Ireland, or any other Lands, Islands, Plantations, or Territories thereto belonging, or in their possession, but onely such as shall be caught in Vessels that do or shall truly and properly belong to the people of this Nation, as Proprietors and Right Owners thereof; And the said Fish to be cured, and the Oyl aforesaid made by the people of this Commonwealth, under the penalty and loss expressed in the said first Branch of this present Act; and loss expressed in the said first Branch of this present Act; the said Forfeit to be recovered and imployed as is there expressed.

And it is further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no sort of Cod, Ling, Herring, Pilchard, or any other kinde of Salted Fish whatsoever, which shall be caught and cured by the people of this Commonwealth, shall be from and after the First day of February, One thousand six hundred fifty three, exported from any place or places belonging to this Commonwealth, in any other Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels, save onely in such as do truly and properly appertain to the people of this Commonwealth, as Right Owners; and whereof the Master and Mariners are for the most part of them English, under the penalty and loss expressed in the said first Branch of this present Act; the said Forfeit to be recovered and imployed as is there expressed.

Provided always, That this Act, nor any thing therein contained, extend not, or be meant to restrain the Importation of any of the Commodities of the Straights or Levant Seas, loaden in the Shipping of this Nation as aforesaid, at the usual Ports or places for lading of them heretofore, within the said Straights or Levant Seas, though the said Commodities be not of the very Growth of the said places.

Provided also, That this Act nor any thing therein contained, extend not, nor be meant to restrain the Importing of any EastIndia Commodities loaden in the Shipping of this Nation, at the usual Port or Places for Lading of them heretofore in any part of those Seas, to the Southward and Eastward of Cabo Bona Esperanza, although the said Ports be not the very places of their Growth.

Provided also, That it shall and may be lawful to and for any of the People of this Commonwealth, in Vessels or Ships to them

belonging, and whereof the Master and Mariners are of this Nation as aforesaid, to load and bring in from any of the Ports of Spain and Portugal, all sorts of Goods or Commodities that have come from, or any way belonged unto the Plantations or Dominions of either of them respectively.

Be it also further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from henceforth it shall not be lawful to any person or persons whatsoever, to load or cause to be loaden and carryed in any Bottom or Bottoms, Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels whatsoever, whereof any Stranger or Strangers born (unless such as be Denizens or Naturalized) be Owners, part Owners, or Master, any Fish, Victual, Wares, or things of what kinde or nature soever the same shall be, from one Port or Creek of this Commonwealth, to another Port or Creek of the same, under penalty to every one that shall offend contrary to the true meaning of this Branch of this present Act, to forfeit all the Goods that shall be so laden or carried, as also the Ship upon which they shall be so laden or carried, the same Forfeit to be recovered and imployed as directed in the First Branch of this present Act.

Lastly, That this Act nor any thing therein contained, extend not to Bullion, nor yet to any Goods taken, or that shall be taken by way of Reprizal by any Ship or Ships, having Commission from this Commonwealth.

Provided, That this Act, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend, nor be construed to extend to any Silk or Silk-wares which shall be brought by Land from any parts of Italy, and there bought with the proceed of English Commodities, sold either for Money or in Barter; but that it shall and may be lawful for any of the People of this Commonwealth to ship the same in English Vessels from Ostend, Newport, Roterdam, Middleburgh, Amsterdam, or any Ports thereabouts; the Owners and Proprietors first making Oath by themselves, or other credible Witness, before the Commissioners of the Customs for the time being, or their Deputies, or one of the Barons of the Exchequer, that the Goods aforesaid were so bought for his or their own proper accompt in Italy.

