A. D. lys®* Anno vicefimo tertio Georgii II, C 31; 273 as the faid Commlflioners, or any two of them, (ha'l under their Hands require or appoint, and to give the beft and trueft Information they can, touching the faid Claims, and to produce all Books, Papers, Deeds or Records relating thereto, in their refpeftive Cuftody or Power, as the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them (hall diredl ; and the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them are hereby authorized to adminifter an Oath, for the better Difcovery of the Truth of the Fafts, touching which fuch Examination or Inquiry fliall be made ; and they are hereby required to clofe and finifh their Examinations of all the Claims that Time for clofing fhall be made by fuch of the faid Creditors, who refide in Great Britain or Ireland, at the fartheft, on or their Examina- before the thirty-firft Day of January one thoufand feven hundred and fifty, and of all the Claims that fliall "ons. be made by fuch of the faid Creditors who refide in Africa, or any other Parts beyond the Seas, on or before the twenty-eighth Yi2Lo'i February one thoufand feven hundred and fifty; and the faid Commiffioners fliall Accounts to be lay Accounts of their Proceedings before the Parliament with all convenient Speed. XumtrT.^ XXXIII. And be it further enadted by the Authority aforefaid, That in cafe any Perfon or Perfons fum- moned to appear before the faid Commrffioners, fliall wilfully negledt or refufe to appear and be examined ^n"^^/".'^'. touching the Matters and Things by this Aftdirefted to be inquired into, or fliall refufe to anfwer, or fliall ^arilg^&o'to not fully anfwer to the Satisfaftion of the Commiffioners prefent at the Time of fuch Examination, or any becommiited. two of them, all Queftions put to him, her or them, by the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them, as well by Word of Mouth as by Interrogatories in Writing ; or fliall refufe or wilfully negleft to produce, from time to time, to the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them, all Books of Accounts, Papers and Writings, in their Cuftody or Power, relating to the Matters herein direfted to be inquired into by the faid Commiffioners, as the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them, fhall, from time to time direft ; then and in every fuch Cafe it fhall and may be lawful to and for the faid Commiffioners, or any two of them, by Warrant under their Hands and Seals, to commit him, her or them, to fuch Prifon, as the faid Commiffio- ners, or any two of them, fliall think fit, there to remain, without Bail or Mainprize, until fuch Perfon or Perfons fliall fubmit him, her or themfelves, to the faid Commiffioners, and produce before them fuch Books of Accounts, Papers and Writings, upon Oath, and full Anfwer make, to the Satisfaftion of the Com- miffioners, to all fuch Queftions as fhall be put to him, her or them, as aforefaid, according to the true In- tent and Meaning of this Aft ; and the faid Commiffioners, in every Cafe where any Perfon or Perfons fhall be by them committed for refufing to anfwer, or for not fully anfwering any Queftlon or Queftions put to him, her or them, by the faid Commiffioners, by Word of Mouth, or upon Interrogatories, fliall in their Warrants of Commitment fpecify fuch Queftion or Qiieftions. XXXIV. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Royal African Company, The African. their Diredlors, Officers and Servants, and every of them, fhall, for the Space of one Year, to be com- Company re- puted from the feventeenth Day of i^^rrcA one thoufand feven hundred and forty-nine, be, and they are ^.?'"5'^ '1!" hereby reftrained and difabled from affigning, tranferring or difpofing of all or any their Military Stores, sto^res"l:c. Ammunition, Slaves, Canoes, Veffels and Things neceffary for the Uie or Defence of their Forts and Set- tlements; and all Aflions, Suits and Procefs, depending, or which fhall be hereafter commenced or profe- Suits for Money cuted by any Perfon or Perfons for Recovery of any Debt or Sum of Money due, or pretended to be due, jiueby'hem, from the faid Company, or from any Perfon or Perfons, for or in refpeft of any Debt or Debts contrafled y^^^ "' ^ for or on Behalf of the iaid Company, fhall be, and the fame are hereby ftayed for the Space of one Year, to be computed from the faid feventeenth Dey of March one thoufand feven hundred and forty-nine. ' XXXV. And whereas David Crichton, late one of the Chief Agents of the faid Company at Cape Coaji ' Cajile, now a Prifoner for Debt in the Cuftody of the Sheriffs of the City of London, did, with tv/o others ' of the faid Company's Agents or Servants there (to v.'it) Thomas Chalmer and yames Craik, in the Year ' -one thoufand feven hundred and forty-five, contraft a Debt at Cape CoaJi Caftle aforefaid, of fourteen ' hundred Pounds, for and on theBeha'f f the faid Company, for the Support and Maintenance of their ' ' Forts and Servants : And whereas the faid DcsndCrichton now ftands charged in the Cuftody of the faid • Sheriffs, in Execution, on a Judgment given ia the Court of King's Bench, at the Suit of one William ' Stead-, for the Debt aforefaid, which, together with Cofts of Suit, and Intereft thereon, amounts in the ' Whole to the Sum of fixteen hundred and four Pounds fixteen Shillings and fix Pence, upon a Judgment ' obtained againft him in his Majefty's Court of Xin/s Bench, by the faid JFilliam Stead;' Be it therefore enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That tiie faid David Crichton be forthwith difcharged out of the Cufto- David Cricht'^n dy of the faid SherifTs, upon the faid David Crichton's giving a new Judgment to the faid JVilliam Stead, in Cuftody f, r a for the faid Sum of fixteen hundred and four Pounds fixteen Shillings and fix Pence, with Stay of Execu- ^cl°'^ Beiiait tion thereon, for one Year, to be computed from the faid feventeenth Day of March one thoufand feven "o be^difcharced* hundred and forty-nine: And further. That the faid David Crichton do enter into a Bond to the faid WiU Ham Stead, with two Sureties, to be approved of by cne of the Judges of the Court of King's Bench, in Double the Penalty of the faid Sum of fixteen hundred and four Pounds fixteen Shillings ar,d fix Pence, with which the faid David CiichtKi ftandr. charged in Cuftody, with Cordition that he the faid David Crichton will not withdraw himfelf out of England., but will alv/ays be re?cdy, either in London or Middle- fex, at the Expiration of the faid Year, to be fubjetPc to any Procefs the faid JVilliam Stead fhall think proper to take out againft him. XXXVI. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforeGiid, That the Exp?nces of obtaini-g and p if- Expenres of £ng this Aft, fhall be defrayed and paid by the fai.l Committee for managing the Afrairs c.f the faid New ""^ Aa, Company, out of the firft Monies they fliall recenj for the Admiffions of Perfnns into the Freedom there- of; and the Expences of the faid Commi oners, their Officers anu Servants, and of the Inquiry to be made andofihe Com. in purfuance of this Aft, fhall be defrayed, in the fij.i Place, out of fuch Cninpenr.aion as fhall be here- miffioners. after granted by Parliament, on the faid Royal African Company's being divefted of their Charter, Lands, Forts, Caftles, Slaves and other EfFefts. XXXVII. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That the Penal ies inflicved by this Aft Penalties how may be fued for and recovered by Aftion of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information, in any f his Majefty's '<> ^ '^""'^f<=^ Courts of Record at Weftmivfter, or in any of the Courts of his Majefty's Plantations or Colonies in Ame- rica, wherin no Effoin, Proteftion, Privilege or Wager of Law, or more than one Imparlance, fliall be al- VoL. Vn. N xi-R r lowed ;
