^6 ?&<? firft 'Parliament of A.ct 19. Fishes, to the Inhabitants, to keep and conferve the fame in their Ships and Boats , and to make and prepare them therein, and to carry and tranfport the lame to forraign parts beyond Seas, in Ships and other Veflels belonging to them, or His Majefties other Subjects ; and to lell, ufe and difpofe thereupon, to fueh who shall be in friendship and amity with His Majefty and Hi9 SuccefTors. With power alfo tohe faids Companies and Societies refpetlive, to eleft and make choice of fuch of their own number as they shall think fit, for making and iraming of Laws, Statutes and Rules, for the right regulating, managing and carrying on of the (aid Trade oi Fishing (the faids Laws being alwayes ap. ■ proven and allowed by the Council of Trade) and to punish tranfgrefTors accordingly. And that none be admitted to beCounceuors of the faids Societies, except fuch whofhall enter ol Stock the Sum of one thouiand merks money forefaid, and that they be Scots-men, or naturalized Strangers, and Refi- denters within the faid Kingdom. And to the which Council , fo to be Nominate and Conftitute, the faid Companies refpelfzve {hall fubmit, and to all their Acts, Statutes and Rules, efpecially, but prejudice of the generality forefaid; to the particular Rules under-written. To wit; Firft, That none after the erecting and fetling of the laid Company or Society, majy enter or come in but byconfentof the Company or the Council thereof, after the laid day of next, except they be appointed to be inrolkand taken in by the Council of Trade, to whom anyperibn, in cafe of ex- xlufion, may make his Addrefs. Secondly, That the return from Ferraign places upon the Stock, may be all fold in free Burghs and to free Burgeffes within this Kingdom, by the iaids Companies or any of them or their Factors, without any previous offer to the Burgh ; providing they do not retail by fel, ling lefs quantities nor five Tun of Wine, or the equivalent in value in other Commodities ; and if the Import and Return lhall be of lefs quantities, then and in that caie thefe Commodities fhall only be fold in whole fale, without any retail whatfoever. Thirdly, 1 hat no Herring or White-fifh taken by Scot s-men in the faid Kingdom or Ifles thereto belonging, be fold, frefh or fait, to any but to Natives, except by the Companies refpeffzve : And that no Stranger unnaturalized, fhall have any liberty to make and prepare Herrings "or Wfaite-fiih upon the Land, or to make Booths for that effect, under the pain of 'confifcation of what {hall be feized upon, and the double thereof to be exacted of the Sel- ler, excepr they be free of one of the Companies forefaid. With power alfo to the faid Council, to ufe and have a Seal and Gage for ilk Company refpefftve, wherewith all their Barrels or Puncheons may be marked, and that ilk Barrel of green filn contain twelve gallons, which is to be the ordinarGage be- twixt Buyer and Seller. And alfo to make ufe of, and imploy, all and iundry Toibooths and Ward- ing-houfes, where neceffity requires, for holding of Courts, warding or puniihing of tranfgrefTors , the Burghs being alwayes free of the charges of the Prifoners ; and further, to depute fuch of their num- ber as they think fit concerning all bufinefies and affairs, and to cognofce and determine in all quefti- ons and debates relating to the faid Trade oiFilhing; andtocaufe execute iuch Decreets and Sentences as lhall be pronounced thereupon ; and for that effect, to make choice of Officers and Servants, and to adminifler Oaths to them, and amongft themfelves, for the good of the Trade; and if need be, with power to the faid Council, to defign certain Judges under them in convenient places, to adminifter Ju- fticeih the matter of the Trade of Fiiliing allaneriy. And Our Soveraign Lord, being moft willing to cherilh and encourage the forefaids Societies and Companies, in the faid Trade, Hath out of His In- nate Beneficence and Royal Bounty, Ordained, and by the tenour hereof Decerns and Ordains, that Salt, Cordage, Hemp, Cork, Pitch, 1 ar, Clapboard, Knaple, Skew-hoops, and Holland Nets, imported for the Trade of Fiiliing iorefaid, by the forefaids Companies refpettive, is, and {hall be, free of any Cu- ftome or other Impofition whatsoever; and that the Herring and White-fiih taken, made or prepared therewith, are and shall be iree of any manner of Taxation or burden in the exportation of the fame. And alfo, that ail Strangers Fifhers, who shall repair to this His hiajefties ancient Kingdom, and will come and make their relidence within the fame, shall be naturalized by His Majefty , upon the defire and application of any of the faids Councils, and shall be entered Burgefies in any City w 7 here they shall refide, and shall befreedoi all manner of taxation, for thefpace offeven years next after their ar- rival. And further His Majefty hath Releafed and Difcharged, and by the tenor hereof Jimp licit er Releafesand Difcharges, theleind Herring and Teind Fish, of all fuch Herring and Fish, which shall be taken by the Boats and Fishers of the faids Companies r effective, or fuch who shall be hired by them, in all time hereafter. And alfo, Exoners and Difcharges the Excife Herring due to His Maje- fty (except the Herring of Tiumbaf) for all the dayes, fpace, years and terms of nine years, next af- ter the date hereof. And in like-manner, His Majefty Declares, That all Ale, Beer, Strong- waters, and other provifions for out-reeking of any VefTel for the faids Fishings of the faid Companies, is, and shall be, free of all manner of Impofitions whatfoever, Commanding hereby the Lords and Mafters of the ground, in all places through the laid Kingdom where there is Loch or other Fiihings , not only to protect , maintain and deiend the faid Company and Society , and ail Mailers of Ships , Fish- ers and others whatfoever , going about the faid Trade , and belonging to the respective Companies of Fishing , from ail harm , trouble or dammage whatfoever, or eile to fatisfie and refound their lofie and dammage which they shall fuftain upon their Land ; but alio , that they , nor none of them , prefume nor take upon hand . to exact . or
