wise notwithstanding: and our will and pleasure is, and hereby we do also ordain, that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, or the greater part of them whereof the Governor for the time being or his deputy to be one, to admit into and to be of the said Company all such servants or factors, of or for the said Com. pany, and all such others as to them or the most part of them present, at any court held for the said Company, the Governor or his deputy being one, shall be thought fit and agreeable with the orders and ordinances made and to be made for the government of the said Company and further, our will and pleasure is, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to their successors, that it shall and may be lawful in all elections and bye-laws to be made by the General Court of the Adventurers of the said Company, that every person shall have a number of votes according to his stock, that is to say, for every 1007. by him subscribed or brought into the present stock, one vote, and that any of those that have subscribed less than 1007. may join their respective sums to make up 1007., and have one vote jointly for the same, and not otherwise: and further, of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we do, for us, our heirs and successors, grant to and with the said Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay, that all lands, islands, territories, plantations, forts, fortifications, factories or colonies, where the said Company's factories and trade are or shall be, within any the ports or places afore limited, shall be immediately and from henceforth under the power and command of the said Governor and Company, their successors and assigns; saving the faith and allegiance due to be performed to us, our heirs and successors as aforesaid; and that the said Governor and Company shall have liberty, full power and authority to appoint and establish Governors and all other officers to govern them, and that the Governor and his Council of the several and respective places where the said Company shall have plantations, forts, factories, colonies or places of trade within any the countries, lands or territories hereby granted, may have power to judge all persons belonging to the said Governor and Company, or that shall live under them, in all causes, whether civil or criminal, according to the laws of this kingdom, and to execute justice accordingly; and in case any crime or misdemeanour shall be committed in any of the said Company's plantations, forts, factories or places of trade within the limits aforesaid, where judicature cannot be executed for want of a Governor and Council there, then in such case it shall and may be lawful for the chief factor of that place and his Council to transmit the party, together with the offence, to such other plantation, factory or fort where there shall be a Governor and Council, where justice may be executed, or into this kingdom of

England, as shall be thought most convenient, there to receive such punishment as the nature of his offence shall deserve: and moreover, our will and pleasure is, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, we do give and grant unto the said Governor and Company, and their successors, free liberty and license, in case they conceive it necessary, to send either ships of war, men or ammunition unto any their plantations, forts, factories or places of trade aforesaid, for the security and defence of the same, and to choose commanders and officers over them, and to give them power and authority, by commission under their common seal, or otherwise, to continue or make peace or war with any prince or people whatsoever, that are not Christians, in any places where the said Company shall have any plantations, forts or factories, or adjacent thereunto, as shall be most for the advantage and benefit of the said Governor and Company, and of their trade and also to right and recompense themselves upon the goods, estates or people of those parts, by whom the said Governor and Company shall sustain any injury, loss or damage, or upon any other people whatsoever, that shall any way, contrary to the intent of these presents, interrupt, wrong or injure them in their said trade, within the said places, territories and limits granted by this charter : and that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, and their successors, from time to time, and at all times from henceforth, to erect and build such castles, fortifications, forts, garrisons, colonies or plantations, towns or villages, in any parts or places within the limits and bounds granted before in these presents unto the said Governor and Company, as they in their discretion shall think fit and requisite, and for the supply of such as shall be needful and convenient, to keep and be in the same, to send out of this kingdom, to the said castles, forts, fortifications, garrisons, colonies, plantations, towns or villages, all kinds of clothing, provision of victuals, ammunition and implements necessary for such purpose, paying the duties and customs for the same, as also to transport and carry over such number of men, being willing thereunto, or not prohibited, as they shall think fit, and also to govern them in such legal and reasonable manner as the said Governor and Company shall think best, and to inflict punishment for misdemeanours, or impose such fines upon them for breach of their orders, as in these presents are formerly expressed: and further, our will and pleasure is, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to their successors, full power and lawful authority to seize upon the persons of all such English, or any other our subjects which shall sail into Hudson's Bay, or inhabit in any of the countries, islands or territories hereby granted to the said Governor and Company, without their leave and license in that behalf first had and obtained, or that shall contemn or disobey their orders,

and send them to England; and that all and every person or persons, being our subjects, any ways employed by the said Governor and Company, within any the parts, places and limits aforesaid, shall be liable unto and suffer such punishment for any offences by them committed in the parts aforesaid, as the President and Council for the said Governor aud Company there shall think fit, and the merit of the offence shall require, as aforesaid; and in case any person or persons being convicted and sentenced by the President and Council of the said Governor and Company, in the countries, lands or limits aforesaid, their factors or agents there, for any offence by them done, shall appeal from the same, that then and in such case it shall and may be lawful to and for the said President and Council, factors or agents, to seize upon him or them, and to carry him or them home prisoners into England, to the said Governor and Company, there to receive such condign punishment as his cause shall require, and the law of this nation allow of; and for the better discovery of abuses and injuries to be done unto the said Governor and Company, or their successors, by any servant by them to be employed in the said voyages and plantations, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, and their respective President, chief Agent or Governor in the parts aforesaid, to examine upon oath all factors, masters, pursers, supercargoes, commanders of castles, forts, fortifications, plantations or colonies, or other persons, touching or concerning any matter or thing in which by law or usage an oath may be administered, so as the said oath, and the matter therein contained, be not repugnant, but agreeable to the laws of this realm: and we do hereby straightly charge and command all and singular our admirals, viceadmirals, justices, mayors, sheriffs, constables, bailiffs, and all and singular other our officers, ministers, liege men and subjects whatsoever, to be aiding, favouring, helping and assisting to the said Governor and Company, and to their successors, and to their deputies, officers, factors, servants, assigns and ministers, and every of them, in executing and enjoying the premises, as well on land as on sea, from time to time, when any of you shall thereunto be required; any Statute, Act, Ordinance, Proviso, Proclamation or restraint heretofore had, made, set forth, ordained or provided, or any other matter, cause or thing whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. In witness whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witness ourself at Westminster, the 2nd day of May, in the 22nd year of our reign.

