CHARTER OF INCORPORATION OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1862. V ICTORIA, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come greeting: Whereas the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, incorporated by Charter imder our Great Seal, bearing date at Westminster the 10th day of June, in the 10th year of onr reign, and whereof our most dearly beloved Consort is President (and which Society is hereinafter referred to as the Society of Arts), did previously to the year 1851 establish and cause to be held from time to time, exhibitions of the products of industry and art, which exhibitions resulted in, or conduced to, the holding of the Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in the year 1851, and which last-named exhibition was attended with great success and public advantage: And whereas the said Society, in order to promote the objects for which it was in corporated, is desirous that facilities should be afforded for holding from time to time international exhibitions of the products of industry and art, and it hath been represented to us by the said Society that many of its members and others of our loving subjects are desirous that such an international exhibition should be holden in the metropolis in the year 1862, or so soon after as conveniently may be, and the said Society is desirous that the entire control and management of such exhibition shall be confided to the Right Honourable Granville George Earl Granville, Lord President of our Council, and Knight of our most noble Order of the Garter; the Right Honourable Richard Plantagenet Campbell Temple Nugent Brydges Chandos Grenville, com monly called Marquis of Chandos; Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P.; Charles Wentworth Dilke the younger, Esq.; and Thomas Fairbairn, Esq.; who are wilting to undertake the duty of conducting such exhibition, provided that the holding thereof be approved by us, and that we should be willing to grant to them our Charter of Incorporation, to enable them to conduct and manage the same: And whereas it hath also been represented to us that it is essential to the success of such undertaking that we give our sanction thereto, in order that it may have the confidence not only of all classes of our subjects, but of the subjects of foreign countries, and for such objects, as well as for other the purposes herein appearing, the said Society' hath besought us to authorize the said Earl Granville, the Marquis of Chandos, Thomas Baring, Charles Wentworth Dilke, and Thomas Fairbairn to carry into effect such undertaking, and to grant to them our Charter ot Incorporation: And whereas it hath been further represented to us that, with a view to the arrangements for the said exhibition, it will be necessary for the corporation to be hereby created forthwith to borrow sums not exceeding in the whole two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, and that the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, or other persons, will be willing to advance that sum, on having the repayment thereof secured by the covenant of the corporation, to be hereby created, and by the covenant of a sufficient number of other persons: And whereas it hath been further represented to us that, with a view of forwarding the undertaking, many of our loving subjects are willing to enter into proper covenants to effect such purpose, the covenants to be so framed as in the event of any payment being made thereunder, as far as practicable to subject the covenantors to bear such payment rateably, according to the amounts by them subscribed, but not exceeding in each case the amount of the subscription: And it hath also been
