Journal, May 1773: Volume 80

Journal, May 1773

Thursday, May 6. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Lord Greville, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Jolliffe, Lord Garlies.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

New Hampshire.

fo. 93.

Their Lordships took into further consideration the draught of a representation to His Majesty upon an Act passed in the Province of New Hampshire in April, 1771, "to dissolve the marriage of Greenwood Carpenter of Swanzey in this Province with Sarah Leathers," and the said draught, having been approved, was transcribed and signed.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to His Majesty, containing propositions respecting the new Government upon the Ohio, and a grant of part of the lands within the said Government to Messrs. Walpole, Wharton, Franklin and others, was approved, transcribed and signed.

New Hampshire.

Read a letter to the Secretary from Mr. Macdonogh, Secretary to the Governor of New Hampshire, dated May 6th, 1773, inclosing several depositions relative to the general conduct and character of the said Governor.

fo. 94.

East Florida.

Their Lordships took into consideration an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, dated, 1773, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a memorial of John Gordon relative to his claim to lands in East Florida in virtue of purchases made of the Spanish inhabitants who left the said Province after the conclusion of the Peace in 1763.

Plantations General.

fo. 95.

Their Lordships took into consideration an Order of His Majesty in Council, dated April 7th, 1773, directing this Board to propose such alterations as they judge proper to be made in the Commissions and instructions to Governors in the Plantations respecting grants of land, mentioned in the minutes of the 22nd instant, and it was ordered, that the draught of an additional instruction to the Governors of His Majesty's Plantations in America, containing regulations with respect to the future mode of granting lands, should be prepared.

Monday, May 10. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Greville, Lord Garlies.

New Hampshire.

fo. 96.

The draught of a representation to His Majesty upon the complaint exhibited by Mr. Livius against the Governor of New Hampshire was further considered, and having been agreed to, was transcribed and signed, and Mr. Pownall was desired to present it to the Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, and to request, in the name of the Board, that his Lordship would be pleased to lay it before the King.

Proprieties, Pennsylvania.

Read an Order of the King in Council on the 22nd of April, 1773, approving of John Penn, Esquire, to be Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania for and on behalf of Thomas Penn, Esquire, one of the Proprietaries of the said Province, during the pleasure of the said Thomas Penn, and also to be Deputy Governor of the Counties of Newcastle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware during His Majesty's pleasure only, and directing this Board to prepare and lay before His Majesty a draught of such instructions as have been usually given upon the like occasion.

fo. 97.

Some doubts having occurred, with respect to the mode of Mr. John Penn's appointment to be Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, and the form of the instructions to be given in consequence thereof, their Lordships agreed to take the said Order into further consideration on Thursday next, and it was ordered, that Mr. Jackson, Counsel to the Board, and Mr. Wilmot, agent to the Proprietaries, should be desired to attend.

Thursday, May 13. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Lord Greville, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Garlies.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Proprieties, Pennsylvania.

fo. 98.

Their Lordships took into further consideration the Order of His Majesty in Council on the 22nd of April last, approving of Mr. John Penn to be Deputy Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania and of the Counties of Newcastle, Kent and Sussex on Delaware, and Mr. Jackson and Mr. Wilmot attending, the doubt which had occurred respecting the form of Mr. Penn's appointment was stated and discussed, and it was agreed, that the said Order should lye by, until Mr. Wilmot should have consulted the Proprietaries touching the said form.

Massachusetts.

Read a letter from Thomas Hutchinson, Esquire, Governor of Massachusets Bay, to the Board, dated March 26th, 1773, containing remarks on an Act passed in February, 1773, to regulate the sale of goods at publick vendue, and to limit the number of Auctioneers.

fo. 99.

Ordered, that the said Act be delivered to the Clerk of the Council in waiting, in order to be laid before His Majesty.

Monday, May 17. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Lord Greville, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Jolliffe, Lord Garlies.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Jamaica.

fo. 100.

Their Lordships read and considered nineteen Acts passed in the Island of Jamaica in November and December, 1771, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon, and it appearing, that the Assembly of that Island still continued in their annual supply Bills to impose a duty of ten shillings each on Negroes, though carried to other Countries by British ships touching at the Island in their passage, and that super cargoes were subjected to a duty of two per cent on goods imported, without distinction of the goods of the growth or manufacture of this Kingdom, their Lordships agreed to take the said annual supply Bills into further consideration on Friday next, and it was ordered, that the agent should be desired to attend.

New York, New Jersey.

fo. 101.

Their Lordships read and considered the Laws passed in the Colonies of New York and New Jersey for establishing the Partition Line between the said Colonies, pursuant to the determination of the Commissioners appointed by His Majesty for that purpose, and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to His Majesty upon the said Laws should be prepared.

New Jersey.

Their Lordships read and considered several Laws passed in the Colony of New Jersey in August and September, 1772, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon, and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to His Majesty should be prepared, proposing the confirmation of some and the disallowance of other of the said Laws.

