870 APPENDIX TO BRITISH CASE. 



or upon contract with them, in bringing only masts, timber and 

 other naval stores for the King's service from his Majesty's Colonies 

 or Plantations to this Kingdom, to be navigated as aforesaid, and 

 whereof the property doth belong to English men) under pain of 

 forfeiture of ship and goods; one third part whereof to be to the 

 use of his Majesty, his heirs and successors, one third part to the 

 Governor of the said Colonies or Plantations, and the other third 

 part to the person who shall inform or sue for the same, by bill, 

 plaint or information, in any of his Majesty's Courts of Record at 

 Westminster, or in any Court in his Majesty's Plantations, where 

 such offence shall be committed. 



III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That 

 (from and after the said five-and-twentieth day of March) goods or 

 merchandizes may be exported or imported to and from this King- 

 dom, the Colonies, Plantations and places aforesaid, in any such 

 ships as are or shall be taken as prize, and whereof condemnation 

 shall be made in one of the Courts of Admiralty aforesaid, and shall 

 be navigated as aforesaid, by the master, three fourths of the mari- 

 ners English, and whereof the property shall belong to English men, 

 and also masts, timber, and other naval stores for his Majesty's 

 service, for the space of three years, may be imported from his 

 Majesty's Colonies or Plantations to this Kingdom, in such foreign- 

 built ships as shall be employed by the Commissioners of the navy 

 for the time being, or by contract with them; any law or statute 

 to the contrary notwithstanding. 



" IV. And whereas by one Clause in the said Act passed in the 

 twelfth year of the reign of the late King Charles the Second, inti- 

 tuled, An Act for the encouraging and increasing of Shipping and 

 Navigation, all Governors of his Majesty's Colonies or Plantations 

 in Asia, Africa, or America, are required to take a solemn oath to 

 do their utmost that every the Clauses therein before mentioned, 

 and all the matters and things therein contained, shall be punctually 

 and bona fide observed according to the true intent and meaning 

 thereof, so that the said Governors are not strictly obliged by that 

 oath to put in execution the subsequent Clauses of the said Act, 

 although some of the Clauses following are of great importance, 

 and tend greatly to the security of the Plantation trade : And whereas 

 divers other good laws have been made for the better regulating and 

 securing the Plantation trade since the last mentioned Act; " be it 

 further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all the present 

 Governors and Commanders in Chief of any English Colonies or 

 Plantations, shall, before the five and twentieth day of March one 

 thousand six hundred and ninety-seven, and all who hereafter shall 

 be made Governors or Commanders in Chief of the said Colonies 

 or Plantations, or any of them, before their entrance into their 

 government, shall take a solemn oath to do their utmost, that all the 

 clauses, matters and things, contained in the before recited Acts of 

 Parliament heretofore passed, and now in force, relating to the said 

 Colonies and Plantations, and that all and every the clauses contained 

 in this present Act, be punctually and bona -fide observed, according 

 to the true intent and meaning thereof (which oath shall be taken 

 before such person or persons as shall be appointed by his Majesty, 

 his heirs and successors, who are hereby authorized to administer 

 the same) so far as appertains unto the said Governors or Com- 



