W R  DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon surmounted by a crown and flanked by the English lion and Tudor rose on one side and the Scottish unicorn and thistle on the other  
By the King, A PROCLAMATION.  
WILLIAM R.  
WHereas in and by One Act Made and Passed in the last Session of Parliament (Entitled, An Act for Granting an Aid to His Majesty, as well by a Land Tax, as by several Subsidies and other Duties payable for One Year) It was (amongst other things) Enacted, That it should and might be Lawful to and for the Commissioners of Our Treasury, or any Three of them, to cause Bills to be made forth at the Receipt of Exchequer, in such Manner and Form as they should appoint, for any Sum or Sums of Money, not exceeding One Million five hundred thousand Pounds, by Virtue of that Act, and to Issue the same to the uses of the War, in such Proportions as they should think fit, and that the said Bills should be Current to the Receivers or Collectors of any Aids, Taxes or Supplies thereby Granted, or that should be Granted for the Service of the War, for the Year, One thousand six hundred ninety seven (Except for the Aid of Three Shillings in the Pound) And whereas by One other Act also Made and Passed in the said last Session of Parliament (Entitled, An Act for making good the Deficiency of the several Funds therein mentioned, and for Enlarging the Capital Stock of the Bank of England, and for Raising the Public Credit, to the end the said Bills so Authorized to be Issued might be of more general Use, as well for the Occasions of the War, as for the Public Commerce and Trade, It is (amongst other things) Enacted, That the said Bills so Authorized to be Issued, shall be Received and Taken, not only by Receivers or Collectors of the Taxes or Supplies Granted, or to be Granted for the War, for the Year, One thousand six hundred ninety seven, but shall also Pass and be Current to all and every the Commissioners, Receivers or Collectors of any Revenue, Aid, Tax or Supply whatsoever Granted, or that should or might be Granted, during the said last Session of Parliament, either for the War, or any other use, and also at the Receipt of the Exchequer, from the said Commissioners, Receivers or Collectors, or from any other Person or Persons whatsoever making any Payments there to Us upon any Account whatsoever. And to the end that all Persons might be the more willing to Accept and Receive the said Bills in all manner of Payments, It is thereby also Enacted, That there shall be annexed unto, attend and go along with the said Bills, an Interest after the Rate of Five Pence a Day for every One hundred Pounds contained therein, and so Proportionably for a greater or lesser Sum, which said Interest shall be Paid or Allowed to the Person who is last Possessed thereof, to the Day he Pays the same into the Exchequer, or to any Receivers or Collectors, for any Aids, Taxes, Revenues or Supplies whatsoever. And that no Interest might be Allowed on the said Bills for any longer time than the same should be Unanswered unto Us, It is Enacted, That the Person who Pays the same into the Exchequer, or to any Receivers or Collectors, for any Aids, Taxes or Revenues, shall, at the time of making such Payment, put his Name to the said Bill, and Writ the Day of the Month; to which Day the Collector, or other Person who Receives the same to Our Use, shall be Allowed again the Interest that he shall have Allowed thereupon. And when any of the said Bills, which in pursuance of the Act last mentioned shall be Received at the Exchequer, Customhouse, Excise-Office, or General Letter-Office, or by any of Our Receivers or Collectors, or for any Revenues, Taxes or Supplies, shall be Applicable to the Satisfaction of Tallies and Orders of Loan, or to any other Uses or Payments whatsoever, and by reason thereof are not to be immediately Canceled at the said Exchequer, or in any other Public Office, than the respective Cellars in the Receipt of Our Exchequer, and the Receivers General or Cashiers of the Customs, Excise and Post-Office, or any other Receivers, upon their Issuing or Paying out the said Bills, shall Sign the same, and add the Day of the Month, and so toties quoties until the said Bills shall or may come or be Paid into the Exchequer, on Account of the Proper Funds or Supplies (upon which they are or shall be first Issued out) to be Canceled. And to the Intent that such Person or Persons who have or may have or be Entitled to any Tallies or Orders, on any Branch of the Revenues, or on any Aid, Tax or Supply that is or shall be Appropriated for Repayment and Satisfaction thereof, and shall Refuse or be Unwilling to Accept the said Bills in Payment, might not be Obliged to Receive the same, It is further Enacted, That for the Ease, Accommodation and Satisfaction of all and every Person and Persons so Refusing, or being Unwilling to Receive the said Bills in Repayment of such Tallies and Orders, It should and