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Whereas, it has been represented to His Majesty, that the state and Condition of His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in America, do both in Justice and Expediency, require that the authority for Granting Lands contained in the Commission 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 Commission and instructions to His Majestys Governors in the Plantations, and that the said Lords Commissioners do Represent to His Majesty at this Board such alterations 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 Majestys further pleasure be signified, all and every His Majestys Governors, Lieutenant Governors or other persons in Command in His Majestys Colonies in North America, who are entrusted 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 offices, to issue any Warrant of Survey, or to pass any patents for Lands in the said Colonies, or to Grant any Licence for the purchase, by private persons of any Lands from

the Indians, without especial Direction from His Majesty for that purpose, under His Majestys Signet or Sign Manual, or by Order of His Majesty in His Privy Council, excepting only in the case of such Commissioned, and non-Commissioned 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 Majestys said proclamation.

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