And to the end that the extraordinary liberty now taken, may be restrained, the said Colonies or plantations not hindered, nor Our Selfe deceived in Our Customes, Wee have likewise by the advice aforesaid, thought it requisite, to imploy some persons of trust and qualitie to be Our Commissioners in this Service, to, and for Our owne proper use, and upon accompt to be given to Us for the same.
Wee doe therefore hereby publish and declare Our Royall will and pleasure, that, notwithstanding the severall Proclamations before mentioned, We are well contented to give way to the importation and sale of so much Spanish and forreine Tobacco, as shall not exceede the quantitie of fifty thousand weight in any one yeere, as aforesaid, and that the same shall bee Our owne Merchandise and Commodity, and be managed and disposed of by Our owne Commissioners, or such as they shall appoint for Our use, and not otherwise.
And, because that no man shall presume, by colour of this Our Licence or toleration, to import any other, or greater quantity of Spanish or forreine Tobacco, nor utter or put the same to sale, to the prejudice of Our Service hereby especially intended, and to the overthrow of Our Colonies and Plantations abroad, Wee doe hereby straitly charge and command, that no man other then Our owne Commissioners, for Our owne proper use, presume to import any forreine Tobacco into Our Realmes of England or Ireland, or any parts thereof. And for their better assistance therein, and the prevention of all abuses, Wee have thought fit, and so ordaine, and doe by these presents publish Our Royall pleasure, That all Tobacco that shall from hencefoorth be imported into this Our Realme of England, whether it be Spanish, or of the growth of Virginia, the Sommer-Ilands, or the West-Indies, or other adjacent Ilands, beeing English Plantations, shall be brought into Our Port of London onely: Also that there shall bee three severall Seales kept by Our Commissioners in some convenient place, where they shall appoint, under three lockes, whereof three of Our Commissioners shall keepe three severall Keyes, wherewith both all such forreine Tobacco, as shall bee so imported, as aforesaid, as also such other Tobacco of the growth of Virginia, and the Sommer-Ilands, and other the sayd Plantations as shall bee imported, shall be sealed, That is to say, for that of Virginia, and the Sommer-Ilands, a Seale engraven with Our Armes, and for that of the other English Plantations, a Seale engraven with a Lion and a Crowne, and for the other forreine Tobacco, a Seale engraven with a broad Arrow and a Portcullice, without paying anything for the sealing of the Tobacco of Virginia, and Sommer-Ilands, and other the sayd Plantations, but onely what the parties themselves shal thinke fit to allow for the sealers paines, waxe, and threed.