A. D. 1750. 281 



tween Cape Blanco and the Cape of Good Hope, fhall forever hereaf- 

 ter be deemed a body corporate and politic, by the name of the Com- 

 pany of merchants trading to Africa, with perpetual fucceflion and a 

 common feal, and may fue and be fued, &c. as other corporations. 



II) All the Britifli forts, fettlements, and factories, on the coaft of 

 Africa, from Cape Blanco to the Cape of Good Hope, and all coafls, 

 iflands, rivers, regions, &c. within the faid limits, which are now claim- 

 ed, or pofFelled, by the royal African company of England, or which 

 may hereafter be in the pofleiTion of the company hereby eftablifhed, 

 fliall, troni the pafTing of an act for diveding the Alrican company of 

 their charter, forts, and all their other property on the coafl of Africa. 

 be abfolutely veiled in the new company eftablidied by this a6l, and 

 their fucceffors, to the intent that the faid forts, &c. Ihall be employed 

 only for the protedion, encouragement, and defence, of the trade. 



III) Yet this new company (hall not trade to or from Africa, in their 

 corporate capacity, neither fhall they have any joint, or transferable 

 flock, nor Ih.all rhey borrow money on their common feal. 



IV) The direction of the affairs of this new company fhall be by a 

 committee of nine perfons, to be chofen annually ; to meet as often as 

 fliall be neceffary, in fome place within the city of London, the majority 

 of whom being affembled, Ihall have full power to make orders for go- 

 verning and improving the forts, flxdories, &c. : fo as no orders nor re- 

 gulations of theirs fliall lay any rellraint whatfoever on the trade or 

 traders, contrary to the intent of this ad. 



V) Such as intend to trade to Africa, and who fliall, on or before 

 the 30th of June 1750, pay 40/" each to the chamberlain of London for 

 their freedom of this company, are empowered to meet at Gildhall, 

 and choofe three perfons ; and they wdio fliall pay 4(D/"into the hands of 

 the clerk of the merchants hall of Eriflol, to choofe three perfons ; and 

 the like at Liverpool, for choofmg three perfons : and the nine perfons 

 fo chofen fliall be the firft annual committee. 



VI) In all future eledtions the committee fliall be nominated on the 

 3d of July yearly, in manner following, viz. three fhall be nominated 

 by the freemen of the company admitted in London, and three at Brif- 

 tol, and three at Liverpool. And the freemen of this company, in each 

 of the faid three places, may choofe other committee-men in the place 

 of fuch as fliall die or be removed, or w^lio fliall reftife to act. And if 

 they, or any of the three places, negiecft to choofe fuch, then the re- 

 mainder, though lefs in number than nine, may ad as the committee, 

 till next year's eleClion. In cafe of an ecjuality of voices at any election, 

 the lord-mayor of London, and the mayors ot Brillol and Liverpool, 

 refpedively, Ihall determine which of fuch perfons fliall be the com- 

 mittee-men. From and after the 30th of June 1750 any other of his 

 majeftv's fubjects, who fliall trade to or from Africa, llrall be admitted 



Vol. III. N n 



