Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/267

 Chap. X.J CONDITIONS OF THE CHARTEK. 2^3

and thereafter, " every year on the first day of July, or at any time within six a.d. leoo. days after that day, to assemble and meet together in some convenient place," and, while so assembled, to elect a governor and twenty-four connriittees for the ensuing year. In the event of the death or deprivation by misconduct of any of the persons thus elected, the company, again met in court, are authorized to supply the vacancies thus occurring, but ordy for the time of office which remained unexpiretl. Not only the officials thus elected were to swear " well and truly" to execute the offices committed to them, but "as well every one above named to be of the said company or fellowship, as all others to be here- after admitted, or free of the said company, to take a corporal oatli before the governor of the said company, or his deputy for the time being, to such effect, MS by the said governor and company, or the more part of them, in any public court to be held for the said company, shall be in reasonable manner set down and devised, before they shall be allowed or admitted to trade or traffick as a freeman of the sjiid company."'

In this last quotation the important point of membership is incidentally Quaiifica- alluded to. A more explicit statement occurs in a subsequent clause, in which member- " all that are or shall be of the said company," and all their sons, " at their " '^*' several ages of one and twenty years or upwards," and all their " apprentices, factors, or servants," " which shall hereafter be employed by the said governor and company, in the trade of merchandize of or to the East Indies," are em- powered freely to traffic during the period and within the limits assigned to tiie company. The period is restricted to " fifteen years," ^vith the promise of an extension to other fifteen, if asked by the company and approved by the crown, but the charter might be recalled at any time after a notice of two years.

The space over which the company might trade is of enormous extent ; and, ceographi- though spoken of under the general name of the East Indies, is more jjarticu- larly described as including " the countries and parts of Asia and Africa," and "all the islands, ports, havens, cities, creeks, 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 trade or traffick of merchandize may be used or had." Within these limits the company are empowered to traffic freely " by seas, in and by such ways and passages already found out and discovered, or which shall hereafter be found out and discovered, as they shall esteem and take to be fittest;" the only restriction being, that "the same trade be not under- taken nor addre.ssed to any country, island, port, haven, city, creek, town, or place, already in the lawful and actual possession of any such Christian prince or state, as at this present is or shall hereafter be in league or amity" with the British crown, and " who doth not or will not accept of such trade, but doth overtly declare and publish the same, to be utterly against his or their good- will and liking."

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