To the Right Honourable The KNIGHTS, citizens, and BURGESSES Assembled in PARLIAMEMT. The Humble Petition of the Captains, Commanders, and Owners of English Shipping, and other seafaring Men of this Nation.  
Showeth,  
THat when your Petitioners first saw that Act of Parliament made in Anno 1651. Entitled An Act for increase of Shipping; and encouragement of the Navigation of this Nation, They had ●opes that their then languishing condition should have been thereby restored; But having found by continued sad experience, that notwithstanding the good intendments ot that Act, The Navigation, and Trading Ships of this Nation, and consequently the employment of your Petitioners have daily declined, and are now almost quite extinct;  
Your Petitioners thought it high time to address themselves to this Honourable House, and do beg leave to lay open before you, the occasions by which the Parliaments good intentions, and your Petitioners good hopes have been frustrated.  
First, That Act leaving the Trade of Europe open, to be Navigated by any Ships belonging to the Subjects of this commonwealth, without any restriction of the Nation, or quality of persons by whom the said Ships should be Sailed, hath since the War with Spain put all foreign built Ships belonging to this Nation into the hands of Dutch Masters and mariners: Because the merchants who employ the said Ships, supposed their Trade during this War could not be otherwise secured.  
Secondly, That Opinion of the merchants hath occasioned from time to time their employment of a multitude of Holland Ships, under pretended and fraudulent bills of Sale.  
Thirdly, The Act of Parliament leaving the power of Seizure of Ships and Goods, (which by virtue of that Act were seizable) to any persons whatsoever; the Proprietors of the said Ships and Goods, have appointed Confidents of their own, to make the first Seizure of them: And by not Prosecuting such Seizure, have made null the good intention of the Law.  
By means whereof,  
First, Your Petitioners and their Families are sadly impoverished for want of employment.  
Secondly, The most part of the good serviceable Ships of this Nation are decayed, and Men are totally discouraged from building others.  
Thirdly, The educating of Seamen (to provide a succession of them, both for the service of the State, and Trade) is necessarily neglected.  
Fourthly, Vast sums of money are drained from the Stock of this Nation, by the Freights of those Holland Ships on which the Trade is driven.  
For the Prevention of which inconveniences, your Petitioners do most humbly pray, that it may please this Honourable House to be a means, that it may be Enacted,  
First, That no Ships may be deemed to belong to the Subjects of this commonwealth as Owners, but such as are failed both out and home by a Master, and at least three quarters parts of the Mariners who are Natives, Subjects of some of the Dominions thereof.  
Secondly, That the Statutes of the 5th year of King Richard the 2d. and the 3d Chap. and of the 4th of Henry the 7th and the 10th Chap. for the preservation of the Navigation of this Nation, may be revived, and reinforced.  
Thirdly, That no Fish whatsoever taken by the Subjects of this commonwealth, either at home or abroad, may be permitted to be transported to any foreign Market, upon any foreign Ships whatsoever.  
Fourthly, That a perfect Register may presently be taken of all foreign bottoms which do now really belong to the Subjects of this commonwealth; and a severe Prohibition be made, that no more may be bought for the future.  
Fifthly, That the Clause of the Act of the year 1651. For condemning the Ship, Gunns, Tackle, and apparel, for the sake of any prohibited goods that may be found in her, may be moderated and limited so as the Owners and Masters of Ships belonging to the Subjects of this commonwealth, may not suffer for offences committed contrary to their knowledge and will.  
Sixthly, That those provisions and remedies may by your wisdoms be so effectually penned, with such severe penalties and executions, as may either totally discourage former transgressors from attempting the like, or punish the new, according to their merits.  
And then your Petitioners doubt not, but by the blessing of God, you shall in a short time see this Nation to abound again in the number of Trading-Ships, and seamen: To the restoring of the Glory, Strength, and Wealth of the Nation.  
And your Petitioners, and their present distressed Families, shall ever pray, &c.