East Florida
By His Excellency Patrick Tonyn Esquire Captain General Governor and Commander in Chief in and over His Majestys said Province. Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the same ー

A Proclamation

Whereas in the present unhappy and distressed Situation of great numbers of His Majestys Loyal and Faithful Subjects in several Provinces in North America grieveously oppressed and languishing under the Despotic Tyranny ー of a few factious and designing Men, who have from private views by misrepresentation and falsehood imposed upon and engaged in an unnatural Rebellion many of His Majestys well disposed Subjects, and selecting themselves into sundry unlawfull Committees, have in a most insolent and daring manner suspended the execution of the Laws and the Authority of the Magistrate, and assuming to themselves the Reins of Government and an Authority over all Persons within the respective Provinces now in Rebellion, using not only abuse and threats, but inflicting actual and unprecedented punishments upon such as are firmly attached to their King and the Laws and Constitution of their Country or refuse to sign Seditious and treasonable Articles of Combination and submit to their usurped Authority ー And Whereas His Majesty from His usual Attention to the Peace and safety of all His Subjects in whatever part of His extensive Dominions residing And from his wonted compassion for the distresses of others, has been most Graciously pleased to signify to me by the Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth His Royal intention, and wishes, to afford every possible protection to such of His Subjects in the Colonies in Rebellion, as shall be too weak to resist the violence of the times, and too Loyal to concur in the measures of those, who have avowed and supported this unnatural Rebellion, And that this Province may not only prove a secure Asylum to such but induce them to settle here. His Majesty has been further graciously pleased to suspend the execution of the Instructions of the 3d of February 1774 respecting the Sale of lands for the present, but also all other Reservations and Restrictions, and to authorise me for the encouragement of such Persons as may under these cruel Circumstances be induced to seek a happy Asylum in this Province, to make out for them gratuitous Grants of Land exempt from Quit Rents for Ten Years ー I do therefore by and with the Advice and Consent of H1s Majestys Honble Council Issue this my Proclamation inviting all Persons suffering under the above Circumstances to come and reside in this His Majesty's Loyal Colony where they may unmolested follow their iawful occupations and enjoy the quiet possession of their Property, and the valuable blessing of that Liberty, which is an enemy to licentiousness; friendly to Government and consistent with the Laws of Great Britain And that upon application to me in Council they shall have Grants of Land as a Family Right under the usual restrictions and limitations, with an exemption from Quit Rents for Ten Years from the date of the Grant, and every possible protection and encouragement.

And whereas many of His Majestys honest well meaning and loyal Subjects in these factious and Rebellious times, where falsehood for a while may prevail over truth and force and violence in part over just Authority may be greatly imposed upon by the malicious insinuations and false representations of His Majesty's disaffected Subjects. I have thought fit and do with the advice of His Majesty's Honble Council further encourage them to take up their Residence here, from the following considerations ー Vizt

That the Climate is healthy as many of the Spaniards formerly lived here to a comfortable old age, and as from the establishment of the Civil Government of this Colony under the Crown of Great Britain, His Majestys Subjects have enjoyed a state of good Health, which is particularly manifest from the Returns of His Majestys Troops in Garrison at St Augustine ー that the Climate is sufficiently cold in Winter to brace up the constitution after the Summer Months which are refreshed by a regular Sea Breeze ー that several kinds of Grain and Vegetables produced in Great Britain may be cultivated here with Success in Winter ー Indian Corn, Rice, Indigo Cotton and Sugar Cane in Summer ー that if it should be thought too expensive or the Seasons too precarious for raising Sugar and Rum for Exportation a Planter may at a Small expence and trouble raise Sugar Cane sufficient to supply his Family with both ー that the Winter is not so severe as to destroy the West India Cotton, but that it grows up in great luxuriancy in the Spring ー that the Climate and Soil seems peculiarly adapted for producing Indigo Weed from which the Planters have made Indigo of a Quality superior to any made in the British Colonies in North America ー that the Country is well pastured and fit for raising Cattle and Stock of every kind, without the assistance of artificial Grasses or laying up provender for Winter ー that the Country is conveniently intersected with Rivers plentifully stored with variety of Fish, and fit for Navigation and for bringing down produce and Lumber to the respective Ports ー that their Banks are covered with large Oaks, and other Timber fit for building Vessels that there is variety of other Timber for Staves and Lumber fit for the West India Market ー

And I do further by the Advice of His Majesty's Honble Council, and in obedience to His Majesty's Commands, hereby offer every Possible encouragement in my power for the exportation of Lumber to the West India Islands, and that I will upon application to me grant Licences to Cut Wood for Lumber upon any part of His Majesty's Lands upon sufficient security being given, to Land it in some Island belonging to His Majesty

By His Excellency's Command David Yeats Depy Secry
God Save the King
[Endorsed] In Govr Tonyn's (No 34) of 3d Novr 1775.