Page:A Collection of Charters and Statutes relating to the East India Company.pdf/9

 AN ABSTRACT

OF

CHARTERS

GRANTED, TO

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY

TO THE FIRST EAST INDIA COMPANY.

The First Charter for Erecting an East India Company, dated 31st December, 1600.

n the last Day of the Year 1600,. being in the 43d Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, was issued the first Royal Charter for erecting an East India Company. By this Charter the Queen, (upon the Petition of the Earl of Cumberland, and Two hundred and fifteen other Per­sons,amongst whom were several Knights and Aldermen oi London, praying the Queen's Licence to adventure and set forth one or more Voyages, by way of Traffic and Merchandize, to the East Indies, in the Countries and Parts of Asia, and Africa, and to the Islands thereabouts; divers of which Countries and Islands had been long since discovered, though not frequented in Trade of Merchandize;) incorporated the said Earl, and other Persons, by the name of "The Governor and Company of Merchants of London fading into the East Indies"—To be one Body politic and corporate; to have Succession; to purchase Lands [without any Limitation]; to have one Governor, and Twenty-four Persons, to be elected annualy who shall be called Committees, and shall jointly have the Direction of the Voyages, the Provision of the Shining and Merchandise, W-four Committees ' also the Sale of the Merchandize, and the Management of all other Thing's belonging to the said Company.——Sir Thomas Smith, Aldemrian of London, was to be the first Governor; a Deputy Governor to be elected in a general Court; both the Governors and all the Committees to take an Oath of fidelity.—Also every Member to take an Oath, before he be admitted to traffic as a Freeman of the Company.——The Company, their Sons, (at twenty-one Years of Age), thejr Apprentices, Servants, and Factors in India, or elsewhere, may, for Fifteen Years from Christmas last, freely and solely Trade, by such Ways and Passages as are already found out, or which shall hereafter be discovered, "into the Countriesand Parts of Asia and Africa, and into from all the Islands, Ports, Towns, and Places of Asia, Africa, and America, or any of them, beyond the Cape of Bona Esperanza, to the Streights of Magellan, where any Traffic of Mefchandize may be used, and to and from every of them;", in such Manner as shall, from Time to Time, be limited and agreed on at any public Assembly or general Court of the Company; any Statute, Usage, Diversity of Religion or Faith, or any other Matter, to the contrary notwithstanding;  so as it be not to any country already possessed by any Christian Potentate in amity with Her Majesty, who shall declare the same to be against his or her good Liking.— Either the Governor or Deputy Governor must always be one in general Assemblies:  In those Assemblies they may make all reasonable Constitutions, &c. agreeable to the Laws of England, for their good Government, by plurality of Voices and may punish, by Fines and Imprisonment, any Offenders against such Laws.—The Queen grants to the Company an exemption from paying any Customs upon Exports for the first four Voyages;—and for Customs which shall be payable for Imports from India the Company shall be allowed to give their Bonds, payable one half in Six Months, and the other half in Six Months after.—For Merchandize lost at sea, outward bound, the Customs shall be allowed to the Company out of the next Cargo shipped off.—Indian Merchandize that lowed shall have paid the Customs, may, until the end of Thirteen Months, be re-exported by any