Journal, May 1757: Volume 64

Journal, May 1757

Tuesday, May 3. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Bermuda.

Read a letter from Mr. Harding, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury, dated the 29th of April, 1757, acquainting this Board that their lordships have no objection to the method of disposing of the Crown lands in the Bermuda Islands agreeable to the terms in the bill prepared by the Governor of the said Islands.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty be prepared proposing that the Governor of the Bermuda Islands may have an instruction to dispose of the Crown lands in those Islands conformable to the plan transmitted by him.

Wednesday, May 4. Present:—Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Sloper.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from the Earl of Holdernesse, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, dated the 3rd instant, inclosing the following resolution of the House of Commons and signifying his Majesty's commands that this Board do cause a copy of the Act mentioned therein to be laid before that House, viz.:—
House of Commons.
Veneris 29 die Aprilis, 1757.
Resolved,
That an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions that there be laid before this House a copy of an Act of the Governor, Council and Assembly of Jamaica, relating to the removal of the Courts of Justice from the Town of St. Iago de la Vega in the Island of Jamaica to the Town of Kingston in the said Island, which passed in the year 1754.

The Secretary having acquainted the Board that it did not appear from the books of this office that any such Act as is mentioned in the above resolution was passed in Jamaica in the year 1754, but that an Act to that effect was passed in May, 1755, a copy of it was ordered to be made and Mr. Oswald was desired to present it to the House.

Tuesday, May 10. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Bermuda.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty proposing that the Governor of the Bermuda Islands may have an instruction to dispose of the Crown lands there upon the plan transmitted by him, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 3rd instant, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary laid before the Board a memorial prepared by Mr. Parker in behalf of Mr. Kilby, agent for the settlement of Nova Scotia, to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the sum of £15,521 18s. 0d. may be issued to him to discharge several demands made and bills drawn upon the said agent for the service of the said colony, and the said memorial having been approved, Mr. Parker was ordered to present it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their directions thereupon.

Massachusets.

New York.

The Secretary acquainted their lordships that having in consequence of their orders communicated to Mr. Bollan, agent for the Massachusets Bay, their resolution of the 29th of March last, with respect to the boundary line between the said province and New York, he had acquainted him that upon consideration thereof and of the papers relating to the adjustment of the line between the province of New York and Connecticut, he had found, that though it did appear to have been the primary intention in that settlement that the line should be twenty miles from Hudson's River, yet the province of New York having agreed that Connecticut should continue in possession of the Town of Greenwich and a tract of land adjacent thereto, at the south end of the line, the province of Connecticut had in consideration thereof yielded to them a tract of land lying upon the northern part of the said line, commonly called the Oblong, so that in his apprehension the said boundary line was at more than 20 miles distance from the said Hudson's River, and therefore he submitted whether the drawing the boundary line between New York and Massachusets Bay from the north end of the said Connecticut line as described in the Board's resolution of the 29th of March, would not be in some measure inconsistent with the facts and evidence upon which that resolution was founded, and thought it necessary to have their lordships' sentiments upon this matter before he could form any opinion upon the general proposition.

Their lordships upon consideration of what had been represented by Mr. Bollan agreed that a strait line to be drawn northerly from a point on the south boundary line of the Massachusets Bay, twenty miles distant due east from Hudson's River to another point twenty miles distant due east from the said river, on that line which divides the provinces of New Hampshire and Massachusets Bay, will be a just and equitable line of division between the said provinces of New York and Massachusets Bay:

And the Secretary was ordered to acquaint Mr. Bollan therewith.

Thursday, May 12. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Bermuda.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty proposing that an instruction should be given to the Governor of the Bermuda Islands to dispose of the Crown lands in those islands, agreeable to a plan transmitted by him, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of the 10th instant, was signed.

Jamaica.

Read the following letters received from the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.

Letter from Henry Moore, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, to the Board, dated the 27th of February and the 18th of March, 1757, inclosing the following papers, viz.:—
Minutes of Council from the 5th of July to the 22nd of December, 1756.
Journal of the Council in Assembly from the 17th of August to the 22nd of December, 1756.
Minutes of Assembly from August to December, 1756.
Naval Office lists of ships and vessels entered and cleared at the Port of Kingston for the half year ending at Michaelmas, 1756.
Letter from Henry Moore, Esquire, to the Board, dated the 24th of March, 1757, acquainting the Board that his Majesty's ship the Greenwich having fallen in with a French fleet lately arrived at Hispaniola was taken and carried into the Cape, and inclosing a list of the said fleet, their guns and number of men.

