GENERAL VIEW OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN 297 1 7 91 63 Chaplains to privileged individuals Ecclesiastical, Collegiate, and Cathedral Officers Officers in the Royal Chapels of St James and Whitehall Reader in his Majesty's private Chapel at Windsor Preachers and Readers in the Inns of Court and at the Rolls Public Officers and Tutors in the Universities of Oxford and Resident Fellows in Oxford and Cambridge Provost of Eton, Warden of Winchester, Fellows of both N. B. It is stated in the respective Diocesan Returns, that, in Total Exemptions II.-LICENCES. Infirmity of Incumbent or Family Want or unfitness of Parsonage House Resident in a Mansion within the Parish, belonging to Incum bent or Relative Incumbents possessing small Livings, licensed to Curacies Licensed Preachers in Proprietary Chapels Librarians of the British Museum, Sion College, and Trustees of Incumbents residing in the Neighbourhood, and doing the Duties Unenumerated Cases confirmed by the Archbishops N. B. It is stated in the respective Diocesan Returns, that, in Total Licences Total of each Class. III.-CASES WHICH COULD NOT BE INCLUDED AMONG Absence without Licence or Exemption N. B. It is stated in the respective Diocesan Returns, that, in the above Class, there are who perform the Duties of their Parishes Dilapidated Churches Sinecures and Dignities not requiring Residence Livings held by Bishops Vacancies 698 N. B. It is stated in the respective Diocesan Returns, that, in the above Seven Classes, there are who perform the Duties of their Parishes Total of the above Eight Classes Miscellaneous Cases not before included It is stated in the respective Diocesan Returns, that, in the above Class, there are who perform the Duties of their Parishes Total doing Duty RESIDENT. PROPOSALS AND REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO THE ROYAL NAVY. Made by the Board of Admiralty, and sanctioned by Order in Council, commencing the 1st of January, 1817. It was to be expected, that in the natural lapse of time, and still more in the course of a war, unexampled in duration and extent, several variations from the old establishment and regulations of the Royal Navy should have taken place; and, however desirable, in the view either of economy or convenience, uniformity may be, it was impossible, during the pressure of war, either to resist the innovations which temporary circumstances rendered necessary, or to re-mould and reform the whole system of the navy, on every occasion on which some alteration was introduced. We therefore find that there have grown up several inconsistencies, irregularities, and departures from the establishments, in particular articles of the naval service; and as we think this a favourable occasion for endeavouring to remedy the inconvenience which arises from these irregularities, and to reduce, as far as may be practicable, the several alterations which have been made, into one regular system, we most humbly beg leave to submit to your Royal Highness's gracious consideration, the following observations and propositions on the rates, classifi cation, and schemes of arming and manning his Majesty's ships, and on the pay, ratings, and number of the officers and warrant and petty and non-commissioned officers, of his Majesty's navy and royal marines, and the establishment of the companies of royal marine artillery. 1. The post-ships of the royal navy are divided into six rates; besides which, there are the various classes of sloops, fire-ships, bombs, gun-vessels, yachts, schooners, and cutters. The division of the royal navy into six rates, took place in the reign of King Charles the First, and at that period, and for several years afterwards, these rates included the whole navy. In the reign of King Charles the Second, the sloops, fire-ships, and yachts, became distinguished from the sixth rates. In 1742, the ships of 20 guns, of the sixth rate, were increased to 24 guns, and 160 men, and this became, for the time, the lowest class of post-ships. In the year 1745, the Board of Admiralty, observing that "no establishment or regulation for building ships had been made since the year 1719, which had been long discontinued ; that instead thereof, ships had been built according to particular schemes and proportions, without any standard or uniformity; those of the same rate being often of unequal dimensions, so that the stores and furniture of one would not suit another of the same class, a matter of infinite inconvenience in point of expense," &c. directed a committee, composed of all flag-officers unemployed, of the commissioners of the navy who were sea officers under the presidency of Sir John Norris, admiral of the fleet, and assisted by all the master shipwrights, to consider and propose proper establishments of guns, men, scantling