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BANCROFT FUND LTD.
ELLSWORTH FUND LTD.
(THE FUNDS)
AMENDED AND RESTATED
AUDIT COMMITTEES CHARTER
(Amended effective July 17, 2007)
1.
Membership; Qualifications.
a. Each Audit
Committee shall have at least three members. [Section 121B(2)(a) of the American Stock
Exchange (AMEX) Company Guide.]
b. Each member of the Audit Committees shall be able to read and understand fundamental
financial statements, including a Funds balance sheet, income statement, and cash
flow statement. [Section 121B(2)(a)(iii) of the AMEX Company Guide.]
c. At least one member of each Audit Committee must be financially
sophisticated in that he or she has past employment experience in finance or
accounting, requisite professional certification in accounting or other comparable
experience or background which results in the individuals financial sophistication,
including but not limited to being or having been a chief executive officer, chief
financial officer, or other senior officer with financial oversight responsibilities.
[Section 121B(2)(a)(iii) of the AMEX Company Guide.]
d. At least one member of each Audit Committee must be an audit committee financial
expert as such term is defined in Form N-CSR. [Item 3 of Form N-CSR]
e. Each member of the Audit Committees shall be free of any material relationship with the
Funds that, in the opinion of the Boards of Trustees of the Funds (the
Boards), would interfere with his or her individual exercise of independent
judgment. [Section 121A(2) of the AMEX Company Guide.]
f. No member of the Audit Committees shall, other than in his or her capacity as a member
of the Audit Committees, the Boards, or any other Board committee, accept directly or
indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the Funds.
Compensatory fees do not include the receipt of fixed amounts of compensation under a
retirement plan (including deferred compensation) for prior service with the Funds
(provided that such compensation is not contingent in any way on continued service). [Rule
10A-3(b)(1)(iii) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act)]
g. No member of either of the Audit Committees shall be an interested person
of any of the Funds as defined in section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the 1940 Act). [Section 121A(3) and 121B(2)(a)(i) of the AMEX
Company Guide; Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iii) promulgated under the Exchange Act]
h. No member of either of the Audit Committees shall have participated in the preparation
of the Funds financial statements during the past three years. [Section
121B(2)(a)(ii) of the AMEX Company Guide.]
2.
Purposes. The purposes of the Audit Committees are:
a. in their
capacity as committees of the Boards, to be directly responsible for the appointment
(subject to ratification by a majority of the Boards who are not interested
persons of the Funds as defined in the 1940 Act (disinterested
trustees)), compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any independent
registered public accountants (the independent auditors) employed by the Funds
(including resolution of disagreements between management and the auditor regarding
financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related
work; [Section 10A(m)(2) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(2) adopted thereunder, and
Section 121B(4) of the AMEX Company Guide]
b. to oversee the Funds accounting and financial reporting policies and processes,
its internal controls and, as appropriate, the internal controls of their investment
adviser; [Section 121B(1)(c) of the AMEX Company Guide.]
c. to oversee the quality and objectivity of the Funds financial statements and the
independent audit thereof; [Section 121B(1)(iii) of the AMEX Company Guide.]
d. to the extent required by Section 10A(h) and (i) of the Exchange Act, to preapprove all
audit and permissible non-audit services that are provided to the Funds by their
independent auditors;
e. to pre-approve, in accordance with Item 2.01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X, certain
non-audit services provided by the Funds independent auditors to the Funds
investment adviser and/or administrator if the Funds independent auditors are the
same as, or affiliated with, the investment advisers auditors;
f. to the extent required by Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, to prepare an audit
committee report for inclusion in a Funds annual proxy statement; and
g. to serve as the Funds qualified legal compliance committee (QLCC)
within the meaning of Part 205 of the Commissions Rules of Practice Standards
of Professional Conduct for Attorneys Appearing and Practicing before the Commission in
the Representation of an Issuer (the Attorney Conduct Rules).
