PROCLAMATION Discharging the Export, and allowing the Import of Victual.  
WILLIM 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, conjuctly and severally, specially Constitute, Greeting: For asmuchas, through the Goodness of GOD in the last seasonable Harvest, there wants not sufficiency of Victual for subsisting of all Our Liedges at reasonable and easy Rates, if on the one hand, the Exporting of Victual to Foreign Places, and on the other hand, the ill Practices of Forstallers and Regraters, do not hinder so great a Benefit. Therefore, and for preventing these Inconveniencies, We with Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, hereby most strictly prohibit and discharge the exporting forth of this Kingdom by any Person whatsoever, either by Sea or Land, All, or any Kind's of Victual, either Meal, Wheat, Rye, Oats, Pease, Barley or Bear, Malted or not Malted, or any other Grain or Victual whatsoever (Except what shall be found necessary to be exported for the use of the COMPANY trading to AFRICA and the INDIES) after the Day and Date of these presents, under the pain of forefaulting the Victual offered to be exported, for the use of the Poor of the Bounds where the samen shall be Attacted and Seized, or the value thereof, when the same is proven to be Exported, and of the Horse, Ship, Boat, or other the Veessels whreeby the samen shall be attempted to be exported, with the Sum of Ten pounds' Scots for each Boll that shall be proven to be exported, or seized when transporting, to be paid by the Owner, Skipper, or Transporter; And We hereby Require and Command all Sheriffs, Stewarts, Bailies and their Deputs, Magistrates of burgh's, Justices of Peace, or other Officers of the Law, to see and cause these Presents to be put to strict Execution, in all Points as they will be answerable, And farther, We hereby Authorize and Require Our Customers, and all Collectors, Surveyors, Waiters, and other Officers at Seaports, and generally all Our Liedges, to discover and seize the Victual that shall be Exported, or offered to be Exported, Promising and Allowing them the half of the pecunial Pains abovementioned for their Reward, and that they themselves shall be subject to the like Pains as the Skipper or Owner for the Victual that shall be found exported through their Default, Neglect or Connivance. And farther, We with Advice foresaid, for the more effectual disappointing of the foresaid ill Practices of Forestallers and Regraters, do hereby permit and allow the importing of all sorts of Foreign Victual, whether by Natives or Strangers from any foreign Kingdom or Country whatsoever, and that ay and while this present Licence shall be discharged or Recalled. 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 hail Head-burghs of the several Shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom, and to all the several Sea-Port-Towns within the same, and make Publication hereof, and Appoints Our Solicitor to transmit a sufficient Number of Copies hereof to the Sheriffs of the several Shires, Stewarts of Stewartries; Bailies of Regalities, their Deputs or Clerks, to be published at their several burgh's, and likeways sent by them to the Magistrates of the several Sea Port Towns, there to be published by them under the Certification foresaid; As also Appoints Our Solicitor to deliver a sufficient Number of Copies of their presents to the Taxmen of Our Customs, to be sent by them to the several Ports and Places of this Kingdom, where they keep Offices for collecting and in bringing of Our Customs, to be published thereat by the Collector or Surveyer residing there for the time, and Ordains these Presents to be Printed that none pretend Ignorance.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh the fourteenth day of December, and of Our Reign the Eleventh Year 1699. Ex deliberatione Dominorum Secreti Concilii. GILB. ELIOT. Cli. Sti. Concilii.  
God save the King.   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson, Printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty, Anno Dom. 1699.