WHereas many thouſands of your Majeſties good and loving Subjects with their Ships and goods, have of late time been ſurpriſed and taken at Sea (as they were in their lawfull trading) by Turkiſh, Mooriſh, and other Pirats; And ſome of them, to free themſelves of the cruell and barbarous uſage of thoſe Pirats, have renounced the Chriſtian Religion, and turned Turks; And others yet kept in bondage, are uſed with ſo extream cruelty, as they are in great danger thereby to loſe their 〈1 page duplicate〉 lives, unleſſe they ſhall alſo forſake the Chriſtian Religion: And divers of thoſe Your Subjects kept in bondage (being expert and ſkilfull Mariners) are uſually imployed at Sea againſt others Your good Subjects, and prove very prejudiciall to them, and hurtfull to the Trade and Merchandiſe of Your Majeſties Dominions: And whereas, aſwell Your Majeſties Subjects, as ſtrangers Exporting, or Importing their Goods and Merchandize into this Kingdom, have ever ſithence Your Majeſties acceſſe 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, ought to have been chiefly imployed to the ſafeguard of the Seas, and preſervation of Your good Subjects in their Trade of Merchandize from the ſpoil of Pirats, and other Sea-robbers, but have been exhauſted by evil Miniſters, and not applied to their proper uſes, ſo that Your Highneſſe good Subjects have been expoſed to the mercileſſe cruelty of thoſe Pirats, and barbarous Infidels.

And the Commons taking into further conſideration Your Majeſties preſſing wants, and great occaſions of Moneys in theſe times of diſtemper, as well in the Kingdom of Ireland, as other Kingdoms of Forraign Princes, ſo that there will be required ſome further aid to inable Your Highneſſe to effect ſo great a Work, beſides the preſent Tunnage and Poundage now granted to Your Majeſtie: 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 Navie, as well for the enlargement and deliverance of thoſe poore Captives in Argier, and other places, if Almightie 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 Majeſtie, That it may be Enacted, and be it Enacted by authority of this preſent Parliament, That where any Subſidie, Cuſtome, or other dutie, after the nine and twentieth day of September, in the yeer one thouſand ſix hundred fourty one, and before the four and twentieth day of Iune then next following, ſhall be laid or impoſed by authority of Parliament, upon any Goods, Wares, or other Merchandize, of what nature, kinde, or qualitie ſoever, to be Exported out of, or Imported into this Your Majeſties 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 Cuſtome, Subſidie, or dutie, ſo to be laid or impoſed, ſhall be raiſed, levied, and paid, from, and after the tenth day of December, in the yeer one thouſand ſix hundred fourty one aforeſaid, of and from all and every ſuch goods, wares and other Merchandize, to be imported into, or exported out of this Your Majeſties ſaid Realm of England or Dominion of Wales, the ſaid ſumme of one in the hundred to be raiſed, levied and paid for the ſpace of three yeers 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 Deputie, and by them the ſaid Lord Major and Chamberlain of London, for the time being, to be layed out, payed and imployed 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 imploied 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 Majeſties Realm of England ſhall be directed. And ſuch Lord Major and Chamberlain of London, who ſhall receive or diſburſe any the monies 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 Merchandize, whereof the ſum of one in the hundred aforeſaid is or ſhall be due and paiable by vertue of this Act, ſhall at any time hereafter be ſhipped or put into any Boat or other Veſſell, 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 Merchandize, and unſhipped to be laid on land, the ſumme of one in the hundred as aforeſaid, due or to be due for the ſame, not payed or lawfully tendered and ſecured to be payed 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 Merchandize whatſoever, ſhall be forfeited and loſt; The one Moity of the rate or value thereof, to be to him, or them, that will ſeize, or ſue for the ſame; and the other Moitie to be imployed to, and for the uſes before expreſſed.

And for the better incouragement of Mariners to undertake the ſaid ſervice, and Owners of Ships to let out their Ships for the ſaid imployment, Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That if any Ships, goods, or Merchandize of the ſaid Pirats, or of the ſubjects of any that are, or ſhall be in enmity with your Majeſtie, your Heirs or Succeſſors; or the Perſon of any ſuch Pirates ſhall be taken by the Ships, to be imploied 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 vertue of this Act, and not imployed to, and for the ſervice afore mentioned (if any ſhall be) ſhall alſo be imployed 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 imploy 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 Majeſtie abroad, and procure the ſafety, peace, and happineſſe of Your Highneſſe loyall and faithfull ſubjects at home.