Jamaica.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit a copy of Mr. Moore's letter of the 24th of March, and a copy of the paper transmitted with it, to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty for the information of that Board.

Read an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 10th of May, 1757, referring to the consideration of this Board a letter from the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica and other papers relating to the suspension of several of the members of the Council there, and directing them to report their opinion thereupon to a Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs.

Wednesday, May 18. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Sloper.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from William Snell and Company, merchants in Austin Friars, to the Board, dated the 13th of May, 1757, owners of several vessels loaded with corn and flour for Ireland and now lying embargoed in the different ports in America, desiring that orders may be sent to take off the said embargo.

The Earl of Halifax having acquainted the Board that one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State had some time ago sent orders to the several governors in America to take off all embargo that might have been laid upon any ships or vessels loaded with corn, grain or flour for Great Britain or Ireland, the Secretary was ordered to acquaint Mr. Snell and Company therewith.

Trade.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following papers received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, viz.:—
Copies of two letters from Tobias Lisle, Esquire, Governor, and the Council at James Fort, Gambia, to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated January 26th and February 1st, 1757; also of an affidavit made by Captain Bostock's mate, etc., of 1st of February, relating to his long boat seized by Captain Hughes, etc., and of a letter from Charles Bell, Esquire, dated Cape Coast Castle, October 10th, 1756.

Thursday, May 19. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Massachusets.

New York.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that having in consequence of their lordships' orders communicated to Mr. Bollan, agent for the Massachusets Bay, a copy of their minutes of the 10th instant relating to the boundary line between that province and New York, he had upon consideration thereof desired him to signify that he did in behalf of the Massachusets Bay entirely acquiesce in the line proposed by their lordships, whereupon their lordships ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty to be prepared, proposing that the said line may be established by his Majesty's authority.

Jamaica.

Read a report of his Majesty's Attorney and Sollicitor General upon the state of a case referred to them relating to the opening ports of entry and clearance and establishing Circuit Courts in the Island of Jamaica.

Jamaica.

Their lordships took the said report into consideration and also the Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs of the 25th of January last, referring the addresses of the Council and Assembly of Jamaica relating to the removal of the seat of government, courts, offices and records from St. Iago de la Vega to Kingston, mentioned in the minutes of the 3rd of February last, together with the resolution of the Board respecting this matter on the 8th of February last, and ordered the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon to be prepared.

The Secretary laid before the Board twenty Acts passed in the Island of Jamaica in October and December, 1756.

Ordered, that the said Acts be sent to Sir Mathew Lamb for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Antigua.

St. Christopher's.

Nevis.

Read a letter from Henry Wilmot, Esquire, to the Secretary, dated this day, inclosing a copy of the minute of the Assembly of Antigua on the 4th of January, 1757, respecting his being appointed agent for the said Island, and notifying that he is informed by letter that he is also appointed agent for the Islands of St. Christopher's and Nevis.

Tuesday, May 24. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Massachusets.

New York.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty proposing that a boundary line or line of partition between the provinces of New York and the Massachusets Bay to be established by his Majesty's authority, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 19th instant, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Jamaica.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the addresses of the Council and Assembly of Jamaica relating to the fixing the seat of government, courts, offices and records in that Island, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 19th instant, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Nova Scotis.

Read a report of his Majesty's Attorney and Sollicitor General upon the case of two persons convicted at Halifax of counterfeiting Spanish dollars and pistareens, dated the 18th instant.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit a copy of the said report to Jonathan Belcher, Esquire, Chief Justice of his Majesty's province of Nova Scotia.

Pennsylvania.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 19th instant, referring to the Board three Acts passed in the province of Pennsylvania in September, November and December, 1756, directing them to consider the same and report their opinion thereupon.

Ordered, that the said Acts be sent to Sir Mathew Lamb for his opinion thereupon as soon as conveniently may be.

Trade.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following paper received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, viz.:—
Copy of a letter from Tobias Lisle, Esquire, Governor, and the Council at James Fort, Gambia, dated December 1st, 1756.

Wednesday, May 25. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Sloper.

Massachusets.

New York.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty proposing that a boundary line or line of partition between the province of New York and the Massachusets Bay to be established by his Majesty's authority, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of the 24th instant, was signed.

Jamaica.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the addresses of the Council and Assembly of Jamaica relating to the fixing the seat of government, courts, offices and records in that Island, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of the 24th instant, was signed.

Plantations General.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit to the governors of the several colonies in America copies of the resolutions of the House of Commons of the 23rd instant upon the resolutions of the Assembly of Jamaica of the 29th of October, 1753, to the end that his Majesty's subjects in America may be apprized of the sense of that House upon such extraordinary claims.