Order in Council of 5 August, 1875

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The Order in Council of 5 August, 1875 was a piece of legislation affecting the retirement and number of officers of the Royal Navy.

Order in Council

WHEREAS we have had under our consideration the effects of Your Majesty's Orders in Council of twenty-second February, one thousand eight hundred and seventy, and fourth August, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in so far as they relate to the retirement and promotion of Flag Officers, Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenants of Your Majesty's Navy, and whereas large reductions of these lists have thereby been effected, which, though highly satisfactory in one point of view, have resulted in a great stagnation of promotion, We are of opinion that it is expedient to provide temporarily for a more uniform flow of advancement to these ranks; to relax slightly the rules as regards the age at which Flag Officers and Captains may be optionally retired, and to modify further the restrictions respecting the advancement to Flag Rank of Officers on the Retired List and promotions on that List.

We would therefore most humbly submit to Your Majesty:—

1. That we be empowered for the present to promote annually seven Captains to Flag Rank, effecting this by promoting to Flag Rank as heretofore in vacancies caused by death and retirement, and by supplementing any vacancies short of seven at the end of each year so long as a maximum number of sixty-eight Flag Officers be not exceeded:—

Adjusting the Flag Ranks thus:—

3 Admirals of the Fleet.
10 Admirals.
20 Vice Admirals.
35 Rear-Admirals.
68

Promotions to the List of Admirals to be in the proportion of one to two in vacancies caused by retirement until the number is reduced to ten, and the addition to the list of Vice-Admirals and Rear-Admirals to be in the proportion of one Vice-Admiral to every two Rear-Admirals added to the list; should there be more than seven vacancies in any year the excess not to be filled up in that year, provided the list of FLag Officers is kept up to fifty.

2. That, for the present, we be also empowered to promote annually twelve (and should vacancies occur as many as fifteen) Commanders to the rank of Captain, effecting this by filling every vacancy, and supplementing any vacancies short of twelve at the end of each year, so long as a maximum number of one hundred and seventy-five Captains be not exceeded; should there be more than fifteen vacancies in any year the excess not to be filled up in that year.

3. That, for the present, we be also empowered to promote annually twenty (and should vacancies occur as many as twenty-five) Lieutenants to the rank of Commander, effecting this by filling every vacancy, and supplementing any vacancies short of twenty at the end of each year, so long as a maximum number of two hundred and twenty-five Commanders be not exceeded; should there be more than twenty-five vacancies in any year the excess not to be filled up in that year, provided that the list is kept up to two hundred.

4. That, for the present, we be authorised to sanction the optional retirement of Flag Officers and Captains at the following ages, viz:—

Admirals and Vice-Admirals 55
Rear-Admirals 50
Captains 45

Such optional retirement to be subject in each case to our approval, and to be restricted to three Flag Officers and six Captains annually, power being reserved to us, with the sanction of the Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury, to extend this option to a larger number hereafter should such a course appear desirable.

5. That one step in rank, according to seniority, be granted to all Rear-Admirals and Captains who may have been, or who may hereafter be, placed on the Retired List, under the provisions of Your Majesty's Order in Council of twenty-second February, one thousand eight hundred and seventy, irrespective of any qualifying service; such advancement not to carry with it any increase of retired pay.

We further beg to state that the Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury have given their assent to the cost of these proposals.

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