Page:A Collection of Charters and Statutes relating to the East India Company.pdf/24

xvi the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, until he shall have been first approved of, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Bishop of London, for the Time being; all which said Ministers, so to be sent, shall be entertained, from Time to Time, with all due Respect.

And We do further will and appoint, that all such Ministers as shall be sent to reside in India, as aforesaid, shall be obliged to learn, within one Year after their Arrival, the Portuguese Language, and shall apply themselves to learn the native Language of the Country where they shall reside, the better to enable them to instruct the Gentoos, that shall be the Servants or Slaves of the same Company, or of their Agents, in the Protestant Religion; and that in Case of the Death of any of the said Ministers, residing in the East Indies, or other the Parts within the Limits aforesaid, the Place of such Minister, so dying, shall be supplied by One of the Chaplains out of the next Ships, that shall arrive at or near the Place where such Minister shall happen to die.

And We do hereby further will and direct, that the said Company, and their Successors, shall, from Time to Time, provide School-Masters, in all the said Garrisons and superior Factories where they shall be found necessary. .

And for the better ordering, managing, and governing the Affairs of the same Company, and for the making, and establishing, a continual Succession of Persons, to be the Directors of the same, We do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, grant unto the said Body Politick, so called The English Company trading to the East Indies, and to their Successors, and do hereby ordain and appoint that there shall be, from Time to Time, for ever (of the Members of the said Company) Twenty-four Directors of and in the same Company, which Directors, or any Thirteen or more of them, shall be and be called a Court of the Directors, for the ordering, managing, and directing the Affairs of the same Company, and Corporation, and shall have such Powers and Privileges as are herein after-mentioned.

And We do hereby nominate, ordain, constitute, and appoint, that the said Edward Allen, Abraham Beake, James Bateman, John Carey, Sir Henry Furnesse, Peter Godfrey, Peter Gott, Gilbert Heathcote, Edmund Harrison, Sir Theodore Janssen, Samuel Locke, Edward Littleton, Joseph Martin, Streynsham Masters, Ephraim Mountague, Peter Paggen, Robert Raworth, Benjamin Rokeby, Samuel Sheppard, Sir William Scawen, William Stewart, Thomas Vernon, William Withers, and George White, who are severally chosen for this Purpose,by a Majority of the said Subscribers, by these Presents incorporated in the said Company, shall be the present and First Directors of the same Company; and the said Directors shall continue in their respective Offices or Trusts, until the Twenty-fifth Day of March, which shall be in the Year of Our Lord, One thousand and seven hundred, and until others shall be duly chosen in their respective Offices or Trusts, and sworn into the same, unless they or any of them shall sooner die, or be removed, as is herein after-mentioned.

And We do further, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give and grant unto the said English Company, trading to the East Indies, and their Successors, and We do hereby ordain, will, and appoint that it shall and may be lawful, to and for all and every the Members of the same Company, hereby established, from Time to Time, to assemble and meet together, at any convenient Place or Places, for the Choice of their Directors, and for making of By-Laws, Ordinances, Rules, Orders, or Directions, for the Government of the said Company, or for any other Affairs or Business concerning the same; and that all the Members of the same Company, or so many of them as shall be so assembled, shall be and be called a General Court of the said Company or Corporation, which Court shall assemble and meet, at such Times and in such Manner as hereafter is directed; {{LR sidenote|all succeeding Directors to be chosen between 25th of March and 25th of April; and that all succeeding Directors of the same Company shall, from and after the said Twenty-fifth Day of March, One thousand seven hundred, be yearly and successively chosen, and for ever, out of the Members of the same Company, on some Day or Days, Time or Times, between the Twenty-fifth Day of March and the Twenty-fifth Day of April in each Year, by the Majority of Votes of all and every the Members of the same Company, having then each of them Five Hundred Pounds, or more, Share or Interest, in the Stock of the same Company, and who shall be personally present at such Elections, each of them to have and give {{LR sidenote|none to give more than One Vote;}}One Vote, and no, more; and that every particular Corporation, or Body Politick, that shall have Five Hundred Pounds, or more, Share or Interest, of or in the Stock for the said Company in respect thereof, at every such Election, and at all General Courts of the said Company, shall have One Vote, for the whole Share or Interest of such particular Corporation, or Body Politick, and no more; {{LR sidenote|A Corporation may send a Vote by a Deputy.}}which Votes, for such particular Corporations, or Bodies Politick, shall and may be given by such Person or Persons, as shall be deputed thereunto, under the Common Seal, or Common Seals, of such particular Corporation, or Bodies Politick, respectively; and the said succeeding Directors, so chosen, shall severally and respectively continue in their respective Offices or Trusts, to which they shall be severally elected, for One: Year, and till others shall be duly chosen and sworn into their Places respectively.

{{LR sidenote|The surviving Directors may assemble the Members, to elect other Directors, in Room of any deceased, removed or avoid}}Provided nevertheless, that in case of Death, Avoidance, or Removal of any of the Directors of the {{continues|said}}{{sidenotes end}}