To the Right honourable THE Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses In PARLIAMENT Assembled.  
Reasons humbly offered by Captain George St. Lo, for bringing down the Exorbitant Rates of Seamens Wages from 50 s. and 3 l. a Month, to 30 s. and 35 s. a Month.  
THE Seamen for the lucre of such great Wages in Merchant-Men, do lurk and hid themselves from their Majesties Service, whereby it comes to be so difficult to get Men for the Kings Ships; whereas if their Wages were near alike, their Majesties would never want Seamen in their Fleet. A Seamans Wages, in a Merchant-man, in time of Peace, is usually about 25 s. a Month, and in a Collier 30 or 40 s. a Voyage, which now is come to 6, 7, and 8 l. a Voyage; and 50 s. and 3 l. a Month in a Merchant-man, which while they can have, they will leave their Majesties Ships and abscond themselves from being impressed, rather than serve for the usual Rate of the Navy, which is 23 s. a Month at 28 days in a Month, which is 25 s. a Month at twelve Months in the Year; and till such their extraordinary Wages be brought down, it is not to be thought it will be otherwise, though it is not evident they are ever the Richer at the Years End for any such large Wages.  
Therefore it is humbly proposed, that for their Majesties Service, the Rates of Seamens Wages in Merchant-men be reduced to 30 s. per Month going with Convoy, and 35 s. per Month running without Convoy; and that if any private sailor shall demand more, than the Rates aforesaid, that he may be brought to an Office to be erected for registering of Shipping and small Craft, and thence sent on Board one of their Majesties Ships of War, there to serve for a Year as a Prest-man.  
☞ This will be an Equivalent for the Masters and Owners of Ships, providing a Seaman according to my Proposal; for Example, a Ship of 70 Tun hath seven Men to Sail her, whereof five are before the Mast, and now receive 50 s. a Month: By this Regulation the Master will save 5 l. a Month while at Sea, in lieu of one Seaman each Ship is to find for the King, and hereby the Seamen in their Majesties Ships will have Encouragement, because they will have money given them to go, and lose none of the great Wages which now tempts them to lurk, and go in Merchant-men.  
It may be Objected, that this Reducement of Wages will make Seamen leave their native Country, and go into Foreign Service.  
To which it is Answered on the contrary, that they will not do it, because first no Nation Victuals so well as the English, and our sailors love to Eat well: I that have Summer'd and wintered them so often, know something of their Tempers; Secondly, It is as good Wages, if not better, than any other Country gives; and therefore it is not to be thought, that English Seamen( except some few Scoundrels, I have observed good for nothing) will leave their Native Country, their Friends and their Families to go into Foreign Service for the same or less Wages, which may sufficiently be seen by their refusing the French Service, tho they had large offers made them.  
☞ This done, will be a vast Advantage to their Majesties Fleet, and the Benefit of Trade; 'twill be an Ease on all sides, and make Seamen plenty.  
And to show that there are English Seamen sufficient both for public and private Service, we may observe this last Summer, that their Majesties Fleet was very well Manned, besides great Fleets of Merchant Ships, both Abroad and at Home: and if Care in the first place be taken of the Grand Fleet, which is the main Interest of the Kingdom, the Seamen for Merchants Ships may be the least of Our Care, for they will not fail of having Men enough.