to make requisitions to cover the expenditure, and to know the particular species or quantity remaining on hand.

ARTICLE 571.

He will conform rigidly to such instructions as he may receive for the construction or repairs of vessels; but if he should, in the progress of the work, be of opinion that a deviation from those instructions, or any change, would be beneficial, he will represent the same to the commanding officer, with the reasons for such opinion, that, if he should approve the same, they may be referred to the Department for its decision.

ARTICLE 572.

If, in the course of the repairs of any vessel, defects should be discovered which were not previously known, and which will be likely to materially increase the expense beyond that which had been originally estimated, it shall be his duty to make immediate report of the same to the commanding officer of the yard, for further instructions.

ARTICLE 573.

He will carefully and thoroughly examine, at least once a month, all the vessels which may be upon the stocks, or in ordinary, to see that they stand securely and true, and that they are as effectually secured against any change of form or decay as circumstances will admit, and make written reports to the commandant of the yard, upon the subject.

ARTICLE 574.

Such timber as, from latent defects, shall be found unfit for naval purposes, when it is wrought, but will answer for other purposes, shall be considered "refuse timber," and so entered on the storekeeper's books; and such as, under similar circumstances, shall be found unfit for any use, as navy timber, shall be designated "condemned timber," and shall be placed in situations appropriated for the reception of each kind respectively; and all "condemned timber" shall be expended as such, and shall be included in the semi-monthly requisitions, accordingly, as though it had been expended in any other manner.

ARTICLE 575,

He shall direct proper requisitions to be made, on the middle and the last day of each month, to cover the expenditure of all the timber and wood materials which may have been used, during the preceding half month, by the different master workmen.

ARTICLE 576.

He will see that his clerk furnishes to the commanding officer of the yard, on the 1st and 16th of each month, a return showing the total number of days' work performed, during the preceding half month, by each class of mechanics and laborers, upon each object, with a general statement of the labor expended on each object, according to such form as may be prescribed, that the pay rolls may be correctly made out by the clerk of the yard.

ARTICLE 577.

He shall see that his clerk furnishes the commanding officer of the yard, daily, with a statement of the number of days' work, which shall have been performed during the next preceding working day, by each class of mechanics upon each of the objects upon which they had been employed.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

PURSER OF A NAVY YARD.

ARTICLE 578.

The purser of a navy yard shall have the charge of paying and victualling all persons belonging to the navy, attached to the yard, and to vessels in ordinary at the yard, and to receiving vessels, if so directed.

ARTICLE 579.

He shall take such measures for the safe-keeping of the public money in his charge as may be directed by the Secretary of the Navy.

ARTICLE 580.

He shall pay all mechanics and laborers who may be employed under the direction of the commandant, upon pay-rolls, (which will

be made out and certified by the clerk of the yard,) after he shall have satisfied himself of the correctness of the calculations, and they shall have been subsequently approved by the commanding officer of the yard.

ARTICLE 581.

He shall make all payments in specie, or in funds which shall be of fully equal value with those which he may receive from the Government, for public use.

ARTICLE 582.

He shall make requisitions monthly upon the navy agent, under the direction and with the approval of the commanding officer, for such amount of money as may be deemed necessary by the commanding officer for the public service in his department.

ARTICLE 583.

He shall make no advances to any person whatever, except as specially authorized by these regulations, without the sanction of the President of the United States having been communicated to him through his commanding officer.

ARTICLE 584.

He shall keep distinct accounts of moneys received and expended under different appropriations, and never apply them to any other appropriations than those for which they were originally intended, except by special written authority from the Secretary of the Navy, in conformity to law.

ARTICLE 585.

He shall make his returns in such manner as has been, or may be directed by or through the Navy Department.

ARTICLE 586.

He shall not be allowed any commissions, or other extra compensation, than such as may be granted by law for payment of mechanics, or for the performance of any other duties, in a navy yard, as those duties are to be considered among the ordinary duties of his situation.

ARTICLE 587.

In the performance of his duties connected with the accounts of persons belonging to the navy, or with furnishing supplies to them, or in keeping books or accounts, he is to be governed by the general regulations which relate to those subjects for vessels in commission.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

NAVAL STOREKEEPER.

ARTICLE 588.

The navy storekeeper shall take charge of all stores and materials which may be received into the navy yard, for the public service, and be held responsible for the expenditure of the same, conformably to the regulations of the service, or to the special orders of the Navy Department.

ARTICLE 589.

He will, therefore, under the direction of the commanding officer of the yard, have charge of the keys of all storehouses and buildings containing articles for which he is responsible.

ARTICLE 590.

He shall make requisitions upon navy agents for all articles which may be wanted, whether to be obtained under contract or by open purchase, whenever he may be directed by the commanding officer, and present the same to him for his approval. Such requisitions must always specify the appropriations for which the articles are required, and separate requisitions must be made under each appropriation for which the articles may be wanted.

ARTICLE 591.

The storekeeper shall not give a receipt for any articles delivered into the yard, whether purchased by navy agents, or from contractors, until he shall have been furnished with an invoice or bill, stating the particular articles, their cost, and the object for which they were purchased, nor until they shall have been certified to be of the

proper quality by the inspecting officers, unless required by written order of the commanding officer.

ARTICLE 592.

All articles whatever, which may be received into the yard for public service, or which may be placed in the storekeeper's charge, by the orders of the commanding officer, shall be immediately entered by the storekeeper in his books, under the respective appropriations to which they may belong.

ARTICLE 593.

He shall never deliver articles for any other object or appropriation than that for which they were originally received, except by the written order of, or requisition by, the commanding officer of the yard; which order or requisition he must produce, as the authority for such transfer or loan.

ARTICLE 594.

The storekeeper will issue no article, (timber, and timber materials, and hemp, excepted,) but by the written order of, or upon requisitions duly approved by, the commanding officer of the yard, or, when he is absent upon leave, upon the approval of the next in command. These requisitions must specify the appropriation and object for which the articles are wanted; and when they are to be drawn from an appropriation different from that for which they are wanted, it must be distinctly stated on the face of the requisition. Requisitions for timber and hemp must be made semi-monthly, to cover the quantities which may have been used, condemned, or transferred, during the preceding half month.

ARTICLE 595.

He will deliver articles to vessels in commission, upon requisitions, if signed by the commanding officer of the vessel, approved by the senior officer present in command of such vessels, or by the captain of the fleet, if authorized to approve them, and by the commanding officer of the yard-taking receipts, as directed in the next following article.