proceeds of such sale or disposal and of any other its assets, be dissolved:

And whereas the said Petition further states that the Petitioners Sir Rutherford Alcock, Richard Biddulph Martin, Richard Charles Mayne, and William Henry Macleod Read, are, with the Petitioner Alfred Dent, the directors of that association :

And whereas the said Petition represents that the success of the enterprise in which the Petitioners are engaged as aforesaid would be greatly advanced if it should seem fit to us to incorporate by our Royal Charter a company to carry on that enterprise :

And whereas the said Petition further represents that such a chartered company would render to our dominions services of much value, and would promote the commercial prosperity of many of our subjects:

And whereas the said Petition further represents that the Petitioners are in a position to raise the capital requisite for the proper and effective conduct of the enterprise aforesaid, and they thereby undertake to do so on obtaining the grant of such a Charter:

And whereas by the said Petition the Petitioners therefore most humbly pray that we will be graciously pleased to grant our Royal Charter for incorporating a company to carry on the enterprise aforesaid by such name and with such powers and privileges, and subject to such conditions, as to us may seem

meet:

Now therefore we, having taken the said Petition into our Royal consideration in our Council, and being satisfied that the intentions of the Petitioners are praiseworthy and deserve encouragement, and that the enterprise in the Petition described may be productive of much benefit to our dominions and to many of our subjects, by our Prerogative Royal and of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, have constituted, erected, and incorporated, and by this our Charter for us and our heirs and Royal successors do constitute, erect, and incorporate into one body politic and corporate, by the name of the British North Borneo Company, the said Alfred Dent, Sir Rutherford Alcock, Richard Biddulph Martin, Richard Charles Mayne, and William Henry Macleod Read, and such other persons and such bodies as from time to time become and are members of that party, with perpetual succession, and a common seal, with power to alter or renew the same at discretion, and with the further authorities, powers, and privileges conferred, and subject to the conditions imposed by this our Charter; and we do hereby accordingly will, ordain, and declare as follows (that is to say):

Transfer to Company of Grants and Commissions.

1. The said British North Borneo Company (in this our

Charter referred to as the Company) is hereby authorized and empowered to acquire by purchase or other lawful means from the British North Borneo Provisional Association Limited, the full benefit of the several grants and commissions aforesaid, or any of them, as the same is vested in that Association, and all interests and powers of that Association thereunder, and all interests and powers vested in that Association in, over, or affecting the territories, lands, and property comprised in those several grants, or in, over, or affecting any territories, lands, or property in Borneo or in any island laying near thereto, including Labuan, and to hold, use, enjoy, and exercise the same for the purposes and on the terms of this our Charter.

Fulfilment by Company of Promises of Grantees.

2. The Company, as representing the original grantees under the several grants aforesaid, shall be bound by and shall fulfil the promises of payment and other promises therein made, subject to any subsequent agreement affecting those promises.

British Character of Company.

3. The Company shall always be and remain British in character and domicile, and shall have its principal office in England; and all the members of its court of directors or other governing body and its principal representative in Borneo shall always be natural-born British subjects or persons who have been naturalized as British subjects by or under an Act of the Parliament of our United Kingdom.

Restriction on Transfer by Company.

4. The Company shall not have power to transfer, wholly or in part, the benefit of the grants and commissions aforesaid, or any of them, except with the consent of one of our Principal Secretaries of State (in this our Charter referred to as our Secretary of State).

Differences with Sultans.

5. In case at any time any difference arises between the Sultan of Brunei or the Sultan of Sooloo and the Company, that difference shall on the part of the Company be submitted to the decision of our Secretary of State, if he is willing to undertake the decision thereof.

Foreign Powers.

6. If at any time our Secretary of State thinks fit to dissent from or object to any of the dealings of the Company with any foreign Power, and to make to the Company any suggestion founded on that dissent or objection, the Company shall act in accordance therewith.

Slavery.

7. The Company shall to the best of its power discourage and, as far as may be practicable, abolish by degrees any system of domestic servitude existing among the tribes of the coast or interior of Borneo; and no foreigner, whether European, Chinese, or other, shall be allowed to own slaves of any kind in the Company's territories.

Religions of Inhabitants.

8. The Company as such, or its officers as such, shall not in any way interfere with the religion of any class or tribe of the people of Borneo, or of any of the inhabitants thereof.

Administration of Justice to Inhabitants.

9. In the administration of justice by the Company to the people of Borneo, or to any of the inhabitants thereof, careful regard shall always be had to the customs and laws of the class, or tribe, or nation to which the parties respectively belong, especially with respect to the holding possession, transfer, and disposition of lands and goods, and testate or intestate succession thereto, and marriage, divorce, and legitimacy, and other rights of property and personal rights.

