The Honorable Council of War resolved this day to seize all the goods and effects belonging to the Kings of England and France or their subjects; to which end the following Proclamation is ordered to be published and affixed.
Whereas their High Mightinesses the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands, and his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange, have by their declarations to the whole world published and made known the injustice of the War, begun and waged against them by the Kings of France and England; and that moreover their subjects and vassals continue and proceed to injure, spoil, damage and all possible loss and obstruction to inflict on the good inhabitants of their said High Mightinesses and the Lord Prince of Orange, for which suffered damages and injuries their High Mightinesses and his Highness the Prince of Orange have most urgently caused their Ambassador to demand reparation and satisfaction, but fruitlessly and in vain. Therefore have we deemed it necessary, and find ourselves by virtue of our commission obliged to put under arrest and seizure, all such houses, lands, goods and effects together with outstanding debts, as are at present remaining and belonging within this our government to the Kings of France and England or their subjects, all which said houses, land, goods and effects together with outstanding debts belonging to the Kings of France or England or their subjects as aforesaid, we, in the name and on the behalf of their High Mightinesses the Lords States-General of the United Netherlands and his Highness the Prince of Orange, do hereby seize and arrest; and to the end that no man may pretend ignorance hereof, we do hereby most strictly order and charge all our subjects in whose lands or under whose care any of said houses, lands, goods and effects together with outstanding debts may be remaining, to surrender and in writing make known the same within the space of ten days after the publication hereof, to our Secretary Nicolaes Bayard, under the penalty of double the value of the goods which contrary to this order and edict shall hereafter be found in their hands and keeping, to be applied, one-half to the informer and the other half to the government, and in addition to be banished out of this Province.
And whereas it has come to our knowledge, that Mr. Thomas de Laual hath, contrary to the capitulation for the surrender of the country, appropriated to himself a lot of negroes and other of the Incorporated West India Company's effects, also the revenue from the tapsters' excise on wine and beer, without paying the debts which according to the capitulation were to be discharged therefrom: We have, therefore, deemed it necessary also to attach his property real and personal which can be found here, until we shall receive satisfaction in the premises, or reasons be adduced why those debts have not been paid. And all and every who may have on hand any property belonging to the aforesaid de Lauall, or know where any of it is concealed, are required to make the same known to us, on pain and fine as abovementioned, and each and every are hereby warned and admonished against damages.
Dated Fort Willem Hendrik, this 18th of August, Anno 1673.
