N A 
Plymouth: and in time of war commiflioners are ap¬ 
pointed to refide at fome of the principal yards abroad, 
as Gibraltar, Halifax in Nova Scotia, Malta, Antigua, 
Jamaica, Cape of Good Hope, Madras, Bombay, &c. The 
treafurer of the navy is an officer, whofe bufinefs is to re¬ 
ceive money out of the exchequer, and to pay all the 
charges of the navy, by warrant from the principal 
officers. Each ofthefe commiflioners and officers has a 
number of fubordinate clerks,, with various falaries. 
The method of ordering feamen in the royal fleet, and 
keeping up difcipline there, is direfted by certain exprefs 
rules, articles, and orders, firft enafted by the authority of 
parliament foon after the relioration, but fince new mo¬ 
delled and altered. In the 13th year of king Charles II. 
an aft paffed for regulating the government of the fleet, 
flat. 13 Car. II, ft. 1. c. 9, which was repealed by 
m Geo. II. c. 33. explained and amended by 19 Geo. III. 
c. 17. Thefe two latter ftatutes contain not only the 36 
Articles of War, in which almoft every poflible offence is 
explicitly fet down, and the punifhment thereof annexed 
or left to the difcretion of a court-martial; but alfo 
fundry claufes of exprefs rules and orders for aflfembling 
and holding courts for the trial of any of the offences 
fpecified therein. By 39 & 40 Geo. III. c. 100, whereby 
his majelty was authorifed to grant commiffions for na¬ 
tives of Holland to ferve on-board certain Dutch fhipsof 
war which had furrendered, the Articles of War were di- 
refted to be tranflated into Dutch, and the crews of the 
(hips were made fubjeft thereto. The following are the 
Articles of War above alluded to: 
1. Officers are to caufe public worfliip, according to the 
Liturgy of the Church of England, to be folemnly per¬ 
formed in their fhips, and take care that prayers and 
preaching by the chaplains be performed diligently, and 
that the Lord’s day be obferved. 
а. Perfons guilty of profane oaths, curling, drunken- 
nefs, uncleannefs, &c. to be punifhed as a court-martial 
fliall think fit. 
3. If any perfon fliall give or hold intelligence to or 
with an enemy without leave, he fhail fuffer death. 
4. If any letter or meffage from an enemy be conveyed 
to any in the fleet, and he fliall not in twelve hours ac¬ 
quaint his fuperior officer with it, or if the fuperior officer, 
being acquainted therewith, fliall not reveal it to the 
commander-in-chief, the offender fliall fuffer death, or 
fuch punifhment as a court-martial fliall impofe. 
5. Spies and perfons endeavouring to corrupt any one 
in the fleet, fhail fuffer death, or fuch punifhment as a 
court-martial fhail impofe. 
б. No perfon fhail relieve an enemy with money, 
victuals, or ammunition, on like penalty. 
7. All papers taken on-board a prize fhail be fentto the 
court of admiralty, See. on penalty of forfeiting the fhare 
of the prize, and fuch punifhment as a court-martial fliall 
impofe. 
8. No perfon fliall take out of any prize any money or 
goods, unlefs for better fecuring the fame, or for the ne- 
ceffary ufe of any of his majefty’s fhips, before the prize 
fhail be condemned ; upon penalty of forfeiting his fhare, 
and fuch punifhment as fliall be impofed by a court- 
martial. 
9. No perfon on-board a prize fliall be ftripped of his 
clothes, pillaged, beaten, or ill-treated, upon pain of fuch 
punifhment as a court-martial fliall impofe. 
10. Every commander who, upon fignal or order of 
fight, or fight of any fliip which it may be his duty to en¬ 
gage, or who, upon likelihood of engagement, fliall not 
make neceflary preparations for fight, and encourage the 
inferior officers and men to fight, fliall fuffer death, or 
fuch punifhment as a court-martial fhail deem him to de- 
ferve. And. if any perfon fhail treacheroufly or cowardly 
yield or cry for quarter, he fliall fuffer death. 
11. Every perfon who fliall not obey the orders of his 
fuperior officer, in time of aftion, to the beft of his power, 
Vol. XVI. No. 1142. 
