These judicial proceedings were to be summary and verbal, and the
judgment only was to be briefly registered in a book kept for the
purpose.
For five years succeeding the landing of the settlers, all the results of
their labor were to be held in common, and were to be stored in suitable
magazines. The president and the council were to elect a "cape merchant"
to superintend these public houses of deposit, and two clerks to note all
that went into or came out from them, and every colonist was to be
supplied from the magazines by the direction and appointment of these
officers or of the council.
The adventurers of the first colony were to choose from their number one
or more companies, each to consist of at least three persons, to reside
in or near London, and these were to superintend the general course of
trade between the mother-country and her distant daughter, and direct it
into such channels as would be most advantageous to both.
No person was to be admitted to reside in the colonies but such as would
take oath of obedience to the King, in the ample form provided for by a
statute passed early in the reign of James, and any rash offenders who
should attempt to withdraw from allegiance to his majesty was to be
imprisoned until reformation, or else sent to England, there to receive
"condign punishment.
Pages:
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607