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Charter of King William III.
xiii

Goods, Wares, Merchandizes, Coin, Bullion, or other Commodities (being such as lawfully may be exported or sent thither) as shall amount in Value to the Sum of One Hundred Pounds and after the same Rate or Proportion for all the Annuities or whole Share or Proportion of the said Company of or in the said Yearly Fund, the Trade of the said Company to the East Indies, and other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, shall be limited and regulated as in and by the said Act of Parliament is prescribed; Subject to the Proviso of Redemption, &c.which Benefit of Trade shall nevertheless be subject and liable to the Proviso of Redemption and all other Provisoes, Restrictions, Matters, and Things in the said Act or hereafter in these Presents contained. Provided always, and our Pleasure is, and we do hereby direct and appoint, that according to the Directions of the said Act of Parliament, no Person of Persons, by these Presents incorporated, or who are or shall be a Member or Members of the said Company by these Presents established, during such Time as he or they respectively shall continue a Member No Member to trade but in a Joint Stock.or Members of the said Company, shall trade otherwise than in a Joint Stock of the said Company and every such Member or Members, before he or they shall be allowed to receive any Benefit in or by the said Company, or to do or intermeddle in any of the Affairs of the same,Every Member to take an Oath.shall take a corporal Oath before Two or more of the Directors or Managers herein after-mentioned (who have hereby Power to administer the same) that he or she shall be faithful to such Company, according to the best of his or her Skill and Understanding, give his or her Advice, Counsel, and Assistance; for the Support and good Government of the said Company; and that he or she, during his or her Continuance in the said Company, will not at any Time or Times ship, lade, send, direct, or cause to be sent from England, or any other Country to the East Indies, or other Parts within the Limits aforesaid, for his or their private Account, any Goods, Coins, or other Merchandizes, contrary to the said Act; and that no Person or Persons, that shall have the Order, Rule, Direction, or Management of the Voyages or other Affairs of the said Company, or that shall be intrusted or employed to trade upon the Joint Stock or for the said Company, shall be allowed to ship or cause to be shipped, laden, or put on board, or to send or cause to be sent for the East Indies, or other Parts within the Limits aforesaid, any Goods, foreign Coins, or other Merchandizes whatsoever, from England, or any other Country, Directors to take an Oath until he or they respectively shall have taken a corporal Oath before Two or more of the Directors of the said Company, or before the Barons of the Exchequer for the Time being, or some of them, that he or they respectively will be faithful to the said Company, and according to the best of his or her Skill and Understanding, give his or her Advice, Counsel, and Assistance for the Support and good Government of the same: and that he or she, during his or their Continuance in the said Company, will not at any Time.or Times ship, lade, send, direct, or cause to be sent from England, or any other Country, for the East Indies, or other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, any Goods, Coins, or other Merchandizes, but such as he or she may lawfully send thither for the Account of the said Company, according to the true Meaning of the said Act and of these Presents.

Quakers may make a Declaration.Provided always, That such Persons as are known or commonly reputed to be Quakers, instead of such Oath or Oaths, shall and may make a solemn Declaration in Writing to the same Effect, and in the same Manner, and every such Declaration in Writing shall be of the same Validity as if he or they had taken a corporal Oath as aforesaid.

Entry of Goods on the separate Stock to be made upon Oath.And whereas in and by the said Act of Parliament it is provided and enacted, that all and every Person and Persons whatsoever, that shall or may, in pursuance of the said Act, trade or send, or cause to be sent, any Goods, foreign Coins, or other Merchandizes, for the East Indies, or other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, before such Goods, foreign Coins, or other Merchandizes or any of them (the Goods, foreign Coins, or other Merchandizes of such Company as should or might be erected, and which is hereby erected to trade with a Joint Stock as aforesaid, only and always excepted) shall be shipped, laded, or put on board any Ship, or into any Lighter, Boat, or other Vessel for that Purpose, shall make or cause to be made an Entry or Entries of the same, in a Book or Books for that Purpose, specifying in such Entry or Entries the true and full Quantities, Kinds, and Values of all the Goods, foreign Coins, or other Merchandizes so intended to be sent for the East Indies, or other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, from England, or from any other Country whatsoever, with the Name of the Ship and of the Commander or Master thereof, to the End it may be seen by the Inspection of such Book or Books, to which all Persons concerned are to have free Access, at all seasonable Times without Fee or Charge, from Time to Time, whether such Traders do or do not send more Goods, Coins or Merchandizes in the said Trade, than they respectively are allowed to send by the said Act; To sign in Affirmation in Writing.and all and every such Person and Persons, upon. such Entry or Entries made, are required by the said Act to make and sign an Affirmation in Writing, in which he or they are to declare or affirm (upon the Oath or solemn Declaration).which he or they shall previously have taken or made as aforesaid in that Behalf; that such Entry or Entries do contain the true and full Value and Values of all the Goods, Coins, or Merchandizes to be shipped by or from him or them, on such Ship for that Voyage; Before Two Trustees of the General Society, till a Company is erected;all which Entries and Affirmations were by the said Act directed to be made before Two or more of the Trustees for TheGeneral