A. D. 1699. Anno decimo 6c undecimo Gulielmi III. C. 7. 7
- wards by an AG. of Parliament made in the eighth Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, ratified Sta.StVz.
- and confirmed to the faid Fellowfhip and their SuccefTors, by the Name oi The Feilovjjhlp ff/"Englifti Kl" ^'"'•. Ttit
- Merchants for Discovery of New Trades, with Power to have and enjoy all and fingular the Liberties, Pri- " " t"'"""^'
- vileges, Jurifdiftions, Powers, and Authorities, as well in the faid Letters Patents as Ad of Parliament
' mentioned or contained, with a Prohibition, that no Subjedt or Denizen of this Realm fhould traffick
- to, vifit, or frequent any of the Places granted by the faid Aft, to the faid Fellowfhip to trade in, but
- by Order, Agreement or Confent of the Governor, Confuls and Affiftants of the faid Fellowihip for the
- Time being, or the major Part of them ; upon Pain that every Perfon and Perfons offending in that Be-
' half, fhould forfeit and lofe (ipfifaiio) every fuch Ship and Ships with the Appurtenances, and all fuch
- Goods and Things whatfoever, as by any fuch Perfons fhould be by any Means, directly or indireftly,
' carried, conduited, brought or exchanged in, at or to, through or from any of the Places prohibited, ' contrary to the true Intent of the faid A6t ; one Moiety thereof to the Queen's Majefty, her Heirs and
- Succeffors, and the other Moiety thereof to the faid Fellowfhip and their SuccefTors, as by the faid Aft
- of Parliament (amongft other Things therein contained) more at large may and doth appear: And
' whereas the eafy Admiffion of Perfons into the faid Company or Fellowihip, will in all Probability tend
- very much to the enlarging the faid Trade for the publick Good, and for that there is no Mention made
- either in the faid Letters Patents, or Aft of Parliament, upon what Terms Perfons fhall be admitted,
- or what certain Fine fhall be taken by the Fellowfhip for the admitting Perfons to be free thereof, the
- afcertaining whereof would very much tend to the increafing the Number of Traders to the faid Places ;'
Therefore for the afcertaining hereafter what Fine fliall be taken by the faid Fellowfliip for the faid Ad- miffions, and for enlarging and encouraging the Trade to Rujfia, and other the Places in the faid Charter and Aft of Parliament mentioned and described ; be it enafted by the King's mofl: Excellent Majefly, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and of the Commons, in this prefent Parliament affemblcd, and by the Authority of the fame. That from and after the five and twentieth Day of March, which fhall be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred ninety-nine, every Subjeft of ^™™ ^5 Mar. this Realm defiring AdmifTion into the faid Fellowfhip of fn^/z/^ Merchants for Difcovery of new Trades, '^^^bJ'admUted commonly called or known by the Name of The Rullia Co/Many, on Requefl in that Behalf to be made to j^to theRuflia the Governor, Confuls and Affiftants for the Time being of the faid Fellowfhip, or any three or more of Company, pay- them, fhall be admitted into the faid Fellowfhip, and fhall have ufe and enjoy all the Liberties, Privileges, ing si- Jurifdiftions, Franchifes, Powers and Authorities granted to the faid Fellowfhip, either by the faid Let- ters Patents or Aft of Parliament, as largely, fully and amply, to all Intents, Conflruftions and Purpofes, as any other Member of the faid Fellowfhip could, can or may have, ufe or enjoy the fame by virtue of the faid Letters Patents, and Aft of Parliament, or either of them; fuch Sub- jeft paying for fuch his Admiffion, for the Ufe of the faid Fellowfhip only, the Sum of five Pounds, and no more. II. And be it further enafted, by the Authority aforefaid. That from and after the faid five and twentieth D-ay oi March, the Sum of five Pounds only, and no more, fhall be demanded, taken or ac- cepted by the faid Fellowfhip, for any Admiffion to the Freedom thereof; any By-law, Statute, or Or- dinaiice of the faid Fellowfhip, made or to be made to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithflanding. III. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That where any Perfon or Perfons refiding Admlflion by in any Out-port, or any other Place within this Realm, the Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick ■f^a^'^^^ upon Tweed, fhall make Requefl to be admitted into the faid Fellowfhip as aforefaid, by his Agent or Deputy, making Tender of five Pounds for his Admiffion, the faid Governor, Confuls and Affiftants, fhall under the Common Seal of the faid Fellowfhip, within ten Days after fuch Requeft, appoint one or more Perfon or Perfons to admit fuch Perfon or Perfons into the Freedom of the faid Fellowfhip, and to adminifter to him and them the Oath to be taken by the Freemen of the faid Fellowfhip ; which Oath they *'** are hereby impowered to adminifler ; which Admiffion and Adminiftration of the faid Oath fhalf be as Such AdmilHon good and effeftual, as if the fame were aftually done by the faid Governor, Confuls and Affiftants. ^oo^- IV. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That the Commiffioners of his Majefty's Parliament to Cuftoms fhall, at every Seffion of Parliament, lay before both Houfes a true Account in Writing, under Accou/t"f Na- their Hands of what Naval Stores fhall have been imported into this Kingdom by any Perfons trading to vai stores'im-*' RuJJia. ported from Ruflia. CAP. VII. An Aft for preventing irregular Proceedings of Sheriffs and other Officers, in making the Re- turns of Members chofcn to ferve in Parliament. FO R preventing Abufes in the Returns of Writs of Summons for the calling and aflembling of any 5 r. 2. St. ». Parliament for the future, or Writs for the Choice of any new Member to ferve in Parliament ; and <■• 4- to the end fuch Writs may, by the proper Officer or his Deputy, be duly returned and delivered to the n ^- 4- «■ »• Clerk of the Crown, to be by him filed, according to the ancient and legal Courfe ; be it enafted by the ^' ^' ^' '*' King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in Parliament afTembled, and by Authority of the fame, That the Sheriff, or other Officer having the Execution and Return of any fuch Writ which fhall be ifTued for the future, fhall, on or be- v/nt w'.ien fore the Day that any future Parliament fhall be called to meet, and with all convenient Expedition, not returnable. exceeding fourteen Days after any Eleftion made by virtue of any new Writ, either in Perfon, or by his Deputy,