Year: 1871

the navy with whom they hold relative


rank who have been in the naval service six


years longer than such officers of said staff


corps have been in said service: And pro-


vided further, That in estimating such


lenghth of service, officers who have been
| advanced or lost numbers on the Navy


Register shall be considered as having


gained or lost length of service accord
| ingly: And provided further. That chiefs of


bureau may be appointed from officers hav-
| ing the relative rank of captain in the staff


corps of the navy ON the active list:
| And provided further, That no staff
| officer shall, in virtue of his relative


rank or precedence, have any additional
| right to quarters And provided further,
| That any staff officer of the navy who has
| performed the duty of chief of bureau of
| the Navy Department for full term shall
thereafter be exempt from sea duty, except
| in time of war.


Sec. H. That officers of the medical, pay,
and engineer corps, chaplains, and profess
ors of mathematics, and also constructors,
who shall have served faithfully forforty-fve
years, shall, when retired, have the relative
rank of commodore ; and officers of these
several corps who have been or shall be re-
tired at the age of sixty-twO years, before
having served for forty-tve years. but who
shall have served faithfully until retired,
on the completion of forty years from their
entry into the service shall Also from that
time, have the relative rank of commodore;
and staff officers who have been or shall be
retired for causes incident to the service,
before arriving at sixty-twO years OF age,
shall have the same rank ON the retired FIST
as pertained to their position on the active
list; provided, however, that nothing con-
tanned in this section shall be construed to
increase the pay now provided for said sev-
eral staff officers.


SEC. II. That the chiefs of the Bureau of
nd
Clothing, Steam Engineering, and Con-
structiOn and Repair, shall have the relative
rank of commodore while holding said posi-
ton TOR if heretofore or hereafter retired
therefrOm by reason of age or length of
service), and shall have, respectively, the
title of Surgeon General, PayInaster Gen
eral, Engineer-in Chief, and Chief Con-
structor; provided, that when the Office of
chief of bureau is filled by a line officer
below the rank of commodore, said officer
shall have the relative rank of commodore
during the time he holds said office; and
provided further, that the pay of chiefs
of bureau in the Navy Department shall be
the highest pay of the grade to which they
belong, but not below that of commodore;
and officers of the staff now on the retired
list shall have the rank thereon to which
they would have been entitled had they re-
manned in the active list, unless they shall
be entitled to higher rank. That com





of naval stations shall take precedence
over all officers placed under their COM
mand, and the Secretary of the Navy
may, in his discretion, detail a line officer
to act as the aid or executive of the COM
officer of vessel of war, or
naval station, which officer shall, when not
impracticable, be next in rank TO said COM
officer. and who, as such aid or ex-
ecutive, shall, while executing the orders of
the commanding officer on board such YES
sci, or at such station, take precedence over
all officers attached to such vessel or
station; and all orders of such aid or execu-
i've shall be regarded as proceeding from
the commanding officer: and such aid or ex-
ecutive shall have no independent authority
n consequence of such detail and staff
officers, senior to the officer so detailed,
'hall have the right to communicate directly
With the commanding officer, and in process
ions on shore, on courts martial summary
'ourts, courts of inquiry. boards of survey,
and all other boards, line and staff officers
shall take preceeence according TO rank


SEC. l3. That all acts and parts of acts
Inconsistent with this act are hereby re-
,ealed.


Approved March 3, 81.