Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 7.djvu/463

 A. D. 1752. Anno viceiimo quinto Georgii II. C. 40. 443 near adjoining to thofe Coafts, and comprehended within the Limits aforefaid ; which Regions, Coun- tries, Dominions, Territories, Continents, Coafts and Places, and Iflands, had been theretofore called or known by the Name of South Barhary, Guinny, B'lnny or Angola^ or by fome or any other Name or Names, and which were or had been reputed, efteemed or taken to be Part, Parcel or Member of any- Country, Region, Dominion, Territory or Continent, within the Limits aforefaid; and all and fingu-- lar Ports, Harbours, Creeks, Iflands, Lakes and Places in the Parts of Africa, to them or any of them belonging; or being under the Obedience of any King, State or Potentate of any Region, Dominion or Country, within the Limits aforefaid, to hold from the making the faid Letters Patent for the Term of one thoufand Years, fubjeft to fuch Conditions and Refervations as therein mentioned ; and did in and by the faid Letters Patent incorporate the feveral Perfons therein named, by the Name of The Royal African Company g/" England, and did declare fuch Grant and Demife to be in Truft to and for the fole Ufe, Benefit and Behoof of the Royal African Company of England, therein and thereby fo incorporated, and their Succcffors : And whereas the faid Royal African Com.pany of England have, fince the granting the iliid Charter, been at a very confiderable Expence in re-building and enlarging feveral of their Forts and Caftles on the Coafts aforefaid, and have there erefied, built and purchafed, feveral New Forts : And whereas by an KGt of Parliament made and pafTed in the twenty-third- Year of the Reign of hisi3Gcij, i. c. jt, prefent Majefty, inrituled. An Ail for extending and improving the Trade to Africa, a new Company was eftablifhed by the Name of The Company of Merchants trading to Africa; and the better to uphold, main- tain and defend all fuch Forts, Faftories and Settlements, on the Coaft of Africa, as then were ereftedu or thereafter fliould be thought neceffary to be erefted, for the fecuring and better carrying on the faid Trade; it was enafted, among other Things, That all and every the Britifi Forts, Settlements and Factories, on the Coaft of Africa, beginning at Cape Blanco, and extending from thence to the Cape of Good Hope inclufive, and all other the Regions, Countries, Dominions, Territories, Continents, Coafts, Ports, Bays, Rivers and Places, lying and being within the aforefaid Limits, and the Iflands near ad- > joining to thofe Coafts, and comprehended within thofe Limits, which then were claimed by, or were in the Poilefiion of the faid Royal African Company of England, or which might be thereafter in the Pof- feiTion of the Company thereby eft-abliflied, fhould from and after the paffing of an AGi of Parliament for divefting the faid African Company of their faid Charter, Forts, Caftles, Military Stores, Canoe Men, Caftle Slaves, and all other their Property on the Coaft of Africa (their Goods and Merchandizes only excepted) be abfolutely vefted in the faid new Company eftablifhed by the faid AiSt, and their Suc- ceflTors, to the Intent and Purpofe that the fi.id Forts, Settlements and Premifles fliould be employed at all Times thereafter only for the Protection, Encouragement and Defence of the faid Trade; and it was by the faid Att further enafled. That the Accountant General of the Fligh Court of Chancery for the Time being, and fuch two of the other Mafters of the faid Court, as the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain for the Time being, or Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of Great Britain for the Time being, or the Lords Commiffioners for the Great Seal of Great Britain for the Time being, fliould from Time to Time nominate for that Purpofe, fhould be, and they were thereby conftituted and appointed Commiffioners for examining into the Claims of the Creditors of the faid Royal African Company, and to inquire and ftate how and when the fame were refpe£lively incurred, in fuch manner as in and by the faid Aft is direfted, together with their Opinion of the Juftnefs and Reafonablenefs of fuch Debts refpeSively, and to lay Accounts of their Proceedings before the Parliament with all convenient Speed : And whereas the Commiffioners appointed by and in purfuance of the faid Aft did lay Accounts of their Proceedings be^ fore the Parliament the laft Seffion, but feveral Claims of feveral of the Company's Officers and Servants abroad, for Salaries due to them, or for Goods fold and delivered, and for Monies laid out and expended for the laid Com^pany's Ufe, for want of proper Vouchers from abroad could not be examined into within the Time prefcnbed for that Purpofe by the faid Aft : And whereas by an Aft of Parliament made and pafl'ed in the twenty-fourth Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty, intituled, An Aei for aUGZvingfur-z^Gio.t.':,i<}, ther T'ime to the Commiffioners appointed by and in purfuance cf an ASl of the twenty-third Year of h.'s prefent Miijeftfs Reign, intituled. An Aft for extending and improving the Trade to Africa, to inquire into the Claims of certain Creditors of the Royal Aft'iczn Company therein mentioned, and for the Relief of T)a.rdL Crichton, and for refraining the faid Company from difpofng of fuch of their E,ffe£ls as are therein mentioned and for flaying all Suits for Money due from or on account of the fiid Company for the Time therein mentioned ; It vi^as enaited among other Things, That all and every the Powers and Authorities in and by the faid above recited Aft of the twenty-third Year of the Reign of his prefent Majefty granted to and vefted in the faid Commiffioners appointed by or in purfuance of the faid Aft for enabling them to examine into the Claims of the Creditors of the faid Company, and ftating the fame, with their Opinion thereon, fliould, for the Purpoles of examining into and ftating the Claims therein particularly mentioned, and no other, be and continue in full Force until the twelfth Day of fanuary one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-two, and the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them, were thereby authorized and required, from and after the twenty-fourth Day of June one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-one, to proceed with all convenient Speed upon the Examination of the feveral Claims of the feveral Perfons thereafter named ; and the faid Commiffioners were thereby required to clofe and finifh their Examination of all the faid Claims on or before the twelfth Day of January then next enfuing, and to lay Accounts of their Pro- ceedings before the Parliament with all convenient Speed : And whereas the faid Commiffioners have laid Accounts of their Proceedings, under the faid laft recited Aft, before the Parliament: And whereas fe- veral other Sums of Money are due and owing to feveral other Perfons from the faid Royal African Com<- ' pany : And whereas Captain T'/'oot^^ Pyr, Commander of his Majefty's Ship i/z^raifr, did, in purfuance • of Directions given him by the Commiffioners for executing the Office of i^ord High Admiral of Great L 1 1 2 'and
 * Britain for that Purpofe in the Year one thoul;md feven iumdred and forty-nine, take a Survey of the Forts