ARTICLE 506.

The court may allow counsel to the accused, for the purpose of aiding him in his defence against the charges, but always under the restriction that all motions or communications shall be made in writing, and in the name of the accused.

ARTICLE 507.

If, from any cause, after a court shall be rganized, so many members as the law may require shall not assemble upon any day to which the court may stand adjourned, and the court, by that fact, should be dissolved, the proceedings, and the fact of the dissolution of the court, must, nevertheless, be authenticated by the signature of the judge advocate, and of the members who may be present, and transmitted by the senior member to the officer by whom the precept was issued, that such further measures may be directed as cir cumstances shall require.

ARTICLE 508.

The sentences of all courts martial, which shall be approved on a foreign station, will be communicated to the commander of each vessel in the squadron, that they may be made public; and, when approved in the United States, they shall, in the same manner, and for the same purpose, be communicated to the commander of each vessel or station in the United States.

ARTICLE 509.

Should the proceedings of a court martial be disapproved in the United States, for any informality or irregularity of the court, the particular irregularity or informality will be made known to the commanders of squadrons, navy yards, and stations, for the information of officers under their command, so as to prevent, if possible, a recurrence of similar irregularities. If such cases should

occur on foreign stations, the information should be given to the commanders of vessels belonging to the squadron, by the commander thereof.

CHAPTER XXXI.

RECRUITING SERVICE.

ARTICLE 510.

As the appointment of officers to attend to the recruiting service is intended, not only to hasten the collection of recruits for the navy, but to guard against the enlistment of improper, unsound, or incompetent persons, strict and constant attention to the duties of the rendezvous is to be given. The junior officers, who may be ordered upon this duty, are intended as assistants to the commanding officer, and not to act as his substitutes, except in cases where he is unable to attend, by reason of sickness; or when absent on leave, with the sanction of the department. Under all other circumstance, he will be expected to attend daily at the rendezvous, morning and afternoon, and to personally question the persons offering to enter, examine the qualifications, and determine whether they may enter or not; and in what capacity or rating.

ARTICLE 511.

Recruiting officers shall enter no boy under thirteen years of age, nor unless he be at least four feet nine inches in height; nor any person whatever, under twenty-one years of age, without the consent of his parent or guardian, if any such may be found; nor any landsman under twenty-five years of age, unless he shall have a knowledge of some mechanical trade, which will be useful on board a vessel; nor any landsman having such mechanical trade, unless he is under thirty-five years of age. No person is to be entered as ordinary seaman, unless he shall have been at sea at least two years; nor as seaman, unless he shall have been at sea at least five years.

ARTICLE 512.

Recruiting officers are not to enter persons as petty officers, excepting for yeomen, master at arms, armorer, cooper, carpenter's mates, ship's steward, officer's steward, surgeon's steward, officer's cook, or master of the band; nor must he enter any of these ratings, or boys to serve until they are twenty-one years of age, except by the special order or permission of the commander of the station.

Free blacks, or other free colored persons, are only to be entered by the approbation of the commander of the station.

ARTICLE 513.

The surgeon, or other medical officer, who may be appointed to examine persons offering to enter, or upon their first joining a receiving or other vessel after enlistment, shall not certify to the fitness of any person, unless he shall be of sound mind, possess the power of seeing and hearing distinctly, and have no serious impediment of speech; have the free use of his muscles and joints, the proper use of his hands and feet, be free from external and internal tumours, and from all cutaneous diseases and chronic ulcers; nor if his appearance indicates the presence of, or danger from, consumption, scrofula, or other dangerous diseases, from the effects of intemperance or other causes, nor if known to be subject to epilepsy or similar diseases. If persons should be entered for particular ratings as petty officers, with ruptures or other injuries, which, in the opinion of the medical officer and commander of the station, may not interfere with the proper performance of their duties in those ratings, those injuries are to be fully described and carefully noted on all the descriptive lists containing the names of those persons, that no improper claims for pensions may be subsequenty allowed on account of such injuries.

ARTICLE 514.

The law which authorizes and regulates the enlistment of persons for the navy, for the time being, must be printed at the head or on the back of the shipping articles, and recruiting officers shall cause the shipping articles, and the law authorizing enlistment, to be read to every person before such person signs them: nor shall they allow any person to sign such articles when intoxicated, nor shall they enter any person known to have been convicted of a felony, nor is any slave ever to be entered for the naval service, or to form a part of the complement of any vessel of war of the United States.

ARTICLE 515.

Recruiting officers shall make no advance of pay, nor give any bounty, except by express order from the Secretary of the Navy, or

of the officer under whose orders he may be placed; and in all cases of making advances, the amount advanced to petty officers shall not exceed the amount authorized for seamen, and he is to take good security for the same, until the person receiving it shall have been duly received and mustered on board the receiving vessel or some other vessel of the United States.

ARTICLE 516.

Recruiting officers shall not pay over any advance money or bounty, except to the person entitled to receive the same, nor until he shall be found fit for service; and they are, if possible, to induce the men to repair on board with their effects, and to receive the amount of their advance in clothing or other necessaries from the vessel; in which case the recruiting officer is to give the necessary information to the commander of the receiving vessel, and will be excused from taking security when an advance is to be made. The recruiting officer shall take care that each person furnishes himself with one good suit of thick clothing, two frocks or shirts, one pair of shoes, one pair of stockings, hat and handkerchief as nearly of the navy pattern as possible, or as many of these articles as can be procured with two-thirds of their advance, and that the articles are sent on board with them.

ARTICLE 517.

Recruiting officers must produce receipts for the amounts advanced from the persons to whom they make advances, or pay bounty; a receipt for the individual from the commanding officer of the vessel on board which they may be sent, and a certificate from the purser of such vessel that he has received lists showing the rating, the date of entry, and term of service, and the amounts advanced to the individuals respectively, before he can receive credit for the advances made.

ARTICLE 518.

Recruiting officers shall not receive, without the sanction of the commanding officer of the station, more than one thousand dollars at any one time, which they may obtain by requisitions upon the navy agent, when duly approved by the senior officer in command

of the post or station, who shall not approve such requisition, unless satisfied that the amount asked is required for the public service.

ARTICLE 519.

The recruiting officer must report, weekly, to the Secretary of the Navy and the commander of the station, the number of men he may have entered, and the amount of money remaining in his hands, as per form annexed and marked A.

ARTICLE 520.

No recruiting rendezvous is to be opened in the United States without the consent of the Secretary of the Navy. Commanders of vessels may, however, when at places where there is no rendezvous, fill small deficiencies in their complement, by entering men on board their vessels after the required examination by medical officers; but no advance in money is to be given them, and no allowances will be made to the officers who enter men in this manner, as no responsibility or risk is incurred.

ARTICLE 521.

In all cases of doubt as to the full age of persons offering themselves for enlistment, it will be the duty of the recruiting officer to require them to make oath before a justice of the peace, or some other person lawfully authorized to administer oaths, that they are of the full age of twenty-one years.

CHAPTER XXXII.

MARINES.

ARTICLE 522.

When a vessel is to be put in commission, the Secretary of the Navy will give the necessary instructions to have the proper number of officers and marines prepared to go on board.

ARTICLE 523.

When a vessel is ready for the reception of the marines, the commander of the station will notify the commanding marine officer,