❧ By the Protector.A PROCLAMATION Of His HIGHNESS (by and with the Advice of His Council) for putting in Execution the Laws againſt Tranſportation of Woolls, Wool-fels, Fullers-Earth, and other things.

WHereas ſeveral Complaints have been made unto His Highneſs, That great quantities of Woolls, Wool-fels, and Fullers-Earth, are daily tranſported out of the Dominions of this Commonwealth into the Parts beyond the Seas, notwithſtanding the many good and whole­ſome Laws and Statutes heretofore made and provided (and yet it force) againſt the ſame, to the great inhauncing of the Rates and Prices of thoſe Commodities, and the apparent hurt, detriment and prejudice of the State: And His Highneſs having taken the ſame into due con­ſideration, and (with the advice of His Council) weighing the evil conſequences thereof, both to the Manufactures of this Nation; And alſo conſidering the prejudice that may happen to the Commonwealth in general, if ſome timely courſe be not taken for preventing the ſame: And whereas by ſeveral Acts, Statutes and Ordinances heretofore made, the tranſporting the ſame is prohibited under ſundry great and ſevere penalties; and to the intent none may pretend ignorance of the ſame, as alſo to quicken His Highneſs Officers and Miniſters, and others, to whom the excution of thoſe Laws, ſo advantagious and neceſſary to the Publique, is intruſted, to do their duties therein, His Highneſs (by and with the advice of His Council) hath thought fit to publiſh this His Proclamation, letting all the People of this Commonwealth know, That His Highneſs ſhall expect and require a due and exact obedience to the Laws in that behalf made: And His Highneſs likewiſe ſigni­fies His pleaſure, That he intends a full and effectual proſecution againſt all offenders and tranſgreſſors againſt the ſaid Laws, and that the utmoſt rigour and extremity thereof ſhall be required, without any hope of mitiga­tion or moderation: And if any extremity ſhall happen to any one therein, his Highneſs ſhall account it Iuſtice, having diſcharged His duty in giving notice. And yet for a further manifeſtation of His care, hath thought fit to publiſh the effect of the laſt Law made for ſuppreſſing the ſame; (viz.) That by an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons aſſembled in Parliament, publiſhed the Nineteenth day of January, in the year our Lord, One thouſand ſix hundred forty ſeven, It is Ordained, That it ſhall not be lawful for any perſon or perſons, to lade, ſhip, or carry in any Ship, Barge, Boat, or other Veſſel, or otherwiſe, any Wooll of the growth of England or Ireland, or the Do­minion of Wales, or any Woollen Yarn, Woollen Flox, Wool-fell, Fullers Earth, Clay, Tobacco-pipe-Clay, or any other Earth or Clay which may be uſed in the Art of Fulling, of intent to tranſport or carry the ſame into any place or places of the parts beyond the Seas, or into Scotland, by Land or by Sea, or to carry the ſame to any Ship or other Veſſel whatſoever to be tranſported, upon the pain of the forfeiture of the ſaid Woolls, Woollen-yarn, Woollen Flox, Wool-fell, and Earth or Clay ſo laden, ſhipped, carried or tranſported, and three ſhillings for every pound of ſuch Wooll, Yarn, Flox, and Earth or Clay; And for every pound-weight of the ſaid Earth or Clay three ſhillings, to be forfeited by the owner or owners thereof; and alſo the owner of the ſaid ſhips or veſſels, knowing of ſuch offence, to forfeit all their intereſt in the ſaid ſhips or veſſels, with all their apparel and furniture to them and every of them belonging; and the Maſter and Mariners, knowing of ſuch offence, to forfeit all their Goods and Chattels, and to have Impriſonment by the ſpace of one whole year without Bayl or Mainprize. And it is by the ſaid Ordinance further Ordained, That if any Merchant, or any other perſon or perſons ſhould tranſport, or cauſe to be tranſported any of the ſaid Earth or Clay, Wooll, Woollen-yarn, or Woollen Flox, or Wool-fells, contrary to the intent of the ſaid Ordinance, That then he ſhould be diſabled for requiring any Debt or Accompt of any Fa­ctor or others, for or concerning any Debt of Eſtate, properly belonging to ſuch Merchant and Offender, to his own uſe. And that if any owner of the land where ſuch Clay or Earth ſhould be digged or gotten, ſhould be privy unto, or know of ſuch Tranſportation by any perſon or perſons, and ſhould not diſcover the ſame to ſome Iuſtice or Iuſti­ces of the Peace, within three moneths of ſuch his knowledge, he ſhould for every ſuch offence forfeit Five hun­dred pounds of lawful Money of England: And that if ſuch Iuſtice of Peace to whom ſuch diſcovery ſhould be made, ſhould not certifie the ſame under his Hand and Seal to the Barons of the Exchequer, or one of them, with­in three Moneths following, he ſhould for every ſuch offence forfeit One hundred pounds of