Page:A Collection of Charters and Statutes relating to the East India Company.pdf/30

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
xxii
Charter of King William III.

Subject to the Proviso of Redemption,and Form and such Proportion, and subject to such Restrictions, Proviso of Redemption, and other Provisoes, Conditions, Matters, and Things, as in and by the said Act of Parliament and in these Presents, and by Our said Charter granted to The said General Soctety, and every or any of them, are expressed, declared, or appointed; and that the said East Indies, or the said Islands, Havens, Ports, Cities, Towns, or Places within. the Limits aforesaid, or any of them, shall not, after the said 29th Day of September, 1698, be visited, frequented, or haunted by any other of the Subjects of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, during such Time as the Benefit of Trade given or intended to be given to the same Company, and others as.aforesaid, ought to continue by Virtue of the said Act.

No other to Trade thither,except the old Company, and they but till the 29th of September, 1701.And We do by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, strictly charge, command, and prohibit all the Subjects of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, of what Degree or Quality soever they be, that none of them directly or indirectly visit, haunt, frequent, or trade, traffick or adventure unto or from any the said East Indies, or the other Parts aforesaid, contrary to the true Meaning of the said Act, under the Penalties therein contained, and upon Pain of incurring Our highest Displeasure (excepting the said Company and such others as may lawfully go and trade to the East Indies, and other the Parts aforesaid, by Virtue of the said Act, or of Our Royal Charter or Charters pursuant thereunto, and excepting their Factors, Agents, and Servants respectively, who shall be employed according to the true Meaning of the said Act); and so as the Governors and Company.of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies formerly constituted shall not be restrained hereby from continuing to trade within the Limits aforesaid until the Twenty-ninth Day of September, 1701, Their Ships charged outward before the 1st of July, 1698, not liable to Forfeiture and so as such Ships not in the Service of the said Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading to the East Indies, which were cleared outward from England, or elsewhere for the East Indies, or other Limits aforesaid, before the First Day of July, 1698, or the Lading thereof, so as they return into some Port of this Kingdom without breaking Bulk in any Part of Europe, shall not be liable to any the Penalties, Forfeitures, or Displeasure before-mentioned.


The Company may seize Ships and Goods for Want of Entry, &c.And We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give and grant full Power and Authority to The said English Company trading to the East Indies, and their Successors for the Time being, that they, by themselves, their Deputies, Factors, Substitutes, and Assigns, shall and may from Time to. Time and at all Times hereafter take and seize all such Ships, Vessels, Goods, Merchandize, Bullion, Wares, and Commodities whatsoever, in England or in the East Indies, or elsewhere, which by Virtue of the said Act of Parliament shall or may be forfeited, or shall be seizable for Want of any Entry or any false Entry in the Books of the said Company, or for Want of any Affirmation to be made as the said Act directs, or for Non-Payment of the said Duty of Five Pounds per Centum, or for unlawful trading or trafficking, or for any other Offence against the said Act, or for any Cause whatsoever, whereupon the same or any of them shall be forfeited, or shall or may be seized by Virtue of the said Act; And may do all that Custom-House do in order thereunto.and, for that End and Purpose, shall and may from Time to Time make search, do perform, and execute all such Matters and Things, and in such ample Manner and Form, as any Officers of the Customs of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, can or may lawfully do, perform, or execute in or for the Seizing and Recovering of any uncustomed or prohibited Goods whatsoever.

The Company may license any Person, in in such Commodities and Proportions as shall be allowed by a General court and not otherwise; and may license any other (except the Bank) to trade in Jewels,as by the General Court shall be thought convenient, so as the whole do not exceed what may be yearly traded for by the Act.Provided always, and We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give, and grant, unto the said English Company trading to the East Indies, and their Successors, full Power and Authotity, at any Time or Times, and from Time to Time hereafter, to license, and permit, all or any the Agents, Factors, and Mariners, which, from Time to Time, or at any Time hereafter, shall be employed by the said Company, in the Ships of belonging to, or in the Service of the said Company, and set out on the Account of the said Company, to trade and traffick, and to export, and import, in such Ships, to and from any Part of the East Indies, or to other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, and for and upon the only Account of such Agents, Factors, and Mariners, or any Of them, such Commodities and.Goods, and such Proportions. thereof, and in such Manner, and Form, as shall, from Time to Time, be permitted and allowed of, by he Majority of Votes, at a General Court of the said Company, for the Time being, and not otherwise; and also to license and permit any other Person or Persons, or Corporations (the Bank of England only excepted) at any Time or Times, to trade or traffic, and to import-in any of the Ships of the said Company, or set out on Account of the said Company, to and from any Part of the said East Indies, or other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, any Diamonds, Jewels, Pearls, Precious Stones, Musk, Amber-grease, and other Commodities, or any of them, and in such Manner, and Form, as by the said General Court, or the major Part of the Members.composing the same, from Time to Time, shall be thought convenient; due Entries being made thereof, and the Duties of the same being paid, or secured, at the Custom House of Us, our Heirs and Successors, at the Place where the same shall be imported, before the landing thereof; so always that the Sum, for which the said Company, and the said. Agents, Factors, and, Mariners, Persons, and Corporations, so to be licensed, and permitted byby