United States Laws Relating to the Navy, Marine Corps, Etc.,

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A DIGEST OF THE DECISIONS OF THE COURTS AND

OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEYS-GENERAL.

WILLIAM H. MICHAEL

(Late of the U.S. Navy),

AND

PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF CONGRESS.

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

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PREFACE,

The necessity for a revision of the laws relating to the Navy and Marine Corps was felt by the Naval Committee of the two Houses of Congress and by the Navy Department, and the Senate, through the Joint Committee on Printing, directed the revision to be made. The Secretary of the Navy tendered any assistance practicable for the Department to extend in accomplishing the work. The Judge Advocate-General of the Navy, Captain Lemly, examined the proof sheets and uoted many valuable suggestions. Mr. E. P. Hanna, chief clerk in the Judge-Advocate-General's Office, read the proofs critically and rendered the reviser most valuable assistance in many ways in connection with the work. The reviser takes pleasure in acknowledging the valuable service thus rendered him.

This revision includes all laws relating to the Navy and Marine Corps up to and including June 17, 1898.

To keep the book within proper limits as to size, much matter contained in Mr. Hogg's compilation, which did not strictly relate to the Navy and Marine Corps nor to the Navy Department, was expurgated.

The arrangement is somewhat different from that of Mr. Hogg, yet in a general way his arrangement bas been preserved, for the reason that it was considered very good, and because it was thought desirable not to disturb the familiarity of those who had used the Hogg compilation by substituting for it a compilation wholly different in its arrangement.

The notes have been completely revised, and instead of retaining them as they were in the Hogg compilation they have been uniformly inserted as footnotes.

At the end of the work may be found the gist of decisions of Federal courts and opinions of Attorneys-General construing United States statutes relating to the Navy and Marine Corps and Navy Department. This is alphabetically arranged, and the author feels contident that it will be found of value.

While the compiler is conscious that defects and errors will be met with in this revision, as is the case in all works of similar character, yet he feels that it will serve the purpose for which it is intended reasonably well.

There have been six compilations and revisions of the laws relating to the Navy and Marine Corps. The first was a volume of 198 pages, and was compiled in 1826 by order of the Secretary of the Navy. The second was by Benjamin Homans, of the Navy Department, and was compiled in 1813. This volume contains 246 pages, and includes the laws of the Twenty-seventh Congress. The third was compiled in 1859 by John F. Callan, clerk to the Military Committee, and A. W. Russell, clerk to the Naval Committee of the United States Senate, and contains 464 pages. The fourth was a revision of Mr. Homans's work, and was printed in 1865. It contains 253 pages. The fifth was made by order of the Navy Department in 1875, and includes the laws of the Forty-third Congress. This volume contains 374 pages. The sixth was a compilation and revision by John W. Hogg, made in 1883, and contains 401 pages.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.