[A1586/9/4]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The king's majesty, his nobility, council and estates presently convened, understanding sundry acts of parliament to be made and published prohibiting the transporting of cattle and sheep in England, as also of coal, salt and other victuals out of this realm under diverse pains mentioned in the said particular acts made thereupon, which albeit they have been and daily are contravened, and chiefly the transporting of the said cattle and sheep in England in great numbers and drifts and of the said salt and great coals under colour of smiddy† coal, yet has the same taken no effect nor execution against the contraveners, the occasion thereof consisting partly by the iniquity of the time and partly by the oversight and negligence of his highness's officers of the estate, which has delayed pursuit in this cause according to the tenor of the said acts, so that finding the disorder and confusion daily increasing, to the fostering of dearth and great hurt of the commonwealth, ordain therefore letters to be directed charging officers of arms to make publication of the said acts of parliament by open proclamation at the market crosses of the head burghs of this realm and others places needful, through which none pretend ignorance of the same, and also to command and charge all and sundry his majesty's lieges and others whatsoever that none of them take upon hand to transport any cattle, sheep, coal, salt or other goods prohibited by the said acts out of this realm at any time hereafter; as also that no masters, skippers, mariners nor owners of ships, crayers and other vessels receive within the same any of the said goods to be transported as said is, under the pain of confiscation of the same goods and of the crayers, ships and vessels wherein the same shall be transported, the one half to our sovereign lord's use and the other half to the apprehender and dilator; certifying them if they do in the contrary, that the same shall be confiscated and intromitted with, and the persons, transporters and owners of the said ships and vessels shall be otherwise punished in their persons and goods with all rigour and extremity in example of others. And to the effect the contraveners hereof shall not escape punishment, ordain the provosts and bailies of burghs and towns upon the coast side and other harbours and ports, as also the warden of the east, west and middle marches and their deputes, to make diligent search and inquisition of the persons, contraveners of this act, the same persons, with the goods aforesaid, to apprehend and cause be kept to be forthcoming to the use of his majesty and of the apprehenders in manner aforesaid, and themselves to commit to ward until his majesty declares his will towards them, as the said provost, bailies, wardens and their deputes will answer to his highness upon the execution of their offices.