2. An Act for the Encourageing and increasing of Shipping and Navigation1

1660

For the increase of Shiping and incouragement of the Navigation of this Nation, wherin under the good providence and protection of God the Wealth Safety and Strength of this Kingdome, is soe much concerned Bee it Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty and by the Lords and Cōmons in this present Parliament assembled and the Authoritie thereof That from and after the First day of December One thousand six hundred and sixty and from thence forward(noe Goods or Commodities whatsoever shall be Imported into or Exported out of any Lands Islelands Plantations or Territories to his Majesty belonging(or in his possession or which may hereafter belong unto or be in the possession of His Majesty His Heires and Successors in Asia Africa or America in any other Ship or Ships Vessell or Vessells whatsoever but in such Ships or Vessells as doe truely and without fraude belong onely to the people of England or Ireland Dominion of Wales or Towne of Berwicke upon Tweede, or are of the built of, and belonging to any of the said Lands Islands Plantations or Territories as the Properietors and right Owners thereof and whereof the Master and three fourthes of the Marriners at least are English under the penalty of the Forfeiture and Losse of all the Goods and Commodityes which shall be Imported into, or Exported out of, any the aforesaid places in any other Ship or Vessell, as alsoe of the Ship or Vessell with all its Guns Furniture Tackle Ammunition and Apparrel, one third part thereof to his Majesty his Heires and Successors, one third part to the Governour of such Land Plantation Island or Territory where such default shall be commited in case the said Ship or Goods be there seised, or otherwise that third part alsoe

1 Statutes of the Realm, vol. 5, pp. 246–250.

to his Majesty his Heires and Successors, and the other third part to him or them who shall Seize Informe or sue for the same in any Court of Record by Bill Information Plaint or other Action wherin noe Essoigne Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed, And all Admiralls and other Commanders at Sea of any the Ships of War or other Ship haveing Cōmission from His Majesty or from his Heires or Successors are hereby authorized and strictly required to seize and bring in as prize all such Ships or Vessells as shall have offended contrary hereunto and deliver them to the Court of Admiralty there to be proceeded against and in case of condemnation one moyety of such Forfeitures shall be to the use of such Admiralls or Commanders and their Companies to be divided and proportioned amongst them according to the Rules and Orders of the Sea in [cases] of Ships taken prize, and the other moyety to the use of his Majesty his Heires and Successors.

II. And be it Enacted that noe Alien or person not borne within the Allegiance of our Soveraigne Lord the King his Heires and Successors or Naturalized or made a free Denizen shall from and after the First day of February which shall be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty one exercise the Trade or Occupation of a Merchant or Factor in any the said places upon paine of the forfeiture and losse of all his Goods and Chattels, or which are in his possession, one third to his Majesty his Heires and Successors, one third to the Governour of the Plantation where such person shall soe offend, and the other third to him or them that shall informe or sue for the same in any of his Majestyes Courts in the Plantation where such offence shall be committed, And all Governours of the said Lands Islands Plantations or Territories and every of them are hereby strictly required and commanded and all who hereafter shall be made Governours of any such Islands Plantations or Territories by his Majesty his Heires or Successors shall before their entrance into their Government take a solemne Oath to doe their utmost that every the aforementioned clauses and all the matters and things therin contained be punctually and bona fide

observed according to the true intent and meaning thereof. And upon complaint and proofe made before his Majesty his Heires or Successors, or such as shall be by him or them thereunto authorized and appointed that any the said Governours have beene willingly and wittingly negligent in doeing their Duty accordingly, that the said Governour soe offending shall be removed from his Government.

X. And for prevention of all Frauds which may be used in colouring or buying of Forraine Ships Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid And it is hereby Enacted That from and after the first day of April which shal be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty one noe Foraine built ship or Vessell whatsoever shall be deemed or passe as a ship to England Ireland Wales or Towne of Berwicke or any of them belonging or enjoy the benefit or priviledge of such a Ship or Vessel, until such time that he or they claiming the said Ship or Vessel to be theirs shal make appeare to the cheife Officer or Officers of the Customes in the Port next to the place of his or their aboade that he or they are not Aliens, and shall have taken an Oath before such cheife Officer or Officers who are hereby Authorised to administer the same, That such Ship or Vessel was bona fide and without fraude by him or them bought for a valueable consideration expressing the summe as alsoe the time place and persons from whom it was bought and who are his Partowners (if he have any) all which Partowners shall be lyeable to take the said Oath before the cheife Officer or Officers of the Custome house of the Port next to the place of their aboade, and that noe Forainer directly or indirectly hath any part interest or share therin, and that upon such Oath he or they shall receive a Certificate under the Hand or Seale of the said cheife Officer or Officers of the Port where such Person or Persons soe making Oath doe reside, wherby such Ship or Vessel may for the future passe and be deemed as a Ship belonging to the said Port and enjoy the priviledge of such a Ship or Vessell, And the said