gh many of them very strongly imply it. The statute 2 Ric. II. c.
4. speaks of mariners being arrested and retained for the king's
service, as of a thing well known, and practised without dispute; and
provides a remedy against their running away. By a later statute[k],
if any waterman, who uses the river Thames, shall hide himself during
the execution of any commission of pressing for the king's service, he
is liable to heavy penalties. By another[l], no fisherman shall be
taken by the queen's commission to serve as a mariner; but the
commission shall be first brought to two justices of the peace,
inhabiting near the sea coast where the mariners are to be taken, to
the intent that the justices may chuse out and return such a number of
ablebodied men, as in the commission are contained, to serve her
majesty. And, by others[m], especial protections are allowed to seamen
in particular circumstances, to prevent them from being impressed. All
which do most evidently imply a power of impressing to reside
somewhere; and, if any where, it must from the spirit of our
constitution, as well as from the frequent mention of the king's
commission, reside in the crown alone.

[Footnote h: Rep. 154.]

[Footnote i: See also Comb. 245.]

[Footnote k: Stat. 2 & 3 Ph. & M. c. 16.]

[Footnote l: Stat. 5 Eliz. c. 5.]

[Footnote m: Stat. 7 & 8 W. III. c. 21. 2 Ann. c. 6. 4 & 5 Ann. c. 19.
13 Geo. II. c. 17. &c.]

BUT, besides this method of impressing, (which is only defensible from
public necessity, to which all private considerations must give way)
there are other ways that tend to the increase of seamen, and manning
the royal navy. Parishes may bind out poor boys apprentices to masters
of merchantmen, who shall be protected from impressing for the first
three years; and if they are impressed afterwards, the masters shall
be allowed their wages[n]: great advantages in point of wages are
given to volunteer seamen in order to induce them to enter into his
majesty's service[o]: and every foreign seaman, who during a war shall
serve two years in any man of war, merchantman, or privateer, is
naturalized _ipso facto_[p]. About the middle of king William's reign,
a scheme was set on foot[q] for a register of seamen to the number of
thirty thousand, for a constant and regular supply of the king's
fleet; with great privileges to the registered men, and, on the other
hand, heavy penalties in case of their non-appearance when called for:
but t