CO885-(15-16) — Page 685

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

[[TT]

C.O.88

Reference :-

16 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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DRAFT SUPplemental Charter,

GEORGE THE FIFTH, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting.

Whereas by Her Charter or Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland bearing date at Westminster, the 29th day of October, 1889, Queen Victoria did grant, ordain, and declare that James Duke of Abercorn, Alexander William George Duke of Fife, Edric Frederick Lord Gifford, Cecil John Rhodes, Alfred Beit (all of whom are now deceased), Albert Henry George Grey (now the Right Honourable Earl Grey), and George Cawston, and such other persons and such bodies as from time to time should become and be members of the body politic and corporate thereby constituted, erected, and incorporated, should be constituted, erected, and incorporated into one body politic and corporate by the name of the British South Africa Company, by which name they should have perpetual succession and a common seal with the authorities, powers, and privileges conferred and subject to the conditions imposed by the said Charter (hereinafter referred to as the Principal Charter):

And Whereas the said Charter was amended by a further Charter granted by Queen Victoria on the 8th day of June, 1900 (hereinafter referred to as the First Supplemental Charter):

And Whereas it is expedient that the Principal Charter should be amended as hereinafter provided:

And Whereas the said British South Africa Company has agreed to accept the said amendments:

Now know ye that We of our especial grace and mere motion have willed, ordained, constituted, and declared, and by these presents for Us, Our heirs and successors do will, ordain, constitute, and declare, and unto the said British South Africa Company do grant, in manner following.

1. This Charter shall be read and construed as one with the Principal Charter and the First Supplemental Charter.

2. So much of Article 33 of the Principal Charter as provides that it shall be lawful for Us, Our heirs and successors, at the end of twenty-five years from the date of the said Charter and at the end of every succeeding period of ten years, to add to, alter, or repeal, any of the provisions of the said Charter relating to adminis- trative and public matters or to enact other provisions in substitution therefor or in addition thereto shall be read and construed subject to the proviso that, if at any time after the 29th day of October, 1914, the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia shall, by an absolute majority of the whole number of the members of the Council as then constituted, pass a Resolution praying the Crown to establish in Southern Rhodesia the form of government known as Responsible Government, it shall be lawful for Us, Our heirs and successors, if We or They at any time think fit to accede to the prayer of such Resolution, to add to, alter, or repeal, any of the provisions of the said Charter relating to administrative and public matters, or to enact other provisions in substitution therefor or in addition thereto for the purpose of establishing Responsible Government.

3. So much of Article 33 of the Principal Charter as reserves to Ourselves, Our heirs and successors the right to take over any buildings or works belonging to the Company and used exclusively or mainly for administrative or public purposes on payment to the Company of such reasonable compensation as may be agreed, or as, failing agreement, may be settled by the Commissioners of Our Treasury, shall be read and construed subject to the proviso that from and after the 29th day of October, 1914, the Company shall not be entitled to compensation in respect of any such buildings or works as aforesaid which can be shown to have been wholly pro- vided out of administrative revenue between that date and the date on which the said buildings and works shall have been so taken over, such period being taken as a whole, and where any such buildings and works can be shown to have been partly so provided during the said period taken as a whole the Company shall be entitled to claim compensation in respect only of such proportion of the value of the said buildings and works as that part of the original cost which has not, at the date of their being taken over as aforesaid, been provided out of administrative revenue may bear to the total cost of the said buildings and works.

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4. Subject to the provisions of Articles 2 and 3 of this Our Charter, Article 33 of the Principal Charter shall continue to have full force, effect, and validity, and nothing in this Our Charter shall be deemed or taken in any wise to limit or restrict the exercise of any rights or powers reserved to Ourselves, Our heirs and successors by the said Articles.

In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made patent. Witness Ourself at Westminster, the

in the fifth year of Our reign. By Warrant under the King's Sign Manual.

day of

1915,

J. A. S. S. O.

B.