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<DATE>2013-05-03</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B120722.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A80265">
<STC T="W">C5596</STC>
<STC T="C">W42985</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99900171</BIBNO>
<VID>137548</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="1">
<HEAD>CALEDONIA. THE Declaration OF THE COUNCIL Con&s;tituted by the <HI>Indian</HI> and <HI>African</HI> Com|pany of <HI>Scotland;</HI> for the Government, and direction of their Colonies, and Settlements in the <HI>Indies.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE &s;aid Company pur&s;uant to the Powers and Immu|munities Granted unto them, by His Maje&s;ty of Great <HI>Britain,</HI> our Soveraign Lord, with Advice and Con&s;ent of His Parliament of <HI>Scotland:</HI> having Granted and Conceded unto us and our Succe&s;&s;ors in the Govern|ment for all times hereafter, full Power to equip, &s;et out, freight, and navigate, our own or hired Ships, in War-like, or other manner, from any ports or places in Amity, or not in Ho&s;tility with His Maje&s;ty; to any Lands, I&s;lands, Countries, or places in <HI>A&s;ia, Africa</HI>
<PB N="2" REF="2">or <HI>America:</HI> and there to Plant Colonies, build Cities, Towns or Forts in or upon the places not Inhabited, or in or upon any other place by con&s;ent of the Natives or Inhabitants thereof, and not po&s;&s;e&s;t by any <HI>European</HI> Sovereign, Potentate, Prince, or State; and to provide and furni&s;h the afore&s;aid Places, Cities, Towns, or Forts, with Magazines, Ordance, Arms, Weapons, Ammunition and Stores of War; and by force of Arms to defend the &s;ame Trade, Navigation, Colonies, Cities, Towns, Ferts, Plantations, and other Effects what&s;o|ever; and likewi&s;e to make Reprizals, and to &s;eek and take repara|tion of Damage done by Sea or by Land: and to make and con|clude Treaties of Peace, and Commerce with the Sovereign Princes, E&s;tates, Rulers, Governours, or Proprietors of the afore&s;aid Lands, I&s;lands, Countries, or places in <HI>A&s;ia, Africa</HI> or <HI>America.</HI></P>
<P>And re&s;erving to them&s;elves Five <HI>Per Cent.</HI> or one Twentieth part; of the Lands, Mines, Minerals, Pearls, Stones of Value, precious Woods, and Fi&s;hings: have further Conceded and Granted unto us, the free and ab&s;olute right and property in and to all &s;uch Lands, I&s;lands, Colonies, Cities, Towns, Ports and Plantations, as we &s;hall come to, e&s;tabli&s;h, or po&s;&s;e&s;s in mann<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> afore&s;aid; as al&s;o to all manner of Trea&s;ures, Wealth, Riches, Profits, Mines, Minerals and Fi&s;hings, with the whole product and benefit thereof, as well Under as above the Ground, as well in Rivers and Seas, as in the Lands thereunto be|longing; or for or by rea&s;on of the &s;ame in any &s;ort; together with the right of Government and Admiralty thereof; as likewi&s;e that all manner of Per&s;ons who &s;hall &s;ettle to Inhabite, or be born in any &s;uch Plan|tations, Colonies, Cities, Towns Factories, or places &s;hall be, and be reputed as Natives of the Kingdom of <HI>Scotland;</HI> and generally the &s;aid Company have Communicated unto us a Right to all the Powers, Properties and Priviledges Granted unto them by Act of Parliament; or otherwi&s;e how&s;oever, with power to Grant and delegate the &s;ame; and to permit and allow &s;uch &s;ort of Trade, Commerce, and Naviga|tion unto the Plantations, Colonies, Cities, Towns, and places of our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion, as we &s;hall judge fit and convenient.</P>
<P>And the Chief Captains and Supream Leaders of the People of <HI>Darien,</HI> in compliance with former Agreements, having now in mo&s;t kind and obliging manner, received us into their Friend&s;hip
