Journal, March 1770: Volume 77

Journal, March 1770

Thursday, March 1. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Trade, Africa.

fo. 54.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, being present, their Lordships read a letter from the merchants of Liverpool concerned in the trade to Africa, addressed to his Lordship and to the Board, signifying their satisfaction in the system on which the trade is now estab lished by Act of Parliament, and in the assurance given them by the Committee of the African Company, that some abuses complained of shall be redressed.

The Secretary also read to their Lordships a letter from the Master of Merchants' Hall, Bristol, to Lord Clare, which his Lordship desired might be communicated to the Board, signi fying, that the merchants of that City concerned in the trade to Africa desire to have the said trade continue on its present footing.

West Florida.

fo. 55.

Mr. Ellis, agent for West Florida, attends, on the subject of his memorial to the Treasury, relative to the Bill drawn by Lieutenant Governor Browne for the amount of a demand made by the Attorney General of that Colony for publick business done by him in his Office.

After some conversation with Mr. Ellis, it was agreed to post pone the consideration of the said memorial.

General Lyman attended on the subject of his memorial praying for a grant of one hundred and fifty thousand acres of land on the Mississippi in the Colony of West Florida, and having been heard in what he had to offer thereupon, he was acquainted, that, though the Board was fully sensible of the merit of his services, and should be glad of any occasion of testifying that sense of it, yet there were particular circumstances, that made it impossible for them to recommend the request stated in the said memorial.

Grenada, Dominica.

fo. 56.

Jamaica.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the memorial of the proprietors of lands in Dominica relative to the erecting the said Island into a separate Government, independent of the Grenades, having been transcribed pursuant to order, was signed; as was also a representation to His Majesty, proposing that Richard Welch, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council of Jamaica, in the room of Mr. Lewis.

West Florida.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation to His Majesty, proposing that Arthur Neil and Philip Comyns, Esquires, may be appointed of the Council of West Florida, be prepared.

Grenada.

Their Lordships made a further progress in the consideration of the draught of a representation to His Majesty on the petition of the Councillors of Grenada suspended by Mr. Fitzmaurice.

fo. 57.

Friday March 2. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert, Lord Lisburne.

Trade.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, being present, their Lordships read a memorial of the agents for the Colonies of Virginia, North Caro lina and South Carolina, containing reasons against any reduction in the bounties on Naval stores imported from America, and also a memorial to the same effect from the manufacturers of cordage in the City of Bristol.

Grenada.

The draught of a representation to His Majesty on the petition of the Members of the Council in Grenada suspended by Mr. Fitzmaurice, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

fo. 58.

Friday March 9. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rice.

New York.

Read a memorial of Mr. Wilson, in behalf of certain reduced officers of the Army therein named, desiring that the grants of some lands, located for the said officers in consequence of His Majesty's Proclamation, on the East side of Lake Champlain, may be perfected.

Mr. Wilson attended, but it not appearing that he had any authority from the persons named in his memorial to act in this business on their behalf, their Lordships declined all further proceeding thereupon, and Mr. Wilson withdrew his memorial.

Proprieties.

fo. 59.

Read a memorial of Mr. Cracraft, agent and Solicitor for the tribe of Moheagan Indians, praying that he may have copies of the order of reference to the Attorney General of the case of said Indians in 1703, and of his Report thereon; and that the original Order and Report may be produced at a hearing of the said case before the Privy Council.

Ordered, that copies be made of the reference and Report mentioned in the said memorial, and that such copies be delivered to Mr. Cracraft, and that the proper officer do attend with the originals at the Council Board, in case it shall be necessary to produce them in the cause mentioned to be depending before their Lordships.

Nova Scotia.

Read a memorial of Mr. Walker of Nova Scotia to this Board, representing the state of a tract of land between Bay Verte and the Bay of Chaleur, and proposing that a person should be appointed to superintend the settlement there, and the fishery on that Coast.

fo. 60.

Mr. Walker attends, and is acquainted that the subject matter of his memorial may be very proper for the consideration of the Legislature of Nova Scotia, to which it more properly appertained to make such regulations as should be necessary for the well ordering and Government of a district which is at present a part of that Colony.

West Florida.