might be Lawful, to and for the Commissioners of Our Treasury, or any Three of them, to Covenant and Agree, in such manner as they should think fit, with any Persons, Natives or Foreigners, Bodies Politic or Corporate (with whose Abilities they should be well Satisfied) for the immediate Advancing or Lending of Money from time to time as there should be Occasion, for Exchanging such Bills as should be so Refused, or not Accepted or Taken in Repayment of Tallies and Orders, as aforesaid; and that such Person and Persons as should so Contract and Agree, should immediately upon their Paying or Advancing any Money's pursuant to their Contracts or Agreements, have for their Security and Satisfaction the said Bills, or such Security as should be Agreed upon between the said Commissioners of the Treasury and the said Contractors, and should also Have and Receive, as a further Encouragement, such Interest or Reward as is therein mentioned. And it is by the said Act Provided and Enacted, That until such time as We by Our Royal Proclamation, to be Issued by the Advice of Our Privy Council, should be Pleased to Publish and make Known, That the said Commissioners of Our Treasury, or any Three or more of them, or the High Treasurer for the time being, should (by such Covenants or Agreements made with Persons of Ability, as aforesaid) have sufficiently secured and made provision, That all Persons who at the said Receipt of Exchequer, or at any the said Public Offices, should have any of the said Bills for satisfaction of their Tallies or Orders of Loan, or for any other Payments whatsoever, may have such Bills Exchanged for Ready Money, the said Bills to be made forth for the said Fifteen hundred thousand Pounds, or any part thereof, should be Current only for the Aids, Taxes or Supplies Granted or to be Granted for the Service of the War for the Year One thousand six hundred ninety seven, Exclusive of the said Aid of Three Shillings in the Pound, according to the Tenor and true Meaning of the said former Act in that behalf; And that after the said Proclamation should be Issued, and not sooner, the said Bills so Authorized to be Issued, as aforesaid, should Pass and be Current for all Revenues, Aids, Taxes, Supplies or other Payments to Us, according to the true Meaning of the last recited Act; Any thing therein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, as by the said several Acts relation being thereunto respectively had, may more fully appear. And whereas the said Commissioners of Our Treasury have, in pursuance of the Power to them given by the Act of Parliament last mentioned in this behalf, Contracted and Agreed with several Persons and Bodies Politic or Corporate, for the Advancing and Lending of Money from time to time for Exchanging the said Bills; We have therefore thought fit, by and with the Advice of Our Privy Council, to Issue this Our Royal Proclamation, and We do hereby Publish and Make Known, That the said Commissioners of Our Treasury have by such Agreements, as aforesaid, sufficiently secured and made provision, That all Persons who at the said Receipt of Exchequer, or at any the said Public Offices, shall have any of the said Bills for satisfaction of their Tallies or Orders of Loan, or for any other Payments whatsoever, may have such Bills Exchanged for Ready Money: And therefore We do by this Our Royal Proclamation further Publish and Declare, That from henceforth the said Bills for the said Sum, not exceeding Fifteen hundred thousand Pounds, Authorized to be Issued, as aforesaid, shall Pass and be Current in all Payments for Our Customs, Additional Duties, Impositions, Excises and all other Our Revenues whatsoever, and for all Taxes, Aids, and Supplies any ways Granted or belonging to Us, and in all other Payments of what Nature or Kind soever to be made to Us or to Our Use. And We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Commissioners, Receivers General, Collectors, Tellers, and all other Persons whatsoever, who are or may be concerned in the Receipt, Collection or Levying of any of Our said Customs, Additional Duties, Impositions, Excises, Revenues, Taxes, Aids, Supplies or other Payments whatsoever for Our Use, to Accept and Take the said Bills in Payment from all and every Our Loving Subjects who shall Tender the same for or in Discharge of any such Customs, Additional Duties, Impositions, Excises, Revenues, Taxes, Aids, Supplies or other Payments to Our Use, and to Observe all other Directions in the said recited Acts, or either of them Contained, touching the said Bills, upon Pain of Incurring Our High Displeasure, and as they will Answer the contrary at their Perils.  
Given at Our Court at Kensington the Three and twentieth Day of April, 1697. In the Ninth Year of Our Reign. 
 God save the King.   

LONDON, Printed by Charles Bill, and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb, deceased; Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1697.