Regulations for the government of the United States Navy (1865)

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ARTICLE V.

APPLICATIONS — QUALIFICATIONS — EXAMINATIONS — APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS — RATINGS and DISRATINGS.

Section 1.

Applications and Qualifications.

213.....Applications of candidates for admission into the Naval Academy, must conform to the regulations of that institution, which contain all the information necessary, together with a description of the requisite qualifications.

214.....All applications for admission into the Navy, in any capacity, can be made to the Secretary of the Navy, at any time, by the candidate himself, or by his parent, guardian, or any friend. No application will be considered unless strictly in accordance with the following rules. The registry of a name will give no assurance of permission to be examined, as the Department reserves to itself the right of selecting for examination those whom it may consider most likely to be of service to the country.

215.....All applications must state the age, birth-place and residence of the candidate, who must also furnish certificates of his moral and physical qualifications. An applicant for the office of Assistant Naval Constructor, must furnish, in addition to the foregoing, evidence showing that he is a shipwright by profession, that he has been engaged in that business, and must present the certificate of the persons with whom the business was learned, and those by whom he has since been employed.

216.....No person will be appointed to any commissioned or warranted office in the Navy until he shall have passed a physical and a professional examination, except Chaplains and Professors of Mathematics, who are not required to undergo the latter. The physical examinations shall precede the professional, and if a candidate should be declared physically unfit, he will not be examined otherwise. The passing of an examination must not be considered a3 giving any assurance of appointment, as the Department reserves to itself the right to select those persons of the highest attainments, in case there should be more candidates than vacancies.

217.....A candidate for the appointment of Master's Mate, must be of sober and correct habits; he must be not less than eighteen, nor more than thirty-five years of age; he must have been at sea before the mast, or as an officer, at least five years. The recommendation by Commanding Officers, of Petty Officers or men, for zeal or gallantry, may entitle them to examination.

218.....A candidate for a Boatswain's appointment must be of sober and correct habits; he must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than thirty-five years of age; he must have been at least seven years at sea, and have served one complete year of that time as a Petty Officer in the Navy; he must be a thorough, practical seaman, and understand the rigging of ships according to regulations, and the cutting and fitting of the same; also, the weighing, catting, fishing, securing and transportation of anchors, and the working of cables; the erection and securing of shears, the handling of purchases, the masting of ships, the securing of yards, and be able to write sufficiently well to keep a rough account of stores.

219.....A candidate for a Gunner's appointment must be of sober and correct habits; he must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than thirty-five years of age; he must understand the fitting and arrangement of magazines, light-rooms, passages and shell-rooms; the stowage and preservation of ammunition, fire-works, and ordnance stores generally; the proportion of powder for guns of every class, the method of making and filling cartridges, the construction, strapping, filling and fusing of shells, the application of fuses of all kinds, and the use of fire-works; also, the making of cartridges for small arms, of wads, both junk and grommet; the fitting of gun-gear, the details and Use of gun carriages of all kinds, the securing and transportation of guns, the use of gun-sights, and the exercise established by regulations; he must also be able to write sufficiently well to keep a rough account of stores, and to make up his returns as required in the ordnance ledger.

220.....A candidate for a Carpenter's appointment must be of sober and correct habits; he must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than thirty-five years of age; he must be a good shipwright, understand caulking, the fishing of masts and yards, and the quality and strength of timber; also, how to unship and hang a rudder, to construct and hang a jury-rudder, and be able to write sufficiently well to keep a rough account of stores.

221.....A candidate for a Sailmaker's appointment must be of sober and correct habits; he must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than thirty-five years of age; he must be a good workman in his line of business; be capable of draughting, and understand thoroughly the cutting and making of sails, awnings, hammock-cloths, boom-covers, and windsails for a vessel of-war, and be able to write sufficiently well to keep a rough account of stores.

222.....A candidate for an appointment as Third Assistant Engineer must be not less than nineteen, nor more than twenty-six years of age; he must be of moral character and correct habits; he must have worked not less than eighteen months in a steam-engine manufactory, or else have served not less than that period as an engineer on board a steamer provided with a condensing engine, and have secured a favorable impression of the director or head engineer as to his ability; he must be able to describe and sketch all the different parts of the marine steam engine and boilers, and to explain their uses and mechanical operation, the manner of putting them in operation, regulating their action, and guarding against danger. He must be well acquainted with arithmetic, rudimentary mechanics, mensuration of surfaces and solids, write a fair, legible hand, and have some knowledge of the chemistry of combustion and corrosion.

223.....A candidate for the office of Assistant Naval Constructor must be not less than twenty-four, nor more than thirty-five years of age; he must be of good, moral character, have an accurate knowledge of arithmetic, of the nature and use of logarithms; be able to resolve a simple algebraic formula into numbers; be acquainted with the primary elements of geometry, descriptive geometry, mensuration, naval architectural drawing, and laying off on the mould-loft floor, and with practical building.

224.....A candidate for the office of Assistant Paymaster must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than twenty six years of age, except as provided for under the act approved April 1, 1864. His moral and mental qualifications, as well as his fitness for the office he solicits, especially as to the mode of receiving and issuing provisions, clothing and small stores, of keeping the required accounts, of making returns and reports agreeably to the prescribed general instructions, of making out the accounts of officers and men, calculating rates of exchange, and deducing the relative value of United States and foreign coins, weights and measures, will be subjects of rigid investigation.

225.....A candidate for the office of Assistant Surgeon must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than twenty-five years of age. His moral, mental and professional qualifications, will be decided upon by the board.

226.....An applicant for the position of Professor of Mathematics must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than thirty-five years of age. He must he of good moral character, and must satisfy the Department of his ability to perform all the duties required of that grade of officers.

227.....An applicant for the office of Chaplain must be not less than twenty-one, nor more than thirty-five years of age. He must be a regularly ordained minister of some religious denomination, and of unimpeached character.

228.....No person shall be appointed a Secretary who is under twenty-one years of age; nor shall any person be appointed a Clerk who is under eighteen years of age. The officers who may appoint Secretaries or Clerks, will be responsible for their moral character and fitness for the duties they are to perform. No person shall be appointed to either of these offices who may have been dismissed from the Navy for any misconduct.

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