282 A. D. 1750. 



freemen of the faid company, at London, Briftol, or Liverpool, upon 

 payment of 40/", as aforefaid, but fhall not vote at the eledion of com- 

 mittee-men until one y&ir after their admiflion. The faid freedom 

 money of 4o/"fliall be accounted for to the annual committee. No per- 

 fon fhall be a committee-man above three years fucceflively. The 

 committee may inveft the money in their hands, in the purchafe of 

 goods and flores for Africa, there to be applied for the fole ufe, pre- 

 fervation, &c. ot their forts and fettlements, and for the wages, falaries, 

 &c. of their officers, &c. employed there ; but the committee fliall not 

 export from Africa any negroes, or other goods, in return ; nor fliall 

 in any other manner carry on a trade to or from Africa ; and an 

 account ot the committee's receipts and payments {hall be kept» 

 and lie open at their office in London, to be perufed gratis by any 

 member of the company. The commiflioners for trade and plantations 

 may remove any of the committee-men, or the officers and fervants of 

 this company, upon mifbehaviour. And the committee fhall render an 

 account of their tranfadions to the board of trade and plantations an- 

 nually, or oftener, if required. The committee, out of the monies they 

 fhall receive, may deducft, annually, L800 for defraying, in the firfl 

 place, the falaries of their clerks, &c. at the laid three places, and all 

 other charges of management ; and the refidue of that fum fhall be di- 

 vided among themfelves, as a compenfation for their trouble. The 

 committee's accounts fhall be annually examined, upon oath, by the 

 curfitor-baron of the exchequer, and they fliall lay a copy of fuch ac- 

 counts, &c. before the parliament in every feflion, as alio before the 

 general meetings of their own members, held in London, Briftol, and 

 Liverpool. 



VII) The forts, warehoufes, &c. of this company, fhall, at all times, 

 be free to all his majefty's fubjeds, to be ufed as warehoufes for depo- 

 fiting gunpowder, gold, elephants' teeth, wax, gums, and drugs, and no 

 other goods ; and fhall alfo be free and open, in cafe of neceflity or 

 danger, to all his majefVy's fubjeds, for the fafety of their perfons and 

 effeds. Three mafters of the court of chancery, whereof the account- 

 ant-general of that court to be one, fhall be commiflioners for examin- 

 ing and allowing the claims of the creditors of the royal African com- 

 pany, after which that company fhall be divefted of their charter, and 

 be difiblved. 



Thus this very confiderable branch of the Britifh commerce again 

 aflumed a new appearance, after having pafFed, as we have fhewn, 

 through leveral different conftitutions, and various conditions. What 

 has by this ad been eftablidied, remains flill in being, and with general 

 approbation, though there are not wanting feme who ftill think that lb 

 important a trade ought to be under a finder government, and even in 

 a joint-flock corporation, as in former times ; of which opinion, time. 



