ANNO REGNI CAROLI REGIS ANGLIAE, SCOTIAE FRANCIAE, & HIBERNIAE, DECIMO SEPTIMO.  
At the Parliament begun at Westminster the third day of November, Anno Dom. 1640.  
In the 16. year of the Reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lord, CHARLES, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.  
LONDON, Printed by ROBERT BARKER, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty: And by the Assigns of JOHN BILL. 1641.  

Cum Privilegio.    

 royal English blazon or coat of arms HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT   

ANNO XVII. Caroli Regis.  
¶ An Act for the better Raising and Levying of Mariners, Sailors, and others, for the present guarding of the Seas, and necessary defence of the Realm, and other His Majesty's Dominions.  
WHereas there was an Act this present Parliament, entitled, An Act for the better raising and levying of Mariners, Sailors, and others, for the present guarding of the Seas, and necessary defence of the Realm: which Act is now expired: And whereas also a Fleet is now in preparing to be set forth with all expedition for the guarding of the narrow Seas, and necessary defence of this Realm, and other His Majesty's Dominions in this time of imminent danger, which cannot accordingly be performed, unless the same be furnished with fit and sufficient men for that Service;  
Be it therefore enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament, That the Lord Admiral that now is, shall and may, at any time or times, between the tenth day of December 1641. and the first of November next coming, by himself, his Vice-admiral, Commissioner, or Commissioners, or other Officer or Officers, or any of them, together with one or more justices of the peace, next the place where any Press shall be made, shall Raise, Levie, and Impress such, and so many Mariners, Sailors, Watermen, Surgeons, Gunners, and Ship-Carpenters, as shall be requisite and necessary for this present Expedition, or for any such further defence of the Realm, or any other of His Majesty's Dominions; Which said Mariners, Sailors, & other such persons so to be Levied and Impressed, as aforesaid, and every of them, shall have paid and delivered unto him upon such his Impressing, by the person that shall so Impress him, for Conduct-money for every mile from the place where he shall be so Impressed, to the Ship or place to which he shall be appointed to make his repair, the sum of one penny, and the like sum of one penny for every mile from the place of his discharge unto the place of his abode, and shall be allowed for his Service the best Wages and entertainment which have or hath been allowed by His Majesty, to any such person or persons respectively, at any time within three years last passed. And if any Mariner, Sailer, Waterman, Chirurgeon, Gunner, or Ship-Carpenter, shall wilfully refuse to be Impressed, in, or for the said Service, or shall voluntarily hid and absent himself at the time of such Press, to avoid the said Service, That then every such person so offending shall suffer Imprisonment by the space of three months without bail or mainprize.  
Provided always, that this Act shall not extend to the Pressing of any Master, or Masters-mate, Gunner, Carpenter, or Boatswain of any Ship or Vessel that is or shall be in employment, or of above one of ten Mariners of any Ships that shall be inward or outward bound, nor to any person that shall be under the age of eighteen, or above the age of fifty, nor to any person that was rated in the last Subsidies, or shall be rated in any Subsidies hereafter to be granted before the time of his being Impressed.  
Provided always, and be it enacted, That no Money, or other reward, shall be taken, or any corrupt practice used by any the persons authorized by this Act, in or for the Pressing, Changing, Sparing, or Discharging of any person or persons to be Impressed by force of this Act, under pain of forfeiture of twenty pounds by the person so offending for every such offence, the one half to His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, the other half to him that will sue for the same, to be recovered by Action of debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information in any of His Majesty's Courts of Record, or before the justices of Assize, Oyer and Terminer, Goaldelivery, or the justices of the Peace of the County, City, or Town-Corporate where such offence shall be committed, at their general quarter Sessions, wherein no Wager of Law, Essoign, Protection, or Injunction shall be admitted or allowed.   

