Journal, May 1765: Volume 72

Journal, May 1765

Wednesday, May 1st. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

Newfoundland.

The draught of a report upon the petition of the agents for the proprietors of houses and buildings in the Island of St. Peter, having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

fo. 143.

Thursday, May 2nd. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

Trade, Africa.

Read a letter from the Earl of Halifax to the Board, dated this day, transmitting copy of an Address of the House of Commons to his Majesty, and signifying the King's pleasure, that copies of such of the memorials, or other papers as have been presented to this Board on the subject therein mentioned, be laid before that House.

Copies of such of the papers mentioned in the Address of the House of Commons as have originated in this office, having been prepared, Mr. Bacon was desired to present them to the House pursuant to his Majesty's commands.

fo. 144.

Friday, May 3rd. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

Quebec.

Read the following Orders in Council, vizt.,
Order of the King in Council, dated February 1st, 1765, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a memorial from a considerable number of his Majesty's new subjects of the Province of Quebec, representing against the constitution lately established there, together with the papers thereto annexed, and transmitted there-with by their lordships.
fo. 145.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the … of March last, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, an Address to his Majesty from the Chapter of Quebec, relative to the appointment of a Roman Catholick bishop in that colony.

Their lordships had under consideration the heads of a plan for allowing the free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion in Canada, under certain limitations and restrictions.

Monday, May 6th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

South Carolina.

fo. 146.

Their lordships took into consideration the memorial of the French Protestants, mentioned in the minutes of the 30th of April, and several of them attending, their lordships informed them that their case would be taken into further consideration.

Newfoundland.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated May 5th, 1765, directing the Board forthwith to prepare and lay before his Majesty, a draught of instructions for the Governor of Newfoundland, agreable to what is proposed in their lordships' representation of the 29th of April.

The draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of Newfoundland, conformable to the said order, having been prepared, was agreed to, and a representation to his Majesty thereupon was signed.

fo. 147.

Wednesday, May 8th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

Quebec.

Their lordships took into further consideration the heads of a plan for allowing the free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion in Canada, under certain limitations and restrictions.

Newfoundland.

Ordered, that the Secretary do write to the Governor of Newfoundland, desiring him to procure and report to the Board the best account he can of the state of the Magdalain Islands in the Gulph of St. Lawrence.

fo. 148.

Tuesday, May 14th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

Quebec.

Their lordships took into further consideration the heads of a plan for allowing a free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion in Canada, under certain restrictions and limitations, and it was ordered, that the draught of a report thereupon should be prepared.

Virginia.

Their lordships read and considered the two following private Acts of Virginia, vizt.,
An Act to enable the executors of the will of John Spotswood, esquire, deceased, to pay the debts and legacies due from the estate of Major General Alexander Spotswood, and for other purposes therein mentioned.
fo. 149.
An Act to direct the sale of certain intailed lands whereof John Spotswood, esquire, died seised, for payment of the debts due from him and the estate of Major General Alexander Spotswood.

It appearing, that a caveat was entered in the office against reporting for the confirmation of the said Acts untill the parties objecting thereto had been heard, their lordships appointed Friday next for the further consideration of them, and the Secretary was ordered to give notice to the parties to attend.

Friday, May 17th. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne.

Virginia.

fo. 150.

Their lordships took into further consideration the private Acts of Virginia, mentioned in the minutes of the 14th instant, and Mr. McBean, sollicitor for those parties interested in, and who object to the said Acts, attending with Mr. Graham, his counsel, and Mr. Montague, agent for those parties interested therein, and praying the confirmation of them, attending also, with Mr. Dunning, his counsel, they were heard in what they had respectively to offer for and against the same, and being withdrawn, their lordships, after consideration thereof, and of what had been offerred, ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty to be prepared, proposing that the said Acts may be confirmed.

fo. 151.

(fn. 1) Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.

Quebec.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the heads of a plan for allowing the free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion in Quebec, under certain limitations and restrictions, having been prepared pursuant to order, was read and considered, and it was agreed to consider further thereof on Thursday sennight.

Jamaica.

Their lordships took into consideration the Order of Council referring the petition of the patentees of certain offices in the Island of Jamaica, mentioned in the minutes of the 26th of March, and a report thereupon was agreed to and signed.

fo. 152.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing the confirmation of two private Acts of Virginia, relating to the estates of the Spotswood family, having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to and signed.

Thursday, May 30th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne.

Quebec.

Their lordships took into further consideration the draught of a report upon the heads of a plan for allowing the free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion in Canada, under certain limitations and restrictions, and the said draught having been agreed to, was transcribed and signed.

fo. 153.

