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<DATE>2014-09-10</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140726.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">R537O</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">[ocn]625260138</BIBNO>
<VID>211328</VID>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>REASONS humbly Offered for Pa&s;&s;ing the Bill now Tendred, for encou|raging the Taking of Prizes from the <HI>French</HI> King, and for explaining an Act made in the Fir&s;t Year of Their now Maje&s;ties Reign, for <HI>Prohibiting all Trade and Commerce with</HI> France.</HEAD>
<P>THE intent of the &s;aid Act was to impoveri&s;h the <HI>French</HI> King, and di&s;able his Subjects; for which purpo&s;e, the granting of private Commi&s;&s;ions and Letters of Mart, for taking the Enemies Ships, Men, and Merchandi&s;es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> (as is u&s;ual in War) was always deem'd a very nece&s;&s;ary Expedient: but for want of due encouragement, all per&s;ons are di&s;courag'd from acting under &s;uch private Commi&s;&s;ions.</P>
<LIST>
<HEAD>The Benefits that will ari&s;e from this, are,</HEAD>
<ITEM>I. Many Privateers will <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">t out upon this account and thereby the number of Seamen will be much increa&s;ed, and ready and experienced to &s;erve His Maje&s;ty's Occa&s;ions.</ITEM>
<ITEM>II. Many <HI>French</HI> Pri&s;oners will be taken in the Prizes they &s;hall bring in, which being exchang'd for our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Pri&s;oners in <HI>France,</HI> will bring home many Seamen for His Ma|je&s;ty's Service; as may appear by the Example of one &s;mall Privateer of ten Guns, which in fifteen days time brought into <HI>Guern&s;ey</HI> and <HI>Dartmouth</HI> near an hundred Pri&s;oners.</ITEM>
<ITEM>III. For want of this encouragement, many able and experienc'd Seamen, that are and may be taken, will be utterly lo&s;t, and condemn'd to the Galleys, for want of <HI>French</HI> Pri|&s;oners to exchange for them; which emboldens the Enemy, and will increa&s;e their num|ber, to the empairing of the Courage of His Maje&s;ty's Subjects, who are under the dreadful apprehen&s;ions that there is no Redemption from Slavery and the Galleys, for want of Pri|&s;oners to exchange.</ITEM>
<ITEM>IV. The&s;e Privateers will &s;o infe&s;t the Trade and Commerce of <HI>France,</HI> that one part of <HI>France</HI> will not be able to &s;upply the others wants. As for Example: <HI>Ga&s;coigne</HI> and <HI>Poicton</HI> will not be able to &s;upply <HI>Britanny, Normandy, Piccardy,</HI> and their Conque&s;ts in <HI>Flanders,</HI> with Brandy, Wines, Vinegar, Salt, Pruans, and &s;uch-like Commodities, which they can have from no other part; and moreover, They will be able to ob&s;truct the <HI>French</HI> King's Salt-Trade, by which he furni&s;hes his Gabels, and by con&s;equence le&s;&s;en his Revenues</ITEM>
<ITEM>V. Privateers often &s;erve for Convoys, being always at Command, and will &s;ecure the Trade of our own Co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ts, which for want of them are infe&s;ted by our Enemies-Men of War and Privateers.</ITEM>
<ITEM>VI. The Goods taken by Prize will turn to great Advantage to His Maje&s;ty in the Tenths and Cu&s;toms thereof, and will be a pre&s;ent fund for the rai&s;ing Fory or Fifty thou&s;and pounds.</ITEM>
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<P>It may be objected, <HI>That in allowing the Privateers Demands, under &s;uch colour many private Contracts may be made to bring in</HI> French <HI>Goods under the notion of Prize.</HI></P>
<P>For An&s;wer:
<LIST>
<ITEM>I. If any Prize be brought in, &s;he mu&s;t be condemn'd, which will co&s;t Ten <HI>per Cent.</HI> of her value, comprehending what will be embezled, and other Charges.</ITEM>
<ITEM>II. The King mu&s;t have Ten <HI>per Cent.</HI> for his Tenth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>III. The Privateers men mu&s;t have one Third, which is Thirty-three <HI>per Cent.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>IV. For Victualling and Fitting-out the Privateer Ten <HI>per Cent.</HI> more at lea&s;t may be ad|ded; &s;o the whole Charge amounts to Sixty-three <HI>per Cent.</HI> And fora&s;much as nothing but the expectation of great Profit could make a man propo&s;e bringing in his Goods after this manner; Who, is it to be &s;uppos'd, would adventure, when the Charge is &s;o great as Sixty-three <HI>per Cent.</HI> be&s;ides the hazard of the Seas, Cu&s;toms, and other Duties?</ITEM>
<ITEM>V. The &s;malle&s;t Privateer mu&s;t have Twenty men, or more; and altho the Captain and one or two more may be in a Confederacy with you, yet neverthele&s;s you cannot expect to &s;ilence the Tongues of the others, who upon the lea&s;t quarrel will di&s;cover the De&s;ign, to the lo&s;s of all, be&s;ides the being liable to the Penalty of the Act.</ITEM>
<ITEM>VI. Some Road or River mu&s;t be appointed where the Ship is to be taken and brought in by con&s;ent; and may not another Privateer come there and take cin, and &s;o deprive you of all?</ITEM>
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<P>And as a further di&s;couragement to &s;uch Importation, it may be &s;o provided, That if there be proved any connivance in bringing in any Goods under the notion of Prize, that then the Privateers Ship and the Prize &s;hall be both forfeited; one part to the Informer, and the other to the King, be&s;ides all the other Penalties in the Act of Prohibition.</P>
<P>Therefore it is hoped the Bill will pa&s;s, which is only for encouraging the taking of <HI>French</HI> Pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">zes by Their Maje&s;ties Ships of War and Privateers, who&s;e Services may be &s;o conducing to the advan|tage of Their Maje&s;ties, Pre&s;ervation of their Subjects, and the annoying and di&s;poiling of their Ene|mies; which are &s;o high Con&s;iderations and Inducements, as not to be departed from for fear of an imaginary inconvenience of driving a covert Trade with <HI>France;</HI> which, for the Rea&s;ons above&s;aid, (as matters now &s;tand) cannot en&s;ue without great Expence and Hazard, and may be additionally provided again&s;t, &s;o as to &s;trengthen it beyond all que&s;tion.</P>
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