Br-Laws time, for the current business, shall be kept at the Bank of England, in such method as the Court of Directors shall appoint. c. 4, § 3. § 4. § 5. $ 6. § 7. c. 6 § 2. § 4. § 5. That for every sum drawn out of the Bank of England, a write-off or draft shall be signed by the chairman or deputy-chairman, for the time being, and one other director of the Committee of Treasury, and countersigned by the principal cashier or his deputy, or by such other officer or officers as the Court of Directors shall appoint for that purpose; and that no other person but the principal cashier, or his deputy, shall present the said write-off or draft for payment. That no money relating to the trade or affairs of the No money to be disposed of Company shall be disposed of without an order of the without an order Court of Directors; and that the interest, and all other of the Court of advantages arising and growing upon the cash of the Directors. Company, shall be brought to the account of the said Company. That the book containing the state of the cash shall be laid before the Court of Directors, once in every week, by the cashier, and that he sign the same. That the chairman or deputy-chairman, and two of the Court of Directors, do once a month, or oftener, examine the several species whereof the balance of the cash consists, and certify the same under their hands. That no unlimited vote of credit shall be given by the Court of Directors to the Committee of Treasury on the Company's account. Directors. State of the cash to be laid before the Court weekly. Balance of cash to be examined monthly by Di rectors. No unlimited vote of credit to be given to the Committee of Treasury. ings with the ex That in all cases, no director of this Company shall No Director to have any dealings or business with the Company upon have any dealhis own account, either separately, or in conjunction Company, with any other person or persons, for or in respect of buying for, or selling to the Company any bullion or other goods, or in the making of any other bargain or contract, by, to, or with this corporation, other than at any of the Company's public sales. That no director shall give his vote for any lot of goods bought at the Company's sale, or for making any allowance for any goods so bought, wherein he shall be directly or indirectly concerned. cept as to goods bought at the sales. No Director to vote on the sale of goods wherein he is concerned. No Director to take any fee, present, or ward. re That if any director shall take any fec, present, or reward, directly or indirectly, upon any account whatsoever relating to the business or affairs of the Company, or his office of a director, he shall forfeit to the use of this Company double the amount received, be liable to be removed from his office of director, and shall be, ipso facto, incapable thereafter of holding any other place whatsoever, or any employment or pension under the Company. That Director going beyond sea. That every director going beyond sea shall make a report thereof to the Court of Directors, who shall notify his absence to the general court after it shall have exceeded the period of one year, and such director shall thereupon be liable to be removed from his office of director. No person can be a director That any proprietor who shall have been elected a director of this Company, within two years after havwithin two years ing held any maritime office in the service of the Comafter having been in the company, shall be liable to be removed from his office of pany's maritime director; and that any director who shall hold any office service; or if or place of emolument under the crown, shall be liable holding an office under the to be removed from the said office of director. Provided always that this by-law shall not affect any person at present in the direction, and now holding an office under the crown, or preclude his being re-elected to be a director, or subject him to be liable to be removed from the said office. crown. papers; except Directors may That every director shall have liberty to take copies inspect and copy of all accounts, letters, and papers relating to the Comthose before the pany's affairs, except such as are before the Secret Secret Commit Commitee appointed by the act of 33 Geo. III, cap. mittee of Secre- 52, or the Committees of Secrecy. tee and Com cy. Despatches and Orders to be signed by thirteen Members. All orders to be signed by thirteen or more di rectors except orders from the Secret Commit That no orders shall be sent by the directors to, or obeyed by, any persons employed in the service of this Company, in India, or any other parts beyond the Cape of Good Hope, or at St. Helena, but such as shall be tee or Commit- signed by thirteen or more of the directors, for the time tees of Secrecy. being; except such orders as are directed or allowed to be issued by the Secret Committee, pursuant to the act of Parliament of 33 Geo. III, cap. 52, or by the Committees of Secrecy, relative to signals, places of rendezvous, and convoys, and other commercial matters. Court minutes. Dissents. Directors may That any director who shall dissent from any resoenter dissents on lution of the Court of Directors shall have the liberty of entering his dissent, with the reasons thereof, on the minutes of the said court, within fourteen days from the passing such resolution. Also resolu Gratuities. That every resolution of the Court of Directors for tions respecting granting to any person by way of gratuity, any sum of gratuities, exceeding £600, money, exceeding in the whole six hundred pounds, to be laid before shall be laid before and approved by two general two general courts, specially summoned for that purpose, in the courts, in the form of a report, stating