Leeward Islands, St. Christopher's, Montserrat, Antigua, Nevis, Grenada, fo. 102.

Their Lordships read and considered several Laws passed in the Islands of Saint Christopher, Montserrat, Antigua, Nevis, Dominica and St. Vincent, together with Mr. Jackson's reports thereupon.

Dominica, St. Vincent's.

Ordered, that the draughts of letters to the Governors of Grenada and Dominica, containing the Board's observations upon some of the Laws passed in the latter of those Islands and in the Island of St. Vincent, be prepared.

Thursday, May 20. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Lord Greville, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Garlies.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board several papers received from the Committee of the Company of merchants trading to Africa relating, amongst other things, to a dispute between the Officers of the said Company upon the coast and the Officers of the Dutch West India Company, respecting the property of the village of Mumford.

fo. 103.

Ordered, that these papers be taken into further consideration on this day se'nnight, and that notice be given to the Committee to attend.

East Florida.

Their Lordships took into consideration the reference of Mr. Gordon's memorial, mentioned in the minutes of the 6th instant, and it was ordered, that the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon should be prepared.

Friday, May 21. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Lord Greville, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Garlies.

Jamaica.

fo. 104.

Mr. Fuller, agent for Jamaica, attends upon the subject of the annual supply Bills in the Island of Jamaica, and a minute of this Board on the 14th day of June, 1771, having been read, Mr. Fuller acquainted their Lordships, that he did, soon after, acquaint the Committee of correspondence in the said Island by letter with what is recommended in the said minute, but had received no answer thereto; whereupon their Lordships desired he would further acquaint his constituents, that however unwilling this Board may be to take any step that may in the least degree obstruct the publick supplies in their present mode, yet that the objection to that mode is so forcible as to make it incumbent upon them, in case the next supply Bills shall come over in the same shape, to lay the said objection before His Majesty.

fo. 105.

Thursday, May 27. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Lord Garlies.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Proprieties, Pennsylvania.

The Secretary reported to the Board, that he was desired by Mr. Jackson to inform their Lordships, that, upon a consultation with the Solicitor General and Mr. Madox touching the difficulty that had occurred concerning the mode of Mr. John Penn's appointment to be Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, it was advised, that the mode now adopted was proper and legal.

fo. 106.

Mr. John Penn attended, and having delivered in a declaration under the hands and Seals of the Proprietaries in the usual form, respecting the Government of the three lower Counties on Delaware, and having also proposed Messrs. John Barclay and David Barclay of the City of London to be his securities for the due observance of the Laws of trade and such instructions as he should receive from the King relative thereto, the said securities were approved, and the draught of a Bond in the usual form having been prepared, the Secretary was ordered to transmit it to the Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, to the end that directions may be given for taking said security in the Exchequer, as practiced in like cases.

Grenada, Dominica.

fo. 107.

The draughts of letters to the Governors of Grenada and Dominica, containing observations and directions respecting Laws of the said Islands, having been prepared pursuant to order, were approved, transcribed and signed.

Africa.

The Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa attended pursuant to order on the subject of the papers relative to the dispute between their Officers and the Officers of the Dutch West India Company respecting the property of the Village of Mumford; and they being asked if they had any documents to support their claim to the property of the said village, they said they did not doubt but that their books would furnish them with such documents; they were therefore desired to search their books, and to furnish themselves with the best proofs they were able in support of their pretensions, in case the matter should hereafter be brought into discussion.

fo. 108.

Newfoundland.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated May 19th, 1773, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report to a Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, the petition of John Agnew and his associates for a grant of all mines, minerals and metals already discovered or to be discovered in Newfoundland and on the coast of Labrador within the limits therein specified, and under the usual regulations.

Their Lordships took the subject matter of the said reference into consideration, and it was ordered, that the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon should be prepared.

fo. 109.

Jamaica.

Their Lordships took into consideration a letter from the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica to Lord Dartmouth respecting the state of the Council in that Island, and the draught of a letter to the Lieutenant Governor thereupon was prepared, transcribed and signed.

Leeward Islands.

Their Lordships took into consideration the state of His Majesty's Councils in the Leeward Islands, and it was ordered, that the Secretary should write to several Members of the said Councils now in England, acquainting them, that, unless they signify their intentions of immediately returning to those Islands, or produce the King's leave of absence, their Lordships shall be under the necessity of recommending other persons to be appointed of the said Councils in their room.

fo. 110.

Plantations General.

Their Lordships read and considered the draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of His Majesty's Colonies in America respecting the future disposal of His Majesty's lands in the said Colonies, and the said draught having been approved, it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to His Majesty thereupon should be prepared.

New York, New Jersey.

The draughts of two representations to His Majesty on several Laws passed in the Province of New York and New Jersey were approved and signed.

East Florida.

fo. 111.

Their Lordships took into consideration the draught of a report upon the reference of Mr. Gordon's claim to lands in East Florida in virtue of Spanish purchases, and made some progress therein.