having made Obſervations of ſome Miſcarriages in the Publick during the late Wars, and finding it is morally Impoſſible to bring the Offenders to Puniſhment, unleſs this Honorable Houſe will vouchſafe to take cognizance thereof; and being no way doubtful of your Honours good Intentions of Redreſſing Publick Grievances, which like a raging Peſtilence or violent Torrent, running many years without controle, has greatly impoveriſhed and almoſt ruined this Fruitful and Populous Kingdom. True it is, that War begets Poverty, but the preſent and extreme Poverty of this Nation, proceeds not from the War it ſelf, but from the Warriers, viz. thoſe imployed in the management thereof, who has made the ſame not only expenſive but tedious and doubtful. I do not intend to make repetitoins of what Sums has been given by Parliament to proſecute the War with Vigour, and what Sums has been given to carry on the War with France, this Honorable Houſe hath no need of Intelligence thereof; and therefore I ſhall omit that, and give your Honours a hint of what I have obſerved in general, during the ſaid War, viz. how his Majeſties Royal Undertaking has been betrayed and obſtructed, his Publick Treaſure profuſedly waſted and purloyned, his Trading Subjects and Seamen oppreſſed and ruined, his truly loyal and faithful Subjects diſcouraged and rejected, the War retarded and prolonged, Juſtice perverted, and his Royal Perogative contemned and rejected; his Enemies and Criminals, the occaſion thereof, ſupported and protected, to the almoſt Ruin of his Majeſtys great and glorious Undertakings; whereby this Nation is miſerably faln from that glorious Proſpect it had in the beginning of the Revolution. But paſſing by the particulars of each Grievance, as being too many to enumerate at preſent, I ſhall only preſent your Honours with what I have obſerved touching the imbezling of PRIZES, and Prize GOODS, together with ſome Proceedings of the Commiſſioners for Prizes; whereby it is notorious Evident, that his Majeſty has been Defrauded of ſeveral hundred thouſand Pounds, and the Seamen and Mariners almoſt wholly deprived of their Shares and Proportions allowed (by the late Act) for their incouragement. And altho this Honorable Houſe (with intent to diſcover thoſe Frauds) has been pleaſed to order the ſaid Commiſſioners, to lay before them, an Account of what Ships has been taken during the War, and how they have been Sold, and how the money ariſing thereby has been applyed; and that the ſaid Commiſſioners purſuant thereunto, have produced an Account thereof, yet it is morally impoſſible your Honours can have a true ſtate of that matter from them, for the following Reaſons, to wit, ſeveral Ships has been taken this War which with their whole Cargoe and Furniture has been Imbezled by the Captors, and no returns made thereof to their Office: other Ships has been taken and put into the Cuſtody of others the Kings Officers, and not entred or accounted for in the ſaid Prize Office, or elſewhere: And this liberty of imbezling and purloyning of Prize Ships and Goods, has chiefly hapned through the indifferency and negligence of the Commiſſioners, who not regarding his Majeſty's Intereſt, or their own Duty's, have frequently conniv'd at their Offences; for when diſcoveries has been made to them of this kind, they have been pleas'd to Brow-beat the diſcoverers, and to tell them, that the matter diſcovered was committed a great way off, or a great while agoe, and that the Perſon accuſed for ſuch Imbezzlement had given them an account upon Oath of what he had taken; and that that was ſufficient for them. So that the King, and Mariners, was thereby defrauded of their Shares and Proportions, and the Diſcoverers (tho promiſed a Reward at firſt) was only looked upon with an evil Eye, and branded with the Name of an Informer. True it is, to pleaſe the Diſcoverer, and ſend him a wild Gooſe chaſe, they have ſomtimes put the King to a conſiderable charge to condemn ſuch Ships, and the Diſcoverer to the charge and trouble of producing Evidence to proſecute the ſame, rewarding the Diſcoverer with a no • -payment of ſuch Shares and Proportions of Prize Mony as he was juſtly intitled to receive. But after all, the ſame has lay dormant, being buried in Oblivion, and the Imbezlers never call'd to any further account: whereby his Majeſty hath not only been defrauded of immenſe Sums of Money, but the Marriners and Seamens ſhares of Prize Money, who by the ill uſage of their Commanders are Q and run, is remaining in the hands of the ſaid Commiſſioners, or paid to their Captains, as a reward for their ſeverity. So audacious have they been in countenancing and carrying on thoſe Clandeſtine Pr • ctiſes, that when ſome Commanders has been juſtly multed a conſiderable Sum for ſuch Immbezzlements, at another Board they have been pleaſed to refund and pay them, out of the publick Caſh, at their Office. Other Prize Ships and Goods being delivered into their cuſtody, hath ſuffered the ſame fate, ſeveral prodigious Imbezzlements having been likewiſe made of their Cargoe, to the great prejudice of his Majeſty, and others concerned, who notwithſtanding their utmoſt endeavours, could not prevail with them to enquire into thoſe miſcarriages, in order to make Reſtitution for the ſame; whereby ſeveral Offenders (by ſuch Imbezzlements) are grown ſo fluſh and full of mony, that it is a task of the greateſt difficulty to bring them to a Tryal in any of his Majeſty's Courts, upon the greateſt Breach of the Law. Theſe and many other illegal Practiſes, too many here to enumerate, has frequently been occaſioned through the ill conduct of the Officers for Prizes; which, the better to cover the crime, they have Retaliated themſelves, with an extraordinary Reward for their ſignal Services, as by their Books of Accounts will evidently appear: To which I humbly refer, and ſhall only hint, that it would be a Work of ſingular Uſe to his Majeſty, and the Publick, to Examine their particular Accounts, of Disburſtments, Contingencies, promiſcous, incident, and accidental Charges, together with their great Salleries and Rewards, with their little, or no attendance, whereby the myſtery of the whole matter may ſoon be unfolded, if this Honorable Houſe will be pleaſed to command a Diſcovery thereof: which being moſt humbly intimated, may readily be proved.

The premiſes thus truly ſtated, the Conſideration thereof is moſt humbly offered and ſubmitted to this moſt Auguſt and Honorable Aſſembly; from whence a Redreſs of all our Grievances are deſired and expected.