Whereas We have taken into Our Royal Consideration the extensive
and valuable Acquisitions in America, secured to Our Crown by the
late Definitive Treaty of Peace, concluded at Paris the Tenth Day of
February last;[1] and being desirous, that all Our loving Subjects,
as well of Our Kingdoms as of Our Colonies in America, may avail
themselves, with all convenient Speed, of the great Benefits and
Advantages which must accrue therefrom to their Commerce, Manufactures,
and Navigation; We have thought fit, with the Advice of Our Privy
Council, to issue this Our Royal Proclamation,[2] hereby to publish
and declare to all Our loving Subjects, that We have, with the Advice
of Our said Privy Council, granted Our Letters Patent under Our Great
Seal of Great Britain, to erect within the Countries and Islands ceded
and confirmed to Us by the said Treaty, Four distinct and separate
Governments, stiled and called by the Names of Quebec, East Florida,
West Florida, and Grenada, and limited and bounded as follows; viz.
First. The Government of Quebec, bounded on the Labrador Coast by the
River St. John, and from thence by a Line drawn from the Head of that
River through the Lake St. John to the South End of the Lake nigh
Pissin;[3] from whence the said Line crossing the River St. Lawrence
and the Lake Champlain in Forty five Degrees of North Latitude, passes
along the High Lands which divide the Rivers that empty themselves into
the said River St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Sea; and
also along the North Coast of the Baye des Chaleurs, and the Coast of
the Gulph of St. Lawrence to Cape Rosieres, and from thence crossing
the Mouth of the River St. Lawrence by the West End of the Island of
Anticosti, terminates at the aforesaid River of St. John.
Secondly. The Government of East Florida, bounded to the Westward by
the Gulph of Mexico, and the Apalachicola River; to the Northward, by a
Line drawn from that Part of the said River where the Chatahouchee and
Flint Rivers meet, to the Source of St. Mary's River, and by the Course
of the said River to the Atlantick Ocean; and to the Eastward and
Southward, by the Atlantick Ocean, and the Gulph of Florida, including
all Islands within Six Leagues of the Sea Coast.
Thirdly. The Government of West Florida, bounded to the Southward
by the Gulph of Mexico, including all Islands within Six Leagues
of the Coast from the River Apalachicola to Lake Pentchartrain; to
the Westward, by the said Lake, the Lake Mauripas, and the River
Mississippi; to the Northward, by a Line drawn due East from that
Part of the River Mississippi which lies in Thirty one Degrees North
Latitude, to the River Apalachicola or Chatahouchee; and to the
Eastward by the said River.
Fourthly. The Government of Grenada, comprehending the Island of that
Name, together with the Grenadines, and the Islands of Dominico, St.
Vincents, and Tobago.
And, to the End that the open and free Fishery of Our Subjects may be
extended to and carried on upon the Coast of Labrador and the adjacent
Islands, We have thought fit, with the Advice of Our said Privy
Council, to put all that Coast, from the River St. John's to Hudson's
Streights, together with the Islands of Anticosti and Madelaine, and
all other smaller Islands lying upon the said Coast, under the Care and
Inspection of Our Governor of Newfoundland.
We have also, with the Advice of Our Privy Council, thought fit to
annex the Islands of St. John's, and Cape Breton or Isle Royale, with
the lesser Islands adjacent thereto, to Our Government of Nova Scotia.
We have also, with the Advice of Our Privy Council aforesaid, annexed
to Our Province of Georgia all the Lands lying between the Rivers
Altamaha and St. Mary's.
And whereas it will greatly contribute to the speedy settling Our said
new Governments, that Our loving Subjects should be informed of Our
Paternal Care for the Security of the Liberties and Properties of
those who are and shall become Inhabitants thereof; We have thought fit
to publish and declare, by this Our Proclamation, that We have, in the
Letters Patent under Our Great Seal of Great Britain, by which the said
Governments are constituted, given express Power and Direction to Our
Governors of Our said Colonies respectively, that so soon as the State
and Circumstances of the said Colonies will admit thereof, they shall,
with the Advice and Consent of the Members of Our Council, summon and
call General Assemblies within the said Governments respectively, in
such Manner and Form as is used and directed in those Colonies and
Provinces in America, which are under Our immediate Government; and
We have also given Power to the said Governors, with the Consent of
Our said Councils, and the Representatives of the People, so to be
summoned as aforesaid, to make, constitute, and ordain Laws, Statutes,
and Ordinances for the Publick Peace, Welfare, and Good Government of
Our said Colonies, and of the People and Inhabitants thereof, as near
as may be agreeable to the Laws of England, and under such Regulations
and Restrictions as are used in other Colonies: And in the mean Time,
and until such Assemblies can be called as aforesaid, all Persons
inhabiting in, or resorting to Our said Colonies, may confide in Our
Royal Protection for the Enjoyment of the Benefit of the Laws of Our
Realm of England; for which Purpose, We have given Power under Our
Great Seal to the Governors of Our said Colonies respectively, to erect
and constitute, with the Advice of Our said Councils respectively,
Courts of Judicature and Publick Justice, within Our said Colonies,
for the hearing and determining all Causes, as well Criminal as Civil,
according to Law and Equity, and as near as may be agreeable to the
Laws of England, with Liberty to all Persons who may think themselves
aggrieved by the Sentences of such Courts, in all Civil Cases, to
appeal, under the usual Limitations and Restrictions, to Us in Our
Privy Council.
We have also thought fit, with the Advice of Our Privy Council as
aforesaid, to give unto the Governors and Councils of Our said Three
New Colonies upon the Continent, full Power and Authority to settle
and agree with the Inhabitants of Our said New Colonies, or with any
other Persons who shall resort thereto, for such Lands, Tenements,
and Hereditaments, as are now, or hereafter shall be in Our Power
to dispose of, and them to grant to any such Person or Persons,
upon such Terms, and under such moderate Quit-Rents, Services, and
Acknowledgments as have been appointed and settled in Our other
Colonies, and under such other Conditions as shall appear to Us to be
necessary and expedient for the Advantage of the Grantees, and the
Improvement and Settlement of our said Colonies.
And whereas We are desirous, upon all Occasions, to testify Our Royal
Sense and Approbation of the Conduct and Bravery of the Officers and
Soldiers of Our Armies, and to reward the same, We do hereby command
and impower Our Governors of Our said Three New Colonies, and all
other Our Governors of Our several Provinces on the Continent of North
America, to grant, without Fee or Reward, to such Reduced Officers as
have served in North America during the late War, and to such Private
Soldiers as have been or shall be disbanded in America, and are
actually residing there, and shall personally apply for the same, the
following Quantities of Lands, subject at the Expiration of Ten Years
to the same Quit-Rents as other Lands are subject to in the Province
within which they are granted, as also subject to the same Conditions
of Cultivation and Improvement; viz.
To every Person having the Rank of a Field Officer, Five thousand
Acres.--To every Captain, Three thousand Acres.--To every Subaltern or
Staff Officer, Two thousand Acres.--To every Non-Commission Officer,
Two hundred Acres.--To every Private Man, Fifty Acres.
We do likewise authorize and require the Governors and Commanders in
Chief of all Our said Colonies upon the Continent of North America, to
grant the like Quantities of Land, and upon the same Conditions, to
such Reduced Officers of Our Navy, of like Rank, as served on Board
Our Ships of War in North America at the Times of the Reduction of
Louisbourg and Quebec in the late War, and who shall personally apply
to Our respective Governors for such Grants.
And whereas it is just and reasonable, and essential to Our Interest
and the Security of Our Colonies, that the several Nations or Tribes of
Indians, with whom We are connected, and who live under Our Protection,
should not be molested or disturbed in the Possession of such Parts
of Our Dominions and Territories as, not having been ceded to, or
purchased by Us, are reserved to them, or any of them, as their Hunting
Grounds; We do therefore, with the Advice of Our Privy Council,
declare it to be Our Royal Will and Pleasure, that no Governor or
Commander in Chief in any of Our Colonies of Quebec, East Florida, or
West Florida, do presume, upon any Pretence whatever, to grant Warrants
of Survey, or pass any Patents for Lands beyond the Bounds of their
respective Governments, as described in their Commissions; as also,
that no Governor or Commander in Chief in any of Our other Colonies
or Plantations in America, do presume, for the present, and until Our
further Pleasure be known, to grant Warrants of Survey, or pass Patents
for any Lands beyond the Heads or Sources of any of the Rivers which
fall into the Atlantick Ocean from the West and North-West, or upon any
Lands whatever, which, not having been ceded to, or purchased by Us as
aforesaid, are reserved to the said Indians, or any of them.
And We do further declare it to be Our Royal Will and Pleasure, for the
present as aforesaid, to reserve under Our Sovereignty, Protection,
and Dominion, for the Use of the said Indians, all the Lands and
Territories not included within the Limits of Our said Three New
Governments, or within the Limits of the Territory granted to the
Hudson's Bay Company, as also all the Lands and Territories lying to
the Westward of the Sources of the Rivers which fall into the Sea
from the West and North West, as aforesaid; and We do hereby strictly
forbid, on Pain of Our Displeasure, all Our loving Subjects from making
any Purchases or Settlements whatever, or taking Possession of any of
the Lands above reserved, without Our especial Leave and Licence for
that Purpose first obtained.
And We do further strictly enjoin and require all Persons whatever, who
have either wilfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon any Lands
within the Countries above described, or upon any other Lands, which,
not having been ceded to, or purchased by Us, are still reserved to the
said Indians as aforesaid, forthwith to remove themselves from such
Settlements.
And whereas great Frauds and Abuses have been committed in the
purchasing Lands of the Indians, to the great Prejudice of Our
Interests, and to the great Dissatisfaction of the said Indians; in
order therefore to prevent such Irregularities for the future, and
to the End that the Indians may be convinced of Our Justice, and
determined Resolution to remove all reasonable Cause of Discontent, We
do, with the Advice of Our Privy Council, strictly enjoin and require,
that no private Person do presume to make any Purchase from the said
Indians of any Lands reserved to the said Indians, within those Parts
of Our Colonies where We have thought proper to allow Settlement; but
that if, at any Time, any of the said Indians should be inclined to
dispose of the said Lands, the same shall be purchased only for Us, in
Our Name, at some publick Meeting or Assembly of the said Indians to
be held for that Purpose by the Governor or Commander in Chief of Our
Colonies respectively, within which they shall lie: and in case they
shall lie within the Limits of any Proprietary Government, they shall
be purchased only for the Use and in the Name of such Proprietaries,
conformable to such Directions and Instructions as We or they shall
think proper to give for that Purpose: And We do, by the Advice of
Our Privy Council, declare and enjoin, that the Trade with the said
Indians shall be free and open to all our Subjects whatever; provided
that every Person, who may incline to trade with the said Indians, do
take out a Licence for carrying on such Trade from the Governor or
Commander in Chief of any of Our Colonies respectively, where such
Person shall reside; and also give Security to observe such Regulations
as We shall at any Time think fit, by Ourselves or by Our Commissaries
to be appointed for this Purpose, to direct and appoint for the Benefit
of the said Trade; And We do hereby authorize, enjoin, and require the
Governors and Commanders in Chief of all Our Colonies respectively, as
well Those under Our immediate Government as those under the Government
and Direction of Proprietaries, to grant such Licences without Fee or
Reward, taking especial Care to insert therein a Condition, that such
Licence shall be void, and the Security forfeited, in Case the Person,
to whom the same is granted, shall refuse or neglect to observe such
Regulations as We shall think proper to prescribe as aforesaid.
And We do further expressly enjoin and require all Officers whatever,
as well Military as those employed in the Management and Direction of
Indian Affairs within the Territories reserved as aforesaid for the Use
of the said Indians, to seize and apprehend all Persons whatever, who,
standing charged with Treasons, Misprisions of Treason, Murders, or
other Felonies or Misdemeanors, shall fly from Justice, and take Refuge
in the said Territory, and to send them under a proper Guard to the
Colony where the Crime was committed of which they stand accused, in
order to take their Tryal for the same.
Given at Our Court at St. James's, the Seventh Day of October, One
thousand seven hundred and sixty three, in the Third Year of Our
Reign.