ment of the British trade to Africa, and for the advantage of the British commerce and colonies.

Whereas, by an act paffed in the twenty-third year of his late Majesty, entitled "an act for extending and improving "the trade to Africa," it was enacted, that, “all his Ma"jesty's fubjects fhall be free to trade from Port Sallee in

Barbary, to the Cape of Good Hope, both inclufive, and "that all his Majesty's subjects trading to or from Africa be"tween Cape Blanco and the Cape of Good Hope, should "for ever thereafter be a body corporate and politic, by the

name of The Company of Merchants trading to Africa ; "and that any of his Majefty's fubjects trading or intending to “trade to Africa, upon payment of the sum of forty-fhillings "each, should have right to vote for the committee-men "of the faid company, in manner and form as is by faid "act directed:" And Whereas, a great number of perfons, neither trading nor intending to trade to or from Africa, have become freemen of the faid company, and have thereby obtained a very extensive and undue influence in the elections of committee-men thereof, contrary to the true intent and meaning of the faid act; and have rendered the faid committee-men, and the governors of forts and other officers employed by or under the faid company, lefs dependent upon the real traders to and from Africa free of the faid company, than of right and for the intereft and wellfare of the trade to and from Africa they ought to be, For remedy of such abuse, and of the evil confequences that have proceeded from it, and for prevention of the like in future, and for the bet

ter regulation of the faid company, their committee-men and officers of what rank and degree foever;

We it enacted, and it is hereby enacted, by the king's moft excellent Majesty, by and with the advice of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and commons in this present parliament affembled, that fo much of the faid act or of any other act, that may stand in contradiction to this act, be repealed, annulled and made void, and is hereby repealed, annulled and made void; and that any new regulations in this act shall be established, and in force from and after the respective dates hereafter to be set forth.

And be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that of the persons, who now are or may hereafter become freemen of the faid company, only fuch shall have right to be permitted to vote for or in the choice of a committee-man or committee-men of the faid company, who were at the time of their admiffion to the freedom thereof, or at fome time thereafter, actually and bona fide for their own account, and not for that of any other person, in fome one ship or veffel, and her cargoe employed in trading to or from the Coast of Africa within the limits aforesaid, interested as owners thereof, and to retain for their use, and to bear finally the profit and lofs thereupon, in the full proportion of fuch fum to the whole of the adventure, to the amount of 500l. or upwards; and who fhall give in an account in writing at the office or chamber of the faid company to which they fhall or may respectively belong, at London, Bristol or Liverpool, figned with their names, and

in

in their proper hand writing, in the presence of two lawful witneffes, on or before the last day of April 1773, or at the time of their defiring to become freemen of the faid company, if after that date, fetting forth the year, name of the ship, master and owners, and to what part of Africa fuch their adventure was or is: And be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, that any and every freeman of the faid company being fo qualified, and having given in fuch account on or before the laft day of April 1773, and fuch only shall have right and be permitted to vote for any committee-man or committee-men to be chofen at any time thereafter; but it shall not be permitted to any freeman of the faid company, admitted to the freedom thereof after that day, to vote for or in the choice of any committee-man or committee-men, until he fhall have been free of the faid. company one entire year.

And for as much as the Province of Senegambia is under the immediate direction of government, and Bance island: on the river of Sierra Leon, was vested by an act paffed in the twenty-fifth year of his late majefty in particular perfons, and that the faid company have not nor ought to have any authority or cognizance in or of the fame, it is hereby declared, that the being owner or interested in any fhip or veffel employed in trading to any amount or value whatfoever to or from both or either of those places fhall not give any qualification to, or enable any person to vote for any committee-man or committee-men of the said company until

both

both or either of thofe places fhall or may by law of parliament be put under direction of the faid company.

And the better to prevent any fraud, collufion or mifrepresentation of any person made free, or defiring to be made free of the faid company, or in the election of a committeeman or committee-men thereof, in the account to be delivered in writing, as herein before directed, It is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that if any perfon now free of the faid company, or that fhall hereafter be made free thereof, shall not be actually, truly and bona fide interested as to profit and lofs, in the manner and to the full extent as fhall be in fuch account fet forth, without any indemnity as to the same, or any part thereof, from any person or persons whomsoever, such persons made free, or defiring to be made free, shall for every such offence, as well as for every time he shall prefume to vote for a committee-man or committeemen of the faid company, forfeit the fum of 500l. to be recovered in manner as by the said act of the twenty-third of his late majesty is directed in the clause for recovering of penalties; and to be applied, one moiety thereof to the person who shall fue for the fame, the other moiety for and towards the maintaining the forts and fettlements under the direction of the faid company:

And it is also hereby enacted, the more to facilitate the effectual punishment of the frauds, collufions or mifreprefentations aforefaid; that the onus probandi fhall lay on the perfon or perfons against whom fuch accufation

shall be, and not upon the person accusing him or fuing for the fame.

And be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that it fhall not be permitted to the committeemen to contract debts to or with any governor or fervant of the company aforefaid, or for any greater amount, or other. purposes than those for which the annual supply is granted by parliament; and that if any governor, officer, or fervant of the said company thall advance any fum or fums for the ufe of the faid company, beyond what the said annual supply fhall without any anticipation be able to discharge, and be directed by the committee to be so supplied for the service of the current year, the fame fhall be irrecoverably forfeited and loft.

And whereas it is highly neceffary for the good and wellfare of the African trade, that the governors, chiefs or other fervants, appointed or to be appointed by the committee-men of the faid company, fhould not be connected in any way or manner whatsoever with any of the said committee-men, other than fimply and diftinctly as fervants of the company, Be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforesaid, that it shall not be lawful for any committee-man of the faid company during the exercise or poffeffion of fuch office, by himself or in partnership, by means of any third perfon, or in any other way whatsoever, upon his or their own account, or upon commiffion, or by way of agency, directly or indirectly to fhip goods, or charter veffels, or in any wife trade or have commerce with or for

any