Cape of Good Geo. 4, c.11. tain acts.-54 Geo. 3, c. 36. 1823. 4 Geo. 4, c. 80, $ 15. passed in the first year of the reign of his present Ma- LAWS. jesty, intituled "An Act to continue, until the fifth "day of July, one thousand eight hundred and twentyNot to affect cer-five, an Act of the fifty-seventh year of his late Ma"jesty, for regulating the Trade and Commerce to and "from the Cape of Good Hope, and for regulating the "Trade of the Island of Mauritius:" And that nothing hereinbefore contained shall extend, or be construed to extend to affect the regulations, restrictions, and provisions contained in an act passed in the fifty-fourth year of his said late Majesty's reign, intituled "An Act to "alter the periods of making up and presenting certain Accounts of "the said Company to Parliament." Not to repeal provisions of 53 Geo. 3, as to resort of persons to India. (15) Provided always, and be it further enacted, that nothing in this act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to repeal any of the provisions of the said first recited act of the fifty-third year of his said late Majesty's reign, concerning the resort of persons to the EastIndies, or other place 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. 33 Geo. 3, c. (16) Provided always, and be it further enacted and 52-33 Geo. 3, declared, that nothing in this act contained shall ex(I). tend, or be construed to extend, to repeal or affect any of the powers, provisions, clauses, matters, or things, contained in an act of the said parliament of Great-Britain, passed in the thirtythird year of his said late Majesty's reign, intituled "An Act for "continuing in the East-India Company for a further term the pos"session of the English Territories in India, together with their "exclusive Trade, under certain Limitations; for establishing further "Regulations for the Government of the said Territories, and the "better Administration of Justice within the same; for appropriating "to certain uses the Revenues and Profits of the said Company; "and for making provision for the good Order and Government of "the Towns of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay;" or in an act of the parliament of Ireland passed in the said twenty-third year of his said late Majesty's reign, intituled, "An Act for regulating the "Trade of Ireland to and from the East-Indies, under certain con"ditions 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 fifty-third year of his said late Majesty's reign 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 § 16. § 17. and LAWS. 1823. 4 Geo. 4, c. 80, § 17. § 18. § 20. § 21. § 22. $ 23. § 24. § 25 & 26. 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 persons and person 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 fifty-third year of his said late Majesty's reign, or of this act. Punishing com manders of vessels unlawfully taking persons on board, or giving false lists of passengers. (17) And be it further enacted, that if any commander or other officer of any ship or 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 fifty-third year of his said late Majesty's reign, or of this act, every such commander or officer who shall offend therein shall incur and forfeit for every offence one hundred pounds, to be recovered in such and the same manner as the penalties imposed by the said acts of the fifty-third year of his said late Majesty's reign, or either of them, are thereby made recoverable; one-half part of which penalty shall belong to such person or persons 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) Lascars and natives of India not to be British mariners within the meaning of the 34th Geo. III, cap. 68. (19) Four British seamen to every 100 tons of registered burthen sufficient. (20) In cases where in India a sufficient number of British seamen cannot be obtained, governors may license the ship to sail. (21) British seamen not required on board vessels employed in port to port trade in India. (22) 54th Geo. III, c. 134, repealed so far as relates to Asiatic sailors, &c. except as to the recovery of money due on bonds. (23) Governor-general of Fort William in Bengal to make rules and regulations to be observed by owners, masters, and officers, as to crews wholly or in part natives, for their return to India; which rules and regulations, until repealed or altered, to be observed in like manner as if they had formed part of this act. (24) Masters (24) Masters of vessels to make out list of every lascar, &c. on board, before such ship shall be admitted to entry. LAWS. 1823. (25) Penalty of ten pounds for non-observance of regulations for 4 Geo. 4, every lascar or Asiatic sailor on board. c. 80, $ 27. (26) Form of conviction stated. § 28 & 29. (27) Penalty how to be levied. § 30. (28) Lascars convicted of vagrancy to be shipped on board of vessels bound to the place from whence brought. $ 31. (For laws from Section 20 to 31, vide Shipping.) East-India Com pany, or persons between China and British colonies in West-Indies. Trade between China and America. (29) Whereas it is expedient that the United Com 1824. c. 28. licensed by them, pany of Merchants of England trading to the East- 5 Geo. 4, may trade direct Indies on their own account, or by persons to be licensed by them, should be authorized by law to export direct from China to the British colonies and plantations in America, tea and other merchandize: be it enacted, that from and after the passing of this act it shall and may be lawful for the said United Company, and also for any other of his Majesty's subjects, with the special leave and license of the said United Company in writing, or a special leave and license in writing under their authority for that purpose, to export in ships navigated according to law, from any port or ports, within the dominion of the Emperor of China, any tea, or other goods, wares, or merchandize, the produce or manufacture of any country within the limits of the said Company's charter, and to carry and import the same direct into any of the British colonies or plantations in America, any law, statute, charter, or usage, to the contrary notwithstanding. VOLUNTEER REGIMENT. IN the month of March 1820 the General Court, at the unanimous recommendation of the Court of Directors, authorized the Court to offer to his Majesty to raise and maintain, at the expense of the East India Company, a corps of volunteer infantry, not exceeding 800 rank and file, from amongst the persons in the Company's employ, to be officered and arranged upon the plan of the regiments maintained by the Company during the late war. On the 25th March the Court were informed by a letter from Lord Viscount Sidmouth that his Majesty had been graciously pleased to accept of the offer. A bill was accordingly introduced into Parliament to enable the Company to raise and maintain such a corps, the charge and expenses thereof to be deemed political charges. The royal assent was given to the bill on the 24th July 1820. The same marks of royal favour have been extended to the existing regiment as were bestowed upon the three regiments raised and maintained during the late war. The regiment is designated The ROYAL EAST INDIA VOLUNTEERS. The King has been graciously pleased to permit them to wear the same uniform as was fixed upon by his late Majesty; and the officers enjoy the peculiar privilege of holding their commissions immediately from their sovereign. The field officers are chosen from the Directors;* the captains and subalterns from the officers and clerks; and the non-commissioned officers and privates from the warehouse establishment. The regiment being regularly trained and exercised a certain number of days in each year, its state of discipline is excellent. * William Astell, Esq., M.P....... Colonel Under ! VOLUNTEER REGIMENT. 733 Under the foregoing system it may readily be imagined that it is peculiarly efficient and valuable as a local force, applicable to any emergency in the metropolis, as well as to the protection of the valuable property deposited in the extensive warehouses of the Company, East-India Company to de fray the expense of a corps of vo lunteers. LAWS. (1) Be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said United Company, from time to time, to defray all and every the charges and expenses of raising, training, clothing, arming, paying and maintaining the said corps, as long as the services thereof shall be accepted by his Majesty, his heirs or successors, the said act of the fifty-third year of the reign of his late Majesty, or any appropriation, matter, clause, or thing therein contained, to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. Expense to be deemed part of the political charges. Company. Employment of the corps. (2) And be it further enacted, that all the charges (3) And be it further enacted, that such corps of volunteers, so raised and maintained by the said United Company, shall and may be employed upon such service and for such purposes, upon and for which other volunteer corps, lawfully embodied, may be lawfully called and employed. Public act. (4) And be it further enacted, that this act shall be deemed and taken to be a public act, and shall be judicially taken notice of as such by all judges, justices, and others, without being specially pleaded. LAWS. 1820. 1 Geo. 4, c. 99, § 1. $ 2. § 3. $ 4. |