the company, the court of directors and board of control: as, er. gr. the colleges and seminaries established by the company at home and abroad; ecclesiastical jurisdiction; application of revenues; reduction of debts; appointment of governors and other officers, civil and military; periods of service; troops; courts-martial, &c. &c. not within the design of this work.

For provisions relative to the production of Manifests, and Duties of customs payable on goods imported from the East Indies, &c. see under the head of CUSTOMS;" REGULATION," CHAP. V. and TABLE OF DUTIES, CHAP. VI.

4 Geo. IV. c. 80.

An Act to consolidate and amend the several Laws now in force with respect to Trade from and to places within the limits of the Charter of the East India Company, and to make further provisions with respect to such Trade; and to amend an Act of the present Session of Parliament, for the registering of Vessels, so far as it relates to Vessels registered in India.

Whereas by the act passed in the 53 Geo. III. (c. 155.) it was enacted, (§ 6.) that it should be lawful for any of his Majesty's subjects, in common with the said united company, to export, in ships navigated according to law, from any port or ports within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to all ports and places within the limits of the said company's charter, (save and except the dominions of the Emperor of China,) any goods, wares, and merchandise which could then or might at any time thereafter be legally exported,—and also, in common with the said company, to import, in ships navigated as aforesaid, from any ports within the limits aforesaid, (save and except as aforesaid,) into the said United Kingdom, any goods, wares, and merchandise, the produce and manufacture of any of the countries within the said limits, which could then or might at any time thereafter be legally imported;—and in the said act were contained several provisoes, restrictions, and limitations for the regulation of the trade authorized by the said act to be carried on by his Majesty's subjects, and also for the disposition in the United Kingdom of all articles manufactured of silk, hair, or cotton wool, or any mixture thereof, imported, under the authority of the said act, from any port or place within the limits of the said company's charter ;—and it was by the said act enacted, that it should be lawful for any ship fitted and clearing out conformably to the 35 Geo. III. (c. 92.) intituled "An Act for the further encouraging and regulating the Southern Whale Fisheries," to sail and pass, for the purpose aforesaid, in all the seas to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, and in all the seas to the westward of the Streights of Magellan, subject to several provisoes in the said act contained;—and it was also enacted by the said act, that nothing therein contained should be construed to extend to prevent the making, during the further term thereby granted to the said company, such further provisions, by authority of parliament, as might from time to time be deemed necessary for enabling his Majesty's subjects to carry on trade and traffic, directly or circuitously, as well between all ports and places situate without the limits of the said company's charter, and all ports and places (except the dominions of the Emperor of China) situate within those limits as between the said United Kingdom and all the last-mentioned ports and places, except as aforesaid, but without prejudice to any of

the restrictions or provisions therein contained as to the resort to and residence of any persons in the East Indies and ports aforesaid. It then recites the 54 Geo. III. c. 34.-55 Geo. III. c. 116.-57.Geo. III. c. 36.-59 Geo. III. c. 122.—and the 1 and 2 Geo. IV. c. 65.

Acts repealed. And whereas it is expedient to repeal some,-and to comprise in one act of parliament others of the hereinbefore recited provisions of the 53 Geo. III. c. 155. and all the provisions of the said acts of the 54,-55,-57,—and 59 Geo. III., and of the said Geo. IV. and to make further provision for the trade and traffic of the said company, and of his Majesty's subjects generally, from, to, and be tween the ports and places within the limits of the said company's charter, and all countries belonging to his Majesty or at amity with him; be it therefore enacted, That-so much of the said act of the 53 Geo. III. as authorizes his Majesty's subjects to carry on trade and traffic to and from the ports and places within the limits of the said company's charter, with all the provisions, restrictions, and limitations in the same act contained for the regulation of such trade, and for the disposition in the United Kingdom of all articles manufactured of silk, hair, or cotton wool, or any mixture thereof, imported, under the autho rity of the said last-mentioned act, from any port or place within the limits of the said company's charter, and that-the whole of the said acts passed in the 54,-55,-57,-and 59 Geo. III. be repealed. §1.

Trade may be carried on in British vessels with all places, except China, in the East Indies.-It shall be lawful for any of his Majesty's subjects, in ships or vessels registered and navigated according to law, to carry on trade and traffic in any goods, wares, or merchandize, (except Tea,) as well directly as circuitously, between all ports and places belonging either to his Majesty, or to any prince, state, or country at amity with his Majesty, and all ports and places whatsoever situate within the limits of the charter of the company, (except the dominions of the Emperor of China,)—and also from port to port and from place to place within the same limits, (except the said dominions of the Em peror of China,) under such rules and restrictions as are hereinafter mentioned. § 2.

Company's trade.-It shall be lawful for the said united company to carry on any trade and traffic which his Majesty's other subjects may carry on under the authority of this act. § 3.