Read a memorial of Major General Lyman to the Board, stating his services during the late war in America, and praying their Lordships to recommend him to the King for a grant of twenty thousand acres of land in West Florida, without paying the usual fees of office in that Province.

fo. 61.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of the merit and services of the memorialist, of the hardships and losses he sustained in that service, and of his disappointed expectations during a resi dence here of several years soliciting some reward, agreed to recommend to His Majesty the prayer of his memorial, and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation should be prepared.

Trade.

Read memorials from the towns of Liverpool and Lancaster, stating reasons against any alteration or reduction of the bounties on Naval stores imported from the Plantations.

Virginia.

The Earl of Hillsborough, by His Majesty's command, com municated to the Board, for their consideration and report there upon, the following papers, containing a proposition for a further alteration of the Boundary Line between the Colony of Virginia and the Indian country to the westward, vizt.:
Extract of a letter from Lord Botetourt to the Earl of Hills borough, dated December 18th, 1769.
Address of the House of Burgesses to Lord Botetourt, with his Lordship's answer, dated December 7th, 1769.
Memorial from the House of Burgesses to Lord Botetourt.
fo. 62.
Address of the House of Burgesses of Virginia to Lord Botetourt, and his Lordship's answer, December 15th, 1769.
Copy of a letter from Lord Botetourt to Mr. Stuart, dated December 18th, 1769.

It appearing to the Board, that the settlements in that country by virtue of grants from the Government of Virginia, in conse quence of the approbation of His late Majesty, was urged as a principal reason for His Majesty's consenting to the alteration proposed, it was ordered, that the draught of a letter to Lord Botetourt should be prepared, requesting that he would transmit to the Board a very full and particular state of those grants, and of the improvements, if any, made in consequence thereof.

Trade.

fo. 63.

Read a letter from Mr. Swallow, His Majesty's Consul in Russia, to this Board, dated December 19th/30th, 1769, transmitting lists of goods exported from St. Petersburg in the year 1768 and 1769, and a comparative view of the different species of goods exported from that place from the year 1760 to 1768 inclusive.

Ordered, that the Secretary do acknowledge the receipt of the said letter, and acquaint Mr. Consul Swallow with the Board's satisfaction in the accuracy of the accounts transmitted.

Proprieties, Pennsylvania.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, dated February 28th, 1770, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, nineteen Acts passed in the Province of Pennsylvania in February and May, 1769.

New York.

fo. 64.

The Secretary laid before the Board a draught of general instructions for the Governor of New York, prepared pursuant to order, and their Lordships made some progress in the consideration thereof.

Friday, March 16. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Rice, Lord Lisburne.

Virginia.

The Earl of Hillsborough being present, the draught of a letter to Lord Botetourt on the subject of the proposed alteration of the western boundary line of Virginia, having been prepared, pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

West Florida.

fo. 65.

A representation to His Majesty, recommending Arthur Neil and Philip Comyns, Esquires, to be of the Council of West Florida, was signed; as was also a representation to His Majesty on the petition of General Lyman for twenty thousand acres of land in that Colony.

Trade.

Read a memorial of the merchants of London trading to North America, and others interested in the importation of lumber from thence, dated March 14th, 1770, relative to the bounty granted on timber, planks and deals imported from North America, and praying for an augmentation of said bountys.

Ordered, that the said memorial be taken into consideration tomorrow morning, and that the memorialists have notice to attend.

South Carolina.

Their Lordships resolved at the same time to take into con sideration the memorial of the agent for South Carolina, relative to the expediency of a further continuance of the praemium on Indigo imported from the Colonies.

fo. 66.

Jamaica.

Their Lordships, at the request of the agent for the Island of Jamaica, ordered, that the Act lately passed there, relative to the estate of Ballard Beckford Esquire, should be referred to the Attorney General, for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Saturday, March 17. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Trade.

The Earl of Hillsborough being present, their Lordships took into consideration the application made to them relative to a further continuance and extension of the bountys on timber and lumber from America, and also for a further continuance of the bounty on Indigo.

fo. 67.

Trade.