/ Y. 645 
fliall fuffer death, or fuch punifhment as a court-martial 
fliall deem him to deferve. 
12. Every perfon who, in timeof aftion, fliall withdraw 
or keep back, or not come into the fight, or do his utmoft 
to take or deftroy any fliip which it fliall be liis duty to 
engage, and to affift every fliip of his majefty or his allies, 
which it fliall be his duty to affift, fhail fuffer death 01- 
other punifhment. 
13. Every perfon who, through cowardice, See. fliall 
forbear to purfue the chafe of any enemy, See. or fhail not 
affift or relieve a known friend in view, to the utmoft of 
his power, fhail fuffer death, or other punifhment. 
14. If any perfon fliall delay or difeourage any aftion or 
fervice commanded, upon pretence of arrears of wages, 
or otherwife, he fliall fuffer death, or fuch punilhment as 
a court-martial fliall deem him to deferve. 
15. Every perfon who fliall defert to the enemy, or run 
away with any fliip, ordnance, &c. to the weakening of 
the fervice, or yield up the fame cowardly or treacheroufly 
to the enemy, fliall fuffer death. 
16. Every perfon v-ho fliall defert, or entice others fo 
to do, fliall fuffer death, or fuch punifhment as a court- 
martial fliall think fit. If any commanding officer fliall 
receive a deferter, after difeovering him to be fuch, and 
fliall not with fpeed give notice to the captain of the fliip 
to which he belongs, or, if the fliip is at a confiderable 
diftance, to the fecretary of the admiralty, or commander- 
in-chief, he fliall be cafhiered. [See alfo 44 Geo. III. 
c. 13. by which petty officers or feamen, taken out of the 
navy for any civil or criminal matter, fhail be kept in 
cuftody till difeharged from fuch fuit, and fhail then be 
conveyed and delivered to fome officer of the navy to 
continue their fervice therein. This aft was paffed to 
prevent defertion, under the colour of falfe aftions or 
profecutions.] 
17. Officers and feamen of fhips appointed for convoy 
of mercliant-fliips, or of any other, fhail diligently attend 
upon that charge according to their inftruftions; and 
whofoever fliall not faithfully perform their duty, and 
defend the fhips in their convoy, or refufe to fight in 
their defence, or run away cowardly and fubmit the fhips 
in their convoy to hazard, or exaft any reward for con¬ 
voying any fliip, or mifufe the mafters or mariners, fliall 
make reparation of damages, as the court of admiralty 
fhail adjudge ; and be punifhed criminally, by death or 
other punifhment, as fliall be adjudged by a court-martial. 
18. If any officer fliall receive or permit to be received 
on-board any goods or merchandife, other than for the 
foie ufe of the fliip, except gold, filver, or jewels, and ex¬ 
cept goods belonging to any fliip which may be fliip- 
wrecked, or in danger thereof, in order to the preferring 
them for the owners, and except goods ordered to be re¬ 
ceived by the lord high admiral, &c. he fliall becafhiered, 
and rendered incapable of further fervice. 
19. Any perfon making or endeavouring to make any 
mutinous affembly fliall fuffer death. Any perfon utter¬ 
ing words of fedition or mutiny fliall fuffer death, or fuch 
punifhment as a court-martial fliall deem him to deferve. 
If any officer, mariner, or foldier, in or belonging to the 
fleet, fliall behave liimfelf with contempt to his fuperior 
officer, being in the execution of his office, he fliall be 
punifhed according to the nature of his offence, by the 
judgment of a court-martial. 
20. Any perfon concealing any traitorous or mutinous 
praftice or defign, fliall fuffer death, or fuch punifhment 
as a court-martial fliall think fit. Any perfon concealing 
any traitorous or mutinous words, or any words, praftice, 
or defign, tending to the hindrance of the fervice, and 
not forthwith revealing the fame to the commanding 
officer ; or, being prefent at any mutiny or fedition, fliall 
not ufe liis utmoft endeavours to fupprefs the fame, fhail 
be punifhed as a court-martial fliall think he deferves. 
[See the aft 37 Geo. III. c. 71. for reftraining intercourfe 
with the crews of certain fhips in a Itate of mutiny and 
8 B rebellion. 
