ging the faid Fisheries and Manufactures; and if the faid Alterations or Additions fhall feem neceffary or expedient to his Majesty, his Heirs or Succeffors, it fhall and may be lawful for his Majesty, his Heirs and Succeffors, by Letters-patents, and under the Seal aforefaid, to alter the Plan or Method, for the Time being, and to settle and establish a new one, upon the Representation of the Commiffioners and Trustees, as above mentioned, which fhall continue and endure, and be in Force until it shall be altered or varied by his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, upon the Reprefentation of the faid Commiffioners and Trustees, in Manner above mentioned.

Preamble.

No II.

Anno vicefimo tertio

GEORGII II. Regis.

Cap. 24.

An ACT for the Encouragement of the Britifh WHITE-HERRING FISHERY.

1. WHEREAS the carrying on and Improvement of the British White-Herring Fisheries are of great Importance to these Kingdoms, as they may be of great Advantage to the Trade and Navigation thereof, and may be a Means of employing and providing for great Numbers of induftrious Poor, provided the fame could be carried on with a fufficient Stock, under proper Regulations, and that reasonable Encouragements be given to fuch Perfons as are willing to carry on the faid Fifheries: Therefore, for the Encouragement of fuch Perfons as are willing to carry on the faid Fisheries, and for the better Regulation of the faid Trade, and for preventing Frauds and Impofitions in the Management thereof, be it enacted by the King's Moft Ex

cellent

grant Letters

corporate the

cellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That it fhall and may be lawful for his Majesty, his Heirs and Succeffors, His Majefty by Letters-Patent under the Great Seal of impowered to Great Britain, to incorporate the Right patent to inHonourable Sir Samuel Pennant, Lord Perfons hereMayor of the City of London, and the in mentioned, other Perfons named in the Act, and all and every Perfon and Perfons, Bodies politick and corporate, who, in their own right, or as Executors, Administrators, Succeffors, or Affigns, derived or to be derived from, by, or under the original Proprietors, at any Time or Times, hereafter fhall have, and be united to any Part, Share, or Interest of or in the capital Sum of Five hundred thousand Pounds, herein after mentioned, fo long as they respectively fhall have any fuch Part, Share, or Intereft therein, to be one Body politick and corporate, in Deed and in Name, by the Name of The Society of by the Free British Fishery; and by that Name to have a Succeffion, to continue for the Term of Twenty-one Years, and to have a common Seal; with power from Time to Time to chufe their Governor, Prefident, Vice-Prefident, Council, and other Officers, in fuch Manner, and un(B2) der

of The Society

of

the Name the Free BriFibery,

for 21 Years,

Society im

powered to

der fuch Qualifications, with regard to the
Electors and elected, as fhall be directed
in fuch Letters-Patent; the first Governor,
Prefident, Vice-Prefident, and Council,
'fhall, by the faid Letters-Patent, be di-
rected to be qualified, and to continue in
their respective Offices for the space of
Three Years from the Date of the faid
Letters-Patent.

§ 2. AND be it further enacted by the make Laws. Authority aforefaid, That it fhall and may be lawful to and for his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, by the faid LettersPatent of Incorporation, to impower the faid Society to make By-laws from Time to Time, for the Regulation and Government of the faid Society; and for the Regulation and Management of the faid Trade and Commerce which fhall be carried on by them; and for the curing, forting, and packing their White Herrings, in fuch Manner as effectually to fecure the Credit of the faid Commodities in foreign Markets; and for the Government of the Servants and others employed by the faid Society in the faid Fisheries.

And to direct

Marks fhall

be put on e

3. AND be it further enacted by the what Seals or Authority aforefaid, That it fhall be lawful for the faid Society, from Time to very Barrel Time, to direct what Seals or Marks they fhall think proper, to be put on all or every Barrel or Cafk of their Fish; and

of Fish.

that

that if any Perfon or Perfons whatsoever fhall counterfeit fuch Seal or Mark, or hall knowingly affix fuch Seal or Mark fo counterfeited, to any Barrel or Cafk of Fish not belonging to the faid Society, fuch Perfons fhall forfeit and pay the Sum Penalty of of Five hundred Pounds for each Offence, the fame. counterfeiting to be recovered by Action, Plaint, or Information, in any of his Majesty's Courts of Record at Westminster, or in the Court of Seffion in that Part of Great Britain called Scotland; the one Moiety to be paid to the faid Society, and the other Moiety to be paid to fuch Perfon or Perfons as fhall fue for the fame.

§4. AND be it further enacted, That it fhall and may be lawful for his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, by his faid Letters-patent, to impower the faid Socie- The Society ty, by a voluntary fubfcription, to raise ered to raise a the fum of Five hundred thousand Pounds; Capital of L. 500,000. which faid Sum, when fo raised, thall be the Capital Stock of the faid Society; and to direct how the Property of the Persons fubfcribing may be afcertained, tranfferred, and alienated.

5. AND be it further enacted, That it fhall and may be lawful for his Majefty, his Heirs and Succeffors, by the faid Letters-patent, to impower the faid Society, or fuch Part thereof as fhall in the faid Letters-patent be for that Purpose named,

to