A PROCLAMATION Against Regrating of Victual, and Forestallers, and allowing the Importation of Victual free of Public Burden.  
WILLIAM by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, to _____ Macers of Our Privy Council, Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, specially constitute, greeting: Forasmuch as by several Acts of Parliament, the keeping of Victual to a dearth, is strictly prohibited; and particularly, it is Statute by the Acts James the Second, Parliament six, Caput Twenty two and Twenty three, that for the eschewing of Dearth, Sheriffs, Bailies, and other Officers, both to Burgh and to Land, inquire what persons buys Victual, and holds it to a Dearth, and that the said's Sheriffs and Officers make such known, that in case they hold more than will sustain them and their Meinȝie to new Corn, they may be punished and demeaned as Ockerers and Usurers, and the Victual escheated to Us, and that the same be presented to Mercats, and sold as the price goes: And by the Act James the Second, Parliament Ninth, Caput Thirty eighth and Thirty ninth, It is ordained that no manner of Victual be holden in Girnels by any man to a dearth, but allennarly what is needful for their own Persons, and sustentation of their Households; and that the said's Persons present all that they have more to the Mercar, under the pain of Escheat thereof: And Searchers are appointed in Edinburgh and Leith to make the said's Acts effectual. As likewise, the Crime of Forestalling is forbidden by several Acts and Statutes, and particularly by the Act James the Sixth, Parliament Twelfth, Caput One hundred and forty eight, It is declared, that who buys any Merchandise or Victual coming to Fair or Mercat, or makes any Contract or Promise for the buying of the same before the said Merchandise or Victual shall be in the Fair or Mercat-place ready to be Sold, or shall make any motion by Word, Writ, or Message, for raising of the Prices, or dearer selling of the said Merchandise and Victual, or who shall dissuade any from coming and bringing the foresaid Merchandise and Victual to Fair or Mercat, shall be esteemed and judged a Fore-staller: And it is ordained that all such Forestallers may be pursued before the Justices or Magistrates of burgh's, and that without a special Libel, but only upon Fore stalling in general, and the persons convict to be Fined for the first fault in Forty Pounds, for the second in One hundred Marks, and for the third to incur the tinsel of Movables. And seeing that through the not due observance, and the execution of the foresaids Acts, the calamity of the Country by the present scarcity and dearth is greatly increased: Therefore We advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, have thought fit to revive the same, and ordain them to be put to strict execution; and for that effect to empower and require all Sheriffs of Shires, Stewarts of Stewartries, Lords and Bailies of Regalities and their Deputs, and Magistrates of burgh's, as likewise all Commissioners of Supply, and Justices of Peace, to cause inquiry and search to be made who holds up, or Girnels Victual, or keeps Stacks contrary to the foresaids Laws, and to command and charge the keepers up of the said Victual in Girnels, Stacks, or otherways, contrary to the said's Statutes, either to Thresh out, bring and expose the same for Sale in open and ordinary Mercats, or otherwise to open their Girnels, and other Houses where the Victual is kept, and there sell the same, as the said's Sheriffs, Stewarts of Stewartries, Lords and Bailies of Regalities and their Deputs, and Magistrates of burgh's, or any two of the said's Commissioners shall find the ordinary price to rule for the time in the Country, not below the last Candlesmass Fires; with certification if they failyie therein, they shall be proceeded against, and the pains of the foresaid Acts of Parliament execute upon them with all rigour: And in the mean time the Victual Girnelled, and unlawfully kept up as said is, Arrested and Sequestrate by the foresaids' Sheriffs and others, as Escheat. And further, We with Advice foresaid, Command and Charge all Magistrates of burgh's, and other Officers of the Law, to take care that all Mercats and Fairs be duly regulate conform to the Laws, without extortion, and to cause put the foresaids Acts of Parliament against Forestallers to due and vigorous execution, certifying the said's Sheriffs, Magistrates and others, who shall fail in their duty in the premises, that upon information given to the Lords of Our Privy Council, they shall be therefore severely punished as the Lords of Our Privy Council shall see cause. And further, for the better relief of the Country under the present great scarcity, whereby the prices of Victual are arisen above the rates mentioned in the Act of Parliament for prohibiting the Import of Foreign Victual: We with Advice foresaid, do hereby grant licence and full liberty to all persons to Import Victual, and Corns of all sorts, from any Foreign Kingdom or Country, and that free of Custom, Excise, or other Imposition; And for that effect recommends it to the Commissioners of Our Thesaury, to discharge the exacting thereof for the said Victual to be Imported as said is, after the day and date hereof: And that notwithstanding of any Act of Parliament, or Book of Rates imposing the same, declaring that this licence and liberty is to endure till the first day of October next to come. OUR WILL IS HEREFORE, and We Charge you strictly, and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and remanent Mercat-Crosses of the Head-Burghs of the several Shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom, and thereat in Our Name and Authority, make Publication of the Premises, that none pretend ignorance: And ordains these presents to be Printed.  
given under Our Signet at Edinburgh, the Fourteenth Day of July, and of Our Reign the Tenth Year, 1698. Per Actum Dominorum Secreti Concilii. GILB. ELIOT Cls. Sti. Concili.  
GOD save the King.   

EDINBURGH, Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1698.