the royal navy to a
rate more nearly corresppyding to that of the American
and merchant services, %Apple earnestly hope that the
above expense will be freey.sanctioned by her Majesty's
Government ; and they- request you will accordingly
move the Lords of the Treasury to signify their early
concurrence therein, in order that the necessary steps
may be taken without loss of time, for bringing the pro-
posed measures under the consideration of her Majesty
in Council, before they are brought to the notice of Par-
liament.

"My lords request to be favoured with an answer to
thin letter at the earliest possible period.--I have, &c.,
(Signed) " R. OSBORNE."
"James Wilson, Esq., M.P., &c., Treasury.

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE.—The subjects re-
ferred to the consideration of the committee were :
_

'l. The entry and training of boys and seamen, and the
periods of service for which they are engaged.
2. Whether such periods, of service could be advan-
tageously extended ; and the regulations which it would
be advisable in such case to adopt.
3, The practicability of permanently retaining the ser-
vices of boys and seamen, as is the case with the Royal
Marines, so as to ensure the means of rapidly manning
her Majesty's ships when required for service.
4. Whether a period of service abroad might be fol-
lowed by a period of service at home, in the coast guard,
dockyards, or home ports.
5. Whether a reserve of seamen might -not be orga-
to remain in England, reference being had to the scheme
recently laid before Parliament for that purpose.
6. What measures could be adopted at the present
time in order to secure the services of a large body of
seamen for the defence and general service of the coun-
try, in a case of emergency.
7. The questions of pay and prize money, and espe-
cially the clause of the Act 5 and 6 Will. IV., cap. 24,
relating to bounty.
8. All regulations at present in force relative to petty
officers and seamen gunners.
9. The award of good-conduct badges and of pensions.
10. The entry of seamen into the coast guard and
dockyards.
11. The admission of seamen into Greenwich Hospi-
tal, and their support therein.
The committee's recommendations comprise the fol-
lowing
BOYS OF THE SECOND CLASS.—They propose that
the age of eighteen (instead of twenty, as at present)
should be the age from which boys and seamen, entering
the navy under the new system, should be allowed to
count their time for pay and pensions, according to the
rule now in force in the Royal Marines, under the pro-
visions of the act 10 and 11 Vic., cap. 63. All boys
under the age of eighteen, who hereafter enter the navy,
to be required to engage for a period of ten years' con-
tinuous and general service from the above age, in addi-
tion to whatever periods may be necessary until they at-
tain that age, which is the course now followed in the
case of boys who enter the coips of the Royal Marines
—thus, a boy entered at fourteen, would be required to
engage for a term of fourteen years' service. They deem
it advisable that the entry of boys and seamen should be
as general as possible throughout the United Kingdom,
and that particular attention be given to obtaining a
more equal proportion from Scotland, the population of
which, from their hardy habits and steady character, are
well adapted for the naval service.
BOYS OF THE FIRST CLASS. —The qualification which
should be required for boys entering in this class is,
that they should have been at sea, or have been accus-
tomed to boats, although this qualification should not be
held to be indispensable in the case of promising lads
who are found fit for service in other respects. Good-
conduct badges should be given, the time they are worn
being allowed to count towards seamen's time for good-
conduct badge and pay in the proportion of two years'
boy's time to one year's man's time, and promotion
should be given to the rating of second-class ordinary or
ordinary seamen in special cases of good conduct and
ability in boys at the age of eighteen ; whilst discharge
by purchase should be permitted upon a graduated scale,
according to length of service, &c.
SEAMEN.—The committee recommend that, first, petty
officers and seamen who volunteer for a period of ten
years' continuous and general service, to have the
highest advantages of pay and short-term pensions here-
after mentioned, time being counted from the age of
eighteen, and to be eligible for every reward open to
deserving seamen ; secondly, seamen may also be en-
tered as heretofore under the provisions of the act sth
and 6th Will. IV., c. 24, which renders them liable to
be retained for five years' service, and subject to re-
moval from one ship to another during that period, at
the discretion of the Admiralty or Commander-in-Chief,
to meet the•unavoidable and urgent requirements of the
service ; the pay and pensions of seamen under this
head to be at the rates hereafter proposed. Servants,
musicians, bandsmen, barbers, and tailors should be
always be entered under the said act, and not be con-
sidered as forming a part of the permanent navy. The
triennial period of service should be adhered to where
the public service admits of it, and when the period of
service is temporarily extended under emergency, the
seaman's pay should be proportionably increased.
Bounties should be granted to volunteers in time of
peace ; and the wages of seamen entering for ten years,
in addition to the present rates, should be :—For 2d
class ordinary, id. per day ; ordinary, 2d. ; A. B.'s and
petty officers, 3d. Men re-entering after ten years'
service, for ve years more, have their additional pay
raised thus : Ordinary, from 2d. to 4d. ; A. B. and
petty officers, from 3d. to sd. ; and men who have been
ten years in the serN:ce under the old system from the
age of twenty, and who enter for a further five years, to
receive an addition of—ordinary, 2d. ; and A. B. and
petty officers, 3d. Men who have completed a period
of fifteen years' continuous and general service, from
the age of eighteen, to be granted pensions varying from
7d. to 9d. a day, provided they have not been out of
• the service more than twelve months. Men in the re-
ceipt of such pensions to be subject to further service,
as hereafter pointed out. After twenty years' continu-
ous and general service, from the age of 18, to be granted
pensions from 10d. to ls. 2d a day, provided they shall
not have been out of the service more than a total period
of five years. The pensions for hurts under the new
system to be, under ten years, from 3d. to 6d. a day ;
after ten years and under fifteen, from 6d. to Bd. a day ;
after fifteen and under twenty, from Bd. to 10d. a day ;
after twenty years, 10d. to ls. 2d. a day.
TRAINING.—The-committee recommend, in connection
with the formation of a permanent navy, the mainten-
ance of a force at home for the protection of our arsenals,
&c.. and the beneficial employment of the seamen com-
posing it, that the n umber under training in the Excel
lent, and her tenders should be increased.
PETTY OFFICERS.—As an encouragement to the ser-
vice generally, the service recommend the establishment
of the following class of chief petty officers, to correspond
in some measure to the higher rank of non-commissioned
—Provost-mar
officers in the army and marines, viz.
:—Provost
or master-at-arms, chief mate,gunner's.
chief
of boat-
swain's mate, admiral's coxswain, chief captain fore-
castle, chief quartermaster, chief carpenter's mate, sea-
men's
'schoolmaster, ship's ste ward, ships cook ; and
petty officers are to be induced to mess together, to up-
hold better discipline and elevate their position.
GUNNERS, BOATSWAINS, AND CARPENTERS.—Con-
vinced of the great advantage which the public service
would derive from those situations being filled by the