Given at Our Court at Hampton-Court, the Fifth Day of September, 1717. In the Fourth Year of Our Reign.
London, Printed by John Baskett, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, And by the Assigns of Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills, deceas'd. 1717.
_1 p. folio. Copies in Dalk., P. C., and P. R. O. Entered on Patent Rolls; entered in Privy Council Register, I Geo., vol. 2, p. 38. Printed in "London Gazette," September 17, 1717._
[1] This date was extended to July 1, 1710, according to a proclamation of December 21, 1718, printed on p. 178. On February 9, 1718, the Attorney-General was requested to interpret the meaning of several clauses in the above proclamation, and the Queries and Answers are printed in full in the _Acts of the Privy Council_, ii, 723.
[For Suppressing Pirates in West Indies.]
Whereas We did think fit, by and with the Advice of Our Privy-Council, to Issue Our Royal Proclamation, bearing Date the Fifth Day of September, One thousand seven hundred and seventeen, in the Fourth Year of Our Reign, therein taking Notice, That We had received Information, that several Persons, Subjects of Great Britain, had, since the Four and twentieth Day of June, in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and fifteen, committed divers Piracies and Robberies upon the High Seas in the West-Indies, or adjoyning to Our Plantations, which had and might Occasion great Damage to the Merchants of Great Britain, and others, Trading into those Parts: And We did thereby Promise and Declare, That in case any the said Pirates should, on or before the Fifth Day of September, One thousand seven hundred and eighteen, Surrender him or themselves in manner as therein is directed, every such Pirate and Pirates, so Surrendring him or themselves, as aforesaid, should have Our Gracious Pardon of and for such his or their Piracy or Piracies, by him or them committed before the Fifth Day of January then next ensuing: And whereas several of the said Pirates, not having had timely Notice of Our said Proclamation, may not have Surrendred themselves within the time therein appointed, and by reason thereof are uncapable of Receiving the Benefit of Our Royal Mercy and Clemency intended thereby: And though We have appointed such a Force, as We judge sufficient for Suppressing the said Piracies, yet the more effectually to put an end to the same, We have thought fit, by and with the Advice of Our Privy-Council, to Issue this Our Royal Proclamation; And We do hereby Promise and Declare, That in case any the said Pirates shall, on or before the First Day of July, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and nineteen, Surrender him or themselves to One of Our Principal Secretaries of State in Great Britain or Ireland, or to any Governor or Deputy-Governor of any of Our Plantations or Dominions beyond the Seas, every such Pirate and Pirates, so Surrendring him or themselves, as aforesaid, shall have Our Gracious Pardon of and for such his or their Piracy or Piracies, by him or them Committed before such time as they shall have received Notice of this Our Royal Proclamation; which Pardon or Pardons We have Authorized and Commanded Our respective Governors to Grant accordingly. And We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Our Admirals, Captains, and other Officers at Sea, and all Our Governors and Commanders of any Forts, Castles, or other Places in Our Plantations, and all others Our Officers Civil and Military, to Seize and Take such of the Pirates, who shall refuse or neglect to Surrender themselves accordingly.