SOME REASON'S Humbly Offered to the Honourable House of Commons, To Hear the Petitioner John Dennis, when the Report of the Q's and Rs shall be Read.  
I. THE Report was made or at least composed without hearing the Petitioner's Complaints.  
II. The Petitioner hopes to prove the Report is not so much in the Seamen's Favour as the Merits of their Case would bear.  
III. Three Hardships only, as the Cause of the Seamen's Miseries are cautiously confessed, (viz. Turning them over, Lending them, and Want of Pay) but many more and weighty ones are omitted.  
iv The Petitioner doubts not but to make it appear that the Discipline of the Navy has greatly differed from the said Report.  
V The Petitioner's Complaint was not against Q's and Rs only, or principally, but the Intent of his Petition was, That this Honourable House would be pleased to consider whether it is not necessary to establish (by good and wholesome Laws) the Discipline of the Navy, that the Strength, Wealth and Honour of the Nation may be preserved thereby.  
VI The Petitioner believes it may be worthy the Consideration of this Honourable House, whether the Q's as described in the Report are not great Hardships: It being acknowledged, That all Men set on Shore sick before the 23d of March 1690, were thereby discharged from the Service, and Tickets were principally intended for that purpose (Vide Article 16. of the Lord High Admiral's Instructions to Captains) but by this new Order, when they are set Sick on Shore, unless they return to the Ships from whence they came, or to some other of His Majesty's Ships, immediately after they are discharged from sick Quarters, they are and (as the Report expresses it) have been esteemed as Deserters, and as such by the Act of Parliament mentioned in the said Report, are liable to be punished with Death, which Act has several times been put in Execution against Deserters during the late War.  
VII. The Report of the Petitioners having bought the Money of several that are Queried and Run, and his encouraging the Women to attend this Honourable House, are equally groundless; he never having bought, or is now interested one Penny in the one, nor did ever associate himself with, or encourage the others: But on the contrary hath advised them to be moderate, and assured them that their Clamorous Proceed would prejudice their Cause.  
J. D.   

The ADDRESS presented to the Lords of the Admiralty in Feb. 1698/9.  

Sect. I.  
My Lords,  
BEing employed by divers Seamen, their Wives, Widows, and others to receive their Wages, meeting with many unexpected Objections to the Payment of the same, am obliged to address your Lordships, as well for those I serve, as others under the like Circumstances; whose Cases in some Particulars shall humbly lay before your Lordships, and pray Relief therein.  
I. Objection. Is Querying those that are set Sick on Shoar.  
As for such Queries, however His Majesty's Service, and the Nations Safety might require it in time of War (to keep Mariners to their Duty;) an honourable Peace being now concluded, altho' by the strict Rules of the Navy, such Wages may be denied; yet there are several Motives and Reasons for the taking off those Queries.  
1. The Indigency, Poverty and Misery of those distressed Seamen, and their Families, were there no other Reason, seems no small Motive to it; especially considering 'tis the Labourer's Hire, and his Families Bread.  
2. There were no such Queries until the Year 1690, before which time every Man put on Shore sick, was thereby discharged from the Service, and his Wages duly paid.  
3. The great Sickness which at, and since that time happened in the Fleet, was, and is the Foundation of those Queries; the which indeed, considering also the great Mortality that has likewise attended His Majesty's Service, should rather be Motives for the removing of them.  
4. Many of the Persons that have been put on Shore sick, being ignorant of those new Rules of the Navy, believed themselves discharged as formerly.  
5. Many of them have been set on Shore sick several times, and returned to such Ships, as ordered, but continuing weak and indisposed, have at last repaired to their own Homes for Recovery.  
6. Others having been long Voyages and sick on Board for many Months (seeing the Major part of their Associates buried;) to such, after they were set sick on Shore, the thoughts of returning on Board have been dreadful, and deemed the only means to hasten their ends; which accordingly happened to many that did return.  
7. It could not be expected that those that have contracted Indispositions and Distempers, by unwholson Provision, or malignant Air, should (after a Month's Refreshment in sick Quarters, or labouring 6 or 12 Months under their Maladies in an Hospita) be fit to return, or capable of doing His Majesty Service; but the contrary is evident by the Multitude that died soon after their return on Board, and others that were again set sick on Shore.  
Lastly, Such having faithfully served His Majesty to the imparing of their Healths, and hazard of their Lives; it seems not only just, but also for His Majesty's Interest, and the Credit of his Service to grant them the Wages so hardly earned.  
I hope what has been said, with such other Motives, as in Wisdom, Justice and Charity, Your Lordships find in your own Breasts, may prevail for the taking off all Queries.  
But whatever Your Lordships shall please to direct as to the Queries in general, the Circumstances of some are such, that a speedy and general Order seems absolutely necessary to remove the same.  

1. All those that have been set on Shore sick since the Peace concluded.  
2. Such as after Recovery entered on Board any of His Majesty's Ships.  
3. Such as died in sick Quarters, Hospitals, or Hospital-Ships.  
4. Such as have been wounded or hurt, and received Pensions, or Smart-Money for the same.  
5. Such as continued Six Months or upwards in sick Quarters or Hospitals, or have been discharged thence incurable.  
6. Such as the Captains have discharged by Ticket, Sick, Lame, Blind, Infirm, or otherwise unfit for His Majesty's Service, they alone being proper Judges of the same.   
It may be objected, That Application being made with good Proof of the last mentioned Circumstance, such Queries may be removed.  

