Circular No. 38.-N.

Admiralty, 6th October, 1864.

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty desire that the following Rules shall be observed :-

1. Petty Officers and Serjeants and Corporals of the Marines who may wish to join the Naval Police Force, may be entered as Master-at-Arms or Ship's Corporal of the 2nd or 1st Class, according to their qualifications.

2. Men joining the Naval Police Force from the Army or Police, must enter as Ship's Corporal of the 2nd Class, and shall not be eligible for advancement until after two years' service in that rank : unless they have been Non-commissioned Officers and are men of high character, when they may be promoted after six months service in each class.

By Command of their Lordships.

C. Paget.

To all Commanders-in-Chief, &c.

Revised Rules for Entry into the Naval Police

Circular No. 16.-N.

Admiralty, 13th March, 1868.

My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are pleased to lay down the following additional Rules for the Entry, &c. of Men in the Naval Police

1. All Men entering as Master-at-Arms or Ship's Corporal are in future to enter as Continuous Service Men. They must be not less than 5 ft. 7 ins. in height, and no Man is to be entered in either rating unless he signs a Continuous Service Engagement.

This rule, however, is not to be made compulsory on Men at present serving.

2. No Man is to be entered either as Master-at-Arms or Ship's Corporal of the 1st Class who has not served at sea for at least two years.

3. The rule laid down in Circular No. 38 of the 6th October, 1864, which allows Non-commissioned Officers of Marines, of high character, to be promoted after six months' service as Ship's Corporal, is to apply also to Petty Officers; - but Men can only be promoted when vacancies occur, - and promotion to the Rank of Master-at-Arms can only be made by the Authority of the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer.

4. No Man who has served in the Navy or Marines is to be entered in the Police Force, unless he produces certificates of "very good" character for the last three years of his service, - and if he has been more than twelve months out of the Service, his character, in the interval, to be satisfactorily explained.

By Command of their Lordships,

Henry G. Lennox

To all Commanders-in-Chief, &c.

Source: Navy List for June 1870

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