, 1855-09-07
An ael 20 promote tic Efficiency of The Mar,

An Get to promote tic Efficiency of The Nary.
BIZ il snaeted 6y the Senate and House Of
Representatives ofthe United States Of Amer
iea IL Congress assembled, That as soon
as practicable after the passage Of this act,
the President of the United States shall
cause board Of naval officers to be as
sembled, TO consist of FIVE captains, five
commanders, and Eve lieutenants, which
board, under such regulations as the Sec
rotary Of the Navy may prescribe, shall
make q careful examination into the efh-
cheney Of the officers Of the grades herein
after mentioned, and shall report to the
Secretary Of the Navy the names and rank
Of all the officers Of the said grades who, in
the Judgment Of said board, shall be inca
pablo Of performing promptly and efficient
n all their duty both ashore and aaoat,
and whenever said board shall believe that
said incompotency has arisen from any
cause implying sufficient blame on the part
Of the officer to justify it, they shall recon-
mend that his name'be stricken altogether
from the rolls. Vacancies occurring in
said board shall be filled by the Secretary
Of the Navy, who shall preserve the num-
Der and grades of its officers, as aforesaid :
Provided, That no officers upon said board
shall examine into, or report upon, the Ell
cheney Of officers Of q grade above them.
SEo. 2. And be IL further enacted, That
an officers who shall be found by the said
board incapable of performing the duties
Of their respective Offices, ranks or grades,
shall, il such finding be approved by the
/, President, be dropped from the rolls, or
placed in the order Of their rank and SEMI
ority at. the time, upon list in the Navy
Register, TO be entitled the reserved list !;
and those so placed on the reserved list
shall receive the leave Of absence pay, or
the furlough pay, to which they may be en-
titled when SO placed, according to the re,
>port of the board and approval of the
President, and shall be ineligible to fur
lthef promotion, but shall be subject to the
orders of the Navy Department at all times
for duty and vacancies created in the &c
tive service list by placing officers on the
reserved list, shall be filed BY regular pro-
motion in the order Of rank or seniority.
And officers who may be promoted to fill
the vacancies created by the reserved list
shall. while unemployed, receive only the
dleaye of absence" or waiting orders J"
pay to which they would have been entitled
II such promotion had not been made; but
when employed at sea, or on other duty,
they shall receive, in addition to such
"leave Of absence" or waiting orders :"
pay, the difference between the waiting
orders or "leave Of absence pay and the
lowest sea-service pay Of the grade to
which they may be so promoted Prori-
ded, That this scrutiny and reservation Of
officers shall extend only to the grades of
captain, commander, lieutenant, masters
and passed midshipmen AHd PrOrided,
further, That all vacancies occurring in the
grade Of masters shall be filed by the pro-
motion of the senior passed midshipmen,
to be entitled masters in the line of promo
ton, who when promoted shall receive the
pay allowed by law to masters that the
number Of masters in the line Of promotion
shall not exceed sixty, and that nothing in
this act contained shall be held or con-
strued to authorize any increase Of the ag-
gregate pay Of the said grades, or Of the
naval service, as now allowed by law,