Whereas Our Dearest Brother King Charles the Second of blessed Memory,
did by His Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England, bearing
Date the Second day of May, in the Two and twentieth Year of His
Reign,[1] Incorporate a Governour and Company for carrying on a Trade
in the North-west parts of America within the Streights and Bay,
commonly called Hudson's Streights; and did Grant unto them and their
Successors, the Sole Trade and Commerce of all those Seas, Streights,
Bayes, Rivers, Lakes, Creeks, and Sounds in whatsoever Latitude they
should be, lying within the Entrance of the Streights commonly called
Hudson's Streights, together with all the Lands, Countreys, and
Territories upon the Coasts and Confines of the Seas, Bayes, Lakes,
Rivers, Creeks and Sounds aforesaid, which were not then Possessed
by, or Granted to any of the Subjects of Our said Royal Brother, or
Possessed by the Subjects of any other Christian Prince or State,
Thereby Creating and Constituting the said Governour and Company for
the time being, and their Successors, the true and absolute Lords and
Proprietors of the same Territories, Limits and Places aforesaid, and
of all other the Premisses, with express Prohibition to all other the
Subjects of Our said Royal Brother to Trade to the Parts aforesaid. And
whereas We are satisfied that the said Company hath for many years with
great Industry, and at a very great Charge and Expense, Settled divers
Factories, Erected several Fortifications, and maintained the Trade
in the Parts aforesaid, to the great Honour and Profit of this Our
Kingdom, until of late several ill-disposed Persons not being Members
of the said Company, nor Licensed by them, preferring their private
profit before the publick good, have contrary to the said Royal Grant,
in a clandestine and disorderly manner, Traded into those parts, to the
apparent prejudice, if not destruction, of the Trade aforesaid, and in
manifest Contempt of Our Prerogative Royal; and the better to colour
their evil practices, do frame Designs to Hire, or do Hire themselves
out in the Service of, or in conjunction with Foreigners to Sail to
the Parts aforesaid, to undermine and destroy the said Companies
Trade.[2] We, taking the Premisses into Our Princely Consideration,
do not only give Leave and Direct, That the Persons who have so
contemptuously violated the said Companies Charter, be Prosecuted in
Our Name at Law, in order to their condign Punishment according to
their demerits; But for prevention of the like evil practices for the
future, We have thought fit, with the Advice of Our Privy Council, to
Publish and Declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure to be, and We do hereby
strictly Prohibit and Forbid that none of Our Subjects whatsoever,
except the said Governour and Company and their Successors, and such
as shall be duly Licensed by them at any time or times hereafter do
presume to send or Navigate any Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels, or
exercise any Trade whatsoever directly or indirectly on their own
accounts, or in the Service of, or in conjunction with any Foreigner
or Foreigners whatsoever, to, in or from the said Streights and Bay,
called Hudson's Streights, or to, in or from any Bayes, Rivers, Creeks
or Places whatsoever, by what names or denominations soever they or
any of them have been heretofore, or shall hereafter be called or
distinguished, that now are or lie within the Entrance of Hudson's
Streights aforesaid, in what Latitude or Longitude soever the same or
any of them do, doth or shall lie, remain or be within the Liberties,
Territories, or Priviledges of the said Company, upon pain of Our high
Displeasure, and the forfeiture and loss of the Goods, Merchandizes,
Ships and Vessels which shall be taken or found Trading in any the
Place or Places aforesaid, or within the Limits aforesaid. And We do
hereby strictly Charge and Command all and every Our Subjects of what
degree or quality soever, now Trading or Traffiquing, or designing to
Trade or Traffique to or from the Parts aforesaid, or any of them,
contrary to the true meaning of the said Companies Charter, That
they forthwith do cease and forbear such their Trade and Traffique,
and withdraw themselves from the parts aforesaid. And We do further
hereby streightly Require and Command all and singular Our Governours,
Lieutenant-Governours, Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Generals, Judges of
all Our Courts of Admiralty, Commanders of our Forts and Castles,
Captains of Our Royal Ships, Justices of the Peace, Provost-Marshals,
Marshals, Comptrollers, Collectors of Our Customs, Wayters, Searchers,
and all other Our Officers and Ministers Civil and Military by Sea or
Land, in all and every of Our Dominions or Plantations, and all other
Our Subjects whatsoever and wheresoever, to take effectual care that
no person or persons whatsoever (except the said Company and their
Successors, and such as shall be duly Licensed) do send or Navigate any
Ships or Vessels, or exercise any Trade directly or indirectly from
any of Our Kingdoms, Dominions or Plantations whatsoever, contrary
to the said Charter granted to the said Company as aforesaid, to any
the Places or Limits aforesaid, or from thence to any of Our said
Kingdoms, Dominions, Plantations, or other Places; And if any person
or persons shall presume to act or do in any wise contrary to this Our
Royal Proclamation, We do Will, Require and streightly Command all
and singular Our said Governours, Lieutenant-Governours, Admirals,
Vice-Admirals, Generals, Judges of Our Courts of Admiralty, Commanders
of Our Forts and Castles, Captains of Our Royal Ships, Justices of the
Peace, Provost-Marshals, Marshals, Sheriffs, Comptrollers, Collectors
of Our Customs, Wayters, Searchers, and all other Our Officers and
Ministers Civil and Military by Sea or Land in every of Our said
Dominions and Plantations, and all other Our Officers, Ministers and
Subjects whatsoever and wheresoever, that as often as need shall
require, they and every of them respectively be Aiding and Assisting
to the said Company, their Factors, Deputies, or Assigns, to Attach,
Arrest, Take and Seize all such Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels,
Goods, Wares and Merchandizes of such Person or Persons as shall be
Used, Employed, or Traded in contrary to the Charter Granted to the
said Company, wheresoever they shall be found, for Our Use, upon pain
of Our high Displeasure, and as they will answer the contrary at their
Perils.
Given at Our Court at Whitehall the One and thirtieth day of March
1688. In the Fourth Year of Our Reign.