Journal, February 1768: Volume 75

Journal, February 1768

Tuesday, February 2nd. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Newfoundland.

fo. 31.

Read a report of his Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor General upon the question stated to them in Mr. Pownall's letter of the 17th of April last, touching the validity of certain claims of property and possession on the Coast of Labrador within the government of Newfoundland.

Their lordships took the said report into consideration, together with the Earl of Shelburne's references on this subject, mentioned in the minutes of the 7th of April, 1767, and after some conversation with Governor Pallisser thereupon, it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty should be prepared.

The following draughts of representations to his Majesty, and reports to the Lords of the Committee of Council, having been prepared pursuant to order, were approved, and it was ordered, that they should be transcribed, vizt.,

fo. 32.

North Carolina.

Representation to his Majesty upon the letter from the Governor of North Carolina, relative to a Court of Exchequer in that colony, referred by letter of the Earl of Shelburne, mentioned in the minutes of the 17th of December last.

Quebec, New York.

Representation to his Majesty upon disputes which have arisen in respect to the property of lands on that part of Lake Champlain, now within the Province of New York. referred by the Earl of Shelburne's letter, mentioned in the minutes of the 17th of December last.

Massachusetts.

fo. 33.

Representation to his Majesty on several letters from the Governor of Massachusets Bay, respecting an attempt of the Assembly to appoint an agent for the province, independent of the Governor and Council, referred by Lord Shelburne's letter, mentioned in the minutes of the 17th of December last.

East Florida.

Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the petition of Messrs. Robert Johnston and Thomas Ridout Johnston, praying for a grant of lands in East Florida.

Thursday, February 4th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Plantations General, Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida.

fo. 34.

West florida, Senegambia.

Lord Clare having informed the Board, that the House of Commons had voted the several sums proposed in the estimates for the service of the colonies of Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida and West Florida in America, and also for the Colony of Senegambia in Africa, and for general surveys in America, it was ordered, that copies of the estimates for the service of America, should be transmitted to the Secretary to the Earl of Hillsborough, and a copy of that for the service of Senegambia to the Secretary to the Earl of Shelburne.

New York.

Their lordships then took into consideration two Acts passed in the New York in 1767, together with Sir Mathew Lamb's report thereupon, and the said Acts and report were read.

fo. 35.

It appearing that the Act for making provision for quartering his Majesty's troops had had its full force and effect, and that it was not liable to the objection stated to the Act passed for the same service in the year 1766, which had been repealed by his Majesty, their lordships did not think it necessary to make any report thereupon.

New York, Massachusetts.

It appearing by the minutes of Council in New York, that the Act for appointing Commissioners to establish a line of jurisdiction between New York and Massachusets Bay, had been recommended by the Governor, in consequence of some directions from the Earl of Shelburne, a letter to the Earl of Hillsborough was signed, desiring to be informed what were the orders sent to the Governor on this occasion.

Barbados, Massachusetts, Bermuda.

Their lordships then took into consideration several laws passed in Barbados, Massachusets Bay and Bermuda in 1767, together with Sir Mathew Lamb's reports thereupon.

fo. 36.

Massachusetts.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty be prepared, proposing the repeal of an Act passed in Massachusets Bay in 1767, intitled an Act to empower Abigail Conqueret of Lancaster in the County of Worcester, wife of Lewis Conqueret, mariner, to commence and prosecute to final judgment and execution, certain action or actions against Francis Morris and Thomas Legget, of Leominster in the said county; and for subjecting the said Abigail Conqueret to the action or actions of the said Francis Morris and Thomas Legget, as though she was sole and unmarried.

fo. 37.

The following representations to his Majesty and report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, having been transcribed pursuant to order were signed; as were also letters to the Earl of Hillsborough, inclosing the said representations, and desiring him to lay them before his Majesty.

North Carolina.

Representation to his Majesty upon the letter from the Governor of North Carolina, relative to a Court of Exchequer in that colony.

Quebec, New York.

Representation to his Majesty upon disputes, which have arisen in respect to the property of lands on that part of Lake Champlain, now within the Province of New York.

Massachusetts.

Representation to his Majesty on several letters from the Governor of Massachusets Bay, respecting an attempt of the Assembly to appoint an agent for the province independent of the Governor and Council.

fo. 38.

East Florida.

Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the petition of Messrs. Robert and Thomas Ridout Johnston, praying for a grant of lands in East Florida.

Virginia, Jamaica.

Their lordships then took into consideration the draughts of representation to his Majesty on four private Acts and one publick Act of Virginia, and upon Donaldson's Act of Jamaica, and the said draughts having been approved, it was ordered, that they should be transcribed.

fo. 39.

Friday, February 5th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

The following representations to his Majesty having been transcribed pursuant to order, were signed, vizt.,

Virginia.

Representation to his Majesty on four private Acts passed in Virginia, proposing that two of the said Acts may be disallowed, and two others confirmed.
Representation to his Majesty, proposing the confirmation of an Act of Virginia relative to the City of Williamsburgh.

fo. 40.

Jamaica.

Representation to his Majesty, proposing the confirmation of an Act of Jamaica for naturalizing John Donaldson, a free mulatto.

Grenada.

Read a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough to the Board, dated February 2nd, 1768, referring to their lordships, for their report, several papers respecting the suspension of Thomas Atwood, esquire, from the execution of his office of Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court in the Island of Dominica.

Read a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough to the Board, dated February 2nd, 1768, referring to their lordships, for their report, a printed collection of the laws passed in the Island of Grenada since the establishment of legislature there, and an ordinance for establishing an Assembly in Dominica.

fo. 41.

Ordered, that the last mentioned letter be taken into consideration on Tuesday next.

Tuesday, February 9th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Grenada.

fo. 42.

