<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2007-11-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Emma Leeson Huber</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B071012.apex.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A80980">
<STC T="W">C7145</STC>
<STC T="T">669.f.20[7]</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99900182</BIBNO>
<VID>172011</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 1 -->
<HEAD>O <FIGURE>
<FIGDESC>blazon or coat of arms incorporating the Commonwealth Flag (1649-1651)</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE> P</HEAD>
<HEAD>&leaf; By the Protector. A PROCLAMATION Declaring that after the fir&s;t day of <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> next, no further u&s;e be made of any Letters of <HI>Marque,</HI> or Repri&s;al, granted unto any private per&s;on.</HEAD>
<P>_WHEREAS heretofore, upon complaint of divers Merchants, and o|ther People of this Common-wealth, that their Ships, Goods, and Merchandizes had been taken, and robbed at Sea, and their per&s;ons deteined, and made Pri&s;oners, and Iu&s;tice being &s;ought that Re&s;titu|tion and Reparation might be had and made by the Power and Autho|rity of that Nation, who&s;e Subjects had committed &s;uch Depredati|ons, and Piracies, and no Relief in &s;uch way being obtained, there|upon &s;uch per&s;ons &s;o &s;poiled became Suitors unto this State for Letters of <HI>Marque,</HI> and Repri&s;al, again&s;t the Subjects of that State, who had committed &s;uch violence, and unlawfull acts upon them, to the end that thereby they might in &s;ome mea&s;ure, make &s;atisfaction unto them|&s;elves, for the prejudice, and damage they had &s;u&s;tained; and &s;uch Letters and Commi&s;&s;ions having been accordingly granted, for &s;ome time, &s;uch u&s;e was made, as that thereby the Ene|mies of this State were in part weakned, and the people who had &s;u&s;tained damage were in a great mea&s;ure repaired, or &s;atisfied. But his Highne&s;s being now certainly informed, That &s;un|dry per&s;ons (perverting the true ends, and purpo&s;es for which &s;uch Licen&s;es and Commi&s;&s;ions were granted) do, under colour, and by pretence of &s;uch their Commi&s;&s;ion, &s;eize the Ships, and Ve&s;&s;els, of the people of &s;uch Princes, and States, as are in amity with his Highne&s;s, which may put di&s;couragement, and di&s;turbance upon trade, to the great damage, and di&s;honour of his High|ne&s;s, and the Commonwealth: His Highne&s;s thereupon, duly con&s;idering the premi&s;&s;es, and finding that the ordinary proceedings held of late times for &s;uppre&s;&s;ing of their enormities, and offences, hath not wrought a Reformation therein; Hath (with the advice of his Council) in his care to pre&s;erve the Iu&s;tice and Commerce of this Common-wealth, and to take away all occa&s;ions that may di&s;|courage or interrupt Trade, thought fit to publi&s;h, and doth hereby declare, That for the imme|diate Prevention, or &s;evere puni&s;hment hereafter of &s;uch Mi&s;demeanours, all Letters of <HI>Marque,</HI> or Repri&s;al, Licen&s;es or Commi&s;&s;ions granted unto, or obtained by, any private per&s;on or per&s;ons upon pretence, or by rea&s;on of any lo&s;s, or damage &s;uppo&s;ed to be &s;u&s;teined by &s;uch per&s;on or per&s;ons, or upon any other ground, or pretence what&s;oever, &s;hall from, and after the fir&s;t day of <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> in the year of our Lord one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred fifty five, be no longer <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">r further made u&s;e of, but the &s;ame are hereby revoked, and declared from the &s;aid fir&s;t day of <HI>Augu&s;t</HI> to be void, and of no effect. And his Highne&s;s further plea&s;ure is, that what&s;oever Ships, or Goods &s;hall, after the &s;aid fir&s;t day of <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> be taken by any private per&s;on o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter"> per&s;ons by colour of any &s;uch Letter of <HI>Marque</HI> or Repri&s;al, Licence, or Commi&s;&s;ion what&s;oever, the &s;ame &s;hall be forthwith &s;eque&s;tred from the Takers, to the u&s;e of the true Proprietaries, and &s;hall be re&s;tored unto them, upon the fir&s;t claims and proofs of their properties, without any long or chargeable Suit of Law. And the per&s;ons, that &s;hall &s;o take the &s;ame, &s;hall be reputed, and taken as Pirates, and both they, and all their ac|ce&s;&s;aries&punc; Maintainers, Comforters, Abettors, and Partakers &s;hall &s;uffer death, as Pirates, and acce&s;&s;aries to Piracie, with Confi&s;cation of a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">l their Lands, and Goods according to the ancient Laws of this Nation. And his Highne&s;s doth hereby will, and require all the Officers of the Admiralty to &s;ee this Porclamation duly execut<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">d; And all other Officers of this Commonwealth, to give their be&s;t a&s;&s;i&s;tance to the Officers of t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">e Admiralty, for the better execution thereof, as they, and every of them, failing therein, will an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">wer the contrary at their peril.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given at White-Hall <DATE>this 12. day of J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ly 1655.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>Henry Hills</HI> and <HI>John Field,</HI> Printers to his Highne&s;s, MDCLV.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
