Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 3.djvu/666

6 f O C. 2 2 . Gooiis nol to be importeil or ex- port«^i! to or from ihe ClantatloHS, but in Ships built iiiEnelanJ, Ireland, oi in -the Plantatiuns, Except Prize Ships, and Fo- reign Ships em- ployed for 3 Years to bring in Naval Stures, Penalty* Qords may be • imported and exported in Prize Ships, the .Mailer and 3 fourths of 'the Mariners lieinij Eiiglilli. iz Car, 1. c, 1 13 & 14 Car. 2. C. II. 4 & 5 W. & M. c. 17. Gov-rnors of Englifli Pianta- tions to take an Oath to obferve all the Claules in this and the other Afts re- lat'ng to the faid Plantations. F>irther pro- Tided for by 8&9 V/. 3. c. 2,0. §. 6g. OnNegleft, to he removed from bis Go- vernment, and forfeit jjCool. J 5 Car. a. c. 7. Naval Officers in the Planta- tions to give Sc- ruri:y to the CommKrinners of the Cu(ti>ms in England for Performance of their Duty, and in Default to be liilablcd. Anno feptimo 5c o6lavo Gulielmi III. A. D. 1696, ' committed, to the Prejuiiice of the En^li/h Navigation, and the Lofs of a great P.trt of the Plantation ' Trade to this Kingdom, by the Artifice and Cunning of ill-dilpofed Perfons :' For Remedy whereof for the future, II. Be it ena<Jted, and it is hereby enafted and ordained by the King's mofl: Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confcnt of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament affcmbled, and by the Authority of the fame. That after the five and twentieth Day of March one thoufand fix hun- dred ninety-eight, no Goods or Merchandizes whatfoever fhall be imported into, or exported out of, any Colony or Plantation to His Majefty, in Jfia, Africa or America^ belonging, or in His Pofleflion, or which may hereafter belong unto, or be in the Pofleflion of Flis Majefty, His Heirs or Succefibrs, or ftjall be laden in, or carried from any one Port or Place in the faid Colonies or Plantations to any other Port or Place in the fame, the Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick upon Tweed, in any Ship or Bottom, but what is or fliall be of the Built of England, or of the Birilt of Ireland, or the faid Colonies or Plantations, and wholly owned by the People thereof, or any of them, and navigated with the Mafters and three fourths o{ the Mariners of the faid Places only (except fuch Ships only as are or fhall be taken as Prize, and Condemnation thereof made in one of the Courts of Admiralty in England, Ireland, or the faid Colonies or Plantations, to be navigated by the Mafter and three fourths of the Mariners Englijh, or of the faid Plantations as aforefaid, and whereof the Property doth belong to Englijh Men; and alfo except for the Space of three Years, fuch Foreign-built Ships as fhall be employed by the Commiflioners of His Majefty 's Navy for the time being, or upon Contraft with them, in bringing only Mafts, Timber and ether Naval Stores for the King's Service from His Majefty's Colonies or Plantations to this Kingdom, to be navigated as aforefaid, and whereof the Property doth belojig to Englijh Men) under Pain of For- feiture of Ship and Goods; one third Part whereof to be to the Ufe of His Majefty, His Heirs and Suc- cefibrs, one third Part to the Governor of the faid Colonies or Plantations, and the other third Part to the Perfon who fhall inform and fue for the fame, by Bill, Plaint or Information, in any of His Majefty's Courts of Record at JVefiminjler, or in any Court in Plis Majefty's Plantations, where fuch Offence fhall be committed. III. And be it further enadled by the Authority aforefaid. That (from and after the faid five and twen- tieth Day of March) Goods or Merchandizes may be exported or imported to and from this Kingdom, the Colonies, Plantations and Places aforefaid, in any fuch Ships as are or fhall be taken as Prize, and whereof Condemnation fhall be iiiade in one of the Courts of Admiralty aforefaid, and fhall be navigated as aforefaid, by the Mafler, three fourths of the Mariners Englijh, and whereof the Property fhall belong to EngliJ]:i Men, and alfo Mafts, Timber, and other naval Stores for His Majefty's Service, for the Space of three Years, may be imported from His Majefty's Colonics or Plantations to this Kingdom, in fuch fo- reign built Ships as fliall be employed by the Commiflioners of the Navy for the time being, or by Con- trail with them ; any Law or Statute to the contrary notwithftanding. ' IV. And whereas by one Claufe in the faid Afl: pafied in the twelfth Year of the Reign of the late ' King (7^(jr/« the Second, intituled. An ASf for the encouragitig and increafmg of Shipping and Navigation, ' all Governors of His Majefty's Colonies or Plantations in Apa, Africa or America, are required to take ' a folemn Oath to do their utmoft that every the Claufes therein before mentioned, and all the Matters ' and Things therein contained, fhall be puncftually and bona fide obferved according to the true Intent and ' Meaning thereof, fo that the faid Governors are not ftriitly obliged by that Oath to put in Execution the ' fubfequent Claufes of the faid Aft, although fome of the Claufes following are of great Importance, and ' tend greatly to the Security of the Plantation Trade : And whereas divers other good Laws have been ' made for the better regulating and fecuring the Plantation Trade fince the faid laft mentioned A£l ;' Be it further ena£ted by the Authority aforefaid, That all the prefent Governors and Commanders in Chief of any Englijh Colonies or Plantations, fhall, before the five and twentieth Day of March one thoufand fix hundred ninety-feven, and all who hereafter fhall be made Governors or Commanders in Chief of the faid Colonies or Plantations, or any of them, before their Entrance into their Government, fhall take a foleinn Oath to do their utmoft, that all the Claufes, Matters and Things, contained in the before recited A£ls of Parliament heretofore pafied, and now in Force, relating to the faid Colonies and Plantations, and that all and every the Claufes contained in this prefent Aft, be punftually and bona fide obferved, according to the true Intent and Meaning thereof (which Oath fhall be taken before fuch Perfon or Perfons as fliall be appointed by His Majefty, His Heirs and SuccelTors, who are hereby authorized to adminifter the fame) fo far as appertains unto the faid Governors or Commanders in Chief refpedfively ; and upon Complaint and Proof made before His Majefty, His Heirs and Suci eflbrs, or fuch as fnall be by him of them thereunto authorized and appointed, by the Oath of iv<!0 or more credible Witnefi'es, that any the faid Governors or Commanders in Chief have neglefted to take the faid Oath at the Times aforefaid, or have been wittingly or willingly negligent in doing their Duty accordingly, the faid Governor fo neglefting or offending fhall be removed from his Government, and forfeit the Sum of one thoufand Pounds Sterling. ' V. And whereas by the faid A6i: of the fifteenth of King Charles the Second, intituled. An A^i ' for the Encouragement of Trade, the Governors of the Plantations are impowered to appoint an Officer for ' the Performance of certain Things in the faid Aft mentione I, which faid Ofiicer is there commonly ' known by the Name of the Naval Officer : And whereas through the Connivance or Negligence of the ' Perfons fo appointed by the Governors of the faid Plantations, divers Frauds and Abufes are or hav^ ' been committed ;' Be it therefore enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That all and every the faid Of-j ficers already appointed fhall, within two Months after Notice of this A<Sl in the refpeffive Plantations, or as foon as conveniently it may be, give Security to the Commiflioners of the Cuftoms in England foj the time being, or fuch as fliall be appointed by them, for His Majefty's Ufe, for the true and faithful Performance of their Duty ; and all and every Perfon or Perfons, who fliall hereafter be appointed to the 4 faid. M