Several of the merchants trading to North America, who are subscribers to the memorial relative to the bountys on timber and staves, attended, and proposed that the bountys thereupon should be as follows, without limitation of time, vizt.:
Deals. Planks. Boards.
"For every hundred, containing six score of such Deals, Planks and Boards, not less than 10 feet long, 10 inches broad, and 1¼ inch thick, the sum of thirty shillings, and in the like proportion for any greater length and breadth and for any greater thickness not exceeding 4 inches."
Timber.
"For every load, containing fifty cubic feet of squared Timber of all kinds, sixteen shillings."
White Oak Staves and Heading.
fo. 68.
"For every hundred, containing six score of white Oak pipe Staves, not less than 5 feet six inches long, 5 inches broad and 1¼ inch thick at the thin edge, ten shillings."
"For every hundred, containing six score of white Oak hogshead Staves, not less than 4 feet 6 inches long, five inches broad, and 1½ inch thick, eight shillings."
"For every hundred, containing six score of white Oak barrel Staves, not less than 3 feet 6 inches long, 5 inches broad and 1½ inch thick, five shillings."
"For every hundred, containing six score of white Oak Heading not less than 2 feet 6 inches long, five shillings."

After some discourse with them on the subject of the foregoing proposals, their Lordships were of opinion,

fo. 69.

That it would be advisable to repeal so much of the Act of the 5th of His present Majesty's reign, cap. 45, as fixes the quantum of bounties on Deals, Planks, Boards and Timber, and limits the continuance of the said bounties; and in lieu thereof, to grant bounties on the said articles, as also on Staves imported from the said Colonies for twenty one years, divided into three equal periods, in manner following, that is to say,
Deals. Planks and Boards.
For every hundred, containing six score of Deals, Planks and Boards, not less than ten feet long, ten inches broad, and one inch and a quarter thick, imported into this Kingdom from His Majesty's Colonies in America from the 1st of January, 1771, to the 1st of January, 1778, the sum of twenty five shillings, and in the like proportion, for any greater length and for any greater thickness not exceeding four inches.
Timber.
For every load, containing fifty cubic feet of squared Timber of all kinds, not less than ten inches square, imported from the 1st of January, 1771, to the 1st of January, 1778, the sum of fifteen shillings.
fo. 70.
For every hundred of such Deals, Planks and Boards, as above described, twenty shillings, and for every load of such Timber twelve shillings, which shall be so imported from the 1st of January, 1778, to the 1st of January, 1785; and for every hundred of such Deals, Planks and Boards, fifteen shillings; and for every load of such Timber eight shillings, which shall be imported from and after the said first day of January, 1785, to the first day of January, 1792.
White Oak Staves and Heading.
For each and every twelve hundred pipe Staves, eighteen hundred hogshead Staves, two thousand four hundred barrel Staves, and three thousand six hundred pieces of heading, the said Staves and Heading to be of white Oak, free from sap, worm holes, knots and bites, and of the dimensions mentioned in the annexed table, which shall be imported into this Kingdom directly from any of His Majesty's said Colonies in America, from the 1st of January, 1771, to the 1st of January, 1778, the sum of six pounds, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser number.
fo. 71.
For each and every twelve hundred pipe Staves, eighteen hundred hogshead Staves, two thousand four hundred barrel Staves, and three thousand six hundred pieces of Heading, as above described, which shall be imported from the 1st of January, 1778, to the 1st of January, 1785, the sum of four pounds.
For each and every twelve hundred pipe Staves, eighteen hundred hogshead Staves, two thousand four hundred barrel Staves, and three thousand six hundred pieces of Heading, as above described, which shall be imported from the 1st of January, 1785, to the 1st of January, 1792, the sum of forty shillings.

fo. 72.

Table of the sizes and dimensions of American white Oak Staves and Heading, on which it is proposed to allow Bounties, vizt.:

Trade.

South Carolina.

It was ordered, that the Secretary should transmit a copy of the foregoing minute to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, in order that their Lordships might take such steps, in respect to the bounties proposed, as they should think fit, and that he should signify in his letter, that this Board is of opinion, that it would be advisable, that the bounty of four pence per pound upon Indigo should be continued for seven years longer.

fo. 73.

Monday, March 26. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Fitz herbert, Mr. Rice, Lord Lisburne.

Trade.

The Earl of Hillsborough being present, their Lordships read a memorial of the merchants of the City of Glasgow trading to the British Colonies, to this Board, dated March, 1770, containing reasons against a reduction of the bounties on the importation of Naval stores from the said Colonies.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board two papers received from the Committee of the Company of merchants trading to Africa, which were read and are entituled,
Extract of a letter from John Grossle, Esquire, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, dated 26th October, 1769.
fo. 74.
Copy of a letter from the African Committee to the Governor and Council of Cape Coast Castle, dated March 9th, 1770.

