A PROCLAMATION DECLARING HIS MAJESTIES PLEASURE TO CONTINUE HIS
COMMISSION, AND LETTERS PATENTS FOR LICENSING RETAILORS OF TOBACCO.
Whereas by His Majesties Proclamation dated at York the ninth day of
April last, it was declared, That (amongst sundry other Commissions
and Grants obtained upon untrue surmises) a Commission for compounding
with Offendors touching Tobacco, was thereby revoked and determined;[1]
under colour whereof, and by a wilfull mistaking of His Majesties
said Proclamation, sundry persons have pretended, that His Majesties
Commission to the Lord Goring, and others, for licensing Retailors of
Tobacco within England, Wales, and Barwick, was thereby called in: And
thereupon His Majesties Commissioners have been interrupted in their
proceedings in that service for His Majesty; Tobacco in divers parts
of the kingdome (contrary to His Majesties Proclamation of the five
and twentieth of March last) hath been retailed without His Majesties
Licence; and many of those persons who have Licences have forborn to
make paiment of their Rents: His Majesty therefore, to remove all
doubts and questions touching the Premisses, Hath thought fit (with
the advice of His Councell) to make publike declaration of His Royall
intention and meaning therein, which was, That His Majesties Letters
Patents, and Commission to the Lord Goring, and others, concerning
the licensing of Retailors of Tobacco, was not impeached, or meant to
be impeached by His Majesties said Proclamation of the ninth of April
last; But that the same Letters Patents and Commission are still in
force, and no way infringed or restrained thereby, but are still to
be proceeded in and executed according to the tenour and true meaning
thereof. And His Majesty doth further declare hereby, That His Majesty
by His said Proclamation in April last, did repeal and determine a
Commission to Lawrence Louns, and others, to compound with such, as
from the ninth of April in the first yeer of His Majesties reign,
untill the date of that Commission, had offended in defrauding His
Majestie of His Customes and other duties for Tobacco imported, or in
planting Tobacco in England, or Ireland, or by importing Tobacco of
the growth of other forraign parts, or in greater quantities then were
limitted, or in buying or selling the same contrary to His Majesties
Proclamations before that time published, and none other Commission
touching Tobacco. And therefore His Majesty doth hereby require and
command all manner of persons whatsoever whom it may concern, to take
knowledge of this His Majesties Declaration and Confirmation of His
said Letters Patents and Commission to the Lord Goring, and others,
for the licensing Retailors of Tobacco, and that accordingly they
yeeld all conformity thereunto as is meet, upon pain of His Majesties
high displeasure, and such punishments as their contempt or neglect
of His Majesties Royall commands herein shall deserve. And lastly,
His Majesty doth hereby require and command all Justices of Peace,
Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Headboroughs, and all others
His Officers and Ministers whatsoever, to be aiding and assisting in
the full accomplishment and execution of His Majesties Royall pleasure
herein declared.
Given at His Majesties Court at Whitehall the nineteenth day of
August, in the fifteenth yeer of His Majesties Reign.