Viscount Palmerston to Her Majesty's Commissioners.

Foreign Office, May 31, 1847.

Gentlemen,

I HEREWITH transmit to you for your information three copies of a proclamation issued by Her Majesty on the 19th of May, 1846, and three copies of a proclamation supplementary thereto issued on the 6th of July, 1846, containing regulations for the distribution of the proceeds of prizes captured at sea, and of the bounties granted thereon among Her Majesty's forces present at such captures, or entitled to share in such proceeds and bounties.

You will perceive that the mode of distribution decreed by the proclamation of the 19th of May is not to affect any captures which shall be condemned or adjudged by any Court of Mixed Commission, before notice of the proclamation shall have been received by such Mixed Commission; and accordingly, as the new scale will not affect vessels condemned in the Mixed Court of which you are members, until you shall have received this despatch, I have to instruct you to be careful to record and to notify to me the precise day on which this communication may reach you.

I am, &c.
(Signed) PALMERSTON

Her Britannic Majesty's Commissioners, &c. &c.

Note.- This circular was also sent under the same date to Her Majesty's Commissioners at the Havana, the Cape of Good Hope, Jamaica, Boã. Vista, and Loanda.

Inclosure 1.

Proclamation of May 19, 1846.

VICTORIA R.

WHEREAS, by our Order in Council of this day's date, we were graciously pleased, for the reasons therein contained, to annul the royal proclamation of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, of the third day of February, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six, directing that distribution should be made of the net proceeds of prizes captured from the enemy, of captures and seizures under the several Acts passed relating to the revenues of customs, and to trade and navigation, for the abolition of the Slave Trade, and for the capture and destruction of piratical vessels, and of the rewards conferred for the same, according to the scheme therein set forth; and it is expedient that provision should be made by us for the future distribution of such proceeds or rewards; we do make known to all our loving subjects, and all others whom it may concern, by this our proclamation, by and with the advice and consent of our Privy Council, that our royal will and pleasure is, and we do hereby direct, that the distribution of such proceeds and rewards shall be made in the following manner, viz. :-

That flag officers or officer, commodores of the first class, and captains of the fleet, shall have one-sixteenth of the net proceeds arising from prizes captured from the enemy, and from all other captures, seizures, head moneys, grants, and bounties as aforesaid, made by the ships and vessels under his or their command, save and except in the cases hereinafter submitted.

That when two flag officers shall be serving together, the chief shall have two-thirds of the said one-sixteenth, and the other officer shall have the remaining third part.

Tha[t] when there be more than two flag officers, the chief shall receive one-half of the said one-[six]teenth, and the remaining half shall be divided equally amongst the junior flag officers, commodores of the first class, and captains of the fleet.

That no flag officer, or commodore of the first class, or captain of the fleet, not actually present at the capture or destruction of any piratical vessel or privateers belonging to the enemy, shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any head money or bounty, granted in respect of the crews of such piratical ships, vessels, or boats.

That no flag officer as aforesaid shall share in any remuneration or reward conferred or awarded as salvage, unless he shall have been actually on board the ship or vessel to which the award shall be made, or have personally aided or assisted in the transaction at the time the service was rendered.

That no flag officer commanding in the ports of the United Kingdom shall share in the proceeds of prizes captured from the enemy, nor in other captures or seizures as aforesaid, made by ships or vessels which may sail from such ports by order of the Lord High Admiral, or the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral, nor in the rewards, &c., conferred for the same.

That when ships or vessels under the command of several flag officers which belong to separate stations shall happen to be joint captors, each flag officer, under whose orders each ship or vessel may he, shall receive a portion of the flag share of one-sixteenth of the net proceeds in proportion to the number of officers and men present under the command of each such officer; and the same regulation as to the apportionment of the flag share is to be observed when ships or vessels under orders from the Lord High Admiral, or the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral, shall be joint captors with ships or vessels under a flag or flags.

And we do hereby further direct, that the following regulations be observed in respect to the distribution of the remaining portion of the net proceeds of prizes, captures, seizures, and rewards before mentioned (after the deduction of the flag share of one-sixteenth), or of the whole amount of such net proceeds in the cases herein before provided, where no flag officer shall be entitled to share.

First, That the officers and men composing the complements of our ships and vessels be distributed into thirteen classes, and that each officer and man and boy who shall have been actually on board at the time of any such capture, seizure, &c., as aforesaid, shall receive such number or portion of shares as are expressed to each class respectively in the following table:-

First Class: Commodores of the second class, captains, field officers of marines or land forces above the rank of major, when doing duty as field officers above the rank of major, one hundred shares.

Second Class: Commanders, medical inspectors of hospitals and fleets, field officers of marines or land forces of the rank of major, when doing duty as such, fifty shares. {But when a commander is not in company with a captain he is to receive seventy-five shares}

Third Class: Secretaries to flag officers commanding in chief, deputy medical inspectors of hospitals and fleets, sea lieutenants, masters, captains of marines or of marine artillery, or of land forces when doing duty as such, whether having higher brevet rank or not, ten shares each. {But lieutenants or masters in command of vessels of war, and masters of the fleet, are to receive twenty shares each, instead of ten.}

Fourth Class: Chaplains, secretaries to junior flag officers and commodores of the first class, surgeons, paymasters and pursers, naval instructors, mates, lieutenants of marines, of marine artillery, or of land forces when doing duty as such, second masters, assistant surgeons, five shares each.