By Writ of Privy Seal.

PIGOTT.

CROWN GRANT to the Hudson's Bay Company of the exclusive Trade with the Indians in certain parts of North America, for a further term of 21 years, and upon the surrender of a former Grant.*-May 30, 1838.

(L.S.) VICTORIA R.

VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith.

To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting.

Whereas, by an Act passed in the session of Parliament holden in the 1st and 2nd year of the reign of His late Majesty King George IV [cap. 66],† intituled, "An Act for the regulating the Fur Trade, and establishing a Criminal and Civil Jurisdiction within certain parts of North America," it was amongst other things enacted, that from and after the passing of the said Act, it should be lawful for His said Majesty, his heirs or successors, to make grants, or give his or their Royal license, under the hand and seal of one of his or their Principal Secretaries of State, to any body corporate or company, or person or persons, of or for the exclusive privilege of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America as should be specified in any such grants or licenses respectively, not being part of the lands and territories theretofore granted to the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading to Hudson's Bay, and not being part of any of our provinces in North America, or of any lands or territories belonging to the United States of America, and that all such grants and licenses should be good, valid, and effectual for the purpose of securing to all such bodies corporate, or companies, or persons, the sole and exclusive privilege of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America (except as thereinafter excepted) as should be specified in such grants or licenses, anything contained in any Act or Acts of Parliament, or any law to the contrary notwithstanding; and it was further enacted, that no such grant or license made or given by His said Majesty, his heirs or successors, of any such exclusive privileges of trading with the Indians in such parts of North America as aforesaid, should be made or given for any longer period than 21 years, and that no rent should be required or demanded for or in respect of any such grant or license, or any privileges given thereby under the provisions of the said Act for the first

*The grant of exclusive trade was first made on the 6th December, 1821, to "The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading to Hudson's Bay," in conjunction with "William M'Gillivray, of Montreal, in the province of Lower Canada, esquire, Simon M'Gillivray, of Suffolk Lane, in the city of London, merchant, and Edward Ellice, of Spring Gardens, in the county of Middlesex, esquire." These gentlemen subsequently surrendered their interest to the Hudson's Bay Company, to whom Her Majesty was pleased to make the Grant of 1838.

period of 21 years; and it was further enacted, that from and after the passing of the said Act, the Governor and Company of Adventurers trading to Hudson's Bay, and every body corporate and company and persons to whom any such grant or license should be made or given as aforesaid, should respectively keep accurate registers of all persons in their employ in any parts of North America, and should once in each year return to the Principal Secretaries of State accurate duplicates of such registers, and should also enter into such security as should be required for the due execution of all processes criminal and civil, as well within the territories included within any such grant, as within those granted by charter to the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading to Hudson's Bay, and for the producing or delivering into safe custody, for the purpose of trial, all persons in their employ or acting under their authority, who should be charged with any criminal offence, and also for the due and faithful observance of all such rules, regulations and stipulations as should be contained in any such grant or license, either for gradually diminishing and ultimately preventing the sale or distribution of spirituous liquors to the Indians, or for promoting their moral and religious improvement, or for any other object which might be deemed necessary for the remedy or prevention of any other evils which had hitherto been found to exist: and whereas it was in the said Act recited, that by a Convention entered into between His said late Majesty and the United States of America,* it was stipulated and agreed, that every country on the north-west coasts of America to the westward of the Stony Mountains should be free and open to the citizens and subjects of the 2 Powers for the term of 10 years from the date of the signature of that Convention; and it was therefore enacted, that nothing in the said Act contained should be deemed or construed to authorize any body corporate, company or person to whom His said Majesty might, under the provisions of the said Act, make or grant or give a license of exclusive trade with the Indians in such parts of North America as aforesaid, to claim or exercise any such exclusive trade within the limits specified in the said article, to the prejudice or exclusion of any citizens of the said United States of America who might be engaged in the said trade; with a proviso, that no British subject should trade with the Indians within such limits without such grant or license as was by the said Act required:

And whereas by an instrument under the hand and seal of the Right Honourable Earl Bathurst, then one of His said late Majesty's Secretaries of State, and dated the 6th day of December, 1821, after reciting therein, as or to the effect aforesaid, and also reciting that the said Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading to Hudson's Bay, and certain associations of persons trading under * August 6, 1826. Vol. XIV. Page 975.