ARTICLE 14.

The number of boys in any vessel is not to be less than the number of guns which the ship may mount, if such number can be supplied from the receiving ships before the vessel requiring them shall proceed to sea.

ARTICLE 15.

When the commander of a fleet or squadron shall not be the immediate commander of the vessel in which he shall be embarked, he shall be borne as a supernumerary; and in all cases, the vessel in which the commander-in-chief of a fleet or squadron shall be embarked, may bear as supernumerary, by his order, one lieutenant, one secretary, one clerk, one coxswain, one officer's steward, one officer's cook, one seaman, and two ordinary seamen; and if not commanding in chief, the same persons, excepting a clerk. A captain of the fleet, when allowed, together with one coxswain, and one seaman, may also be borne as supernumeraries by order of the commander-in-chief.

ARTICLE 16.

In case of a deficiency of "seamen,' a vessel, which may be otherwise ready for service, is not to be detained, if such deficiency shall not exceed one-fourth the number of seamen allowed in the table of complements, and if it can be supplied with an additional number of "ordinary seamen;" nor shall a vessel, when under orders for service, and otherwise ready, be detained, if the whole number of petty officers and persons of inferior ratings on board shall be equal to nine-tenths of the total number of such persons which may be allowed in the table of complements.

ARTICLE 17.

The Department will, at any time, if it deems it expedient, direct vessels to sail with still smaller numbers, or otherwise modify the table of complements for vessels for particular service.

ARTICLE 18.

Unless otherwise specially directed, the commander of a vessel, which shall leave the United States with a deficiency of petty

officers or persons of inferior ratings, as compared with the established complements for such vessel, may supply such deficiencies, by promoting qualified persons of inferior ratings, or by regular enlistments for three or five years, as may be deemed best for the public interests. Blank shipping articles will be supplied to him upon application to the commandant of the navy yard or station.

CHAPTER II.

APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS.

ARTICLE 19.

No officer whatever shall, when within the jurisdiction of the United States, appoint any person, not holding a commission or warrant in the navy, perform the duties of a commission or warrant officer, nor give to any commission or warrant officer an acting appointment for any higher grade than that for which he may be commissioned or warranted. Nor shall he, at any time, order any officer into service or upon duty, who is on leave of absence or furlough, or make any change in the distribution or arrangement of officers, as established by the Secretary of the Navy, without his order or permission, except in cases of emergency.

ARTICLE 20.

If the Secretary of the Navy shall deem it expedient to direct any vessel to proceed on service with a smaller number of officers than is mentioned in the table of complement for vessels, chapter I, article 13, or which are otherwise authorized by these regulations, no acting appointment is to be made, or order given, to supply any such deficiency, without his previous authority or sanction; nor shall any commander of a vessel, which may be separated from the commander of the fleet or squadron to which such vessel belongs, make any acting appointment, or give any order, to fill vacancies which exist, and could have been reported to the commander of the fleet or squadron before such separation occurred. When a vacancy shall occur in the complements of commission or warrant officers,

as above explained and limited, in any vessel without the jurisdietion of the United States, and which cannot be supplied from supernumerary officers of the same rank in other vessels of the fleet or squadron; the commander-in-chief of the fleet or squadron may, if the vacancies shall have been occasioned by death, or by orders or authority from the Secretary of the Navy, give a written acting appointment to some other commission or warrant officer, who may be subject to his orders, to fill such vacancy, until such appointment shall be revoked by the commander-in-chief of the fleet or squadron for the time being, or by order of the Secretary of the Navy.

ARTICLE 21.

All officers who may have occasion to make acting appointments, or to give orders to fill vacancies, shall conform to the general regulations, as respects qualifications, whenever it shall be practicable; they shall give the earliest information to the Department of all such orders or appointments, which may be made by them, with the reasons for the same; and forward a complete list of all such orders or appointments to the Secretary of the Navy, immediately on their arrival in the United States.

ARTICLE 22.

When a vacancy shall have been occasioned by leave granted to any officer to return to the United States, from the commander of a squadron or vessel, in consequence of ill health, or for other cause; or the complements of any rank or class of officers present and fit for duty, shall be reduced below the number which may be deemed necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the vessel, in consequence of the continued indisposition of officers, or their absence in prizes, or upon other public service, the commander-in-chief of the fleet or squadron, or the senior officer present, may direct other officers of the vessel or squadron, by a written order, to perform the duties of such absent or sick officers, until their return or restoration to health, or until the further orders of the commander of the fleet or squadron, or of the Secretary of the Navy, may be received.

ARTICLE 23.

Vacancies in the situations of boatswains, gunners, carpenters, and sail-makers, may be filled by selection from petty officers, or other persons not warranted, if deemed advisable by the officers authorized to have them filled.

ARTICLE 24.

When an officer shall receive an acting appointment to fill a vacancy from the Secretary of the Navy, or from the commanderin-chief of the fleet, or other commanding officer, in conformity with these regulations, he may assume the uniform and annex his acting rank to his official signature; but when they shall perform the duties of a higher station by order, they are not to change their uniform or official designation; but in both cases they will be entitled to the compensation of the rank of the officer whose duties they may be directed to perform.

ARTICLE 25.

All acting appointments, and orders to perform higher duties than belong to their rank, must specify the vessel in which the officer is to act; and in case of removal to another vessel, a new appointment or order must be given; except when the appointment or order shall be issued by the Secretary of the Navy.

ARTICLE 26.

Commanders-in-chief, when without the jurisdiction of the United States, may direct three captains, commanders, or other proper officers, as the case may require, to examine candidates for higher appointments, when it shall be necessary for selecting persons who have not been examined, to fill vacancies; and the certificates of qualifications shall be immediately forwarded to the Secretary of the Navy, who may direct such further examination as he may deem proper before the candidates are promoted.

ARTICLE 27.'

If an officer shall succeed to the command of a vessel without the jurisdiction of the United States, in consequence of the death or captivity of the commander, he may give the necessary orders to

supply vacancies, to act until he brings the vessel into port, delivers her up to a superior officer, or receives the instructions of his commander-in-chief, or of the Secretary of the Navy.

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ARTICLE 28.

Every officer entitled to a secretary shall have the power to appoint him, and every commander shall have the power to appoint his own clerk, which appointments are to be in writing, and the letters of acceptance from secretaries and clerks shall expressly state their agreement to be subject to the laws and regulations for the government of the navy.

ARTICLE 29.

Every commander shall have the power to rate and disrate the petty officers allowed to the vessel under his command, having due regard to their conduct and qualifications, reporting quarterly to the commanding officer of the squadron, to which he belongs, all the alterations which he may make in such ratings.

ARTICLE 30.

No person under 14 or over 17 years of age, and who does not understand the elements of arithmetic, english grammar, and geography, will be appointed to act as a midshipman.

ARTICLE 31.

After midshipmen shall have served at sea during a cruise of not less than one year, and shall have produced satisfactory testimonials from their commanders of their good conduct and capacity, they may receive their warrants, which, when issued, shall bear the same dates as their original appointments; but if a midshipman shall be reported for misconduct, gross negligence of his duty, or other evident unfitness for being continued in service, at any time, before his length of service above described shall entitle him to a warrant, and the Secretary of the Navy shall be satisfied of the truth and correctness of such report, the appointment of such midshipman will be revoked, and his name stricken from the navy list.