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20th Congress.]

No. 372

[2d Session.

APPLICATION AND STATEMENT RELATIVE TO AN INCREASE OP THE PAY OF CAPTAINS AND MASTERS COMMANDANT IN THE NAVY.

COMMUNICATED TO THE SENATE, DECEMBER 11, 1828.

By the general regulations for the government of the army, a master commandant in the navy ranks as a major. A captain in the navy, from the date of his commission, ranks with a lieutenant colonel in the army; five years after the date of his commission, ranks a colonel; ten years after the date of his commission, ranks a brigadier general; fifteen years after the date of his commission, ranks a major general.

In the army of the United States.

Pay per
annum.

Rations.

Quarters.

Fuel

Servants

Forage.

Aggregate.

Major general

$2,400

$2,190

$480

$126

$644 64

$672

$6,512 64

Brigadier general

1,248

1,752

360

99

483 48

480

4,422 48

Colonel

900

876

360

99

322 32

384

2,941 80

Lieutenant colonel

720

876

240

72

322 32

288

2,518 32

Major

600

594

240

72

322 32

288

2,106 32

Present pay and emoluments in the navy of the United States afloat.

Monthly
pay.

Daily
rations.

Annual
aggregate.

A captain commanding a squadron

$100 00

16

$2,640 00

A captain commanding a ship of the line

100 00

8

1,930 00

A captain commanding a vessel of less than thirty-two guns

75 00

6

1,447 50

A master commandant

60 00

5

1,176 25

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Proposed pay and emoluments in the navy afloat.

Monthly
increase
of
pay.

Increase
of daily
rations.

Aggregate
monthly
increase.

Aggregate
annual
increase.

Aggregate
pres'nt and
proposed
per annum.

Captain commanding a squadron

$30 00

2

$45 00

$542 50

$3,102 50

Captain commanding a frigate or ship of the line

30 00

2

45 00

542 50

2,472 50

Captain commanding a vessel of less than 32 guns

30 00

2

45 00

542 50

1,990 00

Master commandant

30 00

1

37 50

451 25

1,627 50

In the Dutch navy, the pay of a captain is—

Extract from Goldsborough's Naval Chronicle, vol. 1, p. 344, note.

In the Dutch navy, the pay of a captain is—

If commanding a seventy-four, 9,000 guilders per annum, or

$3,600 00

If commanding a frigate, 8,000 guilders per annum, or

3,200 00

If commanding a sloop, 5,000 guilders per annum, or

2,000 00

In the British navy, the annual compensation is—

Admiral of the fleet

$15,624 00

Admiral

13,831 11

Vice admiral

11,952 86

Rear admiral, or commodore, with a captain under him

10,160 00

Captain of the fleet

5,122 67

Captain of a first-rate, 800 to 900 men

3,272 87

Captain of a second-rate, 650 to 100 men

2,864 00

Captain of a third-rate, 600 to 650 men

2,455 11

Captain of a fourth-rate, 350 to 450 men

2,045 33

Captain of a fifth-rate, 280 to 300 men

1,636 44

Captain of a sixth-rate, 125 to 115 men

1,432 00

Captain of a sloop, 100 or less

1,227 55

All which is exclusive of indulgences and allowances not known in our service.

To the honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, in Congress assembled:

The memorial of the undersigned, masters commandant in the navy of the United States, respectfully showeth:

That your memorialists, deriving entire confidence from the justice of your honorable bodies, and from the consideration uniformly given to those who have petitioned for legislative interposition, are induced respectfully to present to your notice the great inferiority of their compensation, compared with that of other officers in the public service.

