for the fecurity of Her Majesty's perfon and government, and of the fucceffion of the crown of Great Britain in the Proteftant line."

And be it further enacted, That the faid Board fhall be fully authorised and impowered, from time to time, to check, fuperintend, and control, all acts, operations, and concerns, which in any wife relate to the civil or military government or revenues of the territories and poffeffions of the faid United Company in the East Indies.

And be it further enacted, That the faid Secretary of State for the time being, fhall nominate and appoint a Secretary to attend upon the faid Board, who fhall be fubject to difmiffion, at the pleasure, of the faid Board; and that the faid Secretary fhall enter, or caufe to be entered, in books, all proceed ings whatsoever to be had by or before the faid Board; and fhall be paid fuch falary as His Majefty fhall, by warrant under his fign manual, direct.

Provided always, and be it further enacted, That the Members of the faid Board, before they fhall proceed to act, in the execution of any of the powers or authorities to them given by this act (fave only the power of adminiftering the oath after mentioned) fhall feverally take and subscribe, the following oath (that is to fay)

"I A. B. do faithfully promife and swear, that as a Commiffioner or Member of the Board for the affairs of India, I will give my beft advice and affiftance for the good government of the British poffeffions in the East Indies; and will execute the feveral powers and trufts repofed in me, according to the best of my skill and judgement, without favour or affection, prejucice or malice, to any perfon whatsoever.' Which faid oath any of the Members of the faid Board fhall and are hereby impowered to administer; and the faid oath fhall be entered by the faid Secretary among the accounts of the faid Board, and be duly fubscribed and attefted by the Members thereof, at the time of their taking and administering the fame to each other refpectively.

And, to the intent that the faid Board may be duly informed of all tranfactions of the faid Company, in refpect to the management of their concerns in the East Indies, be it further enacted, That all the Members of the faid Board fhall, at all convenient and reasonable times, have accefs to all papers and muniments of the faid United Company, and fhall be furnished with extracts or copies thereof as they fhall from time to time require; and that the Court of Directors of the faid United Company fhall, and they are hereby required and directed, to deliver to the faid Board copies of all minutes, orders, refolutions, and other proceedings, of all general and fpecial Courts of Proprietors of the faid Company, and of the faid Court of Directors, within

days after the holding of fuch refpective Courts; and alfo copies of all difpatches which the faid Directors fhall receive from any of their fervants in the Eaft Indies, immediately after the arrival thereof; and alfo copies of all lettres, orders, and inftructions, what foever, relating to the civil or military government or revenues of the British territorial poffeffions in the East Indies, propofed to be fent or dispatched, by the faid Court of Directors, to any of the fervants of the faid Company in the East Indies, days at the leaft before the time propofed for fending or difpatching the fame refpectively; and that the faid Court of Directors of the faid United Company fhall, and they are hereby required to pay due obedience to, and fhall be governed and bound by, fuch orders and directions as they hall from time to tirae receive from

the

the faid Board, touching the civil or military government and revenues of the territories and poffeffions of the faid United Company in the Eaft Indies. And be it further enacted, That, within days after the receipt of fuch copies laft mentioned, the faid Board fhall return the fame to the said Court of Directors with their approbation thereof, fubfcribed by

of the Members of the faid Board, or their reafons at large for difapproving the fame; together with inftructions from the faid Board to the faid Court of Directors in respect thereto; and that the faid Court of Directors shall thereupon difpatch and fend the letters, orders, and inftructions, fo approved or amended, to their fervants in India, without farther delay; and no letters, orders, or inftructions, until after fuch previous communication thereof to the faid Board, fhall at any time be fent or dispatched by the faid Court of Directors, to the Eaft Indies, on any account or pretence whatsoever. And be it further enacted, That in cafe the faid Board shall send any orders or inftructions which, in the opinion of the faid Court of Directors, shall relate to points not connected with the civil or military government and revenues of the faid territories and poffeffions in India, then, and in any fuch cafe, it fhall be lawful for the faid Court of Directors to apply, by petition, to His Majesty in Council, touching fuch orders and inftructions; and His Majefty in Council fhall decide whether the fame be, or be not, connected with the civil or military government and revenues of the faid territories and poffeffions in India; which decifion fhall be final and conclufive.