3. Duties
and Powers. To carry out their purposes, the Audit Committees shall have the following
duties and powers:
a. to be
directly responsible for the appointment (subject to ratification by a majority of the
Boards of the Funds who are not interested persons of the Funds (the independent
trustees)), compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any independent
auditors employed by the Funds, including reviewing with such auditors the proposed audit
plans and meeting with the auditors after completion of the audit to review the work done
in connection with the audit and to discuss and resolve any disagreements between
management and the auditor regarding financial reporting. All of the foregoing shall be
for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review
or attest services, and each such independent auditors must report directly to the Audit
Committees; [Section 10A(m)(2) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(2) adopted thereunder,
and Section 121B(4) of the AMEX Company Guide]
b. to evaluate the independence of the Funds independent auditors, including whether
such auditors provide any consulting services to the Funds investment adviser and/or
administrator; to receive from such auditors a formal written statement delineating all
relationships between such auditors and the Funds, consistent with Independent Standards
Board Standard 1; and to actively engage in a dialogue with the independent auditors with
respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and
independence of the auditors and for taking, or recommending that the full Boards take,
appropriate action to oversee the independence of the outside independent auditors;
[Section 121B(1)(b) of the AMEX Company Guide]
c. to oversee the accounting and financial reporting process of the Funds and the audits
of the financial statements of the Funds, and in connection therewith, to meet with the
Funds independent auditors, including private meetings, as necessary (i) to review
the arrangements for and scope of the annual audit and any special audits and any audit
plans prepared by the independent auditors for the Funds; (ii) to discuss any matters of
concern relating to the Funds financial statements, including any adjustments to
such statements recommended by the independent auditors, or other results of said
audit(s); (iii) to consider the independent auditors comments with respect to the
Funds financial policies, procedures and internal accounting controls and
managements responses thereto; and (iv) to review the form of opinion the
independent auditors propose to render to the Boards and shareholders; [Section 121B(1)(c)
of the AMEX Company Guide.]
d. to receive and review the written disclosures and the letter from the independent
auditors regarding their independence that are required by Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K,
to discuss with such auditors their independence, and to consider whether the provision by
such auditors of permissible non-audit services to (i) the Funds, (ii) their advisor or
(iii) any person that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such
advisor that provides services to the Funds, is compatible with maintaining such
auditors independence; [Item 7(e), Item 9(e)(8) of Schedule 14A, Item 22(b)(16)(i)
and Item 407(d)(3) of Regulation S-K]
e. to review and discuss audited financial statements contained in annual and other
periodic reports to shareholders with management and the independent auditors to determine
that such auditors are satisfied with the disclosure and content of the annual financial
statements and the quality of the Funds accounting and financial reporting policies,
procedures and internal control over financial reporting (including the Funds
critical accounting policies and practices), and also to discuss with management and the
independent auditors the clarity, consistency and completeness of accounting policies and
disclosures; [Item 7(e) of Regulation 14A, Item 22(b)(16)(i) and Item 407(d)(3) of
Regulation S-K]
f. based upon a review of the items discussed in (d) and (e) above, to recommend to the
Boards that the Funds audited financial statements be included in the Funds
annual reports to shareholders; [Item 7(e) of Regulation 14A, Item 22(b)(16)(i) and Item
407(d)(3) of Regulation S-K]
g. the Audit Committees shall prepare the audit committee report that SEC rules require to
be included in the Funds annual proxy statement. [Item 7(e) of Regulation 14A, Item
22(b)(16)(i) and Item 407(d)(3) of Regulation S-K]
h. to consider the effect upon the Funds of any changes in accounting principles or
practices proposed by management or the independent auditors and to review information
received from management and such auditors regarding regulatory changes and new accounting
pronouncements that affect net asset value calculations and financial statement reporting
requirements;
i. to the extent that certifications by officers of the Funds (the signing
officers) as to the Funds financial statements or other financial information
are required by applicable law to be included with or in the Funds periodic reports