Act not to permit trade without the company's limits.—Nothing herein contained shall be construed to extend to permit the importation into the United Kingdom,-or into any colony or possession of his Majesty without the limits of the charter of the East India company,of any goods, wares, and merchandise, the produce of countries without such limits, which cannot now be legally imported from such countries respectively into the United Kingdom, or into such colonies or possessions of his Majesty, nor to permit the exportation from the United Kingdom,—or from such colonies or possessions, to any countries without such limits,-of any goods, wares, or merchandise which cannot now be legally carried from the United Kingdom colonies or possessions to such countries. § 4.

or from such

Military stores.—It shall not be lawful for any person to carry any military stores to any place upon the continent of Asia, between the river Indus and the town of Malacca on the peninsula of Malacca inclusive,--or to the said company's factory of Bencoolen in the island of Sumatra, or its dependencies,-save only the said united company or such as shall obtain their special leave and licence in writing,

or a spe

cial leave and licence in writing under their authority for that purpose. § 5.

Vessels not to proceed to any port between the Indus and Malacca, until admitted to entry at one of the principal settlements in India.It shall not be lawful for any vessel, other than a vessel of the said company, to proceed from any port or place without the limits of the said company's charter to any port or place on the continent of Asia between the river Indus and the town of Malacca inclusive, other than the said company's principal settlements of Fort William, Fort Saint George, Bombay, and Prince of Wales Island, until after such vessel shall have been admitted to entry at some one of the said four principal settlements, without a special licence in writing from the court of directors of the said united company. § 6.

If directors do not comply with application for leave to go to minor ports. When and as often as any application shall be made to the said court of directors for a licence specially authorizing any vessel to proceed to any place or places upon the continent of Asia, from the river Indus to the said town of Malacca inclusive, other than the said four principal settlements, the said court of directors shall, within fourteen days from the receipt thereof, (unless they shall think fit to comply therewith,) transmit the same to the board of commissioners for the affairs of India, together with any representation which the said court may think proper to make upon the subject of such application;-and in case the said board of commissioners shall think fit to direct the said court of directors to issue such licence, the said court of directors shall and they are hereby required forthwith to issue the same, upon such terms and conditions as the said board of commissioners shall from time to time think fit:-Provided always, that in all cases in which the said board of commissioners shall direct the said court of directors to issue any such licence which they shall have declined to issue without such direction, the special circumstances inducing them to give such directions shall be recorded in the books of the said board. § 7.

Additional ports may be considered as principal settlements.—It shall be lawful for the said court of directors of the East India company, (with the consent and approbation of the commissioners for the affairs of India,) to declare that any other port or place or ports or places on the continent of India between the Indus and the town of Malacca,— or in any island in the East Indian Seas, under the government of the said company or of his Majesty,-shall be considered, for the purposes of this act only, as one of the principal settlements of the said company; and such port or place or ports or places shall be so considered accordingly. § 8.

Trade with China and in tea.-Nothing herein contained shall authorize any of his Majesty's subjects, (other than the said company, or persons properly licensed by them,)—to carry on trade or traffic with the dominions of the Emperor of China,-or to export-or importfrom or to any ports or places within or without the limits of the said company's charter any Tea,—or in any manner to trade or traffic in Tea. § 9.

Goods only to be imported into ports having warehouses or docks.— It shall not be lawful to import any goods, wares, or merchandise from any port or place within the limits aforesaid into any port of the United Kingdom, except only such as shall be provided with warehouses, together with wet docks or basins, or such other securities as shall in the judgment of the said commissioners of the treasury for the time

being, or any three or more of them, in Great Britain and Ireland respectively, be fit and proper for the deposit and safe custody of all such goods, &c. as well as for the collection of all duties payable thereon,— and shall have been duly declared so to be by the order of his Majesty in council in Great Britain, or by order of the lord lieutenant in council in Ireland :-Provided always, that copies of all such orders shall have been published three times at least in the London or Dublin Gazette, as the case may be ;-and copies laid before both houses of parliament in the session next after the issuing of the same respectively. § 10.

