Regulations for the establishment and government of the Royal Military Asylum

by Duke of York's Royal Military School

Together with,

The General Commanding in Chief Our Forces in the United Kingdom, for the time being; Our Secretary at War; Our Bishops of London and Winchester; the Paymaster General of Our Land Forces; Our Master General of the Ordnance; Our Quarter Master General; Our Adjutant General; Our Barrack Master General; Our Inspector General of the Recruiting Service; the Governor, and Lieutenant Governor, of Our Royal Hospital, at Chelsea; the Colonels of Our Two Regiments of Life Guards; Our Judge Advocate General; Our Commissary General of Stores and Provisions in Great Britain; the Chaplain General of Our Forces; and Our Deputy Secretary at War; All for the Time being; shall be Commissioners for the Government of our Royal Military Asylum, and for the Direction, Management, and Control, of all Affairs belonging thereto.

And, it is Our Royal Pleasure, that Our Commander in Chief for time being shall be the President, and Our Secretary at War for the time being shall be the Vice-President, of Our said Royal Military Asylum.

WE do hereby Grant to Our several Commissioners above specified, or any Five or more of them, forming a Board, (of whom Our Commander in Chief, Secretary at War, Paymaster General, Quarter Master General, Adjutant General, or Governor of Chelsea Hospital, shall always be One) full Power and Authority generally to do, perform, and direct, all such Matters and Things, as They, in their Discretion, shall judge expedient, for the due Government and Maintenance of Our said Asylum; subject to such further Orders, Regulations, and Instructions, as WE shall at any time or times hereafter think fit to give under Our Royal Sign Manual, in relation to Our said Asylum, and to the Government thereof.

Four Quarterly, or General, Boards shall be holden in each Year; viz. on the 1^st Tuesday in the Months of January, April, July, and October, or as soon thereafter as may be; of which the Secretary shall give due notice to each Commissioner, one Week, at the least, preceding each Board.

At those Quarterly Boards the general business of the Institution shall be transacted: such as the Appointment or Removal of Officers, not holding their Employments by Commission from Us; the Authorising and Approving of Contracts; the Examining and Settling of all Accounts; and the consideration of the necessary Applications, from time to time, to Parliament, for the Sums required in Support of the Institution.

A Committee (open to all Commissioners, but at which, Three of those specially named by the General Board shall always be present) shall meet as often as occasion may require to receive Reports; to determine on the reception, or rejection, of Children recommended for admittance into the Asylum, under such Restrictions and Regulations as shall have been previously prescribed by Our Commissioners at any General Board; and to give directions in all Matters respecting the interior Economy of the Institution: and whenever such Committee may find it expedient, it is to direct the Secretary to Summon a Special General Board of Commissioners, at any intermediate time between the Quarterly Boards.

In the selection or the Children for admission, preference in general shall be given,

1^st. To Orphans.

2^nd. To those, whose Fathers have been killed; or have died on Foreign Service.