East Florida, Georgia, Nova Scotia, Plantations General.

The Secretary laid before the Board memorials of the agents for the receipt and application of the grants of Parliament for the service of the Colonies of East Florida, Georgia, and Nova Scotia, and also of the attornies to Messrs. Holland and De Brahm, prepared by the said agents and attornies to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the grants for those services may be issued to them, and it was ordered, that the said memorials should be presented to the Treasury Board, for their directions thereupon.

Trade, Sweden.

Read a letter from the Earl of Sandwich, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, dated 29th instant, desiring the Board's answer to two questions stated therein relative to a treaty negociating between the Courts of London and Stockholm, and inclosing,
Extract of a letter from Sir John Goodricke to the Earl of Sandwich, Stockholm, May 4th, 1765.
fo. 154.
Projet d'un traite entré la Grande Bretagne et la Suède.
Convention preliminaire entre la France et la Suede, 1741.

Ordered, that the said letter and papers be taken into consideration tomorrow morning, and that the several treaties with Sweden be looked out and laid before the Board.

Friday, May 31st. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne.

Trade, Sweden.

fo. 155.

Their lordships took into further consideration the letter from the Earl of Sandwich, mentioned in the minutes of yesterday, and the treaties made with Sweden in the years 1654, 1656, 1661, 1665, 1666, 1674, 1700 and 1720 were laid before the Board and considered.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the two following Acts passed in the last Sessions of Parliament relative to the Coast of Africa, vizt.,
An Act for repealing the Act made in the last Session of Parliament, intituled, an Act for vesting the Fort of Senegal and its dependencies in the Company of Merchants trading to Africa; and to vest as well the said forts and its dependencies, as all other the British forts and settlements upon the Coast of Africa lying between the Port of Sallee and Cape Rouge, together with all the property, estate and effects of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, in or upon the said forts, settlements and their dependencies, in his Majesty, and for securing, extending and improving the trade to Africa.
fo. 156.
An Act for laying certain duties upon gum senega and gum arabic imported into or exported from Great Britain, and for confining the exportation of gum senega from Africa to Great Britain only.

Upon consideration whereof, and of several letters and papers lately received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa relative to the districts of Senegal and Gambia, a representation to his Majesty was agreed to and signed, proposing that directions may be given for the making such establishments, both civil and military, for this district, as shall appear to his Majesty to be proper, upon a consideration of the plan recommended in the Board's report of the 21st of February last, and that, until such establishments can take place, the several officers appointed by the Committee be directed by proclamation to continue in the execution of their respective offices and employ ments, until his Majesty's further pleasure be known.

fo. 157.

Ordered, that Mr. Pownall do write to Mr. Jenkinson, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, desiring him to move that Board to make such appointments as shall appear to them to be necessary for the due execution of the Act relative to the enumeration of gum senega.

Read the following letters to Mr. Pownall from Mr. Stanhope, Secretary to the Earl of Halifax, vizt.,
Letter from Mr. Stanhope to Mr. Pownall, dated May 16th, 1765, transmitting, by the direction of the Earl of Halifax, Memorial of the Barbary merchants against Captain Glas.
Letter from Mr. Stanhope to Mr. Pownall, dated May 28th, 1765, transmitting,
Letter from Mr. Thomas Adams to the Earl of Halifax, dated May 21st, 1765, relative to Mr. Glas's undertaking to open a trade at Port Hillsborough.

fo. 158.

Ordered, that the abovementioned papers be taken into consideration on Wednesday next, and that Mr. Anthony Bacon, associated with Mr. Glas in his plan for the establishment of Port Hillsborough, be desired to attend the Board that day.

Newfoundland.

Read a letter from Thomas Whately, esquire, to the Secretary, dated May 23rd, 1765, signifying the desire of the Lords of the Treasury, that this Board would transmit to them their opinion, whether the interest of the fishery will make it improper to subject the ships going to Newfoundland to the same regulations as are imposed on ships going to other parts of his Majesty's dominions in America.
Memorial of the Commissioners of the Customs about ships used in fisheries of North America to be registered.

Ordered, that the said letter and memorial be taken into consideration to-morrow morning.

fo. 159.

Miscellanies.

Mr. Silvester, who has officiated for some time as sollicitor and clerk of the reports, having been appointed agent for the affairs of the intended new government upon the Coast of Africa, and having thereupon declined officiating as sollicitor and clerk of the reports, Richard Cumberland, esquire, was appointed to the office of sollicitor and clerk of reports in his room, upon the salary settled for that office by the minutes of the 4th of July last.