197.—(1) Where the wages of a seaman received into Her Majesty’s naval service are paid in money, the money shall be credited in the ship’s ledger to the account of the seaman.

(2) Where the wages are paid by bill, the bill shall be noted in the ship’s ledger, and sent to the Accountant-General of the Navy, who shall cause the same to be presented for payment, and shall credit the produce thereof to the account of the seaman.

(3) An officer who receives any such bill shall not be subject to any liability in respect thereof, except for the safe custody thereof until sent to the Accountant-General as aforesaid.

(4) The wages of the seaman shall not be paid to him until the time at which he would have been entitled to receive the same if he had remained in the service of the ship which he has quitted for the purpose of entering Her Majesty’s service.

(5) If the owner or master of the ship shows to the satisfaction of the Admiralty, that he has paid or properly rendered himself liable to pay, an advance of wages to or on account of the seaman, and has satisfied that liability, and that the seaman has not at the time of quitting his ship duly earned the advance by service therein, the Admiralty may pay to the owner or master so much of the advance as had not been duly earned, and deduct the sum so paid from any wages of the seaman earned or to be earned in the naval service of Her Majesty.

(6) Where in consequence of a seaman so leaving his ship and entering Her Majesty’s service, it becomes necessary for the safety and proper navigation of the ship to engage any substitute, and the wages or other remuneration paid to the substitute for subsequent service exceed the wages or remuneration which would have been payable to the seaman under his agreement for similar service, the master or owner of the ship may apply to the High Court for a certificate authorising the repayment of the excess, and the application shall be made and the certificate granted in accordance with rules of court.

(7) The certificate shall be sent to the applicant or his solicitor or agent, and a copy thereof shall be sent to the Accountant-General of the Navy; and the Accountant-General shall, upon delivery to him of the original certificate together with a receipt in writing purporting to be a receipt from the applicant, pay to the person delivering the certificate, out of the moneys granted by Parliament for Navy services, the amount mentioned in the certificate; and the certificate and receipt shall absolutely discharge the Accountant-General and Her Majesty from all liability in respect of the moneys so paid or of the application thereof.

(8) If any person in making or supporting any application under this section—

(a) forges or fraudulently alters, or assists in forging or fraudulently altering, or procures to be forged or fraudulently altered, any document; or

(b) presents or makes use of any document so forged or fraudulently altered; or

(c) gives, assists in giving, or procures to be given, any false evidence, knowing the same to be false; or

(d) makes, assists in making, or procures to be made, any false representation, knowing the same to be false,

that person shall in respect of each offence be guilty of a misdemeanor.