Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 17.djvu/307

NAVY 295 All officers of the navy wear a uniform, which is established in pursuance of the pleasure of the sovereign. It consists of blue cloth, with white collars and cuffs to the coats, and various embroidery and epaulets. The epaulets of the officers of the civil branch of the service are embroidered in gold and silver. The full dress, with cocked hats, is worn on state occasions and at courts-martial by all naval officers. The first naval uniform (blue and white) was established in 1748. The identical patterns then issued may now be seen in the United Service Institution. In the reign of William IV. the facings were for a short time changed to red. The last alteration of the uniform was in 1856. The existing regulations may at any time be ascertained by reference to the current number of the Navy List. Men. The crew of a ship of war consists of leading seamen, able seamen, ordinary seamen, engine-room artifi cers, other artificers, leading stokers, stokers, coal-trimmers, boys, and marines. The artificers and stokers and the marines are always entered voluntarily, the latter in the same manner as soldiers, by enlisting into the corps, the former at some rendezvous or on board particular ships. The supply of boys for the navy, from whom the seamen class of men and petty officers is recruited, is also obtained by voluntary entry. The conditions under which boys are entered in Her Majesty s navy are as follows: All entrants must understand that they are bound to serve continuously for ten years from the time of their attaining the age of eighteen; and they will be required to sign an engagement to that effect; but no. boy will be entered without the written consent of his parents, guardians, or nearest relations. The age for entry is from fifteen to sixteen and a half, and the following are the present standards as to height, &c., which, how ever, are liable to alteration : Height (without Shoes). Measurement round the Chest. Boys between 15 and 15 5 ft. 30 in ., 15 16 5 ft. 1 in. 30 5 ft 3J in 321 They must produce a certificate of birth, or a declaration made by their parents or guardians before a magistrate, to show they are of the proper age. They must also be of sound constitution, not subject to fits, free from any physical defects or malformation, and able to read and write. No boys will be received from reformatories or prisons, or if they have been committed by a magistrate; but boys may be admitted from industrial school ships. Able and ordinary seamen are seldom admitted direct into the navy, as the system of training boys proves very satisfactory. Volunteers are occasionally entered, especially from the, naval reserve, and no doubt a large supply of men could be obtained if sought for. The wages given in the merchant service may be higher, but in all other respects the treatment is far superior in the navy : the men have better provisions, continuous employment, and leave on full pay, are subject to much less fatigue and exposure to the weather, are well taken care of in sick ness, and are entitled to pensions after twenty years service or when disabled. Merchant seamen are admitted into the royal naval reserve, receive an annual payment by way of retainer, perform drill on board Her Majesty s ships, and are engaged to serve in the navy in case of war or emergency. Including the fishermen and boys, who form the second and third classes of this reserve, it is to consist of about 20,000 men. Impress- The speedy manning of the fleet, on the first breaking ment in ou t O f a war> j s one O f ^ Q most important duties that can war? ^ on the nava ^ administration. A variety of schemes have been brought forward for attaining this end, but all of them have heretofore failed of success, except the compulsory mode of raising men, under the authority of press warrants, issued by the lords commissioners of the Admiralty, by virtue of an order in council, renewed from year to year. On the occasion of the war with Eussia in 1855, however, the fleet was manned, for the first time, without recourse to impressment. There likewise issues, on the breaking out of a war, a proclama tion from the sovereign, recalling all British seamen out of the service of foreign princes or states; and commanders of all ships of war are directed to search foreign vessels for such seamen. The impressment of seafaring men, however anomalous under a free constitution like that of Great Britain, is defensible on state necessity, until it can be shown that the fleet, on an emergency, is capable of being manned without resorting to that measure. In consequence of some doubts being raised on the legality of impressment in the year 1676, when the affairs of the Admiralty were managed immediately under the direction of the king and the great officers of state, a discussion was held on this point, when it was decided by the judges and crown lawyers, that the king had an indefeasible right to the services of his subjects when the state required them, and that the power of impressing seamen was inherent in the crown, seeing that without it the trade and safety of the nation could not be secured. In the Black Book of the Admiralty is an order by Sir Thomas Beaufort, high admiral to Henry IV., commanding the impressment of mariners for service, in the barge "E. de S.," and punishments were provided for those who failed in service. The statute 2 Ric. II. c. 4 speaks of mariners being arrested and retained for the king s service as of a thing well known and practised without dispute, and provides a remedy against their running away. By statute 2 & 3 Phil, and M. c. 16 any Thames waterman hiding during the execution of a commission of pressing for the royal service is liable to heavy penalties. By 5 Eliz. c. 5 fishermen are exempted from impressment. The subject of impressment is dealt with in many statutes down to the time of George III., and the power to impress in case of necessity is still conferred by the sovereign in the Admiralty patent. At the present stage of the world s history, however, this power would not be enforced, except upon application of the maxim " salus populi suprema lex." The first instance of impressing men in Ireland seems to have been in the year 1678, when the lord-lieutenant received directions from the privy council to raise 1000 seamen for the fleet. In 1690 the lords-justices of Ireland were directed to assist the officers of the navy in impress ing men in that kingdom. In 1697 a register was taken of all the seafaring men in Ireland, which amounted to 4424 men, of whom it is noted 2654 were Catholics. On several occasions, during Queen Anne s reign, the lords- justices of Ireland received directions to raise men to serve in the fleet. In Scotland the mode of raising men by impressment was unknown before the Union; but in various instances the council of Scotland was directed to raise volunteers for the fleet, each man to have 40s. as bounty. In 1706 an experiment was tried for the speedy manning of the fleet, by virtue of an Act of Parliament, which required the civil magistrates of all the counties to make diligent search for all seafaring men, and 20s. were allowed to the constables for each man taken up, the seamen to have pay from the day of delivery to the naval officers stationed to receive them; if they deserted after that, they were .to be considered as guilty of felony. By the same Act, insolvent debtors, fit for the service, and willing to enter it, were released, provided the debt did not ex ceed 30; and no seaman in the fleet was to be arrested for any debt not exceeding 20. The whole proceeding under this Act incurred a very heavy expense, and totally failed.