Charter and Supplemental Charter of the Hudsons Bay Company | Page 8

Us, Our Heirs and Successors, grant to and with the said Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay, that all Lands, Islands, Territories, Plantations, Forts, Fortifications, Factories, or Colonies, where the said Company's Factories and Trade are or shall be, within any the Ports or Places afore limited, shall be immediately and from henceforth, under the Power and Command of the said Governor and Company, their Successors and Assigns; saving the Faith and Allegiance due to be performed to Us, Our Heirs and Successors aforesaid; and that the said Governor and Company shall have Liberty, full Power and Authority, to appoint and establish Governors, and all other Officers to govern them, and that the Governor and his Council of the several and respective Places where the said Company shall have Plantations, Forts, Factories, Colonies, or Places of Trade within any the Countries, Lands or Territories hereby granted, may have Power to judge all Persons belonging to the said Governor and Company, or that shall live under them, in all Causes, whether Civil or Criminal, according to the Laws of this Kingdom, and to execute Justice accordingly. And, in Case any Crime or Misdemeanor shall be committed in any of the said Company's Plantations, Forts, Factories, or Places of Trade within the Limits aforesaid, where Judicature cannot be executed for want of a Governor and Council there, then in such Case it shall and may be lawful for the chief Factor of that Place and his Council, to transmit the Party, together with the Offence, to such other Plantation, Factory, or Fort, where there shall be a Governor and Council, where Justice may be executed, or into this Kingdom of England, as shall be thought most convenient, there to receive such Punishment as the Nature of his Offence shall deserve. AND MOREOVER, Our Will and Pleasure is, and by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, WE DO GIVE and grant unto the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, free Liberty and Licence, in case they conceive it necessary, to send either Ships of War, Men or Ammunition, unto any their Plantations, Forts, Factories, or Places of Trade aforesaid, for the Security and Defence of the same, and to choose Commanders and Officers over them, and to give them Power and Authority, by Commission under their Common Seal or otherwise, to continue or make Peace or War with any Prince or People whatsoever, that are not Christians, in any Places where the said Company shall have any Plantations, Forts or Factories, or adjacent thereunto, as shall be most for the Advantage and Benefit of the said Governor and Company, and of their Trade; and also to right and recompense themselves upon the Goods, Estates or People of those Parts, by whom the said Governor and Company shall sustain any Injury, Loss, or Damage, or upon any other People whatsoever that shall any Way, contrary to the Intent of these Presents, interrupt, wrong or injure them in their said Trade, within the said Places, Territories, and Limits, granted by this Charter. And that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, from time to time, and at all Times from henceforth, to erect and build such Castles, Fortifications, Forts, Garrisons, Colonies or Plantations, Towns or Villages, in any Parts or Places within the Limits and Bounds granted before in these Presents, unto the said Governor and Company, as they in their Discretion shall think fit and requisite, and for the Supply of such as shall be needful and convenient, to keep and be in the same, to send out of this Kingdom, to the said Castles, Forts, Fortifications, Garrisons, Colonies, Plantations, Towns or Villages, all Kinds of Cloathing, Provision of Victuals, Ammunition, and Implements, necessary for such Purpose, paying the Duties and Customs for the same, as also to transport and carry over such Number of Men being willing thereunto, or not prohibited, as they shall think fit, and also to govern them in such legal and reasonable Manner as the said Governor and Company shall think best, and to inflict Punishment for Misdemeanors, or impose such Fines upon them for Breach of their Orders, as in these Presents are formerly expressed. AND FURTHER, Our Will and Pleasure is, and by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, WE DO grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to their Successors, full Power and lawful Authority to seize upon the Persons of all such English, or any other Our Subjects, which shall sail into Hudson's Bay, or inhabit in any of the Countries, Islands or Territories hereby granted to the said Governor and Company, without their Leave and License in that Behalf first had and obtained,