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), to receive from such
officers notifications if such certifications are not included for any reason; [Item 12 of
Form N-CSR]
j. to meet as necessary with counsel to the Funds, counsel to the disinterested trustees
of the Funds and, if applicable, independent counsel or other advisers to the Audit
Committees and to review information provided by all such persons on legal issues having
the possibility of impacting the financial reporting process, including items of
industry-wide importance and internal issues such as litigation;
k. to the extent required by Section 10A(h) and (i) of the Exchange Act, to preapprove all
audit and permissible non-audit services that are proposed to be provided to the Funds by
their independent auditors before they are provided to the Funds. Such pre-approval shall
also include the proposed fees to be charged by the independent auditors for such
services. The Audit Committees may delegate the pre-approval of audit and permissible
non-audit services and related fees to one or more members of the Audit Committees who are
independent, as such term is defined in Rule 10A-3(b)(1)(iii) under the
Exchange Act. Any such members decision to pre-approve audit and/or non-audit
services and related fees shall be presented to the full Audit Committees, solely for
informational purposes, at their next scheduled meeting; [Section 10A(h) and (i) of the
Exchange Act]
l. to the extent required by Item 2.01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X, to pre-approve
non-audit services to be provided by the Funds independent auditors to the
Funds investment adviser and/or administrator if the engagement relates directly to
the operations and financial reporting of any Fund and if the Funds independent
auditors are the same as, or affiliated with, the investment advisers or certain
affiliated entities auditors; [Item 2.01(c)(7)(ii) of Regulation S-X and Item
9(e)(8) of Schedule 14A]
m. in connection with any pre-approval of any permissible tax service that is proposed to
be provided by the independent auditors to a Fund, its investment adviser or
administrator, to (i) receive in writing a description of (A) the scope of the service,
the fee structure for the engagement, and any side letter or other amendment to the
engagement letter, or any other agreement (whether oral, written or otherwise) between the
independent auditors, and such entity, relating to the service, (B) any compensation
arrangement or other agreement, between the independent auditor (or affiliate of the
auditor) and any person (other than any such entity) with respect to the promoting,
marketing, or recommending of a transaction covered by the service, (ii) discuss with the
independent auditors the potential effects of the services on the independence of the
independent auditors; and (iii) document the substance of the discussion with the
independent auditors; [Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Rule 3524]
n. to investigate improprieties or suspected improprieties in fund operations, including
but not limited to receiving and reviewing disclosures by the Funds signing officers
to the Audit Committees of (i) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
internal controls which could adversely affect the Funds ability to record, process,
summarize, and report financial data and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that
involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Funds
internal controls; [Item 12(a)(2) of Certification 5 of Form N-CSR]
o. to establish procedures for (i) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints
received by the Funds regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing
matters and (ii) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of the Funds (or the
Funds investment adviser and administrator) of concerns regarding questionable
accounting or auditing matters [Section 10A(m)(4) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(3)
adopted thereunder, and Section 121B(4) of the AMEX Company Guide]
p. to receive and review information provided by management and the independent auditors
regarding the Funds accounting system and controls, including but not limited to
receiving from the Funds independent auditors information concerning (i) all
critical accounting policies and practices to be used, (ii) all alternative treatments of
financial information within generally accepted accounting principles that have been
discussed with management officials of the Funds, ramifications of the use of such
alternative disclosures and treatments, and the treatment preferred by such independent
auditors, and (iii) other material written communications between such independent
auditors and the management of the Funds such as the management letter or schedule of
unadjusted differences; [Section 10A(k) of the Exchange Act]
q. to carry out the responsibilities of a QLCC as set forth in the Attorney Conduct Rules,
and in connection therewith: (i) to adopt written procedures for the confidential receipt,
retention and consideration of any report of evidence of a material violation of an
