44 C. 3^' Anno vicefimo G E ORG II II. A. D. 1747. faiJ, r.ccorJing to fuch Rules, Orders .ind Regulations as arc or fhall be eftablifr.ed by or in purfuance of this Ai. Semen to prn- . III. Provided neverthelcfs, That no Seaman in the faid Service fliall be intitled to any of the Provifions or (jiici; Ccrtificnico Bincfits of this Alii, unlcfs he fhall produce or caufe to be produced, a Certilicate to the Prefidcnt, Affift- of the H-jittiicy '^^j-j and 'Committees herein after named, or their S'jcceiibrs, of the Hurt or Damage he hath received, from rective . jj^g Maftcr, Mate, BoatAvain and Surgeon, or fo many of them as were in the Sliip or VefTel to which fuch Seaman did belong at the Time of his receiving fuch Hurt or Damage ; or of the Mafter and two of the Seamen, if there is no other Officer ; or in ca!e the Mafter fhall die, or be killed or drowned, then of the Perfon who fliall take upon him the Care of the Ship or Vcffel, and two of the Seamen on board the fame, under their Hands and Seals, vhereby fignifyit;g how and in what R'lanner fuch Seamen received fuch Hurt or Damage, whether in fighting, defending, working, loading or unloading the faid Ship or Veffel, where PartieF fifning and when he entered, and how long he had ferved on board the fame ; and the Parties fo figning and fealing the certificates fuch Certificate, fhall and are hereby required to make Oath of the Truth of the Contents thereof, before to make Oath, fome one of his Majefly's Juftices of the Peace, if given in Great Britain or Ireland, or other his Majefty's .Dominions, or the chief Officer of the Cuftoms of the Port or Place where there is no Juftice of the Peace, or before the 5r/V//7; Conful or Refidcnt in any Foreign Country where fuch Certificate is executed (who are hereby refpeftively authorized and required to adminifter the fame without Fee or Reward) and in cafe _ •(![,( of Sicknefs, whereby fuch Seaman ftall be rendered incapable of Service, a Certificate figned, fcalcd and Seamen dTfabled authenticated in like Manner, fignifying that he was healthy when he entered on board fuch Ship or Veflcl, bjSicknsfs; and that fuch Sicknefs was contrafted on board the fame, or on Shore, in doing his Duty in the Service of the Ship, and not otherwife ; and expreffing the Time and Place he entered on board fuch Ship or Veffei, Wi(iowsand "and how long he had ferved therein ; and that no Widow, Child or Children of any Seaman killed, flain or Ch.idren. drowned in the faid Service, fhall be relieved or intitled to any Allowance by virtue of this Act, unk-fs (he or they, or feme Perfon on her or their Behalf, fliall produce a Certificate figned, i'ealed and authenticated •in like Manner, fignifying how and in what Manner fuch Seaman lofb his Life in the Service of the fiiid Ship or VefTel, the Time and Place he entered on board, and how long he had ferved therein ; and alfa
another Certificate, under the Hands and Seals of the Minifter and Churchwardens and Overfeers of the
Poor of the Parifh, Townihip or Place, or any two of them, or under the Hands and Seals of the Miniller and Overfeers of the Poor of the Parifh, Townfhip or Place, or any two of them, where there are no Churchwardens; and if fuch Widow, Child or Children are fome of the People called .^mav;-.?, then by any tvi^o reputable Perfor.s of that Perfuafion, of the Parifli, Townfhip or Place where fucti ^Vidow, Chi cl or Children have a legal Settlement or do inhabit or refide, to be atteiled by two or more credible WitnefTcs, that fuch Widow was the lawtul Wife and real Widow, and that fuch Child or Children v/as or were the lawful Child or Children of fuch Seaman killed, flain or drowned as aforefaid, and is or are under the Age of fourteen Years ; or if of that Age or upwards, not capable of getting a Livelihood, by reafon of Lame- Seamen not in- nsfs, Blindnefs or other Infirmities, and is or are proper Objefls of Charity ; and that no Seaman fhall be titled who have provided for by a Penfion or otherwife, as decrepit or worn out, unlefs fuch Seaman fhall have ferved in the not ferved 5 Merchants Service for the Space of five Years, and contributed and paid fix Pence /itT Month out of his Years, &c. Wages for that Time to and for the good Ends and Purpofes of this Act. Perfons forging, IV. Provided always, and be it further enafted. That if any Perfon fiiall forge, counterfeit, erafe or al- &c. Certificates, fer, or fhall procure to be forged, counterfeited, erafed or altered, or fliall unfairly or unduly obtain any Certificate in order to intitle him or her to any the Penfions, Allowances or Benefits of this Aifl, and fliall produce, or caufe fuch Certificate to be pioduced for that Purpofe, fuch Certificate fhall, upon Difcovery tobepuniAed thereof, be null and void; and fuch Perfon fo applying for Relief orProvifiou, fliall he for ever incapable of as incorrigible receiving any the Benefits of this Acf, and fhall be fubjeft and liable to the like Punifhment as an incorri- Rogues. , gjjj]g Rogue is fubjeil and liable to, and fhall be punifhed accordingly as fuch. V. And be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That for the more conftant and ordinary Ma- nagement of the Monies to be raifed for the good Ends and Purpofes aforefaid, there fliall be, from time to time and for ever hereafter, a Prefident and twenty-one Ailiflants or Committees of the faid hereby erected Prefident and Corporation; and that_ //cwy Norris fenior Efquire, fliall be the firfl Prefident, a.ni] A'exander /lume Ef- Afliilants ' quire. Sir Pt'ter Thompfon Knight, Robert Ncttlcton, Robert Thornton, 'John Smith, Peter Du Cane, Joflas Word/worth, Jofefh Fawthrop, Efquires ; Jofiah Chiity, Henry Norris ]unor,JPllliatn Black, John Hanbiiry, John IVcyland, Robert Ding/y, Thomas Hyain, James Brogden, Stephen Theodore Janjfe}], John Thomlinjon, Merchants; MiiHer Thomas Bennett, M&Her John Canham, MaHer Jdam Spencer, the twenty-one AlTiftants or Committees, to continue till VI. And be it further enaiSled by the Authority aforefaid. That the faid herein before-named Prefident 24 June 1748. jp,^] rfllftants or Committees, fliall continue and remain fo to be, till the twenty-fourth Day of ju^v one New Elcftion to thoufand feven hundred and forty-eight ; on which faid twenty-fourth Day of j'w.'jv in every Year, yearly b'- yearly, and for ever hereafter, or within five Days, either before or after the faiii twenty fourth Day oi'J/.-ne, ten Days Notice in the Notice being given in the London Gazette, of the Day fixed by a General Court of AfTembly to be then Gaz-.tic. Ytd of the Prefident and Governors of the f.iid Corporation for the time being, a new Choice or Elecftion of a Prefident and twenty-one Affiftants, or Committees, ihall be made and taken by the laid Prefident and Governors, or the greater Part of them then prefent, for the Year then nex£ following; who aficr futh Election, fhall continue and remain fuch until the next General Court or Allembly to be annually held for the Election of a Prefident and Aflillants, or Committees as afcsrefaid. Prefident to VII. And bc it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid. That at all and every the General Courts or h»vea Vote. Afiemiilips of the faid Prefident and Governors, and at the feveral full Courts of Aflittants or Cojiimittccs, to be held as herein after is directed, the faid Prefident for the time being Ih.iU have Voice, and iiiail vote and aft as a Member of fuch General Court or Courts of Committees j and in cafe of an Equality of Votes, ihc faid Pixfidcnt fliall have and e,ercifc a calling Vote. VIII. And