Treatment of Inhabitants generally.

10. If at any time our Secretary of State thinks fit to dissent from or object to any part of the proceedings or system of the Company relative to the people of Borneo, or to any of the inhabitants thereof, in respect of slavery, or religion, or the administration of justice, or other matter, and to make to the Company any suggestion founded on that dissent or objection, the Company shall act in accordance therewith.

Jurisdiction over British Subjects and in Mixed Cases.

11. In case at any time we think fit to make provision by Order in our Council for the exercise and regulation of our extra-territorial jurisdiction and authority in Borneo, and to appoint any of the Company's officers to discharge judicial or other functions thereunder in our name, then and so long the Company shall provide all court-houses and establishments necessary or proper in that behalf, and bear all expenses of the exercise of the jurisdiction or authority which those officers are so appointed to exercise.

Facilities for British National Ships.

12. The Company shall freely afford all facilities requisite for our ships in the harbours of the Company.

Appointment of Company's principal Representative.

13. The appointment by the Company of the Company's principal representative in Borneo shall always be subject to the approval of our Secretary of State.

Flag.

14. The Company may hoist and use on its buildings and elsewhere in Borneo, and on its vessels, such distinctive flag indicating the British character of the Company as our Secretary of State and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty from time to time approve.

General Powers of Company.

15. The Company is hereby further authorized and empowered:

(i.) To acquire and take by purchase, cession, or other lawful means, other interests or powers in, over, or affecting the territories, lands, or property comprised in the several grants aforesaid, or any interests or powers whatever in, over, or affecting other territories, lands, or property in the region afore. said; and to hold, use, enjoy, and exercise the same for the purposes and on the terms of this our Charter.

(ii.) To improve, develop, clear, plant, and cultivate any territories and lands comprised in the several grants aforesaid, or otherwise acquired under this our Charter.

(iii.) To make and maintain therein roads, harbours, railways, telegraphs, and other public and other works, and carry on therein mining and other industries.

(iv.) To settle any such territories and lands as aforesaid, and to aid and promote immigration into the same.

(v.) To grant any lands therein for terms or in perpetuity absolutely or by way of mortgage or otherwise.

(vi.) To make therein exclusive or other concessions of mining, forestal, or other rights.

(vii.) To farm out for revenue purposes the right to sell in the Company's territories spirits, tobacco, opium, salt, or other commodities.

(viii.) To make loans or contributions of money or money's worth for promoting any of the objects of the Company.

(ix.) To acquire and hold or charter or otherwise deal with steam-vessels and other vessels.

(x.) To acquire and hold any personal property.

(xi.) To deal in merchandize the growth, produce, or manufacture of the Company's territories, or other merchandize.

(xii.) To carry on any lawful commerce, trade, or dealing whatever in connection with any of the objects of the Company.

(xiii.) To establish and maintain agencies in our Colonies and Possessions, and elsewhere.

(xiv.) To act as agent in the region aforesaid for any other Company or body or any person.

(xv.) To sue and be sued by the Company's name of incorporation, as well in our Courts in our United Kingdom, or in our Courts in our Colonies or Possessions, or in our Courts in foreign countries, as elsewhere.

(xvi.) To take and hold without licence in mortmain or other authority than this our Charter, messuages and hereditaments in England, and in any of our Colonies or Possessions and elsewhere, convenient for carrying on the management of the affairs of the Company, and to dispose from time to time of any such messuages and hereditaments when not required for that

purpose.

(xvii.) To do all lawful things incidental or conducive to the exercise or enjoyment of the authorities and powers of the Company in this our Charter expressed or referred to, or any of them.

Questions of Title.

16. If at any time our Secretary of State thinks fit to object to the exercise by the Company of any authority or power within any part of the territories comprised in the several grants aforesaid, or otherwise acquired under this our Charter, on the ground of there being an adverse claim to that part, the Com pany shall defer to that objection.

Prohibition of Monopoly.

17. Nothing in this our Charter shall be deemed to authorize the Company to set up or grant any general monopoly of trade; and, subject only to Customs duties imposed for revenue purposes, and to restrictions on importations similar in character to those applicable in our United Kingdom, trade with the Company's territories shall be free.

Deed of Settlement.

18. Within one year after the date of this our Charter there shall be executed by the members of the Company for the time being a deed of settlement providing for—

(1.) The amount and division of the capital of the Company and the calls to be made in respect thereof.

(ii.) The registration of members of the Company.

(iii.) The preparation and the circulation among the members of annual accounts.

(iv.) The audit of those accounts by independent auditors. (v.) The making of bye-laws.