America and West Indies: June 1707, 1-5

Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 23, 1706-1708. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1916.

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'America and West Indies: June 1707, 1-5', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 23, 1706-1708, (London, 1916) pp. 442-446. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-indies/vol23/pp442-446 [accessed 19 March 2024]

June 1707, 1-5

June—Aug. 957. Permits for 5 ships to sail without convoy in the West Indies. [C.O. 5, 210. pp. 37, 39, 54, 55.]
June 2.
Fulham.
958. Bishop of London to Wm. Popple. I have carefully perused the Act [of Virginia, for the suppression of vice, etc.]. I do think it is a very dangerous thing to exempt young people from 15 to 21 from being liable to any punishment for their immorality. It will certainly be an inducement to them to take it for an indulgence to all licentiousness during that time. That part of the Act likewise, wch. makes the Clergy liable to the same punishmts. with the Lay-Offenders, is to expose them to the last degree; especially since they are liable to be corrected by ecclesiastical censures. Signed, H. London. Endorsed, Recd. 2nd, Read 5th June. Holograph. Addressed. ½ p. [C.O. 5, 1315. No. 59; and 5, 1362. p. 232.]
June 3.
Whitehall.
959. Mr. Secretary Harley to the Council of Trade and Plantations. Encloses following for their report with all speed. Signed, Ro. Harley. Endorsed, Recd. 4th, Read 5th June, 1707. 1 p. Enclosed,
959. i. Proprietors of the Bahamas to the Queen. Pray for H.M. approbation of R. Holden as Governor of "Providence and their other Bahama Islands." Signed, Granville, Craven, Berkeley, Carteret, M. Ashley, J. Colleton. 1 p. [C.O. 5, 1264. Nos. 3, 4; and 5, 1292. pp. 2, 3.]
June 5.
St. James's.
960. Order of Queen in Council. S. Beresford is appointed Member of Council of Barbados. Signed, John Povey. Endorsed, Recd. Read June 17, 1707. 1¼ pp. [C.O. 28, 10. No. 25; and 29, 11. pp. 63, 64.]
June 5.
Barbadoes.
961. Governor Crowe to the Council of Trade and Plantations. Since my last (copy enclosed), I have (with the Engineer, Col. Lilley) been to view all the forts and fortifications, severall of which I find very irregular, ill placed, and all wanting of repairs, indeed the best cannot be term'd anything but a Battery, and that without either entrenchment, or stockade. When the new Castle of St. Ann's is finish'd, it will be the only strong place in ye Island. The trenches are not half finished, nor do I see any hopes of their being compleated without an allowance out of the 4½ per cent. The Assembly's Address will let your Lordships into the many difficultys I have to strugle with to reforme this (almost lost) Government. I thought it best to take their informations as well as the (most impartiall) private ones before I made any alteration in the Councill, in which I perceive it is H.M. pleasure Mr. John Holder should be a Member, notwithstanding the complaints that has been made agt. him as one of the cheif promoters of the paper credit. Commodore Wager arrived here last Saturday with 9 of H.M. and 24 merchant ships, he sayles again this day for the Leward Islands. I was in hopes to have been honour'd with a letter from your Lordships by that conveyance, having received not so much as a line from any about the Court since I left it, and it's now above 15 weeks since the last packet boat came from Plymouth, soe that we fear some miscarriage to the next in course, which we have been a month expecting. The private and publick representations against the late established Cartell is the reason that I have not ratified it untill I know H.M. pleasure therein. Five days agoe a Flagg of Truce arrived here in three from Martineco, and brought 18 prisoners, wch. a sloop (almost wholy navigated by negroes) had taken out of two small vessels comeing from New England. The Masters of said vessels tell me that the report at Martineco was that the French squadron that lately left Brest, were arrived in the Spanish West Indies, and that a French man of war about three weeks agoe sayled from Martineco for Europe with four rich ships, whereof one was a Spaniard, soe that they have none now left there, but daily infest this coast with their sloops and small privateers. To avoid all disputes and heats, wch. I am informed might arrise by commissionating a Judge for next Grand Sessions, I intend to sit myself there to see the Laws duly executed, and have already distributed such orders as I found necessary for the peace and safety of the Island, wch. has been so miserably divided into parties, only to support private men's interests for obtaining places of profit, without any regard to the publick. There has been an Act past to relieve the sufferers by that of the paper credit, but the confusions and animositys of the Government were such that it is very imperfect, but at this criticall juncture not to be amended, when soe many ships lyes ready for their ladeings, wch. cannot be otherways purchased then on the validity of said Act, but I shall embrace the first good opportunity to regulate it, conformable to H.M. intentions, and I hope to the satisfaction of all concerned. Since the proclamation of pasing none but weighty money it has been all carried from this place to the entire destruction of trade, wch. I hope your Lordships will be pleased to consider, especially seeing (as I am informed) none of the other neighbouring Islands do observe it. It would be an advantage to our trade and H.M. friggots that attend the Northern Colonys (who loose most of their men by laying up in winter there) to convoy the trade from thence here, and soe returne againe in the season. Signed, M. Crowe. Endorsed, Recd. 28th, Read July 29th, 1707. 3 pp. Enclosed,