Fifth Class: Gunners, boatswains, carpenters, first engineers, clerks in charge, clerks (passed), four and a half shares each.

Sixth Class: Midshipmen, master's assistants, second and third class engineers, clerks, naval cadets, clerks assistants, three shares each.

Seventh Class: Ship's cooks, admiral's coxswains, leading stokers, masters-at-arms, seaman's schoolmaster, sailmakers, ropemakers, gunner's mates, boatswain's mates, carpenter's mates, caulkers, blacksmiths, Serjeants of marines, Serjeants of marine artillery, Serjeants of land forces when doing duty as such, two and a half shares each.

Eighth Class: Ship's corporals, captain's coxswains, quarter-masters, captains of the forecastle, captains of the main top, captains of the fore top, captains of the hold, coxswains of the launch, corporals of marines, and of land forces when doing duty as such, corporals and bombardiers of marine artillery, head kroomen, pilots, two shares each.

Ninth Class: Sailmaker's mates, coopers, armourers, caulker's mates, captains of the mast, captains of the after-guard, captains of the mizen top, yeoman of signals, coxswain of pinnace, second head krooman, paymaster and purser's steward, one and a half shares each.

Tenth Class: Able seamen, musicians, stokers and coal trimmers, carpenter's crew, sailmaker's crew, cooper's crew, painters, yeomen of store-rooms, flag officer's stewards, flag officer's cooks, flag officer's domestics, captain's steward, captain's cook, subordinate officer's steward, subordinate officer's cook, sick berth attendant, privates and fifers of marines and land forces when doing duty as such, gunners of marine artillery, ordinary seamen, one share each.

Eleventh Class: Paymaster and purser's steward's mates, cook's mates, barbers, landsmen, kroomen, three-fourths of a share each.

Twelfth Class : Boys of first class, half a share each.

Thirteenth Class: Boys of second class, three-eighths of a share each.

Seamen gunners to share in all captures, rewards, &c., as aforesaid, in the class immediately above that of the class in which their rating is mentioned.

That in all cases in which supernumeraries, whether officers or men, shall be ordered to do duty on board any of our ships by the Lord High Admiral, or by our Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral, or by other proper authority (the orders of the captain or commander, if no senior be present, to be deemed sufficient authority), they shall share according to the class of the ranks or ratings which they hold in the service, if not ordered to do duty in a higher capacity. All persons borne on board our ships merely as passengers, whether officers or others, and who may be present and not decline to render general assistance in any action that may occur in making any capture or seizure, shall be entitled to share in the eleventh class if above the age of twenty, and in the thirteenth if below that age,

And that in the event of any difficulty arising in respect to the regulations hereby proposed, or any case should occur not herein provided for, or not sufficiently provided for, we are pleased to authorize the Lord High Admiral, or our Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral for the time being, to issue such directions thereupon as may appear just and expedient; and that such directions shall be considered final, and have the same force and effect as if specially provided for in our royal proclamation.

Provided always, That the distribution herein before proposed to be made or directed to be made shall not be construed to affect any captures, seizures, &c., made within three calendar mouths from the day of our royal proclamation, nor any captures, seizures, &c., which shall be made after that day, and which shall be condemned or adjudged in any of our Courts of Vice-Admiralty, or any Court of Mixed Commission, before notice of our royal proclamation shall have been received by the Vice-Admiralty Court or Court of Mixed Commission in which such condemnation or adjudication shall pass: And we do hereby further direct, That the proceeds of all such captures, seizures, &c., made within three months from the day of the date of this our royal proclamation, or which shall be made after the date of this our royal proclamation, and which shall be condemned or adjudged in any of our Courts of Vice-Admiralty or any Court of Mixed Commission, antecedent to the notice of this our royal proclamation having been received in such courts, together with all rewards aforesaid, shall continue to be distributed in the proportions and manner directed in and by His said late Majesty's said royal proclamation dated the third day of February, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six.

Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, and in the ninth year of our reign.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.

Inclosure 2

Proclamation of July 6, 1846.

VICTORIA R.

WHEREAS by our Order in Council of the nineteenth of May in the present year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, and in the ninth year of our reign, we were graciously pleased, for the reasons therein contained, to annul the royal proclamation of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, of the third day of February, one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, directing that distribution should be made of the net proceeds of prizes captured from the enemy, of captures and seizures, under the several Acts passed relating to the Revenues of Customs, and to Trade and Navigation, for the abolition of the Slave Trade, and for the capture and destruction of piratical vessels, and of the rewards conferred for the same, as well as of awards and allowances of salvage granted to the officers and men of ships and vessels of war, when not otherwise specially apportioned by the terms of the respective awards and allowances: And whereas in the recital of the said Order in Council in our royal proclamation dated the said nineteenth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, the following words, that is to say: "as well as of awards and allowances of salvage granted to the officers and men of ships and vessels of war when not otherwise specially apportioned by the terms of the respective awards and allowances," were by mistake omitted, and it is expedient that such mistake should be corrected: Now, therefore, we do make it known to all our loving subjects, and all others whom it may concern, by this our royal proclamation, by and with the advice and consent of our Privy Council, that our said proclamation of the said nineteenth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty- six, shall have the same force and effect, to all intents and purposes, as if the said words so omitted by mistake, had been inserted therein.

Given at our Court at Buckingham Palace, this sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-six, and in the tenth of our reign.

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.