like lawful Money. Now to the intent tranſgreſſors may not be encouraged by the negligence of Officers and Courts of Iuſtice, His Highneſs (by and with the advice of his Council) doth Appoint, Authorize and Command, as well the Barons of the Exchequer, as the Attorney and Sollicitor-General, That they and every of them do ſpeedily and effectually put in execution the aforeſaid Ordinance of Parliament, and all and every other the Laws and Statutes made againſt tranſporting Woolls, Wool-fels, and Fullers-Earth; and that they and every of them do likewiſe in their ſeveral places effectually proſecute all and every ſuch perſon and perſons, whoſe Names have been already brought, or which ſhall hereafter be brought to them, or any of them, and who have offended, or that ſhall hereafter offend againſt the Law, in tranſporting Woolls, Wool-fels, and Fullers-Earth (in Our Courts of Iuſtice) and every ſuch perſon and perſons ſo offending, to puniſh according to their and every of their demerits, and according to the true intent and meaning of the ſeveral Statutes, Laws and Ordinances in that caſe made and provided, and of his Highneſs Pleaſure herein declared. And his Highneſs doth further (by and with the advice of his Council) Will and Require, and ſtraightly Charge and Command the Commiſſioners, and other Officers of the Cuſtoms in the ſeveral Ports of England, and in the Town and Port of Barwick, That they and every of them reſpectively in their ſeveral places, do take very good and ſufficient Security, That all Goods carried into Scotland, be accord­ingly delivered and landed at ſome Port there; and that authentique Certificates be thereof returned to the Com­miſſioners and other Officers of the Cuſtoms, within all and every the Ports in England, out of which the ſaid Goods were exported, before any Bonds be cancelled or delivered up by the Officers of the Cuſtoms within any of the ſaid Ports. And further, His Highneſs (by and with the advice of his Council) doth Will and Declare, That if ſuch Certificate and Certificates ſo to be returned in manner aforeſaid, be not returned within ſix Moneths next enſuing the time to be limited in every ſuch Bond, for the return thereof to the ſaid Commiſſioners and other Officers of the Cuſtoms in the ſeveral Ports in England, out of which the ſaid Goods were exported as aforeſaid; That then, and in all ſuch caſes, the ſaid Commiſſioners, and other Officers of the Cuſtoms within the ſeveral Ports of England, in whoſe hands and cuſtodies ſuch Bonds ſhall be, at the expiration of the ſaid ſix Moneths, ſhall return, or cauſe to be returned the ſaid Bonds, and every of them, into the Court of Exchequer at Weſtminſter, there to be proceeded upon accordingly. And His Highneſs doth further (by and with the advice of his Council) ſtraightly Charge and Command the ſaid Commiſſioners, and other Officers of the Cuſtoms in the ſeveral Ports of England, and in the Town and Port of Barwick, That they, and every of them, by themſelves, their Servants, or Agents, do hereafter uſe their utmoſt care and diligence, to hinder and prevent the exportation of Woolls, Wool-fels, and Fullers-Earth, under any colour, pretence or means whatſoever; And that the ſaid Commiſſioners, and other Of­ficers of the Cuſtoms within the ſeveral Ports of England, and in the Town and Port of Barwick, by themſelves, their Agents or Servants, do enter into all and every Ship, Barque, Hoy, and other Veſſel, wherein ſuſpicion ſhall be of any Wooll, Wool-fels, or Fullers-Earth, and therein to make ſearch for all ſuch Wooll, Wool-fels, or Fullers-Earth there concealed, and the ſame being found, to take and ſeize for his Highneſs uſe, as forfeited, and ſhall return the Names of all and every ſuch perſon and perſons from time to time ſo offending, unto the Barons of the Exchequer, or the Attorney or Sollicitor-General, to the end they may be proceeded againſt, and puniſhed according to their demerits, and the true intent and meaning of the Laws and Statutes in that behalf made, and of his Highneſs Will and Pleaſure herein declared, And his Highneſs doth further ſtraightly Charge and Com­mand all Mayors, Sheriffs, Bayliffs, Conſtables, Headboroughs, and other Officers and Miniſters within the ſeveral Ports, Cities and Towns Corporate, and other places within England, and alſo within the Town and Port of Barwick, That they and every of them in their reſpective places, be ayding and aſſiſting to the Commiſſio­ners, and other Officers of the Cuſtoms within the ſeveral Ports of England, and in the Town and Port of Bar­wick, in the ſearching out and ſeizing of all ſuch Wooll, Wool-fels, and Fullers-earth ſo concealed as aforeſaid, and in the due execution of all and every the premiſes.

Given at VVhitehallthe Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord, One thouſand ſix hundred fifty ſix.