the grounds upon which such grant is recommended, which resolution and report form of a report, stating the shall § 20. and signed by commendation, the directors approving the BY-LAWS. shall be signed by such directors as approve the same, grounds of reand that the documents on which such resolution may have been formed shall be open to the inspection of the proprietors, from the day on which public notice has been given of the proposed grant. § 17. § 18. $19. c. 11, § 1 to 3. c. 12, § 1. Offices and Salaries. That no new office, either at home or abroad, shall be created by the directors with any salary exceeding the sum of two hundred pounds per annum, without . the approbation of two general courts to be summoned for that purpose. same. No new office to be created of more than £200 per annum, without approbation of two general courts. That no additional salary, exceeding in the whole two hundred pounds per annum, shall be annexed to any office, without the approbation of two general £200 to a salary. courts to be summoned for that purpose. Pensions. Not a greater addition than That every resolution of the Court of Directors for granting a new pension or an increase of pension, exceeding in the whole two hundred pounds per annum, to any one person, shall be laid before and approved by two general courts specially summoned for that purpose, before the same shall be submitted to the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India, in the form of a report, stating the grounds upon which such grant is recommended, which resolution and report shall be signed by such directors as approve the same, and that the documents upon which such resolution may have been formed shall be open to the inspection of the proprietors from the day on which public notice has been given of the proposed grant. Register of Bonds and other Instruments. That the Court of Directors do cause a register of all bonds for money borrowed at interest to be kept under the inspection of those who have the custody of the seal. That a register be kept, in like manner, for the entry of all other bonds and instruments, of what kind soever, which shall pass under the Company's seal. That the secretary, for the time being, do see that the said register books be laid before the Court of Directors, at the first court in every calendar month. Seal of the Company. The register books to be laid before the court. And not to be That the common seal of this corporation shall be kept under three locks: that the key of one of the put to any writsaid locks shall be kept by the chairman or deputy- ing but by order chairman, for the time being; that the key of another of the Court of of the said locks shall be kept by the accountant Directors. general c. 11, general or his deputy: and that the third key shall be kept by the BY-LAWS. treasurer or his deputy; that in case of the indispensable absence of the chairman and deputy-chairman, their key shall be placed in the c. 12. § 1. custody of the secretary or his deputy for the period of such absence; and that the said seal shall not be set to any writing or instrument but by an order of the Court of Directors first had for that purpose; and in the unavoidable absence of the chairman or deputy-chairman, not to be affixed but in the presence of the secretary, the accountantgeneral, and the treasurer, or their respective deputies. Superannuations. Allowances for That such allowances, in the nature of superan- c. 6, § 19. superannuation to officers and nuations, as the Court of Directors are empowered servants in Eng. to grant to their officers and servants in England, by land to be laid 53 Geo. III, cap. 155, section 93, shall be laid before before next ge- the next general court. neral court. Vacancies in the direction to be filled up within forty days after a declara Vacancies in the Direction. That whenever there shall be a vacancy of the place of a director, another shall be chosen in his room within a convenient time, not exceeding forty days after every such vacancy shall have been declared in the Court of Directors; and that ten days' public notice shall be given of the day upon which such choice shall be made. tion thereof. § 8. ૨ o COURTS OF JUDICATURE. UNDER this head may be classed 1. The Supreme Courts of Judicature in Bengal, and at Madras and Bombay, 2. The Recorder's Court at Prince of Wales' Island, Singapore, and Malacca, 3. The Court established under the act of the 24th Geo. III, cap. 25, and 26 Geo. III, cap. 57-for the trial in Great Britain of offences committed in India; and, lastly, 4. The Courts, for the Provinces in India. The origin and establishment of the Supreme Courts at the three Presidencies will be first noticed. BENGAL. The charter granted to the East-India Company by Charles II. in the year 1661, gave to the Governor and Council of the several places belonging to the Company in the East-Indies power to judge all persons living under the Company in all causes, whether civil or criminal, according to the laws of Great Britain, and to execute judgment accordingly. In the subsequent grants to the Company of the islands of Bombay and St. Helena in 1669 and 1674, full power was given for the exercise by the Company of judicial authority according to the British laws. In the year 1683, Charles the Second granted a further charter to the Company, in which the royal will was declared, that a Court of Judicature should be established at such places as the Company might appoint; to consist of one person, learned in the civil laws, and two merchants; all to be appointed by the Company. This arrangement was continued in the charters granted by James the Second in the year 1686, and by William the Third in the year 1698; but it does not appear to have been effectual to |
