y the Commissrs. for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of
Great Britain and Ireland etc.

Whereas his Majesty had declared Warr agt. France we do in Pursuance
of His Majesty's Commissn. under the great Seal of Great Britain dated
fourth day of this instant June (a Copy whereof is hereunto Annexed)
hereby will and require the Vice Admiralty Court of South Carolina,
and the vice Admirall, or his Deputy, or Judge of the said Court, or
his Deputy, now, and for the time being, to take Cognizance of, and
Judicially to proceed upon all and all manner of Captures, Seizures,
Prizes and reprizals of all Ships and goods already Seized and taken,
and which hereafter may be seized and taken, and hear and determine
the same and according to the Course of Admiralty and Law of Nations,
to adjudge and Condemn all such Ships, Vessels and Goods as shall
belong to France or the Vessels and subjects of the French King, or to
any other inhabiting within any of his Countries, Territories or
Dominions, and all such other Ships, Vessels and Goods as are or shall
be liable to Confiscation pursuant to the respective Treaties between
his Majesty and other Princes, States and Potentates which shall be
brought before them for Trial and Condemnation, And for so doing this
Shall be their sufficient Warrant. Given under Our Hands and Seal of
the Office of the Admiralty this fifth day of June 1756 and in the
twenty ninth year of His Majestys Reign.

ANSON.[2]
BATEMAN.
R. EDGCUMBE.

[Footnote 2: Lord Anson, the celebrated admiral, was at this time
first lord of the admiralty. The other commissioners signing were
John, second viscount Bateman, an Irish courtier, and Richard
Edgcumbe, afterward the second Baron Edgcumbe, celebrated as a
dissipated wit.]

To the Vice Admiralty Court of
South Carolina and the Vice Admiral
or his Deputy or the Judge of the said
Court or his Deputy, now, and for the
time being.

By Command of their Lordships
J. CLEVLAND.[3]

[Footnote 3: John Clevland, secretary to the Admiralty 1751-1763.]

_183. Standing Interrogatories. 1756._[1]

[Footnote 1: From Anthony Stokes's _View of the Constitution of the
British Colonies_ (London, 1783), pp. 284-288; already in print, but
inasmuch as the most learned of American admiralty judges told the
editor of this volume that he had never seen a set of the standing
interrogatories, that were used at this period, it seems not
superfluous to print one here. Later sets