The Virginia Gazette

For the encouragement of our navigation, by increasing the number of seamen in the merchants service, there is preparing, under the patronage of the chief magistrate of this city, a bill to oblige the owners of all British ships to take boys to serve as apprentices on board their respective vessels, in proportion to their tunnage or number of men; the alarming decrease of able seamen being a convincing proof that the intended nurseries of that useful body of men, on the support of which our existence as a commercial and maritime nation depends, requires speedy and effectual regulations. If such an Act should pass it would promote and facilitate the laudable plan begun by Sir John Fielding, and which it is to be hoped will be taken up and extended by the Marine Society, whose assistance during the late war was a great national benefit.