And be it further enacted, That as foon as the office of any one of the Counsellors of the Prefidency of Fort William in Bengal fhall become vacant, by death, by removal, or refignation, the vacancy fo happening fhall not be fupplied by the faid Court of Directors, but the faid Supreme Government fhall from thenceforward confift of a Governor General and Supreme Counsellors only: and that the Commander in Chief of the Prefidency of Fort William in Bengal for the time being, fhall have voice and precedence in Council next after the faid Governor General, any thing in any former act of Parliament contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted, That the Government of the feveral Prefidencies and fettlements of Fort St. George and Bombay, fhall, after the commencement of this act, confift of a Governor or Prefident, and

Counsellors only, of whom the Commander in Chief in the faid feveral fettlements for the time being fhall be one, having the like precedence in Council as in the Prefidency of Fort William in Bengal.

And be it further enacted, That from and after

the nomination and appointment of the feveral Commanders in Chief in the faid Prefidencies or fettlements of Fort William, Madras, or Bombay, fhall be, and the fame are hereby vested in His Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, any law, ufage, or custom, to the contrary notwithflanding.

And be it further enacted, That it fhall and may be lawful for His Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, to nominate and appoint any perfon or perfons to fucceed to the faid office of Commander in Chief in the faid feveral Prefidencies or fettlements; and the perfons fo nominated and appointed fhall refpectively fucceed to the faid offices of Commanders in Chief refpectively, in like manner as if they had been appointed upon or after a vacancy or vacancies.

Provided

Provided always, and be it enacted, That the perfons to be appointed to fucceed to the office or place of Commander in Chief in the faid Prefidencies, or fettlements, upon any vacancy thereof refpectivly as aforefaid, fhall and may, if His Majeffy, his heirs or fucceffors fhall, by fuch appointment, fo direct, have military command and authority next and immediately after the Commander in Chief of fuch Prefidencies or fettlements refpectively.

And be it further enacted, That it fhall and may be lawful to and for the King's Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, by any writing or inftrument ⚫under his or their fign manual, counterfigned by the faid Secretary of State, to remove or recal the prefent or future Governor General of Fort William at Bengal, or any of the Members of the Council of Fort William aforefaid, or any of the Governors or Prefidents, and Members of the Councils, of the Prefidencies or fettlements of Fort St. George and Bombay, or of any other British fettlements in India, for the time being; and to vacate and make void all and every or any appointment or appointments, as well abfolute as provifional, of any perfon or perfons to any of the offices or places aforefaid; and that all and every the powers and authorities of the refpective perfons fo removed or recalled, or whofe appointment fhall be fo vacated, fhall ceafe and determine at or from fuch refpective time or times as in the faid writing or writings fhall be expreffed and directed: Provided always, that a duplicate or copy of every fuch writing, attefted by the faid Secretary of State for the time being, fhall, within days after the fame fhall be figned by His Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, be tranfmitted or delivered, by the faid Secretary of State, unto the Chairman or Deputy Chairman for the time being, of the faid United Company, to the intent that the Court of Directors of the faid Company may be apprized thereof.

