t just and sufficient reason for so doing, every
captain or officer offending in any of the aforesaid cases, [shall be
punished by fine, imprisonment, or otherwise, as the offence by a
court-martial shall be adjudged to deserve.]

(5.) "And to the intent that it may be the more easily known what
service the aforesaid cruisers shall every year perform, be it enacted
by the authority aforesaid, that the commissioner of the navy in each of
the outports, or such person or persons as shall, for that purpose, be
appointed by the lord high admiral, or commissioners for executing the
office of lord high admiral for the time being, shall transmit to him or
them, every [three months] a distinct and separate account digested into
proper columns, of the time when any of the ships appointed to be
cruisers, sailed out of port, when such ship came in, together with the
number of days, cast up, that such ship was out upon duty, and the
reasons of her putting into port, and the time and reasons of her stay
there; with an account how often, and the times when each of the said
ships have been careened every year; and that the lord high admiral, or
commissioners for executing the office of lord high admiral, for the
time being, shall cause copies of the said accounts to be laid before
both houses of the senate within [eight days] after their meeting.

(6.) "And be it farther enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the
lord high admiral, or commissioners for executing the office of lord
high admiral, for the time being, shall, on or before the said [first
day of July] nominate and appoint such a number of the ships of war, as
shall be sufficient for the purposes aforementioned, to be cruisers or
convoys on this side cape Finisterre for the current year; and shall
afterwards yearly, and every year, during the present or any future war,
between the [first day of November] and the [first day of December]
nominate and appoint a sufficient number of ships of war to be cruisers
or convoys on this side cape Finisterre for the year ensuing; and as
often as any of them shall happen to be taken or lost, shall, as soon as
may be, appoint others in the room of every ship so taken or lost.

(7.) "And whereas it is of the utmost importance to the trade of this
nation, that the captains or commanders of his majesty's ships of war
appointed for convoys to and from remote parts, should take due care of
the merchant ships committed to their charge; be it,