A proclamation to restrain the excessive carriages in wagons and four-wheeled carts to the destruction of high-ways

By the King.

A PROCLAMATION To Restrain the Excessive Carriages in Wagons and four-Wheeled Carts, to the destruction of High-ways.

CHARLES R.

WHereas it appertaineth to Us to have special Care, that the common High-ways, and Bridges, leading from place to place within this Realm, might be kept in due repair for the ease and good of Our Loving Subjects; And observing notwithstanding the good provision of Our Laws in that behalf made, and the conformity and forwardness of Our Subjects in so Publique and Necessary a Work, That Our High-ways and Brid∣ges are at this present grown into great decay, and very dangerous for Passage, We have upon due examination found, that the said Decays are occasioned by the common Car∣riers of this Realm, who for their singular and private profit, do now usually Travail with Carts and Wagons with four Whéels, drawn with eight, nine, or ten Horses or more, and do commonly therein carry sixty and seventy hundred weight at one burthen at one time, which burden and weight is so great and excessive, as that the very Foun∣dations of Bridges are in many places thereby shaken, and the High-ways and Cawseys Furrowed and Ploughed up by the Whéels of the said Carts and Wagons so overladen, and made so déep, and full of dangerous Slows and Holes, as neither can Passengers Travail thereby in Safety, nor the Inhabitants or Persons by Law bound to repair them, be able to undergo so great a charge: Where heretofore all common Carriers usually went with Carts of two Whéels onely, wherewith they could not well carry above twenty hundred weight at once, or there a∣bouts, which the Bridges, Cawseys, and ordinary High-ways, did and might well bear without any great damage to the same: We therefore intending the Reformation of the Premisses, and it having béen resolved by the Advice of the Iudges formerly taken herein, That by the Law of this Our Realm, the said excessive and extraor∣dinary

kind of Carriages, whereby Our High-ways are thus destroyed, are common Nusances and Annoyances against the Weal-publique, and an offence against Our Crown; Do hereby streightly charge, require and command, that no common Carrier, or other person or persons whatsoever, shall hereafter use, go, or travail with any Cart or Wagon made with four Wheels, to be drawn with above five Horses at once along their Iourney, unless they go all two abrest, in which case they are limited to no number, that the High-ways and Bridges may hereafter receive the less damage thereby, upon pain of incurring Our high Displeasure, and to receive condign punishment, as con∣temners of Our Royal Will and Commandment, and to be further prosecuted and punished for the said Nusances and Annoyances, by Fine and such other ways, as the Laws of this Our Realm have provided against Offenders in that kind: To which end, We do hereby expresly charge, as well Our Iudges, as Our Atturney-General, to exact and require the extremity of Our Laws in that behalf; And that every Offender contrary to this Our Proclama∣tion shall for his contempt be prosecuted in Our Court of Kings Bench, and other Courts whereunto the Cogni∣sance thereof shall belong, by Information or Indictment, and thereupon be Fined and procéeded against according to their demerit; Nevertheless, Our Intent, Will, and Commandment is, And we do hereby streightly charge, command, and prohibite, that no common Carrier whatsoever shall by colour hereof take occasion to Inhance or raise the prices of Carriage from any part or place within Our said Realm, under pain of Our Displeasure, and upon complaint thereof to Us, or Our Privy Councel made, to be further punished; as shall be thought fit and just according to Law. And lastly, We do hereby Will and Require all Majors, Sheriffs, Iustices of Peace, and other Our Officers and Ministers in all Counties and Priviledged Places whatsoever within this Our Realm, that they, and every of them in their several Offices and Places, do from time to time provide and see to the due execution of this Our Pleasure and Royal Commandment; and that they discover and make known all offenders herein, that they may be severely punished for their contempts, as also that they neglect not, but continue the repaire and main∣tenance of High-ways, Bridges and Cawseys within this Our Realm, according to the Laws, Statutes and Ordi∣nances now in force, as they tender Our Pleasure, and will answer the contrary at their utmost perils.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the Sixteenth day of August, 1661. in the Thirteenth year of Our Raign.

God save the KING.