961. i. Address of the Assembly of Barbados to Governor Crowe. They look to H.E.'s approved character both for peace, war and commerce to redeem them from miseries equalling Egyptian Slavery. "Then wee shall not be pressed to submitt to standing armies or martiall Law to governe us; then the publick money will not be applyed to pay great annual stipends not warranted by law; our forts will not then require such vast expence and time to amend them, when ye enemy is at our door, and publick mony, which before was appropriated to that use by a Law, diverted to another channel; then justice will neither be bought or sold, or orders on ye Treasury forwarded or postponed to oblige friends or gaine money; then no exorbitant Fees will unreasonably be extorted by ye Pattent Officers contrary to Law; then no pernicious Act of Creditt, out of self interest, though to ye ruin of our traid etc., will be fore'd upon us; then no person will dare to project a scheme of Government as can subsist only by tricks and arts to satisfie avarice and ambition, or endeavour to putt the same in execution; then ye Representative body of ye people will be maintain'd in their just rights and libertys etc.; then there will be subornation of evidence; then writts of ne exeat insulam and sequestrations will not be granted against persons of reputation and unincumbred estates, so that some have suffered in their interests and others in their lives, etc.; then ye frequent binding persons to ye Grand Sessions, where no crime appears sufficient to ground an indictment etc. will be out of use; then persons in durance on sham plotts will not be threatned with the loss of their lives, if they submitted not to ye payment of great summes of money; then no person of a ffreehold that's considerable will be expos'd to undergoe corporall punishment when able and willing to fine 1,000l. sterl. to ye Queen rather than to suffer the scandall and severe execution of being whipped through ye Towne, and all this for no other reason than passionate expressions against ye person that struck him in breach of ye peace; then an order of the Judges will not be thought sufficient to deny the right of an established law to ye subjects, thereby greatly to profitt a few, though ruine to others of ye like profession, and oppressive to ye inhabitants in generall; then there will be no dispensing with laws to bring unqualified persons into places of ye greatest trust, from whence others of considerable estates and known abilitys were thrust out without reason: then there will be no occation to deny or delay the Representatives to examine into evill actions, or to take a review of ye publick accounts, which are kept from them to prevent bringing to light how ye mony raised from ye people had been misapply'd, etc.; then there will be no occation for countenancing elections of Representatives or ye Members of H.M. Councill to goe from door to doore to solicite votes to introduce a favourite into ye Assembly, we fear for evill ends; then Sherriffs will not dare browbeat the Freeholders for not voteing according to their inclinations, and others abruptly to close ye polle contrary to law, with designe to make a false returne; then ye Provost-Marshall and Constables under pretence of warrants will not be admitted to terrifie the poor freeholders from their votes in such manner that many were necessitated to take sanctuary in ye churches all night to preserve their liberty of giveing their voice for a Representative ye succeeding day; then it will not be thought reasonable for persons to exercise the trust of Judges in ye Courts of Common Please, and at ye same time to be Members of Councill; then there will be no stopp to Fleets of merchants ships under saile, thereby exposeing them and the trade of this Island to eminent danger of ye Enemy, and for no other reason than private advantage; then persons for their pleasure will not be admitted to waste the publick stock of powder in ye severall forts under their command; then it will be reasonable to enquire whether ye late Cartell with French at Martinique is for ye advantage of particular persons, etc. If your Excellency will indulge us the liberty of laying a Bill before you to impower an unprejudic'd Committee to examine on oath the truth of all these matters, wee may have great hopes of a good effect, etc. Signed, Wm. Wheeler, Speaker, Ricd. Downes, Tho. Maycock, Edmd. Sutton, Tho. Neales, Nathl. Webb, Wm. Carter, Wm. Lesle, Wm. Trans, Jno. Gibbs, Samll. Adams, Jams. Vaughan, Robt. Yeamans, Wm. Cole, Jno. Maycock, Thos. Maxwell, Saml. Maynard, Jno. Frere, Jno. Hallett. Endorsed as preceding. 1 large closely written p.
961. ii. Governor Crowe's Reply to preceding. Returns thanks. You may be assured Justice shall be equally distributed and my best endeavours spent in redressing those grievances you have heretofore laboured under and now complaine of. To that end I shall esteem your advice and assistance, particularly for discovering the promoters and advisers of that pernitious late law called the Paper Act, the passing whereof has been distructive to ye creditt and traid of this Island. I shall represent those persons to H.M. favour, who I find have justly merritted the esteem of their Country, and at all times readily concurr with you in proper measures for restoreing the tranquility thereof, and to that great end I heartily recommend to you peace and union etc. Same endorsement. ¾ p. [C.O. 28, 10. Nos. 28, 28.i., ii.; and (without enclosures) 29, 11. pp. 85–89.]
June 5.
Barbados.
962. Governor Crowe to the Earl of Sunderland. Duplicate of preceding letter. Signed, M. Crowe. Endorsed, July 28. 3 pp. Enclosed,
962. i., ii. Duplicates of No. ii. above.
962. iii. Duplicate of No. i. above. [C.O. 28, 43. Nos. 21, 22, 29, 30.]