Page:A Collection of Charters and Statutes relating to the East India Company.pdf/25

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Charter of King William III.
xvii

said Company for the Time being, the Survivors of them, or the Majority of those remaining in their Office, shall and may at any Time, assemble together the Members of the said Company, in order to elect other Persons, by Members qualified to vote, in Manner aforesaid, in the room of those ners then dead, removed, or avoided: None to vote But those who have £500 stock each in their own Right.Provided nevertheless, and We do here by will and ordain, constitute, appoint, and command that no Person or Persons shall be or be esteemed, qualified, or capable, to be an Elector to vote, or shall give any. Vote, at any General Court, or otherwise, for an Election of the Directors, or any of them, or for or concerning the making of By-Laws, or in any other Matters, relating to the Affairs or Government of the same Company, who shalt not, at the Time of such General Court, have in his, her, or their Name and Right, and for his, her, or their own Use, and not in Trust for any other, Five Hundred Pounds, or more, Share or Interest, in the said Capital Stock of the said Company, and who also shall not, at the Time of holding any such General Court, take the Oath hereafter mentioned, if required thereunto, by any Member or Members of the same Company, then present, having each Five Hundred Pounds Share or Interest, at Least, in the said Stock, before Two or more of the Directors of the same Company, viz.

Oath thereof to be made, if required."I A,B. do swear, that the Sum of Five Hundred Pounds, or more, of the Capital Stock of the Body Politick, called by the Name of The English Company trading to the East Indies. doth at this Time belong to me, in my own Right, and not in Trust for any other Person or Persons whatsoever,"

And none to give more than One Vote.And We do hereby ordain and appoint, that no One Member of the said Company shall, in any Election of any Director or Directors, or other Officers of the said Company, or in any the Business or Affairs of the same, have or give any more than one Vote, whatsoever his Share or Interest in the said Principal Stock or Fund shall be: Quakers to make a Declaration of their having £500 stock.Provided nevertheless, that any Person or Persons, commonly called or known to be Quakers, who, at the Time of holding such General Court, as aforesaid, shall have Five Hundred Pounds Interest or Shares, as aforesaid, and shall then, if thereunto required, by any Member or Members of the said Company, then present, having each Five Hundred Pounds Share or Interest, at least, in the said Stock, make and sign the following Declaration, viz.

"I A. B. do sincerely and solemnly declare, in the Presence of God, that the Sum of Five Hundred Pounds, or more, of the Capital Stock of the Body Politick, called by the Name of the English Company trading to the East Indies, doth at this Time belong to me, in my own Right, and not in Trust for any other Person or Persons whatsoever;—Shall be capable of having a Vote at any General Court of the same Company.

Deputy of a Corporation to make the like Oath to the best of their Knowledge.Provided also, that such Person or Persons as shall be deputed, as aforesaid, to vote for any particular Corporation, or Body Politick, making the like Oath or Declaration (mutatis mutandis), to the best of his or their Knowledge and Belief, for or on the Behalf of such particular Corporation or Body Politick, for whom he or they are to give such Voice, or Voices, as aforesaid, shall be capable of voting at any of such General Courts as aforesaid.


And we do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, give full Power and Authority,

Two Directors empowered to administer the Oath.to any Two or more of the Directors of the same Company, for the Time being, to give and administer the said Oaths and Declarations, to the said Members and Deputies, and do hereby order and direct them to administer the same accordingly:

No Person to be a Director but who hath £2000 stock in his own Right;Provided also, and We do hereby, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, constitute, ordain, and appoint, that no Person shall be capable of being chosen a Director of the said Company, who shall not, at the Time of such Choice, be a natural born Subject of England, or naturalized, and shall not also then have in his own Name, or in his own Right, and for his own Use, Two Thousand Pounds, or more, in the said Stock; nor to continue longer than he keeps the same.and that no Director, or Directors, shall continue in his or their respective Offices, longer than the Continuance of such their respective Interests and Stocks, in their own Names and Rights, and to their own Uses respectively; but upon parting with, or reducing his or their respective Shares or Interest, in the said Stock, to any lesser Sum, or Sums, than as aforesaid, the said respective Offices or Places of such Director or Directors, so parting with, reducing, or diminishing their said Shares or Interest, as aforesaid, shall cease, determine, and become vacant, and others shall be chosen in their Room, by a General Court of the same Company: Provided also, and We do, by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, will, ordain, and appoint, that none of them,the said Edward Allen, Abraham Beake, James Bateman, John Carey, Sir Henry Furnesse, Peter Godfrey, Peter Gott, Gilbert Heathcote, Edmund Harrisson, Sir Theodore Janssen, Samuel Locke, Edward Litileton, Joseph Martin, Streynham Masters, Ephraim Mountague, Peter Paggen, Robert Raworth, Benjamin Rokeby, Samuel Shepherd, Sir William Scawen,William