Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 7.djvu/316

 272 C. 31. Anno vicefimo tertio Georgii 11. A. D. 1750. and Ijefcrca Ce- Settlements, or the Government of their Officers or Servants employed therein ; and Copies of every fuch annual Account, Orders and Re};u!ations, fiiall be annually laid before a General Meeting of the Member, nenrMwtii^r °" '^'° '^''^ Company, to be had in London, Brijiol, and Liverpool refpedively ; of which fourteen Day.- Notice fliall be previoufly given in the London Gazette. Triders not to XXVI. And be it further enai3:cd by the Authority aforefaid, That no Officer, or any other Perfon to beobniuacd. ]^q employed by the faid Committee, at any of the Forts or Settlements built or to be built in Africa, fliall at any Time hereafter, in any Manner, or on any Pretence, obflruil or hinder any of his Majefty's Subjects The Buildings in Trading ; and that the Forts, Warthoufes and Buildings, already ercdcd, or which fhall hereafter be 10 be free lor erefted, by the laid Company, (ball and may at all Times hereafter be free and op:n to all his Majefty's ■Wareliouic6; Subjects, to be ufed as Warehoui'es for depofiting Gunpowder, Gold, Elephants Teeth, Wax, Gums and Drugs, and no other Goods, and for Safely XXVII. Provided neverthelefs, That the faid Forts, Warehoufes and Buildings, may and fhall, in cafe of ih:a- Perfuns. of JsTeceffity or Danger, be free and open to all his Majefty's Subjefts, for the Safety of their Perfons, and Security of all their Effcits whatfoever. Traders may XXVIii. And be it enadlcd by the Authority aforefaid, That it fliall and may be lawful for any of his b'jiid Houfes Pvlajefly's Subjcfts trading to Africa, for the Security of their Goods or Slaves, to treik Houfes and Ware- " rt" ''^f ^°' houfes, under the Protection of the faid Forts, or elfev/here in any other Part of Africa within the Limits Pijjjj* aforefaid, for the better carrying on of his or their Trade there ; which Houfes and Warehoufes fhall be the Property of the Perfon or Perfons who fliall build the fame ; but fliall not be difpofed of, or lett, to any Foreigner whatfoever. Penalty on Ma- XXIX. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That no Commander or Mafter of any flcrsof Vefl'els Ship trading to Africa, fhall by Fraud, Force or Violence, or by any other indirefi: PracTrice whatfoever, take committmgVio- ^^^ Board, or carry away from the Coaft of Africa, any Negro or Native of the faid Country, or commit, thc^Natives " °^ fuft'er to be committed, any Violence on the Natives, to the Prejudice of the faid Trade ; and that every Perfon fo offending fhall, for every fuch Offence, forfeit the Sum of one hundred Pounds of lawful Money of Great Britain ; one Moiety thereof to the Ufe of the faid Company hereby eftabiiflied, and their Sue-. ccflbrs, for and towards the maintaining the faid Forts and Settlements, and the other Moiety to and for the Ufc; of him or them who fhall inform or fue for the fame. Inflruaions to XXX. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Lord High Adm.iral of Great Br:- be given to Cap- tain, or the Commiffioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of Girat Britain for the 'time tains ot M':n of being, fliall, from time to time, give Inftruflions to the Captains of fuch of his Majefty's Ships of War as theConaiucn'^of ^'^"" ^^ ftationcd or ordered to cruife within the Limits aforefaid, from time to time, to infpeft and report the Forts. 'o them the State and Condition in which the faid Forts and Settlements fliall be ; and the Officers of fuch Reports to be Forts are required to permit fuch Captains to view and infpetSt the fame; and Copies of all fuch Reports laid before Par- fliall, every Seffion of Parliament, be laid before Parliament. Jiamenc. XXXI. And be it further enaaed by the Authority aforefaid. That fuch Commiffion Officers of his Ma- Nav"toin <mt J^^v'® Navy, as the Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, or the Commiffioners for executing the Office of jntohe Condi- Lord High Admiral of Great Britain, for the time being, fliall appoint for that Purpnfe, fliall infpeft and tion of Forts, examine the State and Condition of the Forts and Settlements on the Coaft of Africa, in the Poflcffton of &"c. the faid Royal African Company, and of the Number of Soldiers therein, and alio the State and Condition of the Military Stores, Cailles, Slaves, Canoes and other Vcffsls and Things, bcloni;ing to the faid Com- pany, and neceffaiy for the Ufe and Defence of the faid Forts and Settlements, and fliall with all poffib!; JDifpatch report how they find the fame, to the faid Lord High Admiral, or Commiffioners for executing the faid Office ; and the faid Company, and their Officers and Servants, are hereby required to permit the faid Officers of the Navy to make i'uch Infpe£lion and Examination, and to affift them therein ; a Copy t which Report fliall be laid before Pailiament at the Beginning of the next Seffion. Comn-idioners XXXII. And be it further ena(5led by the Authority aforefaid, That the Accountant Genera] of the Hi^;h amin"th'!cbims ^°"' "'^ Chancery for the time being, and fuch two of the other' Mafters of the faid Court, as the LoVvl onbe CieJitors ^•s'^ Chancellor of Great Brit.iin for the time being, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Great Brita: Sic. ' for the time being, or the LordsCommiffioners for theGreat Seal oi' Gj-cat Brit.iin forthe time being, fhall, fror.i time to time, nominate for that Purpofe, fliall be, and thvy are hereby ccnftituted and appointed Commiff.or- ers for examining into the Claims of the Creditors of the faid Roval African Company : And fuch Commii- finners, or any two of them, are hereby impowered and required, by the Exanination of the Parties iii- terefted, or the Teftimony of Witnefl'es upon Oath, or by the Infpcction and Examination of the Book.s Deeds, Writitigs and Accounts of the faid Company, and their Creditors refpe£i:ivcly, or otherwifc, ac- cording to their Difcretion, to examine into the faid Claims, and to enquire and ilate how and when th.- fame were refpcflivcly incurred, and for what Confideration the fame were originally, really, and be: fide, contraCled, or became due ; and upon what Confideration, and when the Cl.nimants became refpec- tively intitlcd thereto, together v/ith their Opinion of the Juftnefs and Reafonablenefs of fuch Debts refpcc- tively ; and for that Pur|iofe ail and every the Creditors of the faid Company are hereby required on or be- fore the refpeflive Days and Times hereafter limited and appointed for that Purpofe, to deliver orcau'e Djfe delivered in VVriting under their refpeftive Hatids, or the Hands of Perfons by tliem refpciiively authorized, unto fuch Officer or Ofiicers, and at fuch Place within the City oi Lcmlcn, as the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them fiiail appoint, of which Notice fliall be given in the Lcndcn Gazette, a juft and true Ac- cotinr of their rcfpedlive Claims u|)on the faid Company, together with a true Copy of the Securities i. which they refpeiii:ivt!y claim the fame, and ftich of the fiid Creditors as refide in Great Britain or Le.'an . fliall make their refpedi:ive Claims on or before the thirtieth Day of Auguft one thoufand feven hundred aiui fifty, and fuch of them as are rtfidcnt on the Coaft oi Africa, or elfewhere beyond the Seas, fliall ma:: their relpeclive Claims on or before the thirtieth Day of Deconher one thoufand feven hundred and fifty and the Direilors and Officers of the faid Company, and all other P. rfons whatfoever, wliom the faid Con. miffioners, or any two of them flial! think fit to examine, touching the i>'Iatters aforefiid, arc hereby ftriiil required and enjoined to attend the faid Commiffioners, from time to time, and at all fuch Times and Plac^