CAP-COVER. Oil-silk, with "H. M. C." in gold Italian letters intertwined, each letter to be 1 inch in height, and the thick strokes to be th-inch broad, the whole cipher to be 1 inch broad. This cipher to be immediately renewed whenever it may become effaced.

OVERCOAT. Blue pilot cloth great coat, double-breasted, five gilt buttons on each side, two on the back at the waist, and three on the back seam of the cuff. The buttons with the word "Customs" in a garter, and "V.R." in the centre, and crown above.

Boatmen.

JACKET A double-breasted jacket (known as a monkeyjacket) of blue cloth, five gilt buttons on each side with the word "Customs" in a garter, with "V. R." in the centre, and crown above.

WAISTCOAT Blue cloth, gilt buttons with the word "Customs" in a garter, with "V. R." in the centre, and crown above. TROUSERS.. Blue cloth.

CRAVAT Black silk necktie.

САР

...

Blue cloth, with the word "Customs" in a garter, with "V.R." in the centre, and crown above, embroidered on the front.

CAP-COVER. Oil-silk, with "H. M. C." in gold Italian letters intertwined, each letter to be 1 inch in height, and the thick strokes to be th inch broad, the whole cipher to be 1 inch broad. This cipher to be immediately renewed whenever it may become effaced. OVERCOAT. Blue pilot cloth monkey-jacket, double-breasted, five gilt buttons each side, with the word "Customs in a garter, with "V. R." in the centre and crown above.

The Board are of opinion that it would be attended with much advantage, both to the service and the public, if all the officers belonging to the Out-door Department wore uniform clothing and caps when on duty. They already require all officers promoted to be Surveyors, Assistant Surveyors, and Examining Officers in London, to wear uniform, and now direct that officers who may be hereafter appointed to the rank of Surveyor, Assistant Surveyor, Examining Officer, and Assistant Examining Officer, at the OutPorts do conform to the like practice. They therefore apprize the several officers eligible for advancement to such offices, that it will be made a condition to their future promotion that they shall thereupon wear uniform clothing.

All officers who are required to wear uniform by this or any previous minute, or who may elect to do so, are to adopt the dress and cap hereby approved for their respective classes.

G.O., 12, 1867.

Officers newly appointed are to produce their commissions before being paid their salaries or allowances; and the Stamp

duty on their commissions is to be remitted to the Assistant Secretary within one month from the time of the officer's admission, or a sufficient reason assigned for the contrary. And Out-door Officers, Boatmen, and others, who are not required to give bond, are to deliver up their commissions on being charged for any offence; and the pay due to deceased or removed officers of those classes is to be withheld until their commissions are delivered up and cancelled.+-G.O., 13th Dec., 1815; 27th July, 1826; 96, 1849; 16th Sept., 1830; 3rd June, 1835.

ATTENDANCE.

As a general regulation, the hours of attendance of in-door officers are from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. ; and that of the out-door officers from 8 p.m. until 4 p.m., between the 1st of March and the 1st November, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. between the 1st of November and the 1st of March; but all goods discharged under the supervision of the Waterguard, whether to be landed or delivered overside, may be taken out of the importing vessel from 6 o'clock a.m. to 6 p.m., between the 1st of March and the 1st of November, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the remainder of the year. Should, however, the discharge of the vessel extend beyond those hours, the merchant must make a deposit to defray the expense for the extra attendance of the officers. Attendance is also to be given by the necessary staff of officers in the Long-room in London, and in the offices of Receiver General and Examiner, to receive shipmasters' reports, entries, and duties, at the same hours in the morning as those appointed by law for the landing of goods.§G.O., 2nd March, 1816; 11th November, 1817; 68, 1853; M., 10th Feb., 1852.

Attendance is to be given at ports where Post-office packets are stationed, or passage vessels employed, from eight o'clock in the morning until eight o'clock in the evening, throughout the year, in case the arrival of any vessel with passengers shall render such attendance necessary. And on the arrival of Ambassadors, Foreign Ministers, Officers charged with public despatches, Queen's Messengers, and other persons in the employ of Government, the officers are to give immediate attendance at all times; and, when necessary, the like attendances are to be given upon the departure of passenger ships.

G.O., 16th Dec., 1845.

*No stamp required for commissions of Out-door Officers and Boatmen.-28 & 29 Vic., cap. 96, sec. 19.

Whenever any officer or other person in the employment of the Customs, and having a commission or deputation from the Commissioners of that Revenue, shall cease to be employed in such service, and shall fail to deliver up his commission or deputation within one week afterwards, he shall be liable to be proceeded against for such offence before any Justice of the Peace, and on conviction to be imprisoned until the same be delivered up.-30 & 31 Vic., cap. 82, sec. 18.

Though this is the general rule, the attendance at the various outports is adapted to local circumstances, and the manner in which trade is conducted.

§ For extra attendance to complete deliveries from warehouse, see page 146; and for remuneration for extra attendance, page 157.

J

In London attendance is given at the following Baggage Warehouses, as follows:

From the 1st March till 31st October, Fresh Wharf. from 8 o'clock a.m., until 7 o'clock p.m., St. Katherine's Wharf. (and from November 1st till Feb. 28th from 9 o'clock a.m., until 6 o'clock p.m.

