10th January.—The pay of men, recommended for the Out Pension of Chelsea Hospital, is only to be issued by the agent, to the day preceding the board-day, on which they shall have been admitted on the Out-Pension.

17th January.—Men discharged on providing substitutes, are not entitled to any allowance to carry them home.

19th January.-No pay to be admitted for an officer subsequent to the date of his death, except for the purpose of indemnifying for the amount over-issued, under the circumstances specified in the first Article of the Explanatory Directions, when a special application should be made to the Secretary at War.

17th February.-Pay of Servants to Officers not belonging to their own corps, not to be allowed unless the sanction of the Commander-in-Chief shall previously have been obtained; and a copy of the Adjutant-General's letter, signifying the permission of the Commander-in-Chief for so employing a soldier, must be annexed as a voucher for the charge.

26th February.—The pay of Officers belonging to regiments on the British establishment, who are permitted to serve in the Portuguese army, and to hold appointments therein, is to be issued to them under a similar restriction to that which has been prescribed in the case of officers holding more than one military appointment under the British government.

7th April.-The actual and necessary expences incurred for the Carriage of the baggage of Regimental Depots, and the Heavy Baggage left behind on the Embarkation of Corps for Foreign Service, will be allowed to be charged against the public, provided the charges are properly vouched.

Additional Pay for length of Service to be allowed for Lieutenants of Infantry, on account of services in a Fencible Corps, subsequently to the date of its volunteering for service out of the United Kingdom.

14th April. The allowance in aid of the Regimental Mess of Corps in Great Britain, which (except in very special cases) has hitherto been confined to entire regiments, will, from the 25th of Dec. last inclusive, be extended to such specific number of Troops or Companies belonging to corps serving out of this country, as may happen to be left in Great Britain: provided it be certified by the Commanding Officer, that a Mess was actually established by the said Troops or Companies during the period for which the allowance is charged.

15th April-An allowance at the rate of twenty-five pounds per annum for every four officers attached to Regimental Depôts in Great Britain, and present upon an average during each quarters of a year, is to be allowed to them in aid of the Regimental Mess.

20th April.-Bills of Quarter Masters of Local Militia Corps, are in future to be drawn at ten days sight instead of seven days, as mentioned in the 2d clause of Instructions of 1st May, 1809.

25th June. A soldier taken from his corps as an Officer's Servant, is entitled to beer money if in barracks or balloted in quarters, or if in a situation in which he could properly have received beer in kind, previously to a daily allowance being granted in lieu thereof.

Horse Guards, 25th March, 1812.

SIR, The Commander-in-Chief judges it expedient to transmit to you, with the inclosed documents, a few observations on the salutary effects, with which it is reasonable to hope, that an occasional recurrence to the powers, with which yon are thereby vested, will be attended; amongst which the most obvious advantage is,

that of limiting the operation of Regimental Courts Martial, strictly to the purposes for which they are designed by the Legislature, viz. for inquiring into such disputes and criminal matters as may come before them, and for inflicting corporal and other punishments for small offences; and in order to prevent the possibility of any misunderstanding on this important point, it is his Royal Highness's command, that on no pretence whatever shall the award of a Regimental Court Martial hereafter exceed.

The Commander-in-Chief has commanded me to take this opportunity of stating, that there is no point on which his Royal Highness is more decided in his opinion, than that, when Officers are earnest and zealous in the discharge of their duty, and competent to their respective stations, a frequent recurrence to punishment will not be necessary.

The Commander-in-Chief is confident, the Officers of the army are universally actuated by a spirit of justice, and impressed with those sentiments of kindness and regard towards their men, which they on so many occasions have proved themselves to deserve; but his Royal Highness has reason to apprehend, that, in many instances, sufficient attention has not been paid to the prevention of crimes. The timely interference of the Officer, his personal intercourse and acquaintance with his men (which are sure to be repaid by the soldiers' confidence and attachment,) and above all, his personal example, are the only efficacious means of preventing military offences; and the Commander-in-Chief has no hesitation in declaring, that the maintenance of strict discipline, without severity of punishment, and the support and encouragement of an ardent and military spirit, in a corps without licentiousness, are the criterions by which his Royal Highness will be very much guided, in forming his opinion of the talents, abilities and merit of the Officers to whom the command of the different regiments and corps of the army are confided. I have the honour to be, &c.

