Visit all the Sea Ports Rivers and Creeks of every Parish and place where Maritime People Inhabit as Seamen Fishermen Hoymen Ferrymen Bargemen c. within their several Counties and there shall send for or summon before them the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor who shall give them account of what such Men live within their Precincts their true Names Sir-names Ages and Aboads which said Accounts shall by the said Vice-Admiral be drawn into a fair List and sent unto the said Office and there be entred into the said Books Now the Vice-Admiral might by his Warrant send to the said Parishes to send in to him by such a day appointed at a most convenient place for their ease the said Account and in case any shall neglect the said Duty or Conceal any Man that hath used the said Practice and place for the space of Six Months from between the Ages of Eighteen and Sixty that are not worth one Hundred Pounds clear when Debts paid or in such sort as the Lord High Admiral shall direct his Warrant to the Vice-Admiral the Nature and Substance of the Vice-Admirals to contain the substance of the High-Admirals which Returns or Presentments least they prove to be false by Concealments and Partialities they should be required upon Oath After which if the said Vice-Admiral shall upon his Visits find false or partial he should send to the Quarter Sessions next his Information of that Officer's Perjury under Hand and Seal to the Clerk of the Peace who should file the said Information against that Church-warden or Overseer of the Poor and proceed against him in behalf of the King as for Perjury and punished by the Judgment of the Bench. If the Laws extant are not sufficient to impower the Lord High Admiral to do these things as here mentioned there might be a Clause added to his Power as the King and Parliament shall think meet for the better governing of the Maritime Affairs by which Methods aforesaid being duly observed and kept it would cost the King for keeping the said Office but a small matter which would soon be saved in the great Expences for Pressing of Men beside the great Abuses done in the Countrys be prevented if the Vice-Admirals be good Men. Also if the said Law were That if any Parish shall Conceal any one between the said Sessions and summoned and not bring him forth That for every Man so Concealed and proved by the Oath of one Man That he was in the Parish by the space of Twenty four Hours and not seized by any of the Parish then the Vice-Admiral's Deputy shall take Distress upon the said Church-wardens or Overseers of the Poor for Ten Shillings for every such Man and for every time so Concealed to be born by the Parish equally out of the Parish Rates I only add That if the Lord High Admiral 's Warrants to all the High Sheriffs of England that they do send their Warrants to the Constables of Hundreds Wapentakes c. and they to the Petty-Constables or Tything-men That they should make a like Presentment viz. The Constable of the Hundred should deliver it in every Assizes or Goal-delivery which Presentment the Petty-Constables should be sworn to the truth thereof before some Justice of the Peace before the High Constable receiveth it and then he should from thence draw one Presentment for the Hundred to give in at the Assizes and say as from the Petty-Constables under their Oaths thus presenteth out of which Presentments the Clerk of the Assizes shall give the Admiralty the needful Account at the end of every Circuit there to be entered into the Office aforesaid For many Men when War is do betake themselves to live with their Friends in the Inlands and follow their Occupations and at the end of the Wars do return to their Maritime Lives or wait to make slips into Merchant-men but this being duly executed by Vice-Admirals Custom-houses and High-Sheriffs and trinsmitted unto such an Office as before mentioned and there well digested into Method and duly kept so it would enable the Lord High Admiral at all times to give the King his Council and Parliament when required a true and certain state of the Kingdom as to Maritime Strength and also enable him to collect them from all Places in little Time less Charges and less Trouble to the People in their Disquiet of the Country So there might be made good Estimates of the Increase or Decrease of our Maritime Strength at any time to be gathered out of the Ledger-Books of the said Office and only Communicable to the Admiralty and yet farther at the King 's or perhaps the Lord High Admiral 's Order Proclamation might be made upon the Exchange or put out in Gazattes Requiring all Merchants Owners of Ships c. to signifie by their Letter to the said Office where their Ships were by their last Advices and whither bound and where expected next with some Estimate of the Ships number of Men Burthen and some value of Cargo that care proportionably might be taken for their Protection and Preservation the which may often prevent the sudden Seisures of the Subjects and Wealthy Effects of the Nation for it is not possible that Merchants c. can be privy to the Intrigues of