Warrant, 21 December 1699, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh The Fourteenth day of December J^aj v^ic nynty nyne years

A1699/12/8

A1699/12/8¹

Proclamation

Proclamation Dischargeing the Export and allowing the Import of victuall

Proclamation dischargeing the Export and allowing the Import of victuall. Being Read was voted approven and Signed. Wherof the tenor Follows.
William By the grace of God, King of great Brittain France and Ireland defender of the faith, To […] macers of our privy Councill, messengers att armes, our sheriffs in that pairt Conjunctly and Severaly Specialy Constitute Greeting, Forasmuchas Through the Goodness of God in the last Seasonable Harvest, there wants not Sufficiency of victuall For subsisting of all our Leidges at Easy and Reasonable Rates, if one the one hand The Exporting of victuall to other Forraign places, and on the other hand, The ill practices of Forestallers and Regraters, doe not hinder So great a benefite, Therfore and for preventing these Inconveniencies we with advice of the Lords of our privy Councill, heirby most Strictly prohibite and discharge the Exporting Forth of this Kingdom by any person whatsoever, Either by Sea or Land, all or any kinds of victuall, Either meal wheat, Rye, oats, Pease, Barley or Bear, malted or not malted, or any other grain or victuall whatsoever, (Excepting what shall be found necessary to be Exported for the use of the Company Trading to Affrica and the Indies) after the day and date of these presents, under the pain of Forefailting the victuall offered to be Exported, for the use of the poor of the Bounds, where the samen shall be attacked and Seased, or the value thereof, when the same is proven to be Exported and off the Horse, Ship, Boat, or other the vessells, wherby the samen shall be attempted to be Exported with the Soume of Ten Pounds Scots for each Boll That shall be proven to be Exported, or Seased when transporting, to be paid by the owner, Skipper or Transporter. And we heirby Require and Command all Sheriffs, Stewarts, Baillies and their Deputs, Magistrats of Burghs, Justices of peace or other officers of the Law, To See and cause these presents To be put to Strict Execution, in all points as they will be answerable. And Farder we heirby authorize, and Require our Customers, and all Collectors, Surveyers, waiters, and other officers of Sea-ports and generally all our Leidges, To discover and Sease, The victuall that shall be Exported or offered to be Exported, Promiseing and allowing them the half of the pecuniall pains abovementioned, For their Reward, and that they themselves shall be subject to the Like pains, as the Skipper or owner, For the victuall that shall be Found Exported through their default, neglect or Connivance, And Farder we with advice forsaid, for the more Effectuall disappointing of the Forsaid ill practices of Forestallers and Regraters doe heirby permitt and allow the Importing of all Sorts of Forraign victuall, whether by natives or Strangers from any foraign Kingdom or Countrey whatsoever, and that ay and while this present licence shall be discharged or Recalled. Our will is Heirfore, And we charge yow Strictly and Command That Incontinent these our Letters seen ye pass to the mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and Remanent mercat crosses of the haill head-Burghs off the severall Shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom and to all the Severall Seaport Towns within the same, and mek publication heirof And appointes our Solicitor To Transmitt a Sufficient number of Coppies heirof, To the sheriffs of the severall Shires, Stewarts of Stewartries, Baillies of Regalities, their Deputs or Clerks, to be published att their severall Burghs, and likeways sent by them to the magistrats of the Severall Sea-porttowns, there to be published by them under the Certification forsaid As also appointes, our Solicitor to deliver a Sufficient number of Coppies of thir presents to the Taxmen of the Customes, to be Sent by them to the severall ports and places of this Kingdom where they Keep offices, For collecting and Inbringing of our Customes to be published thereat by the Collectors or Surveyer Resideing their for the time. And ordains these presents to be printed That none pretend Ignorance. Given under our Signet att Edinburgh The Fourteenth day of December, and of our Reign the Eleventh year. 1699. Sic Subscribitur.