Charles I, 1640: An Act for the better raising and levying of Mariners Sailers and others for the present guarding of the Seas & necessary defence of this Realme & other his Ma[jes]ties Dominions.

c. 23. ante, found ineffectual.

Lord Admiral empowered to impress Seamen.; Such impressed Men to have conduct Money at the Rate of 1d. per Mile; and to have Wages and Entertainment at the like Rate as for Three Years last past.; Seamen, &c. refusing to be impressed, or hiding themselves, &c.; Imprisonment.

Whereas the late act intituled An act for the better raising and levying of Mariners Sailers and others for the present guarding of the Seas and necessary defence of the Realme & other his Majesties Dominions is found by experience to be ineffectuall for the supply of the present expedition now intended for the defence of all his Majesties Realmes and Dominions by reason of sundry restricc[i]ons and doubtfull limitac[i]ons in the said act And forasmuch as it highly importeth the safety of all his Majesties said Dominions that severall Fleets of Ships be with all possible speed set forth to the Seas and all manner of diligence be used therein for the raising of Mariners Sailers and others to that purpose Be it therefore enacted by the authority of this present Parliament That the Lord Admirall that now is shall and may at any time or times betweene the first day of February 1641. and the first of November 1642 by himselfe his Vice Admirall Commissioner or Co[m]missioners or other Officer or Officers or any of them levye and impresse such and soe many Mariners Sailers Watermen Chirurgions Gunners & Ship Carpenters as shall be requisite and necessary for this present expedition or for any such further defence of the Realm or any other of his Majesties Dominions which said Mariners Sailers and other such persons so to be levied & imprested as aforesaid and every of them shall have paid & delivered unto him upon such his impressing by the person that shall so impresse him for conduct money for every mile from the place where he shall be soe impressed to the Ship or place to which he shall be appointed to make his repaire the su[m]m of one peny and the like sum of one peny for every mile from the place of his discharge unto the place of his abode and shall be allowed for his service the best wages and entertainment which have or hath beene allowed by his Majestie to any such person or persons respectively at any time within three yeares last past And if any Mariner Sailer Watermen Chirurgion Gunner or Ship Carpenter shall wilfully refuse to be impressed in or for the said service or shall voluntarily hide and absent himselfe att the time of such presse to avoide the said service that then every such person so offending shall suffer imprisonment by the space of three monthes without bail or mainprise.

II. Proviso for Masters, Masters' Mates, &c. in Employment.

Provided alwaies That this act shall not extend to the pressing of any Master of any Ship or Barque that hath the charge of any Ship or Barque or unto any Masters Mate or Ship Carpenter of any Ship or Barque that is in imployment at the time of the said presse.

III. No Reward to be taken, or corrupt Practice used, in executing act; Penalty £20.

Provided alwaies And be it enacted that no money or other reward shall be taken or any corrupt practise used by any the persons authorized by this act in or for the pressing changing sparing or discharging of any person or persons to be impressed by force of this act under pain of forfeiture of twenty pounds by the person so offending for every such offence the one halfe to his Majestie his heires and successours the other halfe to him that will sue for the same to be recovered by action of debt bill plaint or information in any of his Majesties Courts of Records or before the Justices of Assisse Oyer and Terminer Goal Delivery or the Justices of the Peace of the County City or Town Corporate where such offence shall be committed at theire Generall Quarter Sessions wherein no wager of Law Essoign Protection or Injunction shall be admitted or allowed

IV. c. 23. ante, repealed.

Provided alwaies And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid that one other act intituled An act for the better raising and levying of Mariners Sailers and others for the present guarding of the Seas and necessary defence of the Realme and other his Majesties Dominions made in this present Parliament and now in force and every Article clause and provision therein contained be from the first day of February in the yeare of our Lord God One thousand six hundred fourty one repealed and made utterly void and of none effect.