30 C. 25. Anno decimo 8c undecimo Gulielmi III. A. D. 1699. CAP. XXV. An Aft to encourage the Trade to Newfoundland. "HE RE A S the Trade of and Fiftiing at Newfoundland is a beneficial Trade to this Kingdom, not only in the employing great Numbers of Seamen and Ships, and exporting and confuming great Quantities of Provifions and Manufaitures of this Realm, whereby many Tradefmen and poor " Artificers are kept at work, but alfo in bringing into this Nation, by Returns of the Effefts of the faid ' Fifhery from other Countries, great Quantities of Wine, Oil, Plate, Iron, Wooll, and fundry other ' ufeful Commodities, to the-Increafe of his Majefty's Revenue, and the Encouragement of Trade and ' Navigation ;' Be it enafted by the King's moft excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, in this prefeift Parliament aflembled, and by the King's SuKjcfls Authority of the fame. That from henceforth it {hall and may be lawful for all his Majefty's Subjefts re- to have free fiding within this his Realm of England, or the Dominions thereunto belonging, trading or that fhall trade Trade to New- to Newfoundland, and the Seas, Rivers, Lakes, Creeks, Harbours in or 2hoLt Newfoundland, or any of foundland. (-he Iflands adjoining or adjacent thereunto, to have, ufe, and enjoy the free Trade and Traffick, and Art of Merchandize and Filhery, to and from Newfoundland, and peaceably to have, ufe, and enjoy, the Freedom of- taking Bait and Fifliing in any of the Rivers, Lakes, Creeks, Harbours, or Roads, in or about Nevjfcundland, and the faid Seas, or any of the Iflands adjacent thereunto, and Liberty to go on Shore on any Part of Newfoundland, or any of the faid Iflands for the curing, faking, drying, and huf- banding of their Fifh, and for making of Oil, and to cut down Wood and Trees there for building and making or repairing of Stages, Ship-rooms, Trainfats, Hurdles, Ships, Boats, and other Neceflaries for themfelves and their Servants, Seamen, and FiQiermen, and all other Things which may be ufeful or advantageous to their Fifhing Trade, as fully and freely as at any Time heretofore hath been uf^d or en- joyed there by any of the Subjedts of his Majefty's Royal Predeceftbrs, v/ithout any Hindrance, Inter- ruption, Denial or Dlfturbance of or from any Psrfon or Peribns whatfoever ; and that n'o Alien or No Alien to bait Stranger whatfoever (not refiding within the Kingdom of England, L)ominion of IVales, or Town oi Ber- or fi(h in New- jy/c^ upon Tweed) fhall at any Time hereafter take any Bait, or ufe any Sort of Trade or Fifliing what- founaland. foever in Newfoundland, or in any of the faid Iflands or Places abovementioned. II. And for the prefervirig the faid Harbours from all Annoyances ; be it further cnafted by the Au- No Pallaft, &c. thority aforefaid, That from and after the tv/enty-fifth Day of March one thoufand feven hundred, now to be tlirown out next coming, no Ballaft, Preft Stones, or any Thing elfe hurtful to or annoying any of the Harbours of any Ship into there, fhall be thrown out of any Ship or ctherwife, by any Perfon or Perfons whatfoever, to the Preju- but!IaL°d""' ^^^^ °^ ^"^ °^ ^" ^'^^^ Plarbours, but that all fuch Ballaft and other Things fliall be carried on Shore, Shore"^ '^ "" ^'^^ ^^ ^^'"^ where they may do no Annoyance. ' III. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That no Perfon or Perfons whatfoever fhall flro Tn"sta^' (^^ ^'^ Departure out of the faid Country, or at any other Time) deftroy, deface, or do any Detriment or Cpok Room to any fuch Stage or Cook-room, or to the Flakes, Spikes, Nails, or any other Thing whatfoever thereto be- &c. longing, as he or they fhall fall into at his or their coming into the faid Country, but^that he or they fhall (during his or their Stay there) content him and themfelves with fuch Stage or Stages only as are needful for him or them, and ihall alfo at his oi' their Departure thence) leave all fuch his or their Stage or Stages without doing or caufing to be done any Avilful Damage to any of them ; and that for the repairing of fuch Stage or Stages as he or they fhall fo take, during his or their Abode there, the fame fhall be done with Timber fetcht out of the Woods there, and not by the ruining, breaking down, demolifhing, prejudi- cing;, or any wife injuring the Stage or Stages of any other Perfon or Perfons whatfoever. SveryFifliing IV. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid. That (according to the ancient Cuftom there Shipfirftentringufed) every fuch Fifhing Ship horn England, Wales, or Benulck, or fuch Fifhermen as fhall, from and b^^AdmVratdu- ^^'■^'" *^^ ^^^^ twenty-fifth Day oi March, firft enter any Harbour or Creek in Neiufoundland, in Behalf of ring th'arfifwiigl^'S Ship, fhall be Admiral of the faid Harbour or Creek during that Fifhing Seafon, and for that Time Seafon, &c. fhall referve to himfelf only fo much Beech or Flakes, or both, as are needful for the Number of fuch Boats as he fliall there ufe, with an Overplus only for the Ufe of one Boat more than he needs, as a Pri- vilege for his firft coming thither; and that the Mafter of every of fuch fecond Fiftiing Ship, as fliall en- v""!^'" *^ ^"y^ '""^^ Harbour or Creek, fliall be Vice Admiral of fuch Harbour or Creek during that Fiftiing Sea- ^'" J"'" ■ fon ; and that the Mafter of every fuch Filhing Ship next coming, as )hall enter any fuch, Harbour Rear Admiral. ° Creek, ftiall be Rear Admiral of fuch Harbour or Creek during that Fifhing Seafon ; and that the JVIa- fter of every Fifliing Ship there, fhall content himfelf with fuch Beech or Flakes, as he fliall have necef- fary Ufe for, without keeping or detaining any more Beech or Flakes, to the Prejudice of any fuch other ycrfon poffeffed Ship or Veflel as fhall arrive there ; and that fuch Perfon or Perfons as are pofleiTed of feveral Places in of feveral Places feveral Harbours or Creeks there, fhall make his or their Eleilion of fuch Place as he or they fliall choofb ftiall mate b)s ,.q abide in ; and fhall alfo, within eight and forty Hours after any After-comer or After-comers into fuch to'ab'ide in"' Place or Places fliall demand fuch his or their Refolution touching fuch his or their Election (if the Wear , . U-' J, . ther will fo foon permit, or fo foon after as the Weather will permit) give or fend his or their Refolution fo.Uorfto'Uy^" ^° ^"ch After-comer of After-corners, touching fuch his or their Ele<Sion of fuch Place as he or they fliall Afcer-comerin fo choofe to abide in for the Fifliing Seafon, to the End that fuch After-comer or After-comers may like- 4S Hours after v/ife choofe his or their Place or Places of his or their Abode there ; and in cafe any Difference fhall arife Demand. touching the faid Matters, the Admirals of the refpeiSive Harbours where fuch Dift^erences fhall arife, or Jn cafe of Diffe- any two of them, fhall Proportion the Place to the feveral Ships, in the feveral Harbours they fifh in, ac-5 '"^""' '^.'"'" cording to the Number of Boats which each of the faid Ships fhall keep, ' ' tc profoiuon the P • ■ . .' r ff iiiw, V, And
