Given at Our Court at St. James's, the Fifth Day of July, 1727, and in the First Year of Our Reign.
London, Printed by John Baskett, Printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty; and Thomas Norris, Assignee to George Hills, 1727.
_1 p. folio. Copy in P. C. Entered on Patent Rolls; entered in Privy Council Register, II Geo., vol. 1, p. 32. Printed in "American Weekly Mercury," September 28, 1727._
[1] This proclamation, with a form of proclamation for proclaiming the new King, was sent over to each colony. In the state archives of some of the colonies, this correspondence is still preserved, and in some cases has been printed, i.e., in _Pennsylvania Archives_, ser. 1, vol. 1, p. 200.
REQUIRING PASSES FORMERLY GRANTED TO SHIPS AND VESSELS, TRADING IN THE WAY OF THE CRUIZERS BELONGING TO THE GOVERNMENTS ON THE COAST OF BARBARY, TO BE RETURNED INTO THE OFFICE OF THE ADMIRALTY OF GREAT BRITAIN, AND OTHER PASSES OF DIFFERENT FORMS TO BE ISSUED.
Whereas our Royal Father of Glorious Memory, by His Proclamation, bearing Date the Nineteenth Day of July, in the Eighth Year of His Reign[1], did charge and command all His loving Subjects, who then were, or should be possessed of any Passes, which before the said Nineteenth Day of July had been issued for Ships and Vessels belonging to His said late Majesty's Subjects trading to Portugal, the Canaries, Guinea, the Indies, into the Mediterranean, or elsewhere, in the Way of the Cruizers of the Government of Algiers (excepting such as had been granted to such Ships or Vessels as were gone or going to the East Indies, or the South Seas, or any other long Trading Voyages) to return the same, and furnish themselves with Passes of a new Form, under the Hands and Seals of the Commissioners for executing the Office of High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, in lieu thereof, for their several Ships and Vessels, in such Manner as by the said recited Proclamation was directed: And whereas it hath been humbly represented unto Us, That it may have happened that several Passes granted pursuant to the said recited Proclamation may, either by Accident, or undue Means, have fallen into the Hands of Foreigners, who by Colour of such Passes may carry on their Trade; We, taking the Premises into Our Royal Consideration, and judging it necessary to put a speedy Stop to all such indirect Practices, which do not only tend to the Prejudice of Our trading Subjects, but may occasion a Misunderstanding between Us and the Governments on the Coast of Barbary, for preventing thereof have thought fit, by the Advice of our Privy Council, to publish this Our Royal Proclamation, and do hereby declare, That all such Passes of the present Form now in being shall not continue in Force longer than Twelve Months, to be computed from the First Day of March next ensuing the Date hereof (except such Passes as have been granted to Ships gone or going to the East Indies, or other remote Voyages, where they cannot be timely furnished with new Passes) and We do hereby strictly charge and command all Our loving Subjects, who are or shall be possessed of any such Passes, That they do within the Space of Twelve Months, to be computed from the said First Day of March next, return the same (except such as are before excepted) into the Office of the Admiralty of Great Britain, or to the respective Collectors of Our Customs at the Out-Ports of Great Britain and Ireland, or to the Governors of some of Our Foreign Plantations or Dominions, in order to their being cancelled; and that they do furnish themselves with Passes of a new Form, under the Hands and Seals of our Commissioners for executing the Office of High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, in lieu thereof, for their several Ships and Vessels, according to the Treaties subsisting between Us and the said Governments on the Coast of Barbary, and the Regulations made by Our said Royal Father, by Order in His Privy Council, on the Fourteenth Day of June, in the Year One thousand seven hundred and twenty two, and Our Instructions given to Our said Commissioners for executing the Office of High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, touching the same: And whereas many Ships and Vessels belonging to Our loving Subjects continue several Years trading from Port to Port in the Mediterranean without returning Home, whereby they cannot so conveniently procure their Passes to be exchanged, We do hereby, for the Ease of Our Trading Subjects, publish and declare Our Pleasure, That upon the Application of any Owner of any Ship or Vessel, or other substantial Merchant, to the Office of the Admiralty of Great Britain, and Oath made by him of the Property of such Ship or Vessel, and that Three Fourths of the Company are Our Subjects, according to an Act ma