The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-01 00:00:00

REGULATIONS FOR THE ENTRY

OF SEAMEN RIGGERS.

Some months since we announced that a plan was
being matured by a member of the Admiralty, under
the sanction of the Board, for accumulating a reserve of
seamen in our principal dockyards, to be usefully em•
ployed until their services should be required at sea; but
only to be available for manning ships wanted suddenly, or
to fill up the complements of the experimental squadrons
during their few months' exercise in the summer. The
plan has at length been approved of and circulated;
and so far as we have had an opportunity of hearing,
we believe that it has met with a very grateful reception
by the class for whose benefit it is intended, as well as
to provide for any emergency that may arrive. The
following regulations have been proposed:—

_ .
Admiralty, May 28.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having
taken into their consideration a proposal for the exten-
sion of extra seamen-riggers into her Majesty's dock-
yards, for the purpose and with the view of forming a
reserve of seamen at such ports, have been pleased to
issue the following regulations on the subject--
1. The seamen who enter as seamen riggers must have
served for a period of not less than six years in her
Majesty's service with the ratings of ordinary, and
A. 8., and must produce certificates of good conduct and
ability, from the captain of the ship in which they last
served. They will be entered subject to the express
condition of being called upon to serve in any of her
Majesty's ships, should any sudden emergency require
their services ; but it is not intended that the comple-
ments of her Majesty's ships proceeding to foreign sta-
tions shall be filled up from such men, but only such
ships as may be required to be suddenly manned or fitted
for the home stations, or to aid in the navigation of
ships from one port to another, or in duties connected
with the home ports, or to complete the complements of
the experimental squadron during a few months' cruise.
2. For every 25 seamen there shall be entered one
petty officer ; the pay of such petty officer to be 3s. 6d.
per day.
All A. B.'s who are willing to enter under such con-
ditions shall have the pay of 2s. 6d. per day ; and the
time of servitude of such petty officers and seamen shall
be considered as sea time, and be allowed to count for
pension, _ _ _

3. All such seamen riggers shall be allowed to have
the privilege of obtaining slop clothing from her Ma-
jesty's stores at the same price as that now charged to
the seamen of the fleet, on demands made out by the
master attendant, and approved by the rear-admiral
superintendent of the dockyard, but not to a greater
sum than 205. per month, the same to be deducted from
their weekly wages.
4. If absent from the port to which they belong, their
wives and families shall be allowed to draw weekly one-
halt' the pay due to the seaman himself, provided such
seaman obtains a certificate from the commanding offi-
cer of the ship, which must be counter-signed by the
master attendant of the dockyard, that such man is em.
barked on service.
5. The seamen-riggers are to be under the directions
of the master attendant of the dockyard, and shall per-
form all such duties in the yard as may be required.
6. On going on board any of her Majesty s ships, on
service, they are to be entered as " dockyard riggers on
special service;" and, so long as they are so employed,
they shall be granted the established allowance of pro-
visions according to the regulations of the service, in ad.
dition to their pay as seamen-riggers; but this privilege
is not to extend for a longer period than two months,
when they will then be placed on the ship's books, ac-
cording to their respective ratings, and be paid accord.
ingly, when they may make out allotments according to
the Admiralty instructions.
7. The period of servitude as a seaman-rigger shall
not exceed eighteen months at any one time, but if they
have been at sea during any time of such period, such
sea time is to be granted over and above the eighteen
months, at the end of which time they will be discharged.
8. During the time of servitude as seamen-riggers,
they may volunteer for any of her Majesty's ships fitting
out at any of her .Majesty's ports, and shall have the
privilege of entry into the ordinary, on vacancies oc-
curring, or into the permanent riggers, or dockyard, or
victualling craft.