Proclamation of Gov" Morris relating to the Currency of Foreign Coins in His Majesty's Plantations in America. Dated 3d Jan 1740-1.

[From P. R. O. B. T. New Jersey, Vol. IV, F 44.]

By His Excellency.

LEWIS MORRIS, ESQ;

Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of New Jersey, and the Territories thereon depending in America, and Vice Admiral in the same, &c

A PROCLAMATION.

WHEREAS for remedying the Inconveniences which had arisen from the different Rates at which the same Species of Foreign Silver Coins had passed in the several English Plantations in America, Her late most Excellent Majesty Queen Anne thought fit by her Royal Proclamation bearing date the Eighteenth day of June 1704. and in the third Year of Her Reign to settle and ascertain the Currency of Foreign Coins in Her said Colonies and Plantations in the Manners and Words following, Viz.

"WE having under our Consideration the different "Rates at which the same Species of foreign Coins "do pass in our several Colonies and Plantations in "America, and the Inconveniences thereof, by the "indirect Practice of drawing the Money from one "Plantation to another, to the great Prejudice of the "Trade of Our Subjects: And being sensible, that the same cannot be otherwise Remedied, than by reduc"ing of all Foreign Coins to the same Current Rate within all Our Dominions in America; and the prin

"cipal Officers of Our Mint, having laid before Us a "Table of the Value of the several Foreign Coins, "which usually pass in Payments in Our said Planta"tions according to their Weight, and the Assays "made of them in Our Mint, thereby shewing the just "Proportion which each Coin ought to have to the other, which is as follows, Viz. Sevil Pieces of Eight, "old plate, Seventeen Penny Weight Twelve Grains, "Four Shillings and Six Pence. Sevil pieces of Eight, new Plate, Fourteen penny Weight, three Shillings, "seven Pence one Farthing. Mexico Pieces of Eight, "Seventeen penny Weight Twelve Grains, four Shil"lings and six Pence. Pillar Pieces of Eight, Seven"teen penny Weight Twelve Grains, four Shillings

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and six pence three Farthings. Peru pieces of Eight, "old Plate, Seventeen Penny Weight Twelve Grains, "four Shillings and five Pence, or there abouts. Cross "Dollars, Eighteen Penny Weight, four Shillings, and "four pence three Farthings, Ducatoons, of Flanders, "Twenty penny Weight and Twenty one Grains, five "Shillings and six pence. Ecu's of France, or Silver "Lewis, Seventeen Penny Weight Twelve Grains, four "Shillings and Six pence. Crusadoes, of Portugal, "Eleven Penny Weight four Grains, two Shillings "and ten Pence one Farthing. Three Gilder Pieces of "Holland, Twenty penny Weight and seven Grains, "five Shillings and two Pence one Farthing. Old Rix "Dollars of the Empire, Eighteen Penny Welght and "Ten Grains, four Shillings and six pence. "Halfs, Quarters, and other parts in proportion to "their Denominations, and light pieces in proportion "to their Weight: We have therefore thought fit for "Remedying the said Inconveniences, by the Advice "of Our Council, to publish and declare, that from and "after the first Day of January next ensuing the Date "hereof, no Sevill, Pillar, or Mexico Pieces of Eight, "though of the full Weight of Seventeen Penny

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"Weight and an Half, shall be accounted, received, "taken, or paid within any of Our said Colonies or "Plantations as well those under Proprietors and "Charters, as under our immediate Commission and "Government, at above the Rate of six Shillings per "Piece current Money, for the Discharge of any Con"tracts or Bargains to be made after the said first Day "of January next; the Halfs, Quarters, and other less. "er pieces of the same Coins, to be accounted, received, “taken or paid in the same Proportion: And the Cur"rency of all Pieces of Eight of Peru, Dollars, and "other Foreign Species of Silver Coins, whether of the same or Baser Alloy, shall, after the said First Day “of January next, stand Regulated, according to their “Weight, and Fineness, according and in Proportion "to the Rate before limited and set for the pieces of "Eight of Sevil, Pillar, and Mexico: So that no For"eign Silver Coin of any sort be permitted to exceed "the same Proportion upon any Account whatsoever. "And We do hereby require and command all Our "Governors, Lieutenant Governors, Magistrates, Offi"cers and all other Our good Subjects, within Our said "Colonies and Plantations, to observe and obey Our "Directions herein, as they tender Our Displeasure.