applicable United States federal or state securities law, a material breach of fiduciary
duty arising under United States federal or state law, or a similar material violation of
any United States federal or state law (a Material Violation); (ii) to report
to a Funds chief executive officer any report of evidence of a Material Violation
(iii) to determine whether an investigation is necessary regarding any report of evidence
of a Material Violation by the Fund, its officers, trustees, employees or agents and, if
it determines an investigation is necessary or appropriate, to: (A) notify the full Board;
(B) initiate an investigation, which may be conducted by outside attorneys; and (C) retain
such additional expert personnel as the Audit Committee deems necessary; and (iv) at the
conclusion of any such investigation, to: (A) recommend, by majority vote, that the Fund
implement an appropriate response to evidence of a Material Violation; and (B) inform the
chief executive officer and the Board of the results of any such investigation and the
appropriate remedial measures to be adopted; and (v) acting by majority vote, to take all
other appropriate action, including the authority to notify the Commission in the event
that the Fund fails in any material respect to implement an appropriate response the Audit
Committee has recommended the Fund to take; [Attorney Conduct Rules § 205.2(k)]
r. to receive reports of violations and potential violations of the Funds Code of
Ethics for Principal Financial Officers (the Code) from the Funds
Compliance Officer or his/her designee, and determine whether a violation has occurred;
s. to inform the disinterested trustees of the Funds of any violation of the Code; and
t. to report their activities to the full Boards on a regular basis and to make such
recommendations and/or decisions with respect to the above and other matters as the Audit
Committees may deem necessary or appropriate.
4.
Appointment of Independent Auditors. The Audit Committees shall appoint the
Funds independent auditors at an in-person meeting. If, at any time, the approval by
the Audit Committees of the Funds independent auditors constitutes an approval of
such auditors by less than a majority of the disinterested trustees, such approval shall
be ratified by a majority of the Funds disinterested trustees at the next regularly
scheduled in-person meeting of the Boards; [Section 32(a)(1) of the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended]
5. Meetings. The Audit Committees shall meet on a regular basis as often as
necessary to fulfill its responsibilities, including at least annually in connection with
the issuance of the Funds financial statements. The Audit Committees may meet either
on their own or in conjunction with meetings of the full Boards. Meetings of the Audit
Committees may be held in person or by conference telephone. Where appropriate, the Audit
Committees may take action by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting. [Section
121B(3) of the AMEX Company Guide]
The Audit Committees shall regularly meet with the Chief Financial Officer of the Funds.
6. Authority; Funding.
a. The Audit
Committees shall have the resources and authority appropriate to carry out their duties,
including the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisers, experts or
consultants as they deem necessary to carry out their duties, all at the expense of the
appropriate Fund(s). [Section 10A(m)(5) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(4) adopted
thereunder, and Section 121B(4) of the AMEX Company Guide]
b. The Funds shall provide for appropriate funding, as determined by the Audit Committees,
in their capacity as committees of the Boards, for payment of compensation (i) to the
independent auditors employed by the Funds for the purpose of preparing or issuing an
audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for the Funds and (ii)
to any independent counsel or other advisers employed by the Audit Committees. [Section
10A(m)(6) of the Exchange Act, Rule 10A-3(b)(5) adopted thereunder, and Section 121B(4) of
the AMEX Company Guide]
7. Annual
Internal Performance Evaluation. Each year the Audit Committees shall conduct an
internal evaluation of the performance of the Audit Committees.
8. Good Faith Reliance. In performing their duties under this Charter, members of
the Committees shall be entitled to rely in good faith upon the records of the Funds and
upon such information, opinions, reports and statements presented to the Audit Committees
by the officers and employees of the Funds and of Davis-Dinsmore Management Company, and
by the Funds independent auditors.
9. Review of Charter. The Audit Committees shall review and reassess the adequacy
of this Charter at least annually and recommend any changes to the full Boards. This
Charter may be amended only by the approval of the Boards, and a majority of the
disinterested trustees. [Section 121B(1) of the AMEX Company Guide]
10. Maintenance of Charter. Each Fund shall maintain and preserve in an easily
accessible place a copy of this Charter and any modification to this Charter.
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