The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-23 00:00:00

THE BILLETING SYSTEM.

The Secretary of State for War having ordered a
revision of the regulations for the government of
the temporary quarters in Great Britain and Ire-
land, termed " half-billet stations," to meet the
requirements of the War Department as at present
constituted, the following revised regulations
were yesterday transmitted to the. officers com-
manding and the Barrack-masters throughout the
United Kingdom, signed by the Under-Secretary
of State, Sir B. Hawes. The forms referred to in
the regulations are omitted, as being purely of offi-
cial importance
" 1. The premises shall in the first instance be
selected and hired by the military. Where the
troops are not stationed in a military district the
necessary orders will be given in Great Britain by
the Quartermaster-General. In all other cases the
premises are to be engaged under orders from the
general or other officer commanding the district,
and on the terms of half-billet money, the officer
previously requiring the proprietors to answer the
questions in form letter A annexed. Theproprietors
to receive the alloWa.nce from the date inclusive of
the removal of the troops and barrack stores.

" 2. This rent, or half-billet money, will be paid
to the proprietors, not by the military officers, but
under the orders of the Secretary of State for War
on accounts to be rendered as hereafter shown.

" 3. In order that the proprietor may receive the
rent as soon as possible after it shall have become
due, the Barrack-master will, at the expiration of
each quarter, transmit to the office of the Account-
ant-General, War-office, Pall-mall, London, an ac-
count, agreeably to the form annexed, No. 1, show-
ing the rent then due, calculated at the rates there.
in stated. _

" 4. An account, in the same form, is likewise to
be transmitted immediately after the troops shall
have left the station, the allowance being calculated
at the authorised rates from the date ofthe last pay-
ment, to the date inclusive of the stores being re-
moved.

" 5. For the purpose of checking these claims, the
barrack-master will transmit to the office of the ac-
countant-general a return, agreeably to form No. 2
annexed, showing the strength of the detachment
for which payment is to be made, and which is to be
signed by the officer in command of the detachment,
the Barrack-master, and the proprietor of the pre-
mises, or some one duly authorised on his behalf.
This return, is to be transmitted at the marching in
and marching out of each detachment, and at every
fluctuation of numbers. The Barrack-master to ex-
plain to the proprietors that their signatures to
those returns are required for facilitating the pay-
ments, and to prevent any misunderstanding as to
the amount of rent to be paid.
"6. When these half-billet stations are taken in
the manner described in paragraph 1, the fact is to
be duly communicated in each case, with the name
of the barrack to which it is nearest, through the
Quartermaster-General's Department, to the Secre-
tary of State for War, for his guidance in ordering
the supplies, informing him of the number of offi-
eers, non-commissioned officers, men, and horses for
which it is calculated the premises will afford ac-
commodation, and the period (if possible) for which
the premises will be required. The Secretary of
State for War will then give the necessary direc-
tions for the supply of barrack furniture required,
previously placing the house and furniture under
the charge of the Barrack-master most convenient
to the station-(of which the Quartermaster-Gene-
ral's Department is to be informed), and the Bar-
rack-master will thenceforward regulate all pro-
ceedings in the same manner as if the troops were
in permanent barracks.
" 7. The Barrack-master appointed to the charge,
or, in his unavoidable absence in consequence of
leave or indisposition, his appointed representative or
barrack sergeant, is to be present when the house
is first occupied, and when it is vacated. . .

- -
" 8. The commanding officer of the regiment or
detachment furnishing the party placed at the half
billet station will, upon orders being received by
him for the removal or exchange of the party there
stationed, give immediate notice to the Barrack-
master under whose charge the half billet station is
placed, that he may forthwith attend to take up the
barrack and equipments in strict conformity with
the 7th, Bth, 9th, 10th, and 11th clauses of her Ma•
jestv's warrant for the ..regulation of barracks, by
which those stations are in all respects to be go-
verned as if established barracks. _ _

"9. Shouldthe removal of the troops be so sudden
that the attendance of the Barrack-master or Bar-
rack-sergeant cannot be obtained, a non-commis-
sioned officer, or in the event of the strength of the
party not allowing one to be left behind, a steady
man should remain to deliver up the furniture, &c.,
with the inventory of which the Barrack-master has
a duplicate; both reciprocally signed by himself and
the commanding officer. The Barrack-master will,
on ascertaining from the General officer command-
ing that the station is not likely to be again occu-
pied within a short period, and without waiting for
a specific order, immediately cause the stores to be
removed to his headquarters, reporting by next post
to the Director of Stores the expense attending such
removal for his sanction, in order that an authority
may be given for passing the charge.
" 10. The Barrack-masters will regularly once
a-month visit every half billet station placed under
their charge, and an inspection of the building and
stores, in strict conformity with her Majesty's
regulation ; transmitting to the several departments
concerned the forms prescribed by the instructions
to Barrack-masters, dated Oct. 1, 1838, showing
the result of such examination.
,4 11. At these inspections all repairs required to
stores are to be reported to the Director of Stores ;
and such wanton damages as may appear, after
making all due allowance for wear and tear, are to
be charged to the troops, and immediately paid
for by them, pursuant to the concluding part of
the 7th clause of her Majesty's warrant and the
general order, home stations, dated March 30, 1840.
" If at these inspections the state of the
equipment be such as to demand either a total or
partial exchange from the store of the permanent
barrack, the Barrack-master will apply to the
Director of Stores for authority to incur the expense
attendant on such exchange, which will be forth-
with granted upon the sum being stated, and satis-
factory evidence given of the necessity for incurring
the same.

13. As the premises are selected and hired by
the military, copies
of the agreement annexed
(Form B) will be furnished in duplicate from the
department of the Quartermaster-General, one to
be sent to the Secretary of State for War, and the
other to be left with the officer or non-commissioned
officer is command of the detachment, whose duty
it will be to see that the premises are kept in a
proper state by the proprietor, who will have to
make good all repairs resulting from fair wear and
tear. On the other hand, all wilful damages done
to the premises by the troops will be carefully
noticed by the Barrack-master, and pointed out by
him to the commanding officer at the time of the
inspection. The expense will be levied upon the
detachment in the same manner as laid down in
the 11th article of these regulations.
" 14. If the detachment, on being removed, be
not replaced by other troops, and the station be
altogether given up, then the full amount of the
damages to building received from the troops shall
be paid by the Barrack-master to the proprietor as
compensation ; but if the station is to be retained,
then the amount of the damages shall be applied
by the proprietor to make good the repairs required
—the Barrack-master, however, not paying the
sum so received from the troops till the work has
actually been performed.
' " Thus there will be neither charge nor credit to
the public for these repairs, and in fact no money
paid by the War-office, except for rent, and the
commuted allowance in lieu of fuel, candles, and
straw.

" The sums paid by the troops for damages
to buildings at the half-billet stations must not,
therefore, be included in the total amount
set forth in the marching-out return as having
been paid by the regiment to the Barrack-
master from the period of their lint arrival in bar-