with the advice and Consent of his Majesty's Council of this Colony, to lay, and I Do hereby lay a Prohibition and Embargo, during his Majesty's Pleasure, on all Ships and Vessels laden or to be, laden, with Provisions (except such, and so much, as shall be absolutely necessary for the Use of such Vessel, and the Maintenance of her Crew, during her intended Voyage) and clearing out of any of the Ports or Places of New Jersey, agreeable to the Directions and Instructions by me received from his Majesty for that Purpose: And I do hereby order and direct, the Collectors of his Majesty's Customs, and naval Officers of the several Ports and Places within this Government, not to clear out any Ships or Vessels, laden with Provisions, from any Port or Place within this said Government, except those which shall be employed, in carrying Provisions, to any other of his Majesty's Colonies and Plantations, or shall be employed by the Government for the Supply of his Majesty's Army and Fleet which shall be allowed to sail from Time to Time; Provided, That such Master and Masters, or Owner and Owners, of all and every such Ships and Vessels, so excepted as aforesaid, shall and do, before they are permitted to take any Provisions on board, enter into Bonds (with two Sureties of known Residence within this Colony, and of Ability to Answer the Penalty) with the Collector of the Customs of the Ports or Places from whence such Ships or Vessels shall set sail, in the Penalty of One Thousand Pounds, if the Ship be of less burthen than One Hundred Tons; and in the Penalty of Two Thousand Pounds, if above that Burthen; the Conditions of which said Bonds, shall be, That the Cargoes of such Ships or Vessels (the Particulars whereof are to be expressed in the Bonds) shall not be landed in any other Ports or Places, than such as belong to his Majesty, or are in the Possession of his Subjects: And that they will, within Twelve Months after the date thereof,

(the Danger of the Seas excepted) produce Certificates, under the Hands and Seals of the principal Officers of the Customs at such Ports or Places for which such Ships or Vessels are cleared out, that the said Cargoes (the Particulars whereof shall be expressed in such Certificates) have actually been landed at the said Ports and Places for which the said Ships or Vessels were so cleared out as aforesaid. And if there shall be Cause to suspect, that any of the Certificates as aforesaid, are false and counterfeit, the said several Collectors as aforesaid, are hereby further ordered and directed, to take especial Care that such Security or Bond be not cancelled or vacated, until Information can be had from such principal Officers of the Customs, as aforesaid, that the Contents of the said Certificates are just and true; and the said several Collectors as aforesaid, are hereby further ordered and directed, that no Person be admitted to be Security for another, who hath any Bond or Bonds standing out undischarged, unless he the said Bondsman shall be esteemed responsable for more than the Bonds so entered, or to be entered into as aforesaid. And in order more fully to answer his Majesty's Intention, of distressing the Enemy, and to render his Orders herein the more ef fectual, I do hereby further order and direct, the several Collectors and Naval Officers as aforesaid, to take Care, that in Case the Masters or Owners of any such Ships or Vessels having cleared out from the Colony as aforesaid, laden with Provisions, for any of his majestys Colonies, Islands, Army or Fleet, as aforesaid, shall be detected of causing collusive Captures to be made of such Cargoes, the said Collectors and naval Officers, do forthwith transmit to me, a full Account of every such Discovery and Detection, with the Proofs thereof, that every such Offender or Offenders, may be immediately prosecuted for the same, and the several Penalties inflicted upon him or them, that the Laws will in such Cases admit of.

And every Collector of his Majesty's Customs, and naval Officer in this Colony, is hereby strictly charged and commanded, to take especial care, that this Prohibition and Embargo, and every Clause or Title, and thing herein contained, be punctually observed, and put in Execution, until his Majesty's Pleasure herein, shall be further known: And also that the Laws be put in Force against all and every such Master and Masters, Owner and Owners, of such Ships or Vessels, who shall break or violate any of the Laws of Trade, or any Ways offend in the Premises.

And all his Majesty's liege Subjects, are hereby strictly charged, enjoined, and commanded to be aiding and assisting to the Collectors of his Majesty's Customs, and naval Officers of this Colony, in the Discharge of their respective Duties. And I do hereby request all his Majesty's liege Subjects within this Government, who shall or may discover any Ship or Vessel, privately or clandestinely, loading or unloading in any of the Out-Bays, Creeks, or Rivers within the same, or thereto adjacent, and against the Purport of this Prohibition and Embargo, to give immediate Information thereof, to the Officers of his Majesty's Customs, that the Offender or Offenders may be dealt with according to law.

Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at the Borough of Elizabeth, this 13th day of January, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty-Seven.

By His Excellency's Command,

J. BELCHER

CHARLES READ, Secretary

GOD SAVE THE KING.

Circular Letter from Secretary W. Pitt to the Governors of the Northern Provinces in America, urging the raising of additional troops.

Sir

[From New York Col. Documents, Vol. VII, p. 216.]

WHITEHALL Feb 4, 1757

The King having nothing more at heart, than the preservation of his good subjects & Colonies of N. America, has come to a resolution of acting with the greatest vigor in those parts, the ensuing campaign, and all necessary preparations are making for sending a considerable reinforcements of Troops, together with a strong squadron of Ships, for that purpose, and in order to act offensively against the French in Canada.

It is His Majty's pleasure, that you shall forthwith call together your Council & Assembly, and press them in the strongest manner to raise, with the utmost expedition, a number of provincial Troops, at least equal to those raised the last Year, for the service of the ensuing Campaign, over and above what they shall judge necessary for the immediate defence of their own province; and that the Troops, so raised, do act in such Parts, as the Earl of Loudoun or the Commander in Chief of His Majty's forces for the time being, shall judge most conducive to the service in general; and the King doubts not but that the several Provces truly sensible of his Paternal care, in sending so large a force for their security, will exert their utmost endeavours to second, and strengthen, such offensive operations against the French, as the Earl of Loudoun, or the Commander in Chief for the time being shall judge expedient, and will not clogg the enlistments of the men or the raising of the money for their pay ettc, with such limitations, as have been hitherto

found to render their service difficult and ineffectual, and as a further encouragement, I am to acquaint you, that the raising of the Men, their pay, arms and cloathing will be all, that will be required on the part of the several provinces; measures having been already taken for laying up Magazines of Stores and provisions of all kinds at the expence of the Crown.

I cannot too strongly recommend it to you, to use all your influence with your Council and Assembly for the punctual and immediate execution of these His Majty's commands I am ettc.

W PITT

[Similar letters were sent to New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey.]

Memorandum received by William Alexander from Ferdinand John Paris as to the character of the Commissioners to determine the boundaries between New York and New Jersey.

[From N. J. Manuscript of W. A. Whitehead, Vol. 1, No. 89.]

9th Feb 1757

The last Request which Mr Paris made to the late Mr Alexander and which seems necessary now to be attended to, was

To have a short Affidavit or Affidavits, from some proper persons, specifying what Objections the Proprietors of New Jersey have to the Councillors of any particular Province in America, Or to any particular Members of any one such Council, against their acting as Commissioners to settle the Boundaries between New Jersey and New York.