Their lordships took into consideration the letter of reference from the Earl of Hillsborough, mentioned in the minutes of Friday last, and the ordinance of the Governor and General Council of the Grenada Islands, for establishing an Assembly in the Island of Dominica, having been read, it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon should be prepared.

New York, Massachusetts.

Read a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough to the Board, dated February 5th, 1768, transmitting,
Extract of a letter from the Earl of Shelburne to Sir Henry Moore, dated December 11th, 1766, containing directions relative to the line of jurisdiction between the colonies of New York and Massachusets Bay.

fo. 43.

Thursday, February 11th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Plantations General.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, upon the several important matters contained in the Earl of Shelburne's letter of reference of the 5th of October, 1767, having been prepared pursuant to order, was read and considered.

fo. 44.

Friday, February 12th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Grenada.

Their lordships took into consideration the laws of Grenada, transmitted with the Earl of Hillsborough's letter of the 2nd instant, and made some progress therein.

fo. 45.

Tuesday, February 16th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Grenada.

Their lordships made a further progress in the consideration of the laws passed by the first General Assembly of the Grenada Islands, and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty should be prepared, proposing that several of the said laws relating to the Militia and Martial Law, the appointment of a Treasurer, and the disposition of publick money, the establishment of a Court of Chancery, and the election of representatives, should be repealed, as having been passed without clauses suspending their execution until his Majesty's pleasure could be known, and being liable also to many other objections.

fo. 46.

Thursday, February 18th. Present:— Lord Clare, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, dated the 17th instant, signifying his Majesty's pleasure, that this Board should prepare and lay before the House of Commons, copies of such accounts of manufactures set up in the colonies, and the publick encouragement given thereto, as have been transmitted to their lordships, pursuant to the Duke of Richmond's letter of the 11th of July, 1766.

Copies of the said accounts having been prepared, together with a list thereof, Lord Clare was desired to present them to the House of Commons, pursuant to his Majesty's command.

Massachusetts.

fo. 47.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing the disallowance of a private Act passed in Massachusets Bay in June last, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

Newfoundland, Trade, Georgia.

The draughts of two representations to his Majesty, upon claims to certain tracts of land and exclusive fishery on the Coast of Labrador, and upon the papers relative to the establishment by the King of Denmark of an exclusive company at Altona, for carrying on the herring fishery, having been prepared pursuant to order were approved and ordered to be transcribed; as was also the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon Mr. Levy's petition.

Grenada, Dominica.

The Secretary laid before the Board a petition of Monsieur Nicolas Crocquet Billigny to Governor Melvill, with his consent thereunto annexed, praying license to assign a lease of certain lands in Dominica to his children, and that his non-residence may be dispensed with.

fo. 48.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the case, ordered the Secretary to certify their consent, as far as their authority extends.

Friday, February 20th. (fn. 1) Present:— Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns. Mr. Roberts, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Grenada, Dominica.

fo. 49.

Their lordships took into consideration the complaints exhibited against Mr. Atwood, the Assistant Judge of the Island of Dominica, referred by Lord Hillsborough's letter of the 2nd instant; and Mr. Atwood attending, their lordships had some discourse with him upon the subject matter thereof; whereupon it was ordered, that the several memorials and depositions thereunto annexed, containing the particular charges against Mr. Atwood, should be delivered to him, for his answer thereto.

Tuesday, February 23rd. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Robinson.

Grenada.

fo. 50.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon an ordinance of the Governor and General Council of the Southward Carribbee Islands, for establishing an Assembly in Dominica, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, and it was ordered, that it should be transcribed.

Nova Scotia.

Read a memorial of several merchants of London trading to Nova Scotia, complaining of two laws passed in that colony in August, 1767, for altering the duties of impost and excise on spirits.

Ordered, that the said memorial, together with the laws complained of, be taken into consideration on Tuesday next, and that the memorialists have notice to attend.

Jamaica.

Read a memorial of the agent for Jamaica, praying the Board to take into consideration and report upon an Act passed there in 1758, for dividing the island into counties.

fo. 51.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough, dated February 20th, 1768, transmitting, for the Board's report, the copy of a petition of Henry Bostwick, on behalf of himself and others, praying for a grant of all mines discovered or to be discovered in the country adjacent to Lake Superior.

Thursday, February 25th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Robinson.

Plantations General.

fo. 52.

Read a letter from Mr. Boddington, Clerk to the Board of Ordnance, to Mr. Pownall, signifying the request of the principal officers of the Ordnance to be informed of the allowances made to the Surveyors General of the Northern and Southern Districts of America.

Ordered, that the Secretary do acquaint Mr. Boddington with the allowances made to those officers, as contained in the estimates laid before Parliament.

Grenada, Dominica, Quebec, Georgia.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the ordinance for establishing an Assembly in Dominica, having been transcribed pursuant to order, was signed; as was also a representation to his Majesty accompanying a draught, in the usual form, of a Commission for the Governor of Quebec; and a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council on Mr. Levi's petition, relating to his claim touching the islands on the Coast of Georgia.

fo. 53.

Quebec, Newfoundland, Trade, Denmark.

The draughts of representations to his Majesty on the claims to certain tracts of land and fishing posts on the Coast of Labrador, and on the letter from Mr. Woodford, relative to the herring fishery, were further considered.

Friday, February 26th. Present:—Lord Clare, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Robinson.

Nova Scotia, St. John's.

fo. 54.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, on the 9th of October last, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a petition of the officers of the 78th Regiment, praying that their lots in the Island of St. John may be exempted from quit rent for ten years, or that they may have an additional tract granted them on the continental part of Nova Scotia.

Their lordships took the said order of reference and petition into consideration, and it was ordered, that the draught of a report thereupon should be prepared.