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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 57
and receive instructions such as were given to the royal governors in the
American provinces.
"As the charter was finally issued, there were numerous provisions
also for imperial control. The most remarkable one was that limiting
the powers of government bestowed on the founders of Georgia to a
period of twenty-one years. The petitioners had sought greater powers
of appointing and removing officers and of establishing courts, and the
request was granted only on the condition of this time limitation.
Formal laws must be approved by the King, but regulations and orders
to fit special occasions could be given without approval. The power of
making laws was also limited to a period of twenty-one years, and no
law could become effective until .actually approved. Even in the mat
ter of appointing officers, there were two restrictions in favor of royal
control. The Crown reserved the right to appoint all those who should
be chosen to collect the King's revenue. Moreover, the person appointed
to be governor in the colony must have the approval of the King, and
must qualify himself properly by taking oaths and giving security to
obey the acts of Parliament relating to trade and navigation and to obey
instructions sent him pursuant to said acts. He was not bound, however,
to obey general instructions. The supervision of the British govern
ment over the financial management of the colony was secured by the
requirements that an annual account of all moneys received and ex
pended be presented in writing to two officials of the home government.
It was further stipulated that from time to time accounts of the progress
of the colony should be given to the secretaries of state and to the Board
of Trade."
On July 20, 1732, the trustees named by the king met in London *
to perfect an organization under the new charter whose terms and pro
visions were, at this first meeting, formally accepted. Lord John, Vis
count Percival, after exhibiting a certificate from the lord chief baron of
the exchequer to the effect that he had taken the required oath, was
thereupon duly installed in office as president of the corporation, fol
lowing which he proceeded to administer the prescribed oath to his
colleagues of the trust.
The Bank of England was designated as custodian of all moneys to
be contributed to the trust for Georgia's colonization. Benjamin Mar-
tyn was elected secretary, while the following gentlemen formed the
first common council: Anthony, Earl of Shaftsbury; John, Lord Vis
count Percival; John, Lord Viscount Tyrconnel; James, Lord Viscount
Limerick; George, Lord Carpenter; Edward Digby, Esq., James Ogle-
thorpe, Esq., George Heathcote, Esq., Thomas Tower, Esq., Robert
Moor, Esq., Robert Hucks, Esq., Roger Holland, Esq., William Sloper,
Esq., Francis Eyles, Esq., John Laroche, Esq., James Vernon, Esq.,
Stephen Hales, A. M., Richard Chandler, Esq., Thomas Frederick, Esq..
Henry L'Apostre, Esq., William Heathcote, Esq., John White, Esq.,
Robert Kendal, Esq., aldermen, and Richard Bundy, D. D.
Most of the business of the trust was transacted by the common coun
cil, subject, however, to final review at the hands of the corporation.
Its first chairman, as designated in the charter, was Hon. Edward Digby.
* Palace Court, in Old Court Yard, Westminster.