268 C. 3i< Anno vicefimo tcrtio G e or g ii II, A. D. 175c. 50 1 per Ann. to be psid ycaily to each of the Four Council of the MarAalfta. This Afl not to extend to the Prc-cinfl: of the Tower-within, &c. Limitation of Aflions. General Iflue, Treble Cofts. Publick Aa. c. 43. Free Trade to Afiica. Traders incor- porated, &c. Their Name, Thp Forts, Settlements and FufSlorirs, S:c. of the Royal African Com- pany veiled in the new Com- yany. ' XXII. And whereas the Four Council of the ancient Court of the MarJIoalfca, anil of the Court of • his Majefty's Palace of IFcJIminJJer, v/ho hold their Office for the Terms of their Natural Lives refpec- ' tively, and who have been made chargenble by Parliarr.cnt, and actually afTefled to the Land Tax for ' their Freeholds in their faid Offices, will fuflain great Lofs by this prefent Aft, unlefs a Compcnfafion {hall ' be made to them for the fame ;' Be it therefore enaded by the Authority aforefaiJ, That the Clerks of the faid Court of Requefts for the time being (hall, and they are hereby required out of the Fees limited or to be limited to the faid Clerks by virtue of this prefent Aft, to pay or cauie to be paid unto John Law/on, Lo- max Martyn, George Weller, and John Le Grofs Spclman, Efquires, the prefent Council of the faid ancient Court of the Mnrfbaljea, and the Court of his Majefty's Palace of TVeJiminfter, as a Compenfation for the Lofs they will fuftain in their faid Offices by this prefent A£f, for and during the Terms of their refpeftive natural Lives, the yearly Sum of thirty Pounds apiece, of lawful Money of Great Britain^ (free and clear of and from all Charges and Deduflions whatfocver) to be paid to them feverally and refpeftively, yearly and every Year, at or upon the feveral Feafl: Days following ; that is to fay, the Feafl of Saint Michael the Archangel ; the Feafl: of the Nativity of our Lord Chr'ijl ; the Feaft of the Annunciation of the Blefied Virgin Mary ; and the Feafl of the Nativity of Saint John the Bapitjl, by even and equal Portions ; the firft Payment thereof to begin and to be made at or upon the Feaft Day of Saint Michael the Archangel, in the ^ear of our Lord one thoufand feven hundred and fifty. XXIIL Provided always, That nothing in this AQi contained fhall extend, or be confl:rued to extend, to reflrain the ancient Court of Record, held for and within the Liberty of the Tower of London, from hold- ' ing Plea of any Perfonal Aftion, the Caufe of which fhall arife within the Precinct of the Fortrefs of the faid Toiuer, commonly called The Preciniiof the Toiver ivithin, or from holding Plea of any Perfonal Adtioa (other than Attions for Debts not amounting to the Value of forty Shilliiigs, the Caufe of which fliall arife in any Part of the Liberty of the faid Toiver, out of the faid Precin6t of the Tower ivithin) or to take away or abridge any JurifdiiSion, Authority, Privilege, Immunity or Exemption, which the Chief Governor of the hid Tovjer, or his Deputy or Deputies, or any Officers orMinlflers, or Inhabitants within the faid Li- berty, enjoys or enjoy, or ought to enjoy by virtue of any Law, Ufage, Cuftom, Prefcription, Grant, Char- ter or Com.miffion ; any thing in this A61: to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithflanJing. XXIV. And be it enafted by the Authority aforefaid, i hat if any Action or Suit Ihall be brought or commenced againft any Perfon or Perfons for any Matter or Thing done or to be done in purfuance of this Acf, then and in fuch Cafe fuch Aftion or Suit iiliall be brought or commenced within three Calendar Months next after the Faft committed, and not afterwards, and the Defendant or Defendants in fach Action or Suit to be brought fliall and may plead the General Iffue, and give this A£t, and the faid Special Matter in Evi- dence, at any Trial to be had thereupon ; and if the Plaintiff" or Plaintiffs fliall become nonfuited, or difcon- tinue his, her or their A£tion or Aftions, Suit or Suits ; or if upon Verdifl: or Demurrer, Judgment fhall be given againft the PlaintifF or Plaintiffs, the Defendant or Defendants fhall and may recover Treble Cofts, and have fuch Remedy for the fame, as any Defendant or Defendants hath or have in any other Cafes by Law. XXV. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That this AA (hall be deemed, adjudged and taken to be a Publick Aft, and be judicially taken Notice of as fuch by all Judges, Juftices, and all other Perfons whatfoever, without fpecially pleading the fame. CAP. XXXI. An Aft for extending and innproving the Trade to Africa. ' A/ ^■'^■^■^ ^S the Trade to and from Africa is very advantageous to Great Britain, and necefiarj' for ' W the fupplying the Plantations and Colonies thereunto belonging with a fufficient Number of Ne- ' groes, at reafonable Rates ; and for that Purpofe the faid Trade ought to be free and open to all his xMa- ' jefty's Subjefts :' Therefore be it enafted, and it is hereby enafted by the King's mofl: Excellent Majefty, 'by aird with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament afiembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That it fhall and may be lawful for all his Alaje- fty's Subjefts to trade and traffick to and from any Port or Place in Africa, between the Port of Sallce in South Barhary, and the Cape of Good Hope, when, and at fuch Times, and in fuch Manner, and in or with fuch Quantity of Goods, Wares or Merchandizes, as he or they fliall think fir, without any Reilraint whatfo- ever, fave as is herein after exprefl'ed. It. And be it enafted by the Authority aforefiiid, That all his Majefty's Subjefts, who fliall trade to or from any of the Ports or Places of Africa, between Cape Blanco, and the Cape of Good Hipe, fliall for ever hereafter be a Body Corporate and Politick, in Name and in Deed, by the Name of The' Company If Mer- chants trading to Afiica ; and by the fame Name fliall have perpetual SuccefTion, and fhnll have a Common Seal ; and by that Name fliall and may fuc, and may be fued, and do any other Aft, Matter and Thing, which any other Body Corporate or Politick, as fuch, can or may lawfully do. III. And the better to uphold, maintain and defend, all fuch Forts, Faftories and Settlements, on the Coaft Q^ Africa, as now are ereftcd, or hereafter fliall be thought neccflary to be erefted, for the fecuring and better carrying on the faid Trade, Be it further enafted by the Authority aforeftid. That all and everv the Bntifl} Forts, Settlements and Faftories on the Coaft of Africa, beginning at Cipe Blanco aforefaid, and extending froni thence to the Gjp,? g/" GW/io^Vinclufiv-e, and all other the Regions, Countries, Domini- oris, Territories, Continents, CoaTls, Ports, Bays, Rivers and Places, lying and being within the aforefaid Limits, and the Iflands near adjoining to thofe Confts, and comprehended within thofe Limits, which are now claimed by, or are in the Poflcffion of the iJoiW African Company of England, or which may be here- after
the Poflcffion of the Company hereby eftabliflied, flball, from an'l after the paffing of an Aft of Par-
J^^IJ'i^i-'nt for diverting the y//)7w.' Company of their Charter, Forts, Caftles, and Military Stores, Canoe Menj Caitle Shves, and all other their Property on the Coaft of Africa, their Goods and Merchandizes. only