May it please your Lordships to consider,  
The great Inconveniencies that attend such particular Orders, which creates Tumult and Clamour at both Offices, gives advantage to many that solicit to exact great part of the Wages for their Assistance, puts the Poor to great Fatigue and Expense in Attendance, but principally the loss of the opportunity of the Ships Payment; which may and have caused many to stay 2 or 3 Years for their Money, or sell it for half the value.  
And indeed many of those Queries might be prevented in making up the Pay-Books of each Ships, and of every Person under the Circumstances aforesaid, notice might be taken on the said Books; the sick Accounts being in the same Office.  
I shall say no more touching Queries, only that every DS should be so accounted, seems contrary to the first intent of the same; which as I humbly conceive, were for Commanders to put on such as did not return, and not on those whom they see cause to discharge.    

Sect. II. Another Objection is, Persons being made Run, some of whose Circumstances may also claim your Lordship's Consideration.  
1. Such as never designed to desert the Service, but being returned from long Voyages, and the Ships to which they belong being either in Port or Dock, have adventured to stray from them, either to see their Friends in parts adjacent, or provide themselves Apparel, but meeting with other Ships Companies have been Impressed, and served in such Ships till discharged: Such therefore not deserting the Service, should not be punished as Deserters, but their R's taken off, and their Wages paid.  
2. Those that have served in His Majesty's Ships, and have been turned over from one Ship to another, and after having served some time in the later, their Tickets for the former have been delivered them, which Tickets by the Parties being set Sick or Shoar, or leaving that, or some other suc●●ling Ship, perhaps a Third or Fourth, and two or three Years after such Tickets delivered, those Tickets have been Qed or Run, and the Wages ●●●reby forfeited; with many other Circumstances of the like nature too tedious to insert.  

As Motives to take off the same I shall humbly offer,  
Such as have Tickets delivered them, seems in the Eye of Justice to have a good Title to their Wage.  
Those Tickets are and have been esteemed as the King's Bonds or Bills of Exchange, and formerly paid at sight.  
Many well affected People for promoting His Majesty's Service and Interest, and in Charity to their dstressed Neighbours, have supplied them Value of their Tickets,  
The Querying such Tickets has unspeakably reduced the Credit of the Navy, with respect to Wages; insomuch that Tickets formerly sold at 2 s. 〈◊〉 Pound loss, have of late been sold at 7 s. and some at 10 or 12 s.  
The Miseries and distressed Condition of Seamens Families, whose Husbands and Relations are serving His Majesty and the Nation, at Sea, being to perish for want of Credit during their absence; and those who formerly relieved them, suffering great loss and damage by those Q's and Rs, ●olly discouraged from continuing the same: The Poor therefore must inevitably perish, unless relieved by the Alms of the Parish, whose burdens 〈◊〉 are almost intolerable, the charge of the Poor being now three times more than before the War, and the major part of those that receive are the 〈◊〉, Widows, and Families of such as have served His Majesty during the late War: Much more might be said for the taking off those R's, yet shall ●●●dd, that it is not inconsistent with Justice, but very agreeable to the Laws of God, Charity, Mercy, and Pity, and would not a little contribute 〈◊〉 Majesty's Interest, the Glory of the Nation, a more cheerful Contribution to Taxes, the Honour of your Lordships, the Relief of the Poor, prevention of those clamorous Tumults that attend this Honourable Board.  
●hat has been said may not prevail for the taking off those R's for time past, my humble Request is, That the like may be prevented for the future, 〈◊〉 seems easy, just and reasonable, for those Tickets may be kept by the Commanders, or in the Office, until the Party have such a Right as not to 〈◊〉 the same, by serving such reasonable time as your Lordships shall direct, and those Tickets when delivered to the Parties, or any other by their 〈◊〉, to be good and valid to such Persons as have a Title to the same, which would reduce those exorbitant Losses, and give good credit to Tick●●● formerly; and whatever other Punishment shall be judged meet to be inflicted on the Deserter, besides forfeiture of Wages due in the Ship he 〈◊〉; the same may be corporal and not forfeitue of former Pay, by this the Transgressors will receive their Reward; by the other their Fami●●●ist perish unless relieved, and those that supply them on the Credit of such Tickets be great Sufferers; and indeed the delivering of such Tick●●●●●ilst they are liable to be forfeited, do but empower the Party to impose on, and defraud the Innocent,  
●●●rposed something touching the Pay, but fearing I have already transgressed by Prolixity; for which with whatever else may render me obmoxi●● 〈◊〉 your Lordship's Censure, I humbly beg your Pardon: the design hereof being for the relief of the Poor, and free from all thought of Reflec●●● shall therefore only add, that the People were never better served, His Majesty's Affairs dispatched, and Frauds prevented, than by the Clerks ●●●●ing the Pay, when they had liberty to receive Wages. And subscribe, with all Dutiful Respects,  
Your Lordship's most Humble and Obedient Servant, John Dennis.