of timbers, masts, yards, stores, &c. for each rate and class of his Majesty's ships. This committee made a very elaborate report, and the whole was established by order in council of his Majesty King George the Second, on the 27th of March, 1746. By this establishment, the rates, ar On this establishment, it is to be observed, that the 80 gun ships of the third rate were on three decks, and that the Board of Admiralty had suggested to the committee the expediency of substituting, instead of this class, ships of 74 guns on two decks and a half, a proposition decidedly rejected by the committee. A short period only had however elapsed, before a striking instance was given, both of the way in which innovations are produced, and of the impossibility of resisting them; for, on the 3d of February, 1747, the Board of Admiralty acquainted his Majesty, that "the French ship Invincible, lately captured, was found to be larger than his Majesty's ships of 90 guns and 750 men; and suggested that this ship, and all other prizes of the like cla-s, and also his Majesty's ships of 90 guns, when reduced to two decks and a half, and 74 guns, should be allowed a complement of 700 men ;" and, in 1748, the Board represented to the King in council, that the ships built according to the representations of the committee had not answered their expectations, and they therefore prayed his Majesty's sanction for departing, in new ships about to be built, from the forms and models so lately established. This was granted, but not till the Board had been called upon by the Council to lay before it a particu lar account of the alterations and variations designed; and on several subsequent occasions, in which the said establishment was departed from, a minute detail of the variation was previously submitted for the approbation of his Majesty in council. We the rather notice these particulars, to shew the difficulty, not to say the impossibility, of establishing and adhering to any fixed forms or scantlings; on which subject we shall humbly submit some observations hereafter. Subsequent to this period, the intro duction of 74's appears to have gradually advanced, as well as of frigates of intermediate sizes, between 44's and 24's; for, in the latter end of the reign of King George the Second, the classes of ships comprised in the several rates were as follow, viz. Guns. 44 time received denominations as to their number of guns, often, we believe, capriciously, and in one or two classes only of the whole navy, agreeing with their real force. A few instances will shew your Royal Highness the inconsistencies into which this deviation from the old rules of the service has led. The Caledonia, rated 120 guns, carries 120 guns; while the Hibernia, a ship of nearly the same dimensions, which carries exactly the same number of guns, is rated only at 110 guns, being a less number by 4 than that at which the Jan Joseph is rated, though the former has in fact 10 guns more than the latter. All ships of the second rate, though rated at 98, carry upwards of 100 guns, and they have all more guns than the St George, a first rate, which is rated and carries 100 guns; and they ought all, therefore, according to the established regulations, to be included in 36 the first rate, and there are in fact no 32 real second rates, viz. three deckers of 30 between 90 and 100 guns, at present 28 existing in the Royal Navy, in a seagoing condition. 38 24 20 During the whole of the period herein before referred to, and indeed down to 1793, the force of the ships was stated from the actual number of guns they really carried; but the introduction of carronades, which began partially in 1779, and which was finally adopted, on the present extended scale in the Navy, during the course of the first revolutionary war, increased the armament of the vessels, as they were found able to carry a greater number of carronades than the guns in whose stead they were adopted, so that the real force of the ships has no longer corresponded with their nominal force; and that principle of variation being once admitted, ships have since that In the 3d rate, some of the ships rated at 80 guns, carry near 90, and others rated at 74 carry 80 guns, but the majority of the same denomination carry 74, and this is one of the very few cases in which the real and nominal force agree. In the fourth-rate, of the ships rated at 50 guns, one class (that on two decks) carries 58 guns, another (that on one deck) carries 60 and upwards. and In the fifth-rate there are three frigates rated at 44 guns, namely the Sy bille, taken from the French, which carries 48 guns; the Lavinia, built after her, which carries 50 guns; the late American ship President, the guns mounted in which, on the day of her capture, were 54, besides one 42pounder howitzer. |