By the regulations establishing the relative rank of officers in the army and navy, masters commandant are assigned a rank equal to that of majors in the army; and by an act of Congress, the pay and emoluments of a major were fixed as follows:

Yearly pay, at $50 per month

$600 00

Amount of rations, 4 per diem, at 20 cents

292 00

Amount of forage for three horses, at $8 per month

288 00

Amount of pay and rations for two servants

266 00

Amount of clothing for two servants

60 00

$1,506 00

By an act of Congress, passed 25th February, 1799,
the pay and emoluments of a master commandant were fixed as follows:

Yearly pay, at $60 per month

$720 00

Amount of rations, five per diem, at 25 cents

456 25

$1,176 25

Leaving an excess in favor of majors in the army of 8329.15. In addition to which they are allowed 24 cords of fire wood, and, when commanding what are termed department, or double ration posts, (advantages which masters commandant can never enjoy,) their income amounts to $1,198 annually, * exclusive of fire wood and quarters.

There are seven navy yards and five recruiting stations, to each of which a master commandant is allowed; but with the exception of those officers, no one of the rank of your petitioners receives more than the pay and rations before exhibited, even when acting under all the responsibilities and consequent expensiveness of a separate command.

The law fixing the pay of a master commandant was passed in the year 1199, when it may fairly be

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presumed that regard was had to the resources of the country, and the cheap rate at which the necessaries of life could then be procured. Since that period, the salaries and pay of most of the public officers in the civil and military departments have been repeatedly and greatly increased, while that of your petitioners has remained the same.

Your memorialists would further respectfully represent, that they are a class of officers usually placed in command of sloops-of-war; and, although they may, and do, command vessels carrying more than twenty guns, that, by the construction of the law, and the usage of the service, they are only allowed the pay and rations before stated, while they are subject to the same heavy expenses as commanders of larger vessels, in outfits and entertainments, in the interchange of civilities with foreign officers and strangers, as well as with their own officers.

Your memorialists ask your honorable bodies to take into consideration the great length of time they have to serve in each grade, without any prospect of brevet rank and its advantages. There are thirty-three masters commandant, four of whom have served twenty-three years, five have served twenty-two years, five have served twenty years, and nineteen have served upwards of nineteen years, in the navy. Very few of them are much less than forty years of age, and twenty-six of them have been married, and have families. No person in the navy can by law, leave more than half his monthly pay, when abroad, for the support of his family and the education of his children. The half monthly pay of a master commandant amounts to three hundred and sixty dollars per annum; and, if he have no other resource, his family must retire, during his absence, to obscure and cheap board; and after his return from a long and expensive cruise, must select some frugal residence to await the period in which his services may be required, without any of the allowances for quarters, fuel, and servants, which are provided by the government for their brother officers in the army, of equal and of inferior rank.

Your memorialists have endeavored briefly to lay before your honorable bodies the principal facts in relation to their peculiar situation, confident that their feelings and motives cannot be misunderstood, as none hold in higher estimation the meritorious services, the distinguished characters, and exalted claims of their brother officers in each arm of the public service.

Your memorialists pray your honorable bodies to take into consideration the facts herein stated; and that they may be placed on such footing with their brother officers, as, in your wisdom, will enable them better to maintain the respectability and. rank of commanders of men-of-war, and representatives of their country abroad.

And your memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.

JESSE WILKINSON.

JOHN GALLAGHER.

JOSEPH SMITH.

THOS. AP CATESBY JONES.

TH. HOLDUP STEVENS.

GEORGE W. STORER.

JOHN PORTER.

JOHN D. SLOAT.

BEVERLY KENNON.

WM. B. SHUBRICK.

MATTHEW O. PERRY.

FRANCIS H. GREGORY.

FOXHALL A. PARKER.

CHAS. W. SKINNER.

PHILIP F. VOORHEES.

EDWARD M'CALL.

OTHO NORRIS.

BENJAMIN COOPER.

DANIEL TURNER.

JOHN T. NEWTON.

WILLIAM L. GORDON.

I have signed the names of the officers attached to this memorial by authority derived expressly from themselves.

TH. HOLDUP STEVENS, Master Commandant United States Navy.

Washington, December 7, 1828.