the faid committee-men fhall cause the fame to be paid to fuch officers or foldiers in filver fpecie. And to the intent that all abuses in the African trade may be effectually and speedily rectified, Be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that copies of this act shall be immediately fent out to all the governors of the forts on the Gold Coast, and that they, and their officers and fervants, be directed to hold themselves in readiness to return to England by the first day of July next ensuing, under penalty of confifcation of their effects, one half to the captains of men of war fent out with the next governors, according to this act, and the other half for the maintenance of the forts, which are defigned to be kept up: and that a general meeting of the African traders, qualified as by this act is directed, on or before the last day of April next enfuing, fhall be held at their chamber in London, on the fecond day of May next enfuing, where the intended governors, officers and fervants of the five forts of Cape Coast Caftle, Dixcove, Annamaboe, Winnebah and Accra fhall be elected, and application made to government that a competent number of foldiers be ordered to be got ready with all poffible dispatch, and all neceffary ftores, provifions and instructions sent out with them, fo as to reach the Coast by the third of July next enfuing, that a full and immediate change of men and measures may at once take place in England and Africa; and that with them one or more engineers fhall also be fent out, who fhall be and are hereby made, fubject to the same restrictions as to trade, as the go vernors vernors of the forts are by this act declared to be, which engineers fhall infpect the faid five forts, and give directions for putting them in proper and refpectable repair, which directions the faid governors fhall comply with and not be permitted to make any alterations: And that the faid engineers fhall receive and tranfmit home, an account of all the stores and other public effects in the forts, for the improper deficiencies whereof at the time of taking the inventory, the present committee and governors fhall be accountable; as fhall every fucceeding governor for deficiencies in his time, upon quitting his command and returning to England. And in aid of the fupport of the forts and expences hereby incurred, a tax of one or two fhillings per ton fhall be levied on all ships and veffels fitted out from Great Britain or her colonies for the African trade, from and after the first day of January, 1773. And that these regulations and all future orders of fucceeding committees fhall be effectually and constantly complied with, e it enacted, and it is enacted by the au-thority aforesaid, that every September in every succeeding year, a fifty or fixty gun man of war with one or more frigates, and a tender, shall fail from England with a prudent person of reputation learned in the law, who fhall act as judge, and the captains and commiffioned officers of the faid veffels as jury, who shall stop at every place of trade upon the Coast, and hear and redress all grievances and abuses committed by the British subjects against the natives and vice versá; for which purpose they fhall be empowered to enter into, and fettle -fettle treaties with the natives, and that they shall have power to force all offenders to make recompence for offences to the parties injured, and to order or bring such persons home from off the Coast, who fhall be guilty of any enormities; and shall bring back an account of all their transactions, and of complaints against masters of ships, or governors and officers of the company, who fhall be proceeded against according to the directions of the committee as authorised by this act : And that upon their return, a frigate shall carry out officers to supply vacancies, or in the room of fuch as have been brought home, or by their improper behaviour deserved to be superseded; which frigate fhall convoy one or more store ships with fuch things, not articles of trade, as shall be wanted upon the Coaft for the maintenance of the forts, of which there shall conftantly in each be at least four months fupply. And be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that all caufes heard upon the Coast fhall be without any manner of charges upon any pretence whatsoever to either party, and that the judge, officers, fecretary or other persons whatsoever, convicted of receiving any fee, gratuity or reward, or of trading in any manner whatsoever, fhall be deprived of his office and of one year's falary thereof, and be rendered incapable of ever holding any civil or military office under his majesty for the time to come. And be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that all other regulations and fupplies which the committee fhall think requifite, and which fhall receive the . approbation of a general meeting of the merchants trading to Africa, free of the said company, though not in this act expreffed, shall be settled and provided for; and that these general orders fhall have the force of a law, where they are not contrary to the intent and meaning of the legislature, or the general interest and emolument of the African trade. And be it enacted, and it is enacted by the authority aforefaid, that fuch parts of this act as have dates affixed to them shall be in force according to such dates, and that the whole of the act fhall commence and be in force from and after the first day of July next enfuing. CONCLUSION. IT only remains to be obferved, that this Treatise is not the reverie of any one fingle person, but the joint sentiments of the best writers upon trade, and the refult of the united opinions of the most capital merchants to Africa, drawn from their long experience and perfect knowledge of the subject, and collected by AN AFRICAN MERCHANT. APPENDIX. |