States which ought to have their Paths in Secret and Select Councils As for the Methodizing these things I do not project but only hint the Basis and Foundations thereof that the Superstructures might be raised thereon to perfection by the Skilful Architectors of the Wise Legislators and State Politicians of the Nation IX The Measures necessary to be taken in our Present Wars with the French and in point of Balancing of Trade for the future And First For War it being our present Condition IT would be an extraordinary means to Facilitate our Desires if we did bid at a large rate for the whole subjecting them in the West-Indies and for the doing of which we should have an especial eye of Intelligence whensoever they shall send any Succours thither and if the strength of ours already sent were not sufficient to perform it in December next a sufficient Supply with Land-men and all Military Provisions with Artillery should be sent for the effecting it and never upon making Peace should they be restored to any Command there I mean in any part of America So would our Collonies thrive undisturbed and be a mighty help to our Navigation and as much an Abatement to them For the whole Commands of those Parts being once brought under one Interest it would be like a well-twisted Cord made up of many Threds although some thereof were not of any strength of themselves yet by their near conjunction and twisting together with the others all being twisted one way acquireth a considerable strength For the Interest of the French in those parts have of late Years thriven to a great degree not only to the Extirpating of us out of St. Christophers
long as it was kept and observed it appeared to be an orderly Family excellent and beautiful in its Government and served for the purpose intended viz. the Service of their Master the Glory Beauty and Splendor of the Court and hath been said thereof by Foreigners seeing it as the Queen of Sheba said of Solomon Happy are these thy Servants that stand before thee to hear thy Wisdom and see this Order But what Corruption hath brought it to ever since is not difficult to relate So say I of the Navy if the like Order were made and observed and such a known method were Registred in every Office of moment it would be a great Settlement as it hath been formerly it would be an encouragement to all Officers to be Honest Painful and Just in their respective Stations and endeavour to be approved and experienced Men for their Abilities and not to grind and extort Fees for Reward and to raise their Profits by Intricacies and dilatory Pretences for to bring about their Designs to enrich themselves betimes lest they should be turned out and not be able to live afterwards But to wait patiently and expect to rise by their Merit unto better Preferment as their lot of Succession shall happen and not fear to be turned aside and be put out of their Livelihoods if they faithfully act in their station altho ' some are offended at them and by their private Picque shall inform against them and so be dismist for doing their very Duty and never so much as have an Hearing or so much as know for what they are turned out as of late years it hath been practised Such Proceedings I am sure is beside Justice and that no Man but would endeavour to avoid such a Lot by breaking the Rules and Methods which are prescribed them when they know it will be their fate if they do not violate their Orders to please some men But heretofore it always was the Method if any one had done a Crime worthy of being discarded they were sent for and permitted to answer their Accusations and had that Justice done them which the Antient Romans used as is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and not to proceed to Judgment until the Accusers came Face to Face yet they were Heathens Now I have farthermore to offer That if Officers have Commissions or Warrants granted them and have not at the same time given them ample and sufficient Instructions to act by in their Execution of the same in the performing of which they shall be safe and blameless altho any Superior be offended and also if Instructions be given to one Officer to Act thus and to another Inferior to make no mention of his Obedience to the former but that their Instructions are as different and as contrary as Light is to Darkness It certainly must be instead of procuring Unity and Concord a casting a Stumbling-block into the Affair and be a cause of many to fall either into Discord and Divisions which is a vexation to them and an hinderance to the Affair or else under the guilt of breaking or laying aside their Instructions and act according to the pleasure of their Superior then say I Rules and Methods are of no farther use and the Service rendred only to truckle to the will and pleasure of the Superior the evil whereof will not be small So that the Affair must of necessity prove to be the Expence of vast Treasure the Service done therein very uncertain and must attend and wait upon the Humour Profit or Pleasure of every individual Commander or Superior Officer of a Fleet Office