1779: 19 George 3, c.14: An Act for the better Supply of Mariners and Seamen to serve in His Majesty’s Ships of War, and on Board Merchant Ships and other Trading Ships and Vessels.

[Preamble.]

FOR the better Supply of Mariners and Seamen to serve in his Majesty’s Ships of War, and on Board Merchant Ships, and other Trading Ships and Vessels; be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same,

[From the passing of this Act till March 25, 1780, Merchant Ships, &c. may be navigated by Three-fourths Foreign Seamen.]

That, from and after the passing of this Act, until the Twenty-fifth Day of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, and no longer (except in respect to such Merchant Ships, and other Trading Ships or Vessels, which shall be on their Voyage before the said Twenty-fifth Day of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, who shall be, and are hereby allowed the Liberty and Benefit of returning Home navigated in the Manner as hereinafter is provided), it shall and may be lawful for any Merchant Ship, or other Trading Ship or Vessel, to be navigated by Foreign Seamen or Mariners, not being Natives of Great Britain, or of any of the Colonies or Plantations thereto belonging, or his Majesty’s natural or naturalized Subjects, so as the Number of such Foreign Seamen or Mariners do not exceed Three-fourths of the Mariners at any one Time employed to navigate such Merchant Ship, or other Trading Ship or Vessel, and that One-fourth at least of the Mariners or Seamen so employed, be at all Times Natives, or his Majesty’s naturalized Subjects of Great Britain (sudden Death, and Hazard and Casualties of War, and the Seas, saved and excepted), one Act of Parliament, made in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of his late Majesty King Charles the Second (intituled, An Act for the encouraging and encreasing of Shipping and Navigation), or any other Statute or Law, to the contrary notwithstanding.

[This Act not to restrain any Royal Proclamation to be made pursuant to an Act 13 Geo. II.]

II. Provided always, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend to take away or restrain the Effect of any such Royal Proclamation, as his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, are impowered to make by virtue of an Act passed in the Thirteenth Year of his late Majesty’s Reign (intituled, An Act for the better Supply of Mariners and Seamen, to serve in his Majesty’s Ships of War, and on Board Merchant Ships and ether Trading Ships and Privateers).

Source: Ruffhead, Statutes at Large, vol. 13.