A CLAUSE Humbly Offered To the Consideration of the Honourable House of COMMONS, to be Added or inserted, in any Bill this Honourable House thinks fit.  
AND Whereas the Act made in the 12th Year of the Reign of the Late King Charles II. entitled an Act for the Encouraging and increasing of Shipping and Navigation, hath been found by Experience, to have greatly increased the Number of English Ships and Seamen; for the further Encouragement and increase thereof, be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that from and after the 〈…〉 Day of 〈◇〉 the draw back of Customs paid for Goods Imported, shall only be allowed when Exported again in English built Ships, whereof the Master and three fourths at least of the mariners are English, and they and their Families Inhabiting in England.  
It may be Objected, that tho this Clause will increase English Shipping and Seamen, yet it may be destructive to Trade.  
The security of the Nation, with humble Submission, may be thought most necessary to be preferred before the private Interest of some particular Persons; and as we live in an iceland, the great number of our Ships and Seamen under God are the bulwarks thereof.  
The allowing Draw back of Customs, only for Goods Exported in English built Ships Navigated as aforesaid, cannot lessen the Exportation of the Goods, for which Draw backs are allowed; especially those of our Plantations, which are not to be had at first hand in any other place than England, where pursuant to the aforesaid Act of Navigation, they are Imported only in English Ships.  
Most of the Foreign Ships that Transport the said Goods, come over in their Ballast to fetch the same, which occasion many of our good Ships to lie by and spoil for want of Employment, and our Seamen being reduced to great poverty, either turn pirates or fly into foreign Service, leaving their Families a burden upon the public, to the great increasing the Charge, and lessening the Security of this Nation.  
The English Navigation in the Narrow Seas, where many Boys are made use of, is a Nursery of English Seamen and Pilots, who at all times, and upon all occasions, are ready and at hand to supply his Majesty's Men of War; and it doth also increase the Number of our Maritine Handicrafts and tradesman, and augment his Majesty's Customs, by Importation of great quantities of Goods, necessary to fit out and Repair our Ships, many of which are Employed to fetch the same.  
Its equal to the Merchants who receive the Draw back, whether the Goods for which the same is allowed, be Exported in English or in Foreign Ships, and it cannot lessen the Consumption or Exportation of the said Goods, because our Engglish Ships can, and are always ready, to Transport more than is wanted abroad.  
Seeing the aforesaid Draw backs of Customs paid for Goods Imported in Enggland, are allowed by His Majesty upon Exportation thereof, It may be thought reasonable that His English Ships and Seamen, be preferred before Foreigners in Transporting the same; considering that in foreign Countries no Draw-back of Customs is allowed, but the Goods Imported there, and afterwards Exported again, must pay Duties Outwards as well as Inwards.  
All the Pilots that are made use of in his Majesty's Navy and in Merchant Ships, are bread up in the Trade of the Narrow Seas.   

A Clause for the Encouragement of English Shipping and Seamen.