or Ship which never was the Proceedings of the Navy formerly nor I hope never will be if it be it would be the prostituting the Glory of the Nation to private Interest and the prostrating it at the Feet of a few who may in time be able to shake the Quiet and Felicity of the Nation at their pleasures and be formidable to those that Nourished and Fed them from their low Estate Wherefore it hath been ever observ'd by all Kingdoms States and Governments to be jealous of any Army or Military Power that they have in their greatest need been constrained to employ to be sure to bind them to the strict Observance of Orders Rules and Methods of the King and his Councils or his Chief Ministers near him to whom he commits the Command of them he residing with him and in his Councils and communicates the Affair to the King and Council So likewise States do Theirs to the Order of the Senate and whensoever their Commanders shall disobey or break their Orders they are immediatly Jealous of their Security and do not easily pass it by as may appear in the Roman Histories yet they fell under it at last Notwithstanding their Care and also the Care of their Emperors for the Erecting the Pretorian Gaurds for their own Safety yet they exposed themselves to the dispose of the said Guards For how often was the Empire translated and the Imperial Crown put upon the Head of whom they chose As likewise the Mammalucks of Aegypt and the Jannisaries of the Ottoman-Empire So that I say all Nations have been careful to have their Military Men religiously to Observe their Orders in their Commands and to have all Officers have their Instructions for their Duties in their Respective Places and their Dependance for Preferment from the Lord High Admiral under the King for the Sea and from the Lord General under the King by Land who except in very Urgent and Sharp Wars is near unto the King and in his Councils Yet there is none bearing Command under the King but are to act themselves according to Instructions prescribed them and also to preserve their Sub-Officers in their respective Stations they acting according to their Instructions for the breach of which they are accountable to the Commissioners of the Navy who are to examine into it and to inform the Lord High-Admiral thereof Wherefore as I said before if there be not a Harmony in the said Instructions but are of different Meanings so that no concordance can be interpreted from them neither do they speak the particular Duties required of them but is all left to the uncontrolled Will of the Superiour Commanding then is the Affair in a loose Posture without true Method of Government and is consequently in much Commotion disorderly unquiet and distractedly confused and at the will of the Superiour commanding and can attain no Laudable Action and at a Prodigious and uncertain Expence of Treasure and grievously burthensome to the Nation and to the Inferior Officers and Mariners serving under them I say when ever the Navy is under such Predicaments in its Government it is running in the Plain rode to Ruine and the total Loss of England's Glory and the Sovereignty of the Norrow Seas the which God in his Mercy prevent II. Of the Principal Officers and Commissioners in General THEY are Commissioned
us with his Almighty Finger to Rule and Govern in it which our former Princes have done without sparing Blood or Treasure to accomplish it But now the French King maketh very large Efforts to the bereaving us of that Right and Pirating Roving and Ravaging in it he having been increased in Shipping Navigation and Wealth by our late Impolitick Proceedings First by permitting the uneven balance of Trade with us And Secondly By directing or suffering the changing the ancient and Expeditious Methods of the Discipline and Government of the Navy Royal putting it into the hands of designing Projectors to enrich themselves only confounding the Affair exhausting much Treasure to multiply great Ships of little use to our purpose and neglecting of lesser Ships which we now want discouraging and disanimating Warranted bnd Standing Officers Mariners and Seamen by blind-folding Pretences of strict observance of Duty needless and from preserving the Mariner from being rooked of his Pay by having liberty to dispose of it as he pleases for which purpose he hath not been allowed an open Market for the same on Shoar to bring it into Money into his Pocket nor yet on Board allowed a Market where more than one Seller for Cloathing and other of their Wants which Methods I say have greatly disanimated all the Maritime People under a Commission Officer And I fear by the Novels introduced have brought Distraction and Confusion on it to the great impeding thereof Wherefore it is high time if it be not too late to awaken out of this Lethargy to recover our Dominion Honour and Prowess before it be past recovery now in this instant War with France to effect which the Nation must not spare Blood nor Treasure although it prove a Work of time and great Maritime Expences must be continued until it be gained without which no lasting Peace or