And be it further enacted, That whenever any vacancy or vacancies of the office of Governor General or Prefident, or of any member of the Council (other than the Commander in Chief) fhall happen in any of the Prefidencies aforefaid,' either by death, refignation, or recal, as aforefaid, then and in fuch cafe, the Court of Directors of the faid United Company fhall proceed to nominate and appoint a fit perfon or perfons to fupply fuch vacancy or vacancies, fubject to the approbation of His Majefty, his heirs, and fucceffors; and within days next after any fuch nomination and approbation fhall be made, the fame fhall be fignified by the Chairman, or deputy Chairman of the faid Court of Directors, to His Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors; and in cafe His Majesty, his heirs or fucceffors, fhall approve the faid nomination and appointment, then the perfon or perfons fo nominated shall be conftituted and appointed to the office or place, offices or places, for which he or they fhall have been fo refpectively nominated, and fall fo continue, from the time of his or their taking the fame upon him or them, until he or they fhall refign the fame, or be removed or recalled therefrom by His Majesty, his heirs or fucceffors, and fo toties quoties: And in cafe the perfon or perfons fo nominated and appointed by the faid Court of Directors, fhall not be approved by His Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, then, within

days after His Majesty, his heirs or fucceffors, fhall have caufed to be fignified to the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Court of Directors, that His Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors, doth or do not approve of fuch perfon or perfons, the faid court fhall proceed to nominate and appoint fome other perfon or perfons to the faid office or place, offices or places, refpectively, fubject to the approbation or difallowance of His Majefty, his heirs and fuc VOL XIII.

Xx

ceffors

ceffors, in fuch and in the fame manner as is herein before directed or prefcribed, and fo toties quaties, until fome perfon or perfons fhall be nominated and appointed, who fhall be approved by His Majefty, his heirs or fucceffors. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That in cafe, and fo often as the Court of Directors fhall not, within the space of to be computed from the day whereon the notification of the vacancy, or of His Majesty's difer probation of any perfon by them nominated as aforefaid, fhall have been received by the faid Court of Directors, proceed to supply the fame, then and in any fuch cafe, and fo often as the fame fhall happen, it fhall be lawful for His Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, to conftitute and appoint, by writing, under his or their royal fign manual, fuch perfon or perfons as His Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, fhall think proper, to fucceed to and fupply the refpective office or place, offices or places, fo vacant, or from which any perfon or perfons fhall be fo recalled or removed, or whofe appointment or ap pointments fhall have been vacated and made void as aforefaid: and that every perfon or perfons, fo conftituted and appointed, fhall have and be invested with the fame powers, privileges, and authorities, as if he or they had been nominated and appointed by the faid Court of Directors, and approved by His Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors.

And be it further enacted, That no refignation to be made of the offices of the Governor General, or Governor or Prefident of any of the fubordinate fettlements, or Commander in Chief, or member of the refpective Councils of the faid Prefidencies in India, fhall be deemed or conftrued to be legal or valid, or fhall be accepted as fuch, unless the fame be made by an inftrument in writing under the hand and feal of the officer or perfon refigning the fame. And be it further enacted, That no order or refolution of any General Court of the Proprietors of the faid United Company fhall be available to revoke or refcind, or in any refpect to affect, any act, order, refolution, matter, or proceeding, of the faid Court of Directors, by this act directed or authorized to be made or done by the faid Court, after His Majesty's pleasure fhall have been fignified upon the fame, in the manner herein before directed, any law or ufage to the contrary notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted, That fo much and fuch parts of an act, made in the twenty-first year of the reign of His prefent Majefty, as directs the Court of Directors of the faid United Company to deliver to the Commiffioners of the Treafury, or to the High Treasurer for the time being, or to one of his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, copies of any letters or orders relating to the management of the revenues, or the civil and military affairs of the faid Company; and alfo all fuch powers and authorities given to or vefted in the Proprietors and Directors of the faid United Company, or in any General or Special Court thereof refpectively, in and by any act of Parlia ment or charter, as are contrary or repugnant to this act, or any thing therein contained, fhall be, and the fame are hereby difcontinued, for and during the continuance of this act, any thing contained in any such act or charter, or any custom or ufage to the contrary notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted, That this act fhall take place and have com mencement, in Great Britain, immediately after

and

fhall take place and have commencement, in the feveral Prefidencies aforefaid, and in the territories thereunto belonging, from the and fhall remain and continue in force for the pace of

years.

And be it further enacted, That this act shall be deemed and taken to be a public act.

END OF THE THIRTEENTH VOLUME.