AND WHEREAS an Act of Parliament was afterwards passed in the 6th Year of Her said late Majesty Queen Anne, entitled, An Act for the Ascertaining the Rates of Foreign Coins in Her Majesty's Plantations in America, setting forth, that notwithstanding the said Proclamation, the same indirect Practices therein mentioned were still carried on within some of the said Colonies and Plantations, and the Money thereby drawn from one Plantation to another, in prejudice of the Trade of Her Majesty's Subjects. Wherefore for the better inforcing the due Execution of Her Majesty's said Proclamation, throughout all the said Colonies and Plantations, and for the more effectual Remedy

ing the said Inconveniences thereby intended to be Remedyed, it was therein and thereby Enacted, That if any Person within any of the said Colonies or Plantations, as well under Proprietors and Charters, as under Her Majesty's immediate Commission and Government, should after the First Day of May in the Year of our Lord 1709. for the Discharge of any Contracts or Bargains to be thereafter made, account, receive, take, or pay any of the Silver Species of Foreign Silver Coins mentioned in the before recited Proclamation of any greater or higher Rate than at which the same is thereby regulated, settled, and allowed to be accounted, received, taken or paid, every such Person so accounting, receiving, taking or paying the same contrary to the Directions therein contained, should suffer six Months Imprisonment without Bail or Main Prize. Any Law, Custom or Usage, in any of the said Colonies or Plantations to the Contrary thereof in any wise not withstanding. and should likewise forfeit the Sum of Ten pounds for every such Offence, one Moiety thereof to Her said Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, the other Moiety to such Person or Persons as should Sue for the same, to be recovered, with full Costs of Suit, by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any of Her said Majesty's Courts of Justice within any of the said Plantations, or in any of the Courts of Justice of the Charter or Proprietary Governments where such Offence should be committed:

AND WHEREAS their Excellencies the Lord Justices, by their additional Instruction to me directed, bearing date at Whitehall the Fifth Day of August in this present Year 1740. Have therein set forth, that although the respective Governors of all the Plantations in America, had from Time to Time, been Instructed to observe and carry on the above recited Act of Parliament into due Execution: Yet that notwithstanding the same, Complaints had been made, that the said

Act had not been observed as it ought to have been in many of His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in America, by Means whereof, many indirect Practices had grown up, and various and illegal Currencies had been introduced in several of the said Colonies and Plantations, contrary to the true Intent and Meaning of the said Act, and to the prejudice of the Trade of His Majesty's Subjects: And that in Consequence of those Complaints, an humble address had been presented the then last Sessions by the House of Commons to His Majesty, that He would be graciously pleased to require and command the respective Governors of His Colonies and Plantation in America, effectually to observe His Majesty's Royal Instructions, directing them that the said Act of the sixth Year of the Reign of Her late Majesty Queen Anne, Entitled, An Act for Ascertaining the Rates of Foreign Coins in Her Majesty's Plantations in America, should be punctually and bona fide observ'd and put in Execution, according to the true Intent and Meaning of the said Act: Pursuant to which Address, their Excellencies the Lord Justices by their additional Instruction (signifying it to be His Majesty's Royal Will and Pleasure) do strictly charge and command Me, to take the most effectual Care for the future, that the said Act be punctually and bona fide observed and put in Execution, according to the true Intent and Meaning thereof.

In Obedience therefore to the said additional Instruction from the Lords Justices, and to the End that His Majesty's Commands therein may be fully made known to all His Subjects within this my Government, and that none of them may pretend Ignorance thereof, I Do (by and with the Advice of His Majesty's Councill) issue this Proclamation, and in His Majesty's Name do hereby strictly Require and Command all and every His Majesty's good Subjects within this Province, to pay a strict and punctual Obedience to the above recited