Happiness can be expected for us to enjoy for the Sword being drawn by so many hands to carve themselves a share out of this said Maritime Dominion we are not able to judge how Sides may be taken or with whom we may happen to deal with before the Seas may enjoy a setled Peace Wherefore I emplore the King and Estates in Parliament to put the Navy into a posture of great and constant defence to dispoyl this Common Enemy of all his Commands or Collonies in the West-Indies and his Navigation of Fishing on the Banks of New-found-land but first to put the Navy into its former Methods of Expedition near unto what was practised when England did such Braveries at Sea as before spoken of and by expugning all the Novel and hurtful invented Intricacies and retain only the Laudable which is the principal and proper Work of the Lord High Admiral or Lords Commissioners for executing the said Office by appointing and choosing Experienced Wise Just Valiant and Religious Commissioners of the Navy Flag Officers Captains Commissioned and Warranted Officers all well approved in their Principles for the maintaining of the Monarchical Government of this Nation both in Church and State as by the Laws thereof established and to lay by all Vncapable and Irreligious Persons unjust Cowards Private-Interest-makers Trickers Dissemblers Designers Party-makers Debanched and Disloyal Persons to the said Government and by inviting and incouraging all good Men qualified as aforesaid and setling of Just Safe Expeditious and well experienced Methods in the Government thereof affixing and establishing Rewards and Preferments independant upon private Interest Bribes or immediate Superiors Commanding and also giving them ample and full Instructions for the performance of their respective Duties in doing which they shall be safe from violence or wrong done them by their Superiors not suffering Methods and Instructions to be either leapt over or broken like Cobwebs and they left to Despotical and Tyrannical Power I say the King Commissions the Lords of the Admiralty under him and by his Dictates unto them from time to time to Govern Fight and Manage the said Navy and to perform which they Constitute Commissioners of the Navy to negotiate under them and by their Dictates and Approbation to prepare and provide Ships Men Stores and all Necessaries Provisions Moneys c. and to Dispose Account and Order the same as Deputies of the Lord High Admiral having each his distinct Class or Order to act in yet a certain number thereof confirms all Actions viz. three of them whereof one is needful to be the Comptroller him unto whose particular Office the said Matters do more immediately relate whose Clerks in each Office are under their respective Inspections and Directions for Dispatches to keep them to their Duties duly observing their Errors in Methods and Protraction in Dispatches yet not wholly confined to their respective Offices but to mark all Errors in all others nay of all Degrees and Orders of the Navy under the Lord High Admiral but if they are designed to live at ease and let Business slide and do Justice as the unjust Judge did because he was wearied by the Complainant that he could not rest and no otherwise If he let Officers do their Dispatches at their Leisures Secretaries Clerks c. do most of the business I say if their Actions are with too much Grandeur and Deliberation and promulgate their Pleasures at too great distances and through too many Doors And if they move in the Affairs as some Country Justices doe to do Justice to their Country for at their procuring the Commission it was but to give them Authority to punish those that offended themselves or Friends in their Domestick Rights or slighted their Grandeur but to serve their Countrey or take pains to distribute Justice to relieve the oppressed and restore Men to lost Rights maintain Peace and Amity in Neighbourhoods punish Malefactors and Offenders and for doing this and many more good Offices spends his Time and Moneys at Assizes and Sessions he never intended any more than to live well himself and let the World Sink or Swim I say if such like proceedings be in the Navy then I conclude it has gotten a filthy Disease the Lethargy and to a waken it out of its Drowsinefs there ought to be some sharp Applications Wherefore I project that there should be another Officer created in the Navy viz. a Superseding Officer such as the French call an Intendant but I affect not the French Name nor Manners but the Latines or Romans a Censor one that should Censure all Officers in the Navy under the Lord High Admiral and be Commissioned by him to go and fit at all Boards Inspect all Officers and Books and observe their Methods and Practices in dispatches and censure dictate direct and correct the Errors quicken the Dispatches hear all Grievances and Complaints suspend all Contumelious Negligent Dishonest Disloyal and offending Officers refering them to the Admiralty for their Appeal whither he should transmit their Faults in a fair written Accusation taken before him at the place by his Clerk for that Purpose