A Proclamation—

Whereas by an Act of the Legislature of this State Entitled “An Act to prevent the bringing in and spreading of infectious Diseases in this State” passed the first Day of April 1796,1 it is among other things enacted,

“That all Vessels arriving in the Port of New York from Ports beyond the Sea, having on board forty Passengers— All Vessels arriving in the said Port, having on board a Person sick with a Fever— All Vessels arriving in the said Port, on board of which a person may, during the time such Vessels were at the foreign Port from which they last sailed, or during their Passage from thence to the Port of New York, have died of a Fever— All Vessels arriving in the said Port, from Places where at the time of their Departure an infectious disease prevailed—shall be subject to Quarantine of course—.[”]

“That it shall be lawful for the Person administering the Government of this State, from time to time whenever and as he shall judge adviseable, to issue his Proclamation declaring what other Vessels, to be described as coming from the Countries, Islands or Ports therein to be mentioned, shall also be subject to Quarantine— that it shall in like manner be lawful for him to issue his Proclamation assigning and limiting the Places or Spaces where all Vessels subject to Quarantine, shall on their arrival within the said Port, be brought to Anchor and remain until they shall have been visited and examined by the Health Officer, and by him reported, to some one of the Commissioners of the Health Office, to be free from Infection—”

And Whereas the Coasts and the Islands of Turkey and of Africa on and in the Mediterranean are frequently visited by Infectious Diseases; and the like Calamities are common to some of the West-India Islands, whence there is danger of their being communicated to the American Continent— Now therefore in virtue of the Powers vested in me by the said Act I do order and declare, that all Vessels arriving in the Port of New York, from any Port, Place or Island in the Mediterranean, or from any Port, Place or Island in the West Indies, or from any Port, Place or Island whatever in America lying to the Southward of Georgia, shall be subject to Examination by the Health Officer, and to Quarantine if he shall judge it necessary, and that they shall not be excused therefrom on account of their having touched at an intermediate Port without having discharged their Cargoes at such intermediate Port— and Whereas by an Act of the Legislature of this State, passed the 10th. Day of February 1797 Entitled “an Act to amend an Act entitled an Act to prevent the bringing in and spreading of infectious Diseases in this State’.2 it is enacted “that all Coasting Vessels coming from any Place south of Cape May altho not subject to Quarantine, shall be liable to Examination, if the Health Officer shall deem it expedient, by some fit Person to be deputed by him”, I do also order and declare that every Coasting Vessel arriving in this Port from any Place south of Cape May, and which on such Examination shall be found to be so circumstanced as that in the Judgement of the Health Officer she ought to perform Quarantine, such Vessel shall be subject to Quarantine accordingly—. And I do further order & direct that all Vessels subject to Examination by the Health Officer and to Quarantine and arriving in the Port of New York, either thro the Sound or thro Sandy Hook shall be brought to anchor only at some convenient Place near Governors Island, to the Southward of such a right Line from Long Island to the Jersey shore as will touch the northern Extremities of Governors Island and of Ellisons Island, but such Vessels shall not be brought to anchor at a less Distance from any land whatever, within the Harbour than one Quarter of a Mile—. And I do expressly prohibit and forbid the Branch Pilots and their Deputies to bring any of the said Vessels so arriving in this Port to anchor at any other Place or Places in the Harbour of New York—.