New Jersey.

Read a petition of William Bayard of New York, Esquire, to this Board, praying their Lordships, for the reasons therein contained, to propose to His Majesty the repeal of an Act passed in the Province of New Jersey, relative to the common lands of the Township of Bergen.

Their Lordships took the said petition, and also the Act therein referred to into consideration, and ordered, that they should be referred to one of His Majesty's Counsel at Law, for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Grenada.

fo. 75.

The Earl of Hillsborough having signified to the Board, that Mr. Gordon, late Brebner, one of the Council of Grenada, had requested leave to resign his seat at that Board, their Lordships, in pursuance of their representation to His Majesty of the 2nd instant, ordered, that the draught of a representation to His Majesty should be prepared, proposing that Paul Mignot Devo connu, Esquire, one of His Majesty's new Roman Catholick subjects, may be appointed of the said Council in the room of Mr. Gordon.

Ordered, that the Secretary do write to Mr. Turner and Mr. Harvey, two of the said Council of Grenada now in England, desiring they would inform the Board, whether they have any intention of returning to the said Island, and, if so, how soon?

Plantations General.

Read a petition of the West New Jersey Society, praying a copy of the Report of the Attorney General in 1699 upon Dr. Cox's claim to lands in North America.

fo. 76.

Ordered, that a copy be made of the Attorney General's report therein referred to, and delivered to the petitioners.

Nova Scotia.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, dated March 16th, 1770, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of William Baillie, lately Captain in the 17th Regiment of Dragoons, to the King, for a grant of ten thousand acres of land in the Province of Nova Scotia.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of the view and intention of the proponant stated to the Board and recommended by the Earl of Hillsborough, ordered the draught of a report upon his petition to be prepared, proposing that the prayer of it may be complied with.

fo. 77.

New York.

Read a petition to the Board of Lieutenant John Thompson, setting forth his services, and praying to be recommended to His Majesty for a grant of two thousand acres of land in New York.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of the merit and services of the petitioner as stated to the Board, and recommended by Lord Lisburne, ordered, that the draught of a representation to His Majesty should be prepared, proposing that his request may be complied with.

fo. 78.

Thursday, March 29. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Rice, Lord Lisburne.

Trade, Africa.

fo. 79.

The Earl of Hillsborough being present, the Committee of the Company of merchants trading to Africa, who attended, were called in, and presented to the Board a paper entituled "an examination of the late conduct of the Dutch upon the Gold Coast of Africa with respect to the Portuguese shipping, etc."—the object of which paper, as explained by the Committee, was to express their sentiments that the re-establishment of the agreements heretofore made between the Royal African Company of England and the Dutch West India Company, in respect to Portuguese vessels trading to the Coast of Africa, and the securing the performance of those agreements by a superior Naval force, would be the best means of preserving the important trade with the Portuguese for tobacco.

The Committee being withdrawn, it was ordered, that the draught of a letter to Lord Rochford, conformable to their sentiments, should be prepared in answer to his of the 24th of November, 1769, mentioned in the minutes of the 15th of December last.

Grenada.

Read a report of the Commissioners for the sale of lands in the Ceded Islands, dated the 26th of July last, containing an account of their proceedings in the last year, of the opposition given by black Caribs of St. Vincent's to the survey of that Island, and the danger to which it is exposed from the hostile disposition of those savages.

fo. 80.

Account of the sales of lands in the Islands of Dominica and Tobago in April and May, 1769.

Journal of the Proceedings of the Commissioners for the sale of lands in the Ceded Islands from the 4th of April to the 31st of July, 1769.

A representation to His Majesty upon the subject of the foregoing report, and stating the expediency of a further Military force in the Island of St. Vincent, was agreed to, prepared and signed, and the Earl of Hillsborough was requested to lay the same before His Majesty.

Grenada.

fo. 81.

Nova Scotia.

The draught of a representation to His Majesty, proposing that Paul Mignot Devoconnu may be appointed of the Council of Grenada in the room of Mr. Gordon, having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to, transcribed and signed; as was also a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon Mr. Baillie's petition, praying for a grant of ten thousand acres of land in Nova Scotia.