I2R  
DIEV ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
By the King, A PROCLAMATION For Restraining the Number and Abuses of Hackney Coaches in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, and the Suburbs thereof, and Parishes comprised within the Bills of Mortality.  
JAMES R.  
WHereas Complaint hath been made unto Us by divers of Our loving Subjects of the great Grievance and Annoyance, which the multitude of Hackney Coaches lately set up, and now Driven about the Streets of Our City of London and Westminster, and Suburbs of the same, are to them in their respective Trades and Businesses; and also of the great want of some good Rules and Orders to be observed by all such Persons, as are or shall be permitted to Keep and Drive Hackney Coaches about the said Streets. And whereas the undoubted Power of Punishing, Removing, Correcting and Restraining all public Nuisances, Annoyances and Disorders in the common Streets, Highways and Passages both of Right belong unto Us, and having taken the same into Our Princely Consideration, and being desirous to remove all Grievance and Annoyance from Our loving Subjects, and to provide against the same in the best manner that We can, We have thought fit, inorder to the remedying the Mischiefs and Grievances aforesaid, to Constitute and Appoint by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England, Our Trusty and Well-beloved John Phelipps, Colonel Thomas Napier, Thomas Price, Richard Sheldon, and Jerome Nipho, Esquires, to be Our Commissioners for the Licensing Regulating, Ordering, and Governing, according to the Instructions thereunto annexed; all Hackney Coaches to be Let and Driven for Hire about the said Cities of London and Westminster, and the Suburbs thereof, or within the several Parishes comprised within the Weekly Bills of Mortality: And to the end the Regulation intended by Our said Commission may be effectual for the benefit of Our Subjects, We do by th●s Our Proclamation, with the Avicen of Our Privy Council, strictly Prohibit and Forbid all and every Person and Persons whatsoever, from and after the Tenth day of December next ensuing the Date hereof, which shall not be Licenced by Our said Commissioners, or Three or more of them, to Stand with, or Drive for Hire any Hackney Coach in any the Streets or Passages in or about the Cities or Places aforesaid, upon pain of incurring Our high Displeasure, and receiving condign Punishment, as Contemners of Our Royal Will and Command, and be further Prosecuted and Punished for the said Abuses and Annoyances, by Fine, and such other ways as by the Laws of this Our Realm are provided against such as commit public Nuisances in the public Streets and Highways: And for the due Execution of Our Pleasure herein, We do further Charge and Command the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of Our City of London, that they in their several Wards, and Our justices of Peace within Our said Cities of London and Westminster, and the Liberties and Suburbs thereof, and all other Our Officers and Ministers to whom it appertaineth, do take especial care in their respective Limits, That this Our Command be duly observed, and that they from time to time Return the Names of all those who shall wilfully Offend in the Premises, to the Commissioners for Licensing and Regulating Hackney Coaches for the time being, to the end that they may be proceeded against by Ind●cements and Presentments for the Nuisance, and otherwise according to the Severity of the Law, and demerits of the Offenders.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall the 25th day of November 1687. In the Third Year of Our Reign. 
 GOD SAVE THE KING.   

LONDON, Printed by Charles Bill, Henry Hills, and Thomas Newcomb, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1687.