We duly received your letter of the 23rd ultimo relative to the intended arrangement...

We duly received your letter of the 23rd ultimo relative to the intended arrangement of a scale of salaries for the Clerks of this Office. Before we proceed to detail the Division we have made of the Clerkships, we request you will state to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that owing to the great increase of the Navy, and the additional Establishment formed at Home and Abroad, with the various Regulations introduced at the Recommendation of the Board of Revision, the business of this Office which in 1806, when the Board framed its 4th report, was double the extent of the Business in 1796, has still further increased in a very considerable degree. In the Peace which terminated in 1793 the number of established Clerks was 82, in 1796 it was increased to 112 and in 1807 to 125 but these additions being inadequate, recourse was first had to extra allowances for Extra Attendance, and afterwards to the entering of a large number of Extra Clerks to meet the heavy pressure of business The return of Peace will of course produce a great diminution of duty in all the Branches; but under the existing scale of Maritime affairs, the Navy being more than twice as numerous now as in 1792 (the number of ships being as per margin - (December 1792 424, December 1815 879 independently of those recently sold and broken up) we are apprehensive that an Establishment short of that proposed by the Board of Revision will be insufficient and are therefore recommend[ing] that the Establishment should not be disturbed until it shall be ascertained by experience whether it is greater or less than is necessary for the business to be executed in time of Peace. A material reduction of expense we however hope to effect in the ensuing year by the gradual discharge of the Extra Clerks now borne Taking then the Establishment as it stands in the said report, we subjoin a statement of the number of Clerkship[s in each branch if the first degree of weight and responsibility - of the 2nd degree - and if the lower order of Clerkships, which are in our present opinion necessary for conducting the duties of our Department, and having given to this subject all the consideration in our power, we have not felt ourselves justified I n deviating materially in this classification from our recommendation of 5 July last, otherwise than became necessary in consequence of the reduction of the numbers in the 1st Class which have been thrown into the 2nd OFFICERS::::::Classes 1::2::3 Secretary's::::::::1::10::9 Ticket::::::::::1::10::9 Allotment::::::::::7::3 Contract::::::::::1::::1 Surveyors::::::::::3::2 Bill::::::::::1::7::7::Foreign Accounts::::::::::4::3 Treasurers Accounts::::::::3::5 Seamen's wages::::::::1::6::8 Stores::::::::::1::3::2 Store accounts::::::::::3::6::Slop::::::::::::3::3 Although with a view to conform to their Lordships instructions we have excluded from the 1st Class the 2 2nd Chief Clerks in the Secretary's Office and Ticket Office and the 6 Chief Clerks of the Allotment, Surveyor's, Foreign Accounts, Treasurers accounts, Storekeeper's Accounts and Slop Offices, n the supposition that the scale of salaries which their Lordships may determine upon for the 2nd Class with reference both to rank and length of service, will embrace a sum equal, if not superior to that which these Officers now receive, we cannot but strongly urge upon their Lordships attention the expedience, if not the absolute necessity, of granting to the Clerks who now, or may hereafter fill these situations, some small remuneration for their superintending responsibility beyond what the scale may afford to other Clerks of the same seniority in Office, as the good Government of the office cannot be maintained if the Persons at the Head of branches are not adequately distinguished in the remuneration assigned to their services and this we conceive may be effected without interfering in the slightest degree with the general scale of salaries.::::Having so fully detained in our letter of the 5th July last the situation of the Extra Clerks in this office, we have now only to request, notwithstanding we foresee the period of their discharge should no fresh armament take place, that some provision may be made for paying (whilst they are continued) t such Extra Clerks as may have been many years in the service, a rate of salary superior to that now allowed them, which is only £110 p.a. for a period of 6 years and upwards We no advert to their Lordships suggestion whether the number of branches may not be diminished (particularly in the prospect of a Peace Establishment) by unity under one Chief. Branches the duties of which may be analagous, whenever such a union shall be found consistant with the due execution of the Public Service Of the practicability of the measure in question we have no doubt and we subjoin a list of the Officers which appear to us from the nature of their duties to be capable of this union - some permanently and others during Peace only; but as we are not aware that the service will derive any real benefit by such a combination and as the number of superintending persons cannot be diminished although their titles may be changed, we are certainly not prepared to recommend the Unions suggested Ticket Office and the Allotment Office )::It will be necessary t divide these Offices in time of War Bill Office and the Office of Foreign Accounts) Office for Seamen's Wages and the Office for Comptrolling the Treasurers Accounts Office for Stores and the Office for comptrolling the Storekeepers Accounts In order that the Individuals whom by your letter of the 23rd September last we were directed to ... may not escape their Lordships notice on this occasion, we have again considered their claims and now beg to submit that they should be classes as shown by the following statement, to which we have added the 2nd Assistant to the Surveyors, who was omitted in our former recommendation OFFICERS::::::Classes 1::2::3 Receiver of Fees::::::::::1::1 Clerk f Enquiry and Petitions::::::::1 Clerk employed in the Library::::::::1 Warehouse Clerk in the Slop Office::::::::1 1st Assistant to the Surveyor::::1 2nd Assistant to the Surveyor::::::1 Draughtsman to the Surveyor::::::3 Surveyor of Buildings::::::1 Draughtsman to the Surveyor of Buildings::::1::2 And we would also solicit their Lordships attention to the situation of our reading Clerk, the Clerk to the Comptroller and to the claim of our Secretary's Office on account of their late attendance in the Evening, whose cases were particularly pointed out in our letter of the 5th July On this occasion we are anxious to do justice to a diligent and faithful but subordinate class of Persons belonging to the Establishment - we allude to the Messengers, whose situations require unremitting attendance, and who with the exception of the Head Messenger are inadequately paid. We therefore recommend the following small increase to their Salaries Vizt. £35 to the 2nd Messenger making his salary::::::£150 p.a. 30::3rd Messenger::::::