lic testimonial of the promptitude and zeal with which he had volunteered in support of the rights and honour of the country.

On the 24th of Febuary, 1814, the president was authorized to receive into service such proportion of the volunteers before authorized as he might think necessary, provided they should engage to serve for five years or during the war, unless sooner discharged, in which case they were to be entitled to the same bounty and emoluments of every kind as the regular troops. The bounty alluded to is $ 124 in money, and 160 acres of land.

26. Every officer and soldier, whether in the regular service, militia, or a volunteer corps, who is disabled in the actual service of the United States, in the line of his duty, is entitled to be placed on the pension list, during life, or the continuance of his disability. The pensions are regulated by the degree of disability, the amount to be fixed by congress. A full pension to a commissioned officer is half of the pay to which he was entitled at the time of incurring the disability, not exceeding, however, the half pay of a lieutenant-colonel; a full pension to non-commissioned officers and soldiers is $5 a month. sale, transfer, or mortgage of any part of a pension is valid before it becomes due, and every person claiming it under power of attorney or substitution, must, before he receives it, make oath that such power or substitution is not given by reason of any transfer of the pension.

No

The act of April 10, 1806, entitled all revolutionary soldiers, who were not on the pension list of any state, to be placed on the pension list of the United States, a privilege which was extended, on the 25th of April, 1808, to all persons who then remained on the pension list of any of the states.

The military pensions for the year ending September 30, 1813, amounted to $ 87,103 83; for 1814 they were estimated at $ 98,000.

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.

(In Continuation.)

§ 1. The navy. § 2. Pay and subsistence. 3. Distribution of prize money and bounties. § 4. Navy pension fund. § 5. Regulations of privateers and letters of marque. 6. Privateer fund. § 7. Privateer journals. 8. Punishment of offences committed by or in privateers. § 9. The marine hospital fund. § 10. Fund for the relief of destitute seamen in foreign countries. § 11. Regulation and protection of seamen in the merchant service. § 12. Consuls and ministers.

§1. By the estimate of appropriations for the year 1814, which was laid by the secretary of the treasury before the house of representatives, it appears, that the vessels in actual service in the United States navy, on the 31st of January, 1814, exclusive of those on the lakes, were seven frigates, two corvettes, seven sloops of war, two block ships, four brigs, and three schooners. Three frigates and three 74 gun ships were then on the stocks. Besides these there are a great many gunboats and barges in service, which are calculated for the defence of bays, ports, and harbours. By the same document, the number of officers and men necesary for manning the whole navy, including the vessels on the lakes, is estimated at 22 captains, 18 masters commandant, 107 lieutenants, 43 surgeons, 10 chaplains, 230 sailing masters, 46 pursers, 450 midshipmen, 57 surgeons' mates, 221 boatswains, 219 gunners, 39 carpenters, 39 sailmakers, 7 coast pilots, 39 captain's clerks, 74 boatswain's mates, 35 gunner's mates, 46 carpenter's mates, 11. sailmaker's mates, 243 master's mates, 84 yeomen, 210 quarter-gunners, 160 quarter-masters, 39 masters at arms, 39 armourers, 221 stewards, 221 cooks, 11 coopers, 34 coxswains, 14 ship's corporals, 3,729 able seamen, and 6721 ordinary seamen and boys, making an aggregate of 13,339 souls. The number authorized by law of the marine corps is one lieutenantcolonel commandant, one major, 6 captains, 20 first lieutenants, 18 second lieutenants, 56 sergeants, 233 corporals, 50 musicians, and 1484 privates, making an aggregate of 1869 men, of whom 842 were for the sea service, 278 on the lakes, and 742 at head quarters, stations on shore, navy yards, &c.* The sea-fenci

* By an act passed April 16, 1814, an augmentation of the marine corps was authorized, to the number of 846 men.

bles, being under the war department, have been mentioned in the last chapter.

$2. The following table exhibits the pay and subsistence allowed in the navy of the United States to officers and petty officers. The pay of the seamen, ordinary seamen, and marines, is fixed by the president.

Rank or station.

Captain of a vessel of thirty-two
guns and upwards

Captain of a vessel of twenty and
under thirty-two guns

Pay per Rations month. per day.

Dolls. Number.

100

Master commandant

8

75

60

40

50

40

653422222222

20

2

When an officer is employed in the command of a squadron on separate service, his allowance of rations is double.

