At a Council held on Monday the 28th June 1773,
His Excellency was pleased to order His Majestys order in Council dated at St James the 7th day of April 1773, be inserted on the Journals of this Board which order is in the following words, Vizt.
At a Court at St. James 7th April 1773.Present
The King's most Excellent MajestyLord PresidentEarl of RochfordEarl of SuffolkEarl of DartmouthEarl of SandwichLord Mansfield.Whereas it hath been represented to his Majesty that the state and condition of his Majesty's Colonies and Plantations do both in Justice and expediency require that the Authority for granting Lands contained in the Commissions and Instructions given to His Majestys Governors in the plantations should be further regulated and restrained, and that the Grantees of such Lands should be subjected to other conditions than those at present prescribed in the said Instructions. His Majesty having taken the same into His Royal consideration is pleased with the advice of His privy Council to order and it is hereby ordered that the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations do take into their immediate consideration the powers and authorities for granting Lands contained in the Commissions and Instructions to His Majestys Governors in the Plantations and that the said Lords Commissioners do represent to His Majesty at this Board such alteration as they shall think fit and necessary to be made therein, and His Majesty is hereby further pleased to order that in the mean time and until His Majesty's further pleasure be signified, all and every His Majesty's Governors, Lieutenant Governors or other persons in command in His Majesty's Colonies in No America who are intrusted with the disposal of His Majestys Lands in the said Colonies do forbear upon pain of His Majestys highest displeasure and of being immediately removed from their Office, to issue any Warrant of survey or to pass any patents for lands in the
said Colonies or to grant any License for the purchase by private persons of any Lands from the Indians without especial directions from His Majesty for that purpose: under His Majestys Signet or Sign Manuel or by order of His Majesty in His privy Council, excepting only in the case of such Commissioned and Noncommissioned Officers and Soldiers who are intitled to Grants of Land in virtue of His Majestys Royal Proclamation of the 7th October 1763 to whom such grants are to be made and passed, in the proportions and under the conditions prescribed in His Majesty's Proclamation.STEPH. COTTRELL.
North Carolina—Ss.
By His Excellency Jo. Martin &c.
A Proclamation.
Whereas His Majesty on representation that the state and condition of His Colonies and Plantations in America do both in Justice and expediency require that the Authority for granting Lands contained in the Commissions and Instructions given to His Majesty's Governors in the Plantations should be further regulated and restrained, and that the Grantees of such Lands should be subjected to other conditions than those at present prescribed in the said instructions hath been pleased to direct by His Majesty's Royal Order in Council bearing date at St James the 7th day of April that the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations do take into their immediate consideration the said powers and authorities of His Majesty's Governors for Granting Lands and that their Lordships do represent to His Majesty in Council such alteration as they shall think fit and necessary to be made therein. And whereas the King hath been pleased hereby to restrain his Majestys Governors of the Colonies and Plantations in the mean time and until His Royal pleasure be signified thereupon from granting any Warrant of Survey or passing any patents in the said Colonies without His Majestys especial direction for that purpose under his Royal Signet or sign Manuel or by order of His Majesty in His Privy Council excepting only in the case of such Commission and Noncommissioned Officers and Soldiers who are entitled to grants of Land in virtue of His Majestys Royal Proclamation of the 7th of October 1763 to whom such Grants are to be made and passed, and in the proportions and under the conditions prescribed in His Majestys
said Proclamation. I have therefore thought fit to issue this Proclamation hereby to make known His Majestys Royal Pleasure and to signify to all persons who have made entries of Lands in the Secretarys Office since the last Court of Claims of this Province or with such persons in the Country as are impowered to take entries that they may withdraw the said entries, and receive the Fees paid thereon, or may let them stand for priority until his Majestys Royal pleasure be further declared, as they shall think proper.Given under my hand &c dated 28th of June 1773.
JO. MARTIN.God save the King.