Document: Octrooien. Octrooi verleend door de Staten-Generaal betreffende de alleenhandel ten oosten van Kaap de ...

[oud Nederlands]
handt genomen hadden ende daerinne waren participerende
soude wesen dat deselve Compaignien vereenicht ende
de voorschreven handelinge onder een vaste ende sekere
eenicheyt ordre ende politie soude mogen gemeen
gehouden gedreven ende vermeerdert wordden voor allen
den Ingesetenen der Vereenichde Landen die daerinne souden
believen te participeren Twelck byden Gedeputeerden
uuyte voorschreven Compaignien wel verstaen ende oversulcx
naer verscheyden communicatien deliberatien Inductien
ende Rapporten tot vereeninge gebrocht synde hebben
wy nae rype beraedtslaginge daerop gehouden tot
voorderinge vanden dienst ende welstandt der
Vereenichde Landen eensamentlyck het proffyt
van allen den Ingesetenen derselver de voorschreven vereeninge
geaggregeert ende bevesticht Aggreeren ende
bevestigen dy desn uuyt Souverauine macht
ende authoriteyt Oock met vaste wetenschap
onder die pointen vryheyden ende voordeelen hiernae
verclaert Als inden eersten dat inde equippage
die tot dienste ende proffyte van dese Compaignie
gedaen sal wordden die Camere vande Bewinthebbers
binnen de Stadt van Amstelredam sal hebben te
bevoerderen ende besorgen d'eene helft de Camere
van Zeelandt een vierdepart ende de Cameren opte
Maze ende in Noorthollant ende Westvrieslant
elcx een achste part dat soo dickwils het van noode
wesen sal een generale vergaderinge ofte
Collegie uuyte voorschreven Cameren gehouden sal wordden
van zeventhien persoonen daerinne uuyte Camere
van Amstelredam sullen Compareren acht uuyt
Zeelant viere uuyte Maze twee ende van gelycken
uuyt Noorthollandt twee welverstaende dat den
zeventhienden persoon by gebuerte by die van Zeelandt
Maze ende Noorthollandt sal wordden inde vergaderinge
--
gebrocht byde meeste stemmen van welcke persoonen
alle saken dese vereenichde Compaignie aengaende
sullen affgehandelt wordden
Tvoorschreven Collegie alst bescreven sal wordden te samen
commen sal omme te resolveren wanneermen sall
equipperen met hoe veele schepen waermen die sal
seynden ende andere dingen den handel betreffende
De Resolutien van tvoorschreven Collegie sullen byde resective
Cameren van Amstelredam Zeelant de Maze
ende Noorthollandt geeffectueert ende int werck
gestelt wordden
De convocatie ende vergaderinge van tvoorschreven Collegie
sal gehouden wordden de eerste zess Jaren binnen der
Stede van Amstelredam ende twee Jaren daeraen
in Zeelandt ende soo voorts gedurende dese vereeninge
Die Bewinthebberen die van ween dese vereenichde
Compaignie van huys sullen reysen daertoe gecommitteert
synde tsy omme in het voorschreven Collegie te vergaderen
ofte in eenige andere besoignen sullen voor haer
dachgelden hebben tot teercosten vier guldens die
Schuyt ende wagenwrachten daerinne niet begrepen
welverstaende dat hierinne niet begrepen en syn
die ghene die van d'eene Stadt in d'andere reysen
omme de respective Cameren te frequenteren als
Regeerders derselver die welcke geen dachgelden
nochte reysgelden sullen genieten
Off het gebuerde dat int Collegie eenige wichtige
swaere saken voorvielen daerinne die Collegianten
niet wel en conden verdragen ofte Accorderen
ofte daer sy haer selffs souden mogen beswaert vinden
om malcanderen te overstemmen dat het selffde
gelaten sal wordden tot onse verclaringe ende
decisie ende tghene dien aengaende goetgevonden
sal wordden sal achtervolght ende nagecommen wordden

[English][ from: http://rupertgerritsen.tripod.com/pdf/published/VOC_Charter_1602.pdf ]

The Directors of the abovementioned companies were thence invited to consult with us and propose that these companies be united and would therein participate, as it would not only be of service and profitable for the united provinces, but also for all who had commenced this commendable trade. Through the creation of a fixed, secure and orderly entity they will be bonded together, managed and expanded for the good of all the residents of the united provinces who would like to participate in it.

The representatives from the abovementioned companies understood this well and after they came to agree through various discussions, explanatory sessions, and reports, we have, after having conducted due deliberations taking into consideration the progress, service and welfare of the united provinces, jointly succeeded in bringing about a union.

We have also approved and confirmed this on the basis of our sovereign power and authority, applying our balanced understanding. The points, privileges and advantages are declared as follows:

Firstly, that in equipping for the service and the advantage of this Company, the Chamber of Directors in the City of Amsterdam will have to advance and deliver
one half of the investment, the Chamber of Zeeland a quarter, and the Chambers of the Meuse and of North Holland and West Friesland one-eighth each.

As often as would be needed a general meeting or Board consisting of the abovementioned Chambers shall be held comprising seventeen persons. Therein the Chamber of Amsterdam shall appear with eight, Zeeland with four, two from the Meuse Chamber, and two from North Holland, provided that the seventeenth person will be nominated in turns by Chambers of Zeeland, the Meuse and North Holland, shall be elected by a majority of votes. All business of this United Company shall be taken care of by these persons.

Whenever the abovementioned Board meets, it shall determine when the equipping of ships will occur and how many, where they shall be sent and other matters relating to the trade.

The respective Chambers of Amsterdam, Zeeland, the Meuse and North Holland shall implement the resolutions of the said Board.

The convening and meetings of the abovementioned Board shall take place in Amsterdam for the first six years, and for the two subsequent years in Zeeland, and so on.

During this period if the Directors that serve the United Company need to journey from home in order to meet as representatives of the aforementioned Board or on other business as well to carry out other duties, they shall have a daily expense allowance for food of four guilders per day, in addition to the cost of barge or wagon. This is on the understanding that those persons who travel from one city to the other in their role as Directors in order to visit the respective Chambers, shall be excluded from such recompense, and will receive neither daily allowance nor reimbursement of travel costs.

Should it occur that the Board members are unable to reach agreement on business of considerable importance, or are concerned about overruling each other in regard to this, then such matters shall be deferred and forwarded for our consideration and determination. Any resulting approvals shall be duly followed and acted upon.