Order in Council of 16 July, 1895

Order in Council

WHEREAS we have had under consideration the provisions of Your Majesty's Order in Council of 22nd February, 1870, relating to the executive Officers of Your Majesty's Navy, and whereas it has been ascertained that certain modifications of its provisions have been rendered necessary by subsequent Orders in Council affecting the proportion of Officers in the various Lists, and by the additional requirements of the Fleet; We beg leave to recommend that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased by Your Order in Council to give effect to the following changes which appear to us to be necessary; That the future numbers of the under-mentioned ranks upon the Active Lists shall be as follows, viz:—

	Admirals of the Fleet	3
Flag Officers, 68	Admirals	10
	Vice-Admirals	20
	Rear-Admirals	35
		68

	First Class	50
Captains, 208	Second Class	50
	Third Class	108
		208

Commanders (including 70 for Navigating duties) 304 Lieutenants (including Lieutenants for Navigating duties) 1,150

That vacancies on the Flag List, from whatever cause, be filled as they occur, instead of being limited to seven per annum under the provisions of the Order in Council of 5th August 1875; That the Captains' List be increased by three per annum for three years and by four for six subsequent years; That the Commanders' List be increased by five per annum until the maximum is reached; That the Sub-Lieutenants' List be governed by the numbers required to fill vacancies on the Lieutenants' List and that the maximum period of service on the List should not exceed four years; That should any Sub-Lieutenants, not passed over for misconduct, reach four years' standing without sufficient vacancies on the Liueutenants' List having occurred to allow of their advancement, they be promoted as additional to the List of Lieutenants and absorbed as vacancies arise; That with our consent, and under such Regulations as we may think fit to make, Commanders and Lieutenants be allowed to retire voluntarily to the following extent, so soon as the lists, in our opinion, admit of such retirements:—

Commanders—not exceeding five annually— If under 40 years of age, on the active Half Pay earned by service. If above 40 years of age, on the Retired Pay laid down by Your Majesty's Order in Council of 22 February 1870.

Lieutenants—not exceeding 20 annually— On the active Half Pay earned by service, subject to the restriction that no Lieutenant shall be allowed to retire under eight years' seniority.

That a reduction be made in the time of non-service which entails compulsory retirement in the ranks of Flag Officer, Captain and Lieutenant, and that the following rule be substituted for that now in force:—

Flag Officers to be retired after seven instead of ten years' non-service.

Captains to be retired after six instead of seven years' non-service.

Commanders to be retired after five years' non-service as at present.

Lieutenants to be retired after four instead of five years' non-service.

That no increase of Retired Pay be granted on retirement to any officer on account of time on Half Pay in excess of two years subsequent to his last employment; That these new provisions in regard to non-service be applied only to those officers coming on each list after the date of Your Najesty's Order in Council; That Lieutenants compulsorily retired before the completion of six years' service in that rank on account of illness attributable to the service, be allowed to count all their junior service towards retirement: We would further submit:—

1. That the optional retirement of Admirals and Vice-Admirals at the age of 55, of Rear-Admirals at the age of 50, and of Captains at 45, allowed as temporary measure by Your Majesty's Order in Council of 5th August 1875, be discontinued.

2. That provisions in Your Majesty's Order in Council of 29th November, authorizing us to continue the retirement, without limit, of Lieutenants on the terms sanctioned in paragraph 24, Chapter X, of Your Majesty's Order in Council of 22nd February, 1870, should also cease.

The Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury have concurred in these proposals.