<PB N="3" REF="2">and Country, with Promi&s;e and Contract to a&s;&s;i&s;t and join in de|fence thereof again&s;t &s;uch as &s;hall be their or our Enemies in any time to come. Which, be&s;ides its being one of the mo&s;t Healthful Rich, and Fruitful Countries upon Earth, hath the advantage of be|ing a Narrow ISTHMUS, Seated in the Heighth of the World, between the two va&s;t Oceans, which renders it more convenient than any other for being the common Store-hou&s;e of the In&s;earch|able and Immen&s;e Trea&s;ures of the Spacious South Seas, the door of Commerce to <HI>China</HI> and <HI>Japan,</HI> and the Emporium and Staple for the Trade of both <HI>Indies.</HI></P>
<P>And now by Virtue of the before-mentioned Powers to us given, We do here Settle, and in the Name of GOD E&s;tabli&s;h Our Selves, and in Honour, and for the Memory of that mo&s;t Ancient and Renowned Name of our Mother Kingdom, We do, and will from hence-forward call this Country by the Name of <HI>Caledonia:</HI> and our &s;elves, Succe&s;&s;ors, and A&s;&s;ociates, by the name of <HI>Caledonians.</HI></P>
<P>And &s;uitable to the Weight and Greatne&s;s of the Tru&s;t repo&s;ed, and the valuable Opportunity now in our hands; being firmly re&s;olved to communicate and di&s;po&s;e thereof in the mo&s;t ju&s;t and equal manner for Increa&s;ing the Dominions and Subjects of the King Our Soveraign Lord, the Honour and Wealth of our Country, as well as the benefit and advan|tage of tho&s;e who now are, or may hereafter be concerned with us: We do hereby Publi&s;h and Declare, That all manner of Per&s;ons of what Nation or People &s;oever, &s;hall from hence-forward be equally free and alike capable of the &s;aid Properties, Priviledges, Protections, Im|munities, and Rights of Government. Granted unto us; and the Mer|chants, &amp; Merchants Ships of all Nations; may freely come to, and Trade with us; without being liable in their Per&s;ons, Goods or Effects, to any manner of Capture, Confi&s;cation, Seizure, Forfeiture, At|tachment, Arre&s;t, Re&s;traint or Prohibition, for or by rea&s;on of any Embargo, breach of the Peace, Letters of Mark, or Reprizals, De|claration of War with any Forreign Prince, Potentate or State; or upon-any other account or pretence what&s;oever.</P>
<P>And we do hereby not only Grant, and Concede, and Declare a general and equal freedom of Government and Trade to
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="4" REF="4">tho&s;e of all Nations, who &s;hall hereafter be of, or concerned with us; but al&s;o a full and free Liberty of Con&s;cience in matter of Religion, &s;o as the &s;ame be not under&s;tood, to allow, connive at, or indulge the Bla&s;pheming of Gods Holy Name, or any of His Divine Attributes; or of the Unhallowing or Prophaning the Sab|bath Day.</P>
<P>And finally, as the be&s;t and &s;ure&s;t means to render any Go|vernment &s;ucce&s;sful, durable and happy; it &s;hall (by the help of Almighty God) be ever our con&s;tant and chiefe&s;t care; that all our further Con&s;titutions, Laws and Ordinances, be con&s;onant and agreeable to the Holy Scripture, Right Rea&s;on, and the Examples of the wi&s;e&s;t and ju&s;te&s;t Nations; that from the Truth and Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s thereof we may rea&s;onably hope for, and expect the Ble&s;|&s;ings of Pro&s;perity and Increa&s;e.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>By Order of the Council, <HI>Hugh Ro&s;s</HI> Secretary.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>NEW EDINBURGH,</HI> <DATE><HI>December</HI> 28. 1698.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>Boston,</HI> Printed <HI>May,</HI> 15th. 1699.</P>
<PB REF="4">
</DIV1>
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