WHereas by a late Act made in the Parliament begun and held at Westminster the 25^th day of April, in the Twelfth year of Our Reign, Entituled, An Act for the better ordering the Selling of Wines by Retail, and for preventing Abuses in the Ming­ling, Corrupting and Vitiating of Wines, and for setting and limiting the Prices of the same; It was Enacted, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, from and after the Five and Twentieth day of March One thousand six hundred sixty one, unless he or they were authorised and enabled in manner and form as in the said Act is prescribed and appointed, should sell or utter by Retail, that is, by the Pint, Quart, Pottle or Gallon, or by any other great or lesser Retail-measure, any kind of Wine or Wines to be drunk or spent within his or their Mansion house or hou­ses, or other place in his or their Tenure or occupation, or without such Mansion house or houses, or such other place within his or their Tenure or occupation, by any colour, craft or mean whatsoever, upon pain to forfeit for every such offence the sum of Five pounds, The one Moy­ety of every such penalty to be to Vs, the other Moyety to him or them that would sue for the same, to be re­covered as in and by the said Act is appointed.

And whereas it is further Enacted by the said Act, That it should be lawful for Vs, Our Heirs and Suc­cessors from time to time to issue out under the Great Seal of England, one or more Commission or Commis­sions to two or more Persons, thereby authorizing them to Licence and give Authority to such Person and Persons as they shall think fit to sell and utter by Retail, all and every or any kind of Wine or Wines what­soever, to be drunk and spent as well within the house or houses or other plate, in the Tenure or occupation of the Party so Licenced, as without, in any City, Town or other place within the Kingdome of England, Dominion of VVales, and Port and Town of Berwick upon Twede. And that such persons as from time to time, or at any time, should be by such Commission or Commissions as aforesaid in that behalf ap­pointed, should have power and authority to treat and contract for Licence, Authority and Dispensations to be given and granted to any person or persons for the selling and uttering of Wines by Retail, in any City, Town or other place as aforesaid, according to the rules and directions of the said Act, and the true intent and meaning thereof, and not otherwise. And that such persons as should be Commissioned and appointed by Vs, Our Heirs and Successors as aforesaid, should be, and be called Our Agents for granting Licences for the selling and uttering of Wine by Retail: And that Our said Agents should be authorised and enabled under their Seal of Office to be appointed by Vs, to grant Licence for the selling and uttering of Wines by Retail to any person or persons, or for any time or term not exceeding One and twenty years, if such person and persons should so long live, and for such yearly Rent as they can or shall agree and think fit, so as no Fine be taken for the same, But that the Rent and sums of money agreed upon and reserved, be paid and answered half yearly by equal portions during the whole terme. And that such Licence should not be gi­ven or granted, but to such who should personally use the Trade of Selling and uttering of Wines by Re­tail, or to the Landlord and Owner of the house, where the Person using such Trade should fell or utter Wine by Retail; Nor that the same should be assignable, nor in any wise beneficial or extensive to indemnifie any person against the penalties of the said Act, except the first taker: And that it should also be lawful to and for Vs, Our Heirs and Successors, to constitute and appoint such and so many other Officers and Mi­nisters, as a Receiver, Register, Clerk, Comptroller, Messenger or the like, for the better carrying on of that service, as We and they shall think fit, so as the salaries and wages of all such Officers to be appoint­ed, together with the salary or wages of the said Agents do not exceed Six pence in the pound of the Reve­nue that should thence arise; And that the Rents, Revenues and Sums of money arising thence, except what should be allowed for the Wages and Salaries of such Officers and Ministers which are not to exceed six pence out of every pound as aforesaid, should be duely and constantly paid and answered into Our Exche­quer, and should not be particularly charged or chargeable, either before it be paid into the Exchequer, or after with any Gift or pension. And Our said Agents are by the said Act required and enjoyned to return into the Court of Exchequer every Michaelmas and Easter Term, upon their Oathes (which Oathes the Barons of the Exchequer are by the said Act authorised to Administer) a Book fairly written, containing a true and full Accompt of what Licences have been granted the preceding half year, and what Rents and Sums of money are thereupon reserved, and have been paid, or are in arrear, together with the securitie of the per­sons so in Arrear, to the end due and speedy Process might be made out according to the course of the Ex­chequer for recovery of the same, as in and by the said Act, amongst other things, it doth and may appear.

And whereas in pursuance of the said Act, We have by Our Letters Patents under Our Great Seal of England Commissioned and appointed certain persons of Trust therein named, to be Our Agents for the Licensing of such persons as they shall think fit to sell and utter Wines by Retail, as in and by the said Act is appointed.

Now to the intent that all Our loving Subjects within Our said Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, and Town and Port of Berwick aforesaid, who shall be therein concerned, may take notice of the said Act and duly observe the same: We have thought fit to declare and publish the said Act and the contents thereof by this Our Royal Proclamation; And to the further end and intent that all and every person and persons concerned therein, may accordingly address themselves to Our said Agents at their Office in the Castle-yard in Holborn, and there receive from them such Licences and Dispensations for selling and uttering Wines by Retail as shall be agreed on, and as by the said Act and Our Commission of Agency thereupon they are impowered to grant.

And because Licences cannot formally be granted and past so soon as the Five and twentieth day of March instant; It is hereby declared, That all such persons as now draw Wine by Retail, and shall make their application to Our Agents for granting Licences, and procure from them any Order for their Continuance before the end of Easter Term next, shall be hereby Indemnified against the Penalties of the said Act.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the Nineteenth day of March, in the Thirteenth Year of Our Reign, One thousand six hundred and sixty.

GOD SAƲE THE KING.