Horse-Guards, March 25, 1812.-SIR, I have received the Commander-inChief's commands to apprise you, that his Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT has deemed it expedient to revert to the custom, heretofore in use, of entrusting to the Colonel or Commanding-Officer of each regiment, a warrant empowering him to hold in the regiment under his command, and composed exclusively of the Officers belonging to it, General Courts-Martial, for the investigation and punishment of offences, which, though they do not fall under the description of small offences, and consequently of offences cognizable by a Regimental Court-Martial, are not, however, from their nature, of sufficient gravity or importance to require the investigation of a General Court-Martial composed of Officers of other corps.

This document is herewith transmitted to you, and his Royal Highness the PRINCE RRGENT, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, directs that you shall, in exercising the power it contains, strictly adhere to the following instructions:

1st. That it shall never be applied to the case of any Commissioned Officer. 2d. That it shall not be applied even to the cases of Non-commissioned Officers, or private soldiers, which, by the present practice, are referred to the General Officer commanding in the district or on the station.

3d. You are to understand, that this warrant is intended merely to apply to the more serious cases, which, at present, are usually brought before Regimental

Courts-Martial, but which, from their nature, or from the aggravation of the circumstances attending them, may seem to call for a more severe punishment than it is fit that such Regimental Courts-Martial should award.

4th. You will observe that, by the warrant, it is left optional with you to be yourself President of these General Regimental Courts-Martial, or to appoint some Field Officer of the Regiment to that duty, and that the proceedings, if the regiment is in Great Britain or Ireland, are to be transmitted, through the General Officer commanding the brigade, to the General, commanding in the district, and that the sentences awarded by them are in no case to be carried into execution, till they receive his sanction and confirmation. If the Regiment is on foreign service, the sentences are to be approved by the General Officer on the spot, or by the General commanding on the station, according to the orders, which you may, from time to time, receive on this head. In all cases, the original proceedings of General Regimental Courts Martial are to be transmitted to his Majesty's Judge AdvocateGeneral.

Lastly, You will observe, that the 18th and 21st sections of the Mutiny Act, authorise General Courts Martial, consisting of nine members, including the President, being held for the trial of Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers, in cases where there is a difficulty or inconvenience to the service in assembling more members, provided the punishment awarded does not extend to the loss of life or limb, or transportation; and his Royal Highness the Prince Regent approves of courts so constituted being resorted to in all cases which fall under the spirit and meaning of the act.

The Commander-in-Chief directs you to be very careful to instruct the Officers, who may at any time be called on to compose a General Court Martial within the regiment under your command, as to the nature and extent of the powers and authority thereby vested in them, from the temperate and judicious exercise of which his Royal Highness expects the most beneficial consequences will accrue to the discipline of the service.-I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant.

WARRANTS FOR HOLDING COURTS MARTIAL.

BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

WHEREAS an act has been made and passed in this present session of parliament for punishing Mutiny and Desertion, and for the better Payment of the Army and their Quarters, from and after the 24th day of March until the 25th day

of March

we have therefore thought fit hereby, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, to authorise and direct you, from time to time, to call, assemble, and hold Courts Martial, and to be President of the same; which Courts Martial are to be constituted according to the said act of parliament, and to meet at such time or times, as you the said President shall appoint, for punishing such mutiny, desertion, false musters, and other crimes, as have happened or shall happen in bis Majesty's regiment under your command. And we do hereby, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, further authorise and empower the said Courts Martial, to hear and examine all such matters and informations as shall be brought before them, touching the misbehaviour of any officer or soldier, by mutiny, desertion, false muster, or otherwise, as aforesaid, and to proceed in the trial of such VOL. I.

F

offenders, and in giving of sentence, and awarding punishment, according to the powers and directions contained in the said act of parliament, and articles of war, which are hereunto annexed; and for so doing this shall be your warrant. Given at our court at Carlton-House, this 25th day of March, year of his Majesty's reign.

fifty

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in the

By command of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty.

Colonel or Major of the said regiment, for the time being.

8th May, 1812.-In reference to our circular letter of the 26th February last, relative to the Pay of Officers holding appointments in the Portuguese service, (which, from the applications we have received, and our not having been informed at the time of the issues of pay made through other channels than those of the British Regimental Pay-Masters, we are apprehensive may have been too generally worded) we think it proper to explain to you that the same is to be construed as alluding only to officers having military appointments in the Portuguese army of a description that would, according to the rules established in this country, have been tenable without prejudice to their claim to receive regimental pay, and by no means to officers receiving the pay of their regimental commissions from the Portuguese government, the Superintendant of British Aids, or the District Pay-Masters, in Portugal: such regimental officers not being entitled, so far as is known to this department, to receive pay of more than one regimental appointment.

