Holograph copy of accounts submitted by the Navy for 1664-6

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The whole charge of the Navy for 27 Naval Months, accounting from the 1^st of Sep^t 1664 to the last of Sep^t 1666, as it was drawn up at a Committee of the house of Commons & reported Oct. 11. 1666. By Sir W^m Louther Chairman of that Committe

So deducting one Month the estimate of the charge of war at sea for these two last years, being 26 months by naval accompt (by deducting 129735^℔ the charge of one month), amounts to 3223110^℔. 00^s. 00^d.

Observations upon the above stated accompt,

1^st That the above mentioned rate of 124385^℔ per month for 28410 men & for the Office of the Ordinance is stated to as great a value as if the ships had been full manned victuated rigged & Tackled set out to sea & in actual service.

2^dly That the account is stated for two whole years as well winter as summer deducting only 150000^℔ for wear & Tear. So the (the deducted only excepted) the charge for all the winter months (when most of the Navy (except a few ships for a winter guard) is laid up in harbour & there is no expence of shot or pouder or breaking of guns & few seamen or soldiers are kept on board, & the soldiers pay at land at 8^d per day (if continued standing) but 18^s & 8^d per month) is made as big as it is in summer when the ships are full manned & in actual service spending shot & pouder & are estimated at 4^℔ a head per mans which will fully defray both the wages & diet of all seamen & soldiers & all the charges of repairing all ships rigging & Tackle endammaged in Fighting & service. So that by this one thing the <460v> the charge is stated as if it amounted to above a 3^d part more then the charge could possibly be, admitting the rates & number of men above propounded, which yet cannot be granted by any one that know what number of men is requisite to man that whole navy &c.

3^dly It is stated as if that Fleet had been set out that 1^st of Sept 1664, wheras it is notorious it was not set out till spring following, & that many of the ships were upon the stocks & repairing betwixt Christmas & spring

4^thly The above stated account includes all the charge of the Navy & consequently all money arising from the Custome house (besides all prises) were as so much ready money, being freed during that war from all that charge of the Navy which it annually discharges in time of peace

5^thly No Navy was set out the next year & therefore if all this account was allowed the charge was but 3352845^℔, whereas the money given for that war amounted to near about five millions & an half: so that the court had above two millions clear, besides all prizes & the customes cleared of all charges during this war.

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Note that in that Navy office there is a setled Rule for manning his Majesties Royal Navy, which rule is called the establishmment, & shews that there are most men required to man a ship of war in time of war at home viz^t any war at sea on this side {of} Tangier or that Canaries. Fewer men in time of war abroad viz against that Algerians &c And fewest in time of peace viz^t for winter & summer guards & for Convoys And as to that 74 ships of war which were to have been part of the ninety & to have been set out against France the following numbers of men to each ship was copied out of M^r Pepys his papers as being the numbers of men agreed by the said establishment to be the number requisite for manning those ships either in time of peace or in time of war abroad or in time of war at home.

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In a first rate ship in time of war at home