❧ ANNO XVII. Caroli Regis.  
❧ An Act for the Relief of the Captives, taken by Turkish, Moorish, and other Pirates, and to prevent the taking of others in time to come.  
WHereas many thousands of your Majesty's good and loving Subjects with their Ships and goods, have of late time been surprised and taken at Sea (as they were in their lawful trading) by Turkish, Moorish, and other Pirates; And some of them, to free themselves of the cruel and barbarous usage of those Pirates, have renounced the Christian Religion, and turned Turks; And others yet kept in bondage, are used with so extreme cruelty, as they are in great danger thereby to lose their lives, unless they shall also forsake the Christian Religion: And divers of those Your Subjects kept in bondage (being expert and skilful Mariners) are usually employed at Sea against others Your good Subjects, and prove very prejudicial to them, and hurtful to the Trade and Merchandise of Your Majesty's Dominions: And whereas, aswell Your Majesty's Subjects, as strangers Exporting, or Importing their Goods and Merchandise into this Kingdom, have ever since Your Majesty's access unto this Crown, been charged with the payment of great sums of Money, under the name of Custom, and that without consent of Parliament, which had they been legally taken, aught to have been chief employed to the safeguard of the Seas, and preservation of Your good Subjects in their Trade of Merchandise from the spoil of Pirates, and other Sea-robbers, but have been exhausted by evil Ministers, and not applied to their proper uses, so that Your Highness' good Subjects have been exposed to the merciless cruelty of those Pirates, and barbarous Infidels.  
And the Commons taking into further consideration Your Majesty's pressing wants, and great occasions of Moneys in these times of distemper, as well in the Kingdom of Ireland, as other Kingdoms of Foreign Princes, so that there will be required some further aid to enable Your Highness to effect so great a Work, besides the present Tonnage and Poundage now granted to Your Majesty: Have therefore for this present pressing occasion, and for a time hereafter limited, taken into their Resolutions a further way of raising a Supply of Moneys, for the providing and setting forth to the Seas a Navy, as well for the enlargement and deliverance of those poor Captives in Argier, and other places, if Almighty God shall so please to give that Blessing unto their enterprises, as also for the preventing of the like future dangers unto Your good people, their Persons, Ships, and Merchandizes; Do therefore pray Your most Excellent Majesty, That it may be Enacted, and be it Enacted by authority of this present Parliament, That where any Subsidy, Custom, or other duty, after the nine and twentieth day of September, in the year one thousand six hundred forty one, and before the four and twentieth day of june than next following, shall be laid or imposed by authority of Parliament, upon any Goods, Wares, or other Merchandise, of what nature, kind, or quality soever, to be Exported out of, or Imported into this Your Majesty's Realm of England, or Dominion of Wales, That one other sum of one in the hundred, according to the Rates to be established by Parliament, within the time aforesaid, over and above the said Custom, Subsidy, or duty, so to be laid or imposed, shall be raised, levied, and paid, from, and after the tenth day of December, in the year one thousand six hundred forty one aforesaid, of and from all and every such goods, wares and other Merchandise, to be imported into, or exported out of this Your Majesties said Realm of England or Dominion of Wales, the said sum of one in the hundred to be raised, levied and paid for the space of three years next after the said tenth day of December, and no longer; And received and taken by the Lord Major and Chamberlain of London for the time being, their Deputies, or Deputy, and by them the said Lord Major and Chamberlain of London, for the time being, to be laid out, paid and employed for providing and setting out to sea and maintaining of one or more Fleet or Fleets of good and serviceable ships, and other necessaries to be used and employed for the purposes aforesaid, in such sort as by Order of a Committee of the House of Lords, and a Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament of this Your Majesty's Realm of England shall be directed. And such Lord Major and Chamberlain of London, who shall receive or disburse any the moneys aforesaid, shall be accountable and account for all, and every their receipts and disbursements afore mentioned, to the said Committee, or to such person or persons, as the said Committee shall Order and appoint.  
And be it also enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any goods, wares or other Merchandise, whereof the sum of one in the hundred aforesaid is or shall be due and paiable by virtue of this Act, shall at any time hereafter be shipped or put into any Boat or other Vessel, to the intent to be carried into the parts beyond the Seas, or else be brought from the parts beyond the Seas into any part of this Your Realm of England or Dominion of Wales, by way of Merchandise, and unshipped to be laid on land, the sum of one in the hundred as aforesaid, due or to be due for the same, not paid or lawfully tendered and secured to be paid to the Major and Chamberlain of London, for the time being, or their Deputy, or Deputies for the uses aforesaid; all the same Goods, Wares, and other Merchandise whatsoever, shall be forfeited and lost; The one Moiety of the rate or value thereof, to be to him, or them, that will seize, or sue for the same; and the other Moiety to be employed to, and for the uses before expressed.  
And for the better encouragement of Mariners to undertake the said service, and Owners of Ships to let out their Ships for the said employment, Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Ships, goods, or Merchandise of the said Pirates, or of the subjects of any that are, or shall be in enmity with your Majesty, your Heirs or Successors; or the Person of any such Pirates shall be taken by the Ships, to be employed in the service before mentioned, that one fourth part thereof shall be to the Mariners that shall take the same, and one other fourth part to the Owners of the said Ships, over and above their Hire, and Wages; and the other two fourth parts, to, and for such uses, as the said Committees shall order and appoint; and the overplus of the Money to be raised by virtue of this Act, and not employed to, and for the service afore mentioned (if any shall be) shall also be employed according to the Order of the same Committees.  
And be it further Declared and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that this present Act for the raising of Moneys for the setting forth of Ships for the suppressing of Pirates, and safety of Merchants, shall not hereafter be drawn into example, but that Your Majesty would in time to come, be pleased to in trust such Ministers, as may faithfully employ the Moneys raised by Tonnage and Poundage unto the right and proper uses, for the guarding of the Seas, & safety of Merchants, which will advance the Honour of Your Sacred Majesty abroad, and procure the safety, peace, and happiness of Your Highness' loyal and faithful subjects at home.