It will follow, of course, that the pay of these officers is not liable to be charged also in the public accompts of British regiments for the same period.

The following official documents, relative to the granting of Pensions to wounded Officers, have been issued, by order of the Commander-in-Chief :

June 20, 1812.

SIR,-His Royal Highness the Prince Regent having taken into his consideration the cases of those Officers of the Army who have sustained serious and permanent injury in action with the enemy, and being desirous of marking his sense of their services, by extending to them a permanent provision in addition to those allowances which are given under the existing regulations, has been graciously pleased to order, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty, that Pensions shall be granted to such Officers, according to the regulation and scale herewith transmitted: and I have the satisfaction to add, that Parliament having, by their vote, given effect to his Royal Highness's liberal and beneficent views, these Pensions will commence from 25th December, 1811, in all cases in which the injury may have been sustained previously to the 25th December, 1810; and from the expiration of a year and a day, in the instances of wounds received subsequently to that date.

In executing these his Royal Highness's commands, I beg to assure you, that it gives me much gratification to communicate to you this additional and striking proof of his Royal Highness's most gracious attention to the merits and services of the British Army; and I request that you will use the earliest means of making the same known to the Officers of the Regiment under your command. I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your most obedient humble Servant,

(Signed)

Colonel of the

-Regiment of

PALMERSTONE.

REGULATIONS FOR GRANTING PENSIONS TO OFFICERS OF HIS MAJESTY'S LAND FORCES LOSING AN EYE OR LIMB ON SERVICE.

If an Officer shall be wounded in action, and it shall appear upon an inspection made of him by the Army Medical Board, at any period not sooner than a year and a day after the time he was wounded, that he has in consequence of his wound lost a limb or an eye, or has totally lost the use of a limb, or that his wound has been equally prejudicial to his habit of body with the loss of a limb, such Officer shall be entitled to a Pension, commencing from the expiration of a year and a day after the time when he was wounded, and depending as to its amount upon the rank he held at that period, according to the scale annexed. This Pension being granted as a compensation for the injury sustained, is to be held together with any other Pay and Allowances to which such Officer may be otherwise entitled, without any deduction on account thereof.

Officers who shall have lost more than one limb or eye, shall be entitled to the pension for each eye or limb so lost.

And as the Fension is not to commence till the expiration of a year and a day from the date of the wound, it is to be independant of the allowance of a year's pay, or the expences attending the cure of wounds, granted under the existing regulations.

Applications for this Pension are to be made in the same manner in which claims for the year's pay are now made to the Secretary at War, and must always be accompanied by the Certificate of the Army Medical Board, if the Officer applying is at home, and by that of the principal Medical Officer on the station where he is, if the Officer is abroad.

In the latter case, however, the Officer must, as soon as he returns home, be inspected by the Army Medical Board, and transmit their certificate to the Secretary at War.

All Officers who may have sustained such an injury as would entitle them to this pension, by any wounds received since the commencement of hostilities in the year 1793, will, upon the production of the proper certificate from the Army Medical Board, be allowed a pension proportioned, according to the scale, to the rank they held at the time when wounded, and commencing from the 25th December, 1811. This allowance will be granted in general according to Regimental Rank, but in cases in which, in consequence of their Brevet Rank, officers shall have been employed at the time when they were wounded, in discharge of duties superior to those attached to their Regimental Commissions, it will be given by the Brevet Rank. Given at the War-Office, this 20th day of June, 1812.

By command of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in the name and on the behalf of his Majesty. PALMERSTONE.

(Signed)

SCALE REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING REGULATION.

Ranks.

Rates of Pensions.

Field-Marshal; General, or Lieutenant-General, commanding in chief at the time, to be specially considered.

Lieutenant-General

L.400

Major-General; or Brigadier-General, commanding a Brigade

L.350

Colonel, Lieut.-Colonel, *Adjutant-General, *Quarter-Master-General,

*Deputy Adjutant-General, if Chief of the Department, *Deputy Quarter-Master-General, if ditto, Inspector of Hospitals, cach

L.300