When the delivery of any goods from the warehouse* has commenced before four o'clock, and can be completed by halfpast four, the attendance of the officers may be required until the latter hour, except in the months of January and December, in which months,if a delivery of goods has commenced before sunset, the attendance of the officers may be required until a quarter past four o'clock, for the purpose of completing the delivery; and should any case of emergency arise, so that the officers are detained for a longer time, the Surveyor for the station is to be made acquainted therewith by those officers on the following morning in order that he may make inquiry as to the necessity thereof; and the Surveyors are to submit, on the first day of every month, all such cases as may arise on their respective stations, with their observations thereon, for the consideration and directions of the Board.-M., 15th April, 1848.

With the view of ensuring the punctual attendance of officers and clerks the following regulations are to be observed, viz.

An appearance sheet to be kept in the custody of the principal officer of each department, to be produced for the signature of the several officers and clerks at the appointed hour of arrival to be then withdrawn, and again produced at the appointed hour of departure for the entry of their initials, which entry is not to be deferred until the following morning; and the principal of each office is to affix his initials at the foot of the columns for arrival and departure, as well as against any special entry made by him therein. The principals of departments are also, if they quit before the legal hour, to note the fact in the column of "observations."-G.O., 23rd June, 1836; M., 17th March, 1843; and 21st Dec,, 1844.

The absence of any officer or clerk at the hour of arrival or departure, or during the official hours of attendance, is to be noted by the principal in red ink, in the proper column, with an explanation of the cause, together with the exact time at which the party appeared after the appointed hour of arrival, or the time at which his absence commenced and terminated during the official hours. In cases where the absence of the party may continue from a period preceding the Monday in any week the date of commencement is to be stated; and where the absence has terminated by leave, the termination of the leave is also to be stated.-G.O., 23rd June, 1836.

* Goods which have been delivered from the warehouses are not to be allowed to be returned thereto, and the Officers are to take care that such a course be not pursued in any instance.-M., 16th Oct., 1843.

The following fines are to be strictly levied for non-attendance (except in cases hereafter mentioned).-G.O., 23rd June, 1836.

The only cases of exemption from this fine shall be those of absence by leave, or sickness duly authenticated by medical certificate or otherwise.

All officers and clerks who may be prevented from attending their duty by sickness or other unavoidable cause, are to signify the same by a written communication to the principals of their respective departments, specifying their residence and the nature of the illness, or other circumstances by which their absence is occasioned, and taking care that such communication be forwarded in sufficient time to be received at the proper hour of arrival. And the principals of the several departments, under the supervision of the Inspectors General of the waterside and warsehousing branches are to make the like communication to those officers. No verbal message is to be received in excuse for non-attendance, unless under very special circumstances, which may render a compliance with the regulations impracticable, and such cases must be submitted to the Board for their direction.G.O., 23rd June, 1836; M., 21st Dec., 1844.

The principals of departments are to note against the names of the officers in the appearance sheet whether the explanation offered, and the medical certificate (if any) be satisfactory, and if not, they are to impose the fines.

The amount of fines so levied to be at the disposal of the Board for benevolent grants to the widows and children of officers who may die in the service, or such other cases of great distress as may be brought under the Board's notice.-G.O., 26th May, 1842.

Any instance of an officer or clerk failing to pay the amount of fines levied on him, within the time prescribed, is to be reported to the Board.-G.O., 42, 1846.

And no salary or other allowance is to be paid to any such officer or clerk, until the fines incurred by him in the preceding quarter shall have been fully paid.-G.O., 23rd June, 1836.

It is to be distinctly understood that a failure in regular and punctual attendance will be visited by such censure or punishment as the nature of the case may deserve.

Similar regulations are to be observed at the out-ports in regard to the attendance of the officers and clerks, and (as far as the same are applicable) to the mode of keeping the appearance books, which are to be inspected weekly by the Collector.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE.

1st.-The grant of leave in every case will be contingent on the business of the department in which the officer or clerk may be employed admitting of his absence.

2nd. The maximum period of leave will be as follows:

To Out-door Officers, Messengers, Boatmen, Constables, and Watchmen 16 days in the year,* and to other Officers and Clerks 32 days.

The leave in all cases to be calculated exclusive of Sundays and holidays.

To an Officer or Clerk who shall have served on the establishment (exclusive of probation) less than 12 months, one half only of the above periods of leave will be granted.

In the cases of Principals of Departments the Board will be prepared to entertain favourably applications for an extension of leave for a reasonable period with reference to the position of the officers, and according to the practice which has heretofore existed; but the Board do not deem it expedient to lay down any precise rule on the subject.

3rd.-If leave of absence granted towards the close of one year shall extend beyond the 31st December, any absence after that date is to be reckoned as part of the leave for the following year.

4th. The Inspectors General in London and the Collectors at the out-ports (excepting when the conduct of the Officer shall not have been satisfactory, or when he may have been absent for any lengthened period by illness or other causes in the same or previous year) may, without special application to the Board, grant to Out-door Officers, Messengers, Boatmen, Constables, and Watchmen, leave for the full period of 16 days at one time, or in such proportion of days as they may think fit and the service will admit.

5th. In the case of other officers and clerks the Principals of Departments in London and the Collectors at the out-ports may, under the like restriction, grant leave at any time for a period not exceeding 6 days.

6th.-The Collector is not to absent himself for more than 2 days (except in a case of pressing emergency, the circumstances of which are to be stated to the Board) without previously communicating with the Board; and when the Collector may be pre

* By T.M., 25th April, 1864, no deduction is made from the income of day-pay officers while on ordinary leave of absence. But the shilling is ot allowed for Sunday unless the officer be actually employed.