List of persons and arms on board to be delivered to the collector, &c. -It shall not be lawful for any vessel engaged in trade under the authority of this act, (other than the ships of the said united company.) to clear out from any port or place belonging to his Majesty,—or to any prince, state, or country in amity with his Majesty, where any consul or vice-consul of his Majesty shall be resident,-for any port or place under the government of his Majesty or of the said company, situate more to the northward than 11 degrees of south latitude, and between 64 and 150 degrees of east longitude from London,—until the master, &c. shall have made out and exhibited to the collector of the customs, or other person duly appointed,—or to his Majesty's consul or vice-consul resident at such port or place of clearance (as the case may be,)-a true and perfect list in such form as has been settled in virtue of former acts, or shall from time to time be settled by the court of directors of the said company, with the approbation of the board of commissioners for the affairs of India,-specifying and setting forth the names, capacities, and descriptions of all persons embarked or to be embarked on board such ship or vessel,—and all arms on board or intended to be put on board the same;-and when and as soon as any such vessel shall have been admitted to entry at any such port or place within the limits aforesaid, the master, &c. shall in like manner make out and exhibit to the principal officer of the customs or other person thereunto authorized a true and perfect list, in form to be settled as aforesaid, specifying the names, capacities, and descriptions of all persons on board,—or who shall have been on board such vessel from the time of the sailing thereof to the time of arrival,-and of all arms on board or which shall during that time have been on board such vessel, -and the several times and places at which such of the said persons as may have died or left such ship or vessel, or such of the said arms as may have been disposed of,-have been disposed of. § 11.

intended

So much of the 53 Geo. III. c. 155, and the 38 Geo. III. c. 57,42 Geo. III. c. 18.-43 Geo, III. c. 90.-and 51 Geo. III. c. 34. respecting ships engaged in southern whale fisheries, repealed. § 12.

Goods imported into Malta or Gibraltar may be reexported.-All goods and commodities imported under the authority of this act into the island of Malta or its dependencies,-or into the port of Gibraltar, -from any ports or places within the limits of the said company's charter, may be re-exported from the said island, port, or

places to the

United Kingdom, and imported into any of the ports where such goods and commodities may be lawfully imported, in like manner and subject to all such regulations and provisions as if such goods and commodities were imported directly from the place of their growth, production, or

manufacture. § 13.

Duties of customs to be paid on importation of goods into America paid -unto his Majesty, his heirs and successors, upon the importation of any

goods, wares, and merchandise, the produce or manufacture of any country within the limits of the said company's charter, into his Majesty's possessions in America and the West Indies, from any port or place, not being a port or place in the United Kingdom,—the same duties which are payable on such goods, &c. respectively if imported into such possessions from the United Kingdom. § 14.

Resort of persons to India.- Nothing in this act shall be construed to extend to repeal any of the provisions of the 53 Geo. III. c. 155. concerning the resort of persons to the East Indies or other places within the limits of the company's charter,-or to permit any persons engaged in trade under the authority of this act to reside at any place on the continent of Asia, (between the river Indus and the town of Malacca,) or at the said company's factory of Bencoolen or its dependencies, without permission duly obtained, in conformity to the provisions of the said act, of the said company.

§ 16.

Not to affect provisions for preventing clandestine trade.-Nothing in this act shall be construed to extend to repeal or affect any of the powers, provisions, clauses, matters, or things contained in the 33 Geo. III. c. 52. or in an act of the parliament of Ireland, passed in the said 33 Geo. III. intituled "An Act for regulating the Trade of Ireland to and from the East Indies, under certain Conditions and Provisions, for a time therein mentioned," for the purpose of restraining clandestine and illicit trade into and from the East Indies and parts within the limits of the said company's charter ;—or in the said act of the 53 Geo. III. c. 155. relative to such clandestine and illicit trade;—but that the same shall be deemed to be and continue in force, and to apply to all ships and vessels of his Majesty's subjects, (other than the ships of the said company,) sailing or being found within the limits of the said company's charter, and not having complied with the directions of this act, and to all and every person and persons who shall be found on board the same, or shall have been conveyed on board the same into any place within the said limits,—and also to all and every person and persons who shall be found at any place on the continent of Asia between the river Indus and the town of Malacca,—or at the said company's factory of Bencoolen or its dependencies, or at any place within the dominions of the Emperor of China,-contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said act of the 53 Geo. III. or of this act. § 17.

Unlawfully taking persons on board, or giving false lists of passengers. If any commander or other officer of any vessel engaged in trade under the authority of this act shall knowingly and wilfully take on board,-or connive at the taking on board, any person or persons,or exhibit any false or incomplete list of the persons embarked or intended to be embarked on board of his vessel,-contrary to the true intent and meaning of the said act of the 53 Geo. III. or of this act, every such commander, &c. shall forfeit one hundred pounds, to be recovered in such and the same manner as the penalties imposed by the said acts of the 53 Geo. III. or either of them, are thereby made recoverable ;-one half part of which penalty shall belong to such person as shall inform or sue for the same, and the other half part to the said united company;—and if the said united company shall inform or sue for the same, then the whole of the said penalty shall belong to the said company. § 18.

Ships registered in India pursuant to 4 Geo. IV. c. 41. to have privileges to which other vessels are entitled by that act.—Whereas by the 4 Geo. IV. c. 41, intituled "An Act for the Registering of Vessels," [and since