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Sr, herein we enclose a letter from his Majestie, in relation to his customes, arising by vertue of one act of
Parliament, made in the 25th year of his Majesties Reigne, entitled an act for better secureing the plantation trade,
and also in relation to the other laws which concern the plantation trade, and for your information in these matters,
a book of rates is herewith transmitted to you, wherein the said laws are contained, viz. the act of navigation, the
act for the encouragement of trade, the act for better regulating the plantation trade, and the act for better securing
the plantation trade, together with some copies of his Majesties Proclamations of the 24 November, in the 27th year of
his majesties Reigne, prohibiting the importation of the commodities of Europe into any of his majesties Plantations in
Asia, Africa or America, which were not laden in England, and for putting all other laws relating to the plantation trade,
in effectual execution, for due performance whereof you will please to give order and take care, and whereas several
shipps have gone from his majesties plantations to Scotland, Ireland and other places beyond the seas, and there discharged
their loading of tobacco, sugar and other the commodities, enumerated in the aforesaid act of the 25, of the King, without
first coming to England, Wales or Berwick and paying his Majesties duties there for the same, according to the said laws,
for prevention thereof for the future, wee desire you will please that according to the aforementioned act for regulating
the plantation trade, we may receive from you at least once a year, a list of all such ships or vessels, as shall lade
within your Government, any of the enumerated comodities, according to the enclosed forme, endorsed (No. 1,) and that you
do not permitt any shipp or vessell to load any of the said goods in your colony, unless she first give bond to carry the
same to England, Wales or Berwick, or pay the duties appointed by the aforesaid act of the 25, of the King, and also give
bond to carry them to England, Wales or Berwick or to some other of his Majesties plantations, for that you are to know,
that the payment of the said duties doth not give liberty to go to any Port or place other than to England, Wales or
Berwick, or to some other of his Majesties plantations, and they are not thereby privileged to goe to Ireland, Scotland
or any foreign country, and for the better discovery of false certificates of ships having given bond in England and
unloaden there, we desire you will use your utmost care in causing strict examination to be made of all certificates,
both of ships having given such bond, and also of their having discharged their loading in England, and that you admit
of no certificates of any ships having given bond, nor of any ships having discharged their loading in England, Wales
or Berwick, but such as shall come to you under the hands and seals of the customer or patent collector and comptroller
or their deputies, and the hand of the commission collector or his deputy or two of them, of the port where they gave
bond or unladed respectively, and we herewith transmitt to you one of each of the impressions of the seales as we rec'd
them, both from the respective customers and comptrollers, both in the port of London and the out Ports, And we desire
that as it is the practice In other plantations, all certificates, both of ships having given bond, and of their having
discharged their respective loadings may be registered in your navall office, or some other publick office in your colony,
and you rnay please further observe, that you are not to permitt any shipp to take in any of the enumerated goods in your
colony, but such as have given bond in England, Wales or Berwick, or to yourself, or to the Governor of some other of his
Majesties colonies, and where a certificate shall be brought to you, of any ships having given bond with the Governour of
any other colony or ships, having unloaden any of the said commodities in any other colony, you are riott to admitt
thereof, unless it be under the hand and seal of such Governour respectively, and as to the bonds to be taken by you, wee
here inclose to you the form of a bond to be entered into by masters of ships that enter for England, Wales or Berwick,
only, (No. 2,) and the form of a bond to be entered into by the masters of ships that enter for England, Wales or Berwick,
or some other of his Majesties plantations, before they have liberty to lade any of the said goods, (No. 3,) both which
bonds are to be with one sufficient surety; and the blank in which bonds for the summ is to be filled up according to the
direction in the act of navigation, with the sum of one thousand pounds, if the ship be of less burthen than one hundred
tonn, and of two thousand pounds if the ship be of a greater burthen, and because the life and efficacy of such bonds
depend principally upon the sufficiency of the securities, we desire that you will take effectual care that the sureties
in all such bonds, be persons of sufficiency and value, and inhabitants within your Government; and in all cases where
bond hath been given to you, if you can discover and make proofe, that any such ship or vessell hath discharged her
loading, contrary to her bond, or that a convenient time hath passed in expectation of the returne of a certificate
of her unladeing according to the condition of her bond, and that no such certificate is returned, wee desire you will
cause the bond to be prossecuted, wee doubt not but you will give all encouragement to Mr. Randolph, appointed by his
Majestie to receive his customes in your colony, and likewise to his deputies, STOWIMS,CHELHEYNE,HILLINGTERY.Custom House, London, 24 May, 1680.
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