Whereas Our most deare Father, of blessed memorie, deceased, for many
weighty and important Reasons of State, and at the humble suit of His
Commons in Parliament, did lately publish two severall Proclamations,
the one dated the nine and twentieth day of September, now last past,
and the other the second of March following, for the utter prohibiting
of the importation, and use of all Tobacco, which is not of the proper
growth of the Colonies of Virginia and the Sommer Islands, or one of
them, with such Cautions, and under such Paines and Penalties, as are
in those Proclamations at large expressed:
Wee, tendring the prosperity of those Colonies and Plantations, and
holding it to bee a matter of great consequence unto Us, and to the
honour of Our Crowne, not to desert, or neglect those Colonies, whereof
the foundations, with hopefull successe, have been so happily layd by
Our Father, beeing given to understand, that divers persons intending
onely their private gaine, and neglecting all considerations of the
publique, in this short time, whilest Wee have been necessarily taken
up in ordering of the great affaires of Our Kingdomes and State,
have taken the boldnesse, secretly, and by stealth, to import and
utter great quantities of Tobacco, which is not of the growth of the
Plantations aforesaid, to the utter destruction of those Plantations,
as much as in them lieth; Wee have thought fit, for the preventing of
those inconveniences, which may otherwise ensue, to the irrecoverable
dammage of those Plantations, and of Our service, to publish and
declare Our Royall pleasure for the present, touching the premisses,
untill upon more mature deliberation Wee shall see cause to alter, or
adde unto the same, in any part.
And Wee doe therefore straitly charge and command, that no person
whatsoever, of what degree or qualitie soever, doe at any time
hereafter, either directly or indirectly, import, buy, sell, or utter,
plant, cherish, or use, or cause to bee imported, sold, or uttered,
cherished, planted, or used, in Our Realmes of England, or Ireland, or
Dominion of Wales, or in any Isles or places thereunto belonging any
Tobacco, of any sort whatsoever, which is not of the proper growth of
the said Colonies, or one of them; And that no person whatsoever, by
any shift or device whatsoever, doe receive, or conceale, or colour
the Tobacco of any other, so imported, planted, bought, sold, uttered,
or used within Our sayd Realmes, or Dominions, or the Isles or places
aforesaid, or any part thereof, upon paine of forfeiture unto Us, of
all such Tobacco so to be imported, bought, sold, planted, uttered,
or used, contrary to the true meaning of these presents, in whose
hands soever the same shall be found, and upon such further paines and
penalties, as by the Lawes and Statutes of these Our Realms, or by the
Censure of Our Courts of Star-Chamber, in either of Our said Kingdomes
respectively, can or may be inflicted upon the offenders, for contempt
of this Our Royall Command; and to be reputed and taken as enemies to
Our proceedings, and to those Plantations, which so much concerne Our
honour, and the honour and profit of Our State.
And Our further will and command is, that all the forreigne Tobacco,
of what sort soever, which is not of the proper growth of those
Plantations, or one of them, shall before the fourth day of May, now
next ensuing, bee transported out of Our Realmes and Dominions, as
by the sayd former Proclamations it was directed and commanded, upon
paine of forfeiture thereof, and upon the other paines and penalties
aforesayd to be inflicted upon the offenders.
And Our pleasure is, That all such forreigne Tobacco may bee freely
exported by any person whatsoever, without paying to Us, or to Our use,
any Subsidie, or other duetie for the same.
Given at Our Court at White-Hall, this ninth day of April, in the
first yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland.