By the King a proclamation touching tobacco.

[illustration] royal blazon or coat of arms

HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE

¶By the King.

A Proclamation touching Tobacco.

WHereas Our most deare Father, of blessed me∣morie, deceased, for many weighty and important Reasons of State, and at the humble suit of His Commons in Parliament, did lately publish two seuerall Proclamations, the one dated the nine and twentieth day of September, now last past, and the other the second of March following, for the vtter prohibiting of the importation, and vse 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 Cautious, and vnder 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 vnto Us, and to the honour of Our Crowne, not to de∣sert, or neglect those Colonies, whereof the foundations, with hopefull successe, haue been so happily layd by Our Father, beeing giuen to vnderstand, that diuers persons intending onely their priuate gaine, and neglecting all considerations of the publique, in this short time, whilest Wee haue been necessarily taken vp in ordering of the great affaires of Our Kingdomes and State, haue taken the boldnesse, secretly, and by stealth, to import and vtter great quantities of Tobacco, which is not of the growth of the Plantations aforesaid, to the vtter destruction of those Plantations, as much as in them lieth; Wee haue thought fit, for the preuenting of those inconueniences, which may otherwise ensue, to the irrecouera∣ble dammage of those Plantations, and of Our seruice, to publish and declare Our Roy∣all pleasure for the present, touching the premisses, vntill vpon more mature deliberation Wee shall see cause to alter, or adde vnto the same, in any part.

And Wee doe therefore straitly charge and command, that no person whatsoeuer, of what degree or qualitie soeuer, doe at any time hereafter, either directly or indirectly, import, buy, sell or vtter, plant, cherish, or vse, or cause to bee imported, sold, or vttered, cherished, planted, or vsed, in Our Realmes of England, or Ireland, or Dominion of Wales, or in any Isles or places thereunto belonging any Tobacco, of any sort whatsoeuer, which is not of the proper growth of the said Colonies, or one of them; And that no person whatsoeuer, by any shift or deuice whatsoeuer, doe receiue, or conceale, or colour the Tobacco of any other, so imported, planted, bought, sold, vttered, or vsed within Our sayd Realmes, or Do∣minions, or the Isles or places aforesaid, or any part thereof, vpon paine of forteiture unto Us, of all such Tobacco so to be imported, bought, sold, planted, vttered, or vsed, contra∣ry to the true meaning of these presents, in whose hands soeuer the same shall be found, and vpon 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 King∣domes respectiuely, can or may be inflicted vpon 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 soeuer, 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 Do∣minions, as by the sayd former Proclamations it was directed and commanded, vpon paine of forfeiture thereof, and vpon the other paines and penalties aforesayd to be inflicted vp∣on the offenders.

And Our pleasure is, That all such forreigne Tobacco may bee freely exported by any person whatsoeuer, without paying to Us, or to Our vse, any Subsidie, or other duetie for the same.

Giuen at Our Court at White-Hall, this ninth day of April, in the first yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland.

God saue the King.