When officers and men are taken by the enemy, if they have done their utmost to defend and preserve their vessel, and have behaved themselves obediently to their superiors, agreeably to the discipline of the navy, their pay goes on, and is paid them till their death, exchange, or discharge.

3. The proceeds of all captured vessels, and the goods on board, if adjudged good prize, are the sole property of the captors, when of equal or superior force to the vessel making the capture; when of inferior force, one half goes to the captors, and the other to the navy pension fund. The prize money is divided among the officers and men in the following

manner.

I. To the commanding officers of fleets, squadrons, or single ships, three twentieths, of which the commanding officer of the fleet or squadron has one twentieth, if the prize be taken by a ship or vessel acting under his command, and the commander of single ships, two twentieths; but where the prize is taken by a ship acting independently of such superior officer, three twentieths belong to her commander.

the

II. To sea lieutenants, captains of marines, and sailing masters, two twentieths; but where there is a captain, without a lieutenant of marines, these officers are entitled to two twentieths and one third of a twentieth, which third, in such case, is deducted from the share of the officers mentioned in article No. III.

III. To chaplains, lieutenants of marines, surgeons, pursers, boatswains, gunners, carpenters, and masters mates, two twentieths.

IV. To midshipmen, surgeon's mates, captain's clerks, schoolmasters, boatswain's mates, gunner's mates, carpenter's mates, ship's stewards, sailmakers, masters at arms, armorers, cockswains, and coopers, three twentieths and an half.

V. To gunner's yeomen, boatswain's yeomen, quarter masters, quarter gunners, sailmaker's mates, serjeants and corporals of marines, drummers, fifers, and extra petty officers, two twentieths and an half.

VI. To seamen, ordinary seamen, marines, and all other persons doing duty on board, seven twentieths.

VII. Whenever one or more public ships or vessels are in sight at the time any one or more ships are taking a prize or prizes, they all share equally in the prize, according to the number of men and guns on board each ship in sight.

The commander of a fleet or squadron is not entitled to receive any share of prizes taken by vessels not under his immediate command; nor of such prizes as may have been taken by ships or vessels intended to be placed under his command, before they have acted under his immediate orders; and a commander of a fleet or squadron, leaving the station where he had the command, has no share in the prizes taken by ships left on such station, after he has gone out of the limits of his command.

A bounty of twenty dollars is paid by the United States for each person on board an enemy's ship at the commencement of an engagement, which is sunk or destroyed by an United States vessel of equal or inferior force, the bounty to be divided among the officers and crew in the same manner as prize money.

4. The officers, seamen, and marines, disabled in the line of their duty, are entitled to a pension for life, or during their disability, according to the nature and degree of such disability, not exceeding half pay, out of the navy pension fund, arising from that part of the sale of prizes paid to the United States. In case of death their widows and children are entitled to half pay for five years. The public faith is pledged to make up the deficiency, should their fund prove deficient; and should it prove more than sufficient, the surplus is to be applied to the making further provision for the comfort of the disabled officers, seamen, and marines, and for such as, though not disabled, may merit the gratitude of their country, by their bravery, or by their long and faithful services.

This fund is at present in a very flourishing condition. There are 149 pensioners, who are paid from $ 36 to $ 450 per annum, according to their rank and the degree of their disability. The aggregate of the pensions for 1813 amounted to $11,273 20. The dividends arising from the stock belonging to the fund amounted only to $ 10,895 75, but a hundred thousand dollars had been placed in the treasury of the United States on the 28th of December, 1813, for which stock was to be issued, and $122,600 41 remained unexpended on the 31st, which was also about to be vested in stock.

5. Commissions to privateers and letters of marque are issued by the president, and are revocable at his pleasure. When applications are made for them, a statement in writing must be made of the name and a suitable description of the tonnage and force of the vessel, the name and place of residence of the owners, and the intended number of the crew; and before a commission can be issued, the commander must give bond, with at least two responsible sureties, not interested in the vessel, for five thousand dollars, or if the vessel be provided with more than 150 men, for ten thousand dollars, conditioned that all who may be employed in the vessel shall observe the treaties and laws of the United States, and the instructions which may be given them by the president according to law, for the regulation of their conduct; that they will satisfy all damages and injuries committed contrary to the tenor of their instructions; and that they will deliver up their commission when revoked by the president.