292 C. 17 Anno fexto Annje Rcglnae. 9 & 10 w. c 44. A. D. 1707. September one thoufand fix hundred ninety-eight, and that one hundred and fixty thoufand Pounds per Annum, of the Monies to arife by the faid feveral Duties, and to be brought into the Exchequer by weekly or other Payments, in cafe the fame Payments Ihould extend thereunto, fhould be the whole and entire yearly Fund, and in cafe the fame weekly or other Payments fhould not extend to one hundred and fixty thoufand Pounds per Annum, then the faid weekly Monies or Payments, fo far as the fame fhould extend, fhould be Part of the yearly Fund, for and towards the anfwering and paying of the Annuities of Eight Pounds per Centum per Annum, to fuch Perfons or Corporations as fiiould fubfcribe and pay in their Mo- nies upon the Terms of the (aid Act : And it is thereby further enafted. That it fhould and might be lawful for his Majefty, by Commiffion under the then great Seal of England, to authorize and appoint any Number of Perfons to take and receive all fuch voluntary Subfcriptions as fhould be made on or be- fore the faid nine and twentieth Day of September one thoufand fix hundred and ninety-eight, by or for any Perfon or Perfons, Natives or Foreigners, Bodies Politick or Corporate (the Governor and Company of the Bank of England onY excepted) of any Sum of Money whatfoeyer, not lefs than one hundred Pounds, for and towards the raifing and paying into the Receipt of the Exchequer, tke Sum of two Mil- lions of Pounds Sterling : And it was therein further enadled. That during the Time thereby limited for taking the faid Subfcriptions, it fhould and might be lawful to and for all and every Perfon and Perfons, Natives and Foreigners, Bodies Politick or Corporate, by or for themfelves, or any of them, or in Trufl for any other Perfon or Perfons, Bodies Politick or Corporate, or any of them (except as aforefaid) freely to fubfcribe any Sum of Money not lefs than one Hundred Pounds, for or towards the faid Sum of two Millions ; and that all Monies fo to be fubfcribed fhould be anfwered and paid in fuch Manner and Form as in the faid AQ: is exprefTed : And it was thereby further enafled, ordained, and declared. That every Perfon and Body Politick, who fhould fubfcribe as aforefaid, and be named or contained in fuch Book or Books as are therein mentioned, his, her, or their Heirs, Executors, Adminiftrators, Sue-' ceffors, and AfTigns refpedlively, fiiould have, receive, and enjoy for ever, out of the Fund by the faid Ad: fettled and provided, one Annuity or certain yearly Sum, for the whole Sum by him, her, or thern fubfcribed, according to the Rate or Proportion of Eight Pounds per Centum per Annum, in the Manner thereby prefcribed : And it is thereby further enafted. That it fhould and might be lawful to and for her faid late Majefty, by Letters Patents under the then Great Seal of England, to incorporate all and every Perfon and Perfons, Natives and Foreigners, Bodies Politick and Corporate, who fhould fubfcribe, or for whom Subfcription fhould be taken, and upon whofe Subfcriptions fuch Payments fhould be made, as is therein exprefTed, and all and every Perfon and Perfons, Bodies Politick and Corporate, who as Executors, Adminiftrators, Succeflbrs, or AfTigns, or by any other lawful Title, derived or to be derived from, by, or under the faid original Subfcribers, at any Time or Times thereafter, fhould have or be entitled to any Part, Share, or Intereft, of or in the faid yearly Fund, fo long as they refpedlively fhould have any fuch Part, Share, or Interefl therein, to be one Body Politick and Corporate, by the Name of. The General Society entitled to the Advantages given by an A£l of Parliament, for advancing a Sum not exceeding iuio Millions, for the Service of the Crown of England, with fuch Succeffion, Capacity, and Powers as in the faid Aft is mentioned ; and in fuch Charters or Letters Patents, fuch further Rules, Powers, and Claufes for carrying on Trade, and purfuing the Ends and Intent of the faid Aft, were tol be inferted, as fhould be lawfully and reafonably defired in that Behalf : And it was thereby further en- adted, That in c;ife the faid whole Sum of two Millions, or one Moiety, or any greater Part of the faid Sum of tv/o Millions fhould be fubfcribed, as aforefaid, on or before the faid nine and twentieth Day of September one thoufand fix hundred ninety-eight, that then, and from thenceforth, all and every the- Perfon and Perfons, Natives and Foreigners, Bodies Politick and Corporate, by or for whom fuch Sub- fcriptions fhould be made, and all and every Perfon and Perfons, Bodies Politick and Corporate, who as Executors, Adminiftrators, Succeflbrs, or AfTigns, or by any other lawful Title derived or to be derived' from, by, or under the faid original Subfcribers at any Time or Times thereafter, fhould have or been-, titled to any Part, Share, or Interefl of and in the faid yearly Fund, and of and in a proportional Part of the principal Stock of the faid General Society, fo long as they-refpe£tively fhould continue to have any ' Part, Share, or Interefl therein, and all and every Perfon and Perfons, who for any Time fhould be li- cenfed by fuch Perfon or Perfons, Bodies Politick or Corporate, to trade in the ftead of them, fhould,. or lawfully might for ever thereafter, by themfelves feverally, or by fuch Fadtors, Agents, or Servants as they feverally fliould think fit to entruft, freely traffick, and ufe the Trade of Merchandize into and from the Eafi Indies, and Parts or Limits in the faid A6t mentioned, in fuch Manner, and by fuch Pro- portions, and fubjeit to fuch Reftriftions as in the faid A(Sl are exprefTed : And it was further thereby enafted. That if the faid whole Sum of two Millions, or one Moiety, or any greater Part thereof, , fhould be fubfciibed on or before hundred ninety-eight, and all or the faid nine and twentieth Day of September one thoufand fix ny Corporations, or other Perfon or Perfons, having particular Shares or Interefts in the faid principal Stock of the faid General Society, or in proportionable Annuities or yearly Payments ifluing out of the faid yearly Fund, fliould be willing and defirous to unite and join to- gether fuch their feveral Shares and Interefts, and to be incorporated, fo as they might be able to manage their Trade (in Proportion to their Interefts) as a Company, and by a' Joint Stock, that then it fhould and might be lawful for his faid late Majefty, by Letters Patents under the then Gjeat Seal of England, to incorporate all fuch Perfons and Corporations, by fuch proper Names as he fhould think fit, to be one Company, with Power to manage and carry on their Trade to the Eqfl Indies, and other the Li- mits in the faid A£t mentioned, by a Joint Stock, and to have perpetual Succeflion, and a Common Seal, with Power to grant and take, fue and be fued, and to choofe their own Managers, Dire<Sors and fuch other Powers and Claufes as fhould be necefiary or requifite nd fhould be reafonable for his faid late Majefty to grant, neverthe- ' lefs and OfRcers from time to time, for the carrying on of fuch Trade,
