Journal, February 1740: Volume 48

Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 7, January 1735 - December 1741. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1930.

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'Journal, February 1740: Volume 48', in Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 7, January 1735 - December 1741, (London, 1930) pp. 316-320. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/jrnl-trade-plantations/vol7/pp316-320 [accessed 19 March 2024]

Journal, February 1740

Wednesday, February 6. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

South Carolina.

Mr. Fury, agent for South Carolina, attending, and being examined upon the subject of the paper, mentioned in the minutes of the 31st ultimo, whether the objections therein contained were agreeable to his sentiments, acquainted the Board that it was impossible for him to give his opinion thereon, not having had any instructions from the province.

Virginia.

Mr. Leheup, agent for Virginia, likewise attending, and being examined on the same subject, made answer, that in his opinion the objections, made in the above-mentioned paper, were well founded.

Massachusets.

Connecticut.

Rhode Island.

Mr. Kilby, mentioned in the minutes of January 23rd, attending, acquainted the Board that when he left New England, the Committee was sitting at Massachusets Bay, and designed to send over by the first opportunity an account of the state of the paper money there, as desired; at the same time, he delivered in at the Board, two papers, containing the states of the paper money in Connecticut and Rhode Island, not as papers transmitted from those colonies, but only as he himself had taken them for his information.

Pennsylvania.

Read Mr. Fane's report upon a number of Acts, passed in Pennsylvania, from 1717 to 1732, containing his objections to some, and his remarks upon others.

Maryland.

The secretary laid before the Board copies of two Acts, which he had received from Mr. Sharpe, agent for Maryland, which Acts were passed by the General Assembly of that province, in their session begun March 13th, 1732, the one entituled, An Act for emitting and making current £90,000 current money of Maryland in bills of credit; the other An Act for laying out and applying £3,500 current money of Maryland, to the uses therein mentioned.

Georgia.

Then their lordships gave directions for preparing the draught of a report upon the Georgia Act, referred back to them, and mentioned in the minutes of the 31st of last month.

Thursday, February 7. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Russia.

Read a letter from the Lord Harrington, dated February 5th, 1739–40, inclosing extracts of two letters (transmitted to his Lordship by Mr. Trevor, his Majesty's Minister at the Hague) from the Dutch Resident at Petersburg to the Greffier Fagel, concerning the forms of the passports at the Custom House in the Czarina's Dominions, to ships sailing from thence. To be considered when the Board made their report to his Majesty upon that affair.

Ordered that copies of the said extracts be sent to Mr. Holden, Governor of the Russia Company, for his observations and opinion thereupon, as soon as conveniently may be.

Newfoundland.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 24th January, 1739–40, referring to this Board a petition of the Merchants of London, in behalf of themselves and all others trading to Newfoundland, setting forth the defenceless condition of that island, and praying that forts may be erected in the proper harbours, and that they may be furnished with necessary stores for the security of so valuable a trade and fishery; referring also another petition, presented since to their lordships, by the Corporation of Dartmouth, on the same subject, as also some proposals for encouraging the fishery and securing the trade to Newfoundland: ordered that a letter be writ to Captain Taverner, acquainting him with the subject matter of the said petition and reference, and desiring his attendance at the Board on this day sennight, and that he would bring with him such of the petitioners as he shall judge proper, and able to give their lordships information in this affair. [Thursday, February 14th.]

Friday, February 8. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Georgia.

The report upon the Georgia Act, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 6th instant, was agreed to, and signed.

Tuesday, February 12. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Plantations General.

The Board took into consideration the state of the Paper Currency in the several British Colonies in America, and after some progress made therein, agreed to resume the consideration of the same to-morrow.

Wednesday, February 13. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell.

Plantations General.

The Board had again under consideration the state of the paper currency in America and made some further progress therein.

Newfoundland.

The Board took also into consideration the state of Newfoundland, in consequence of the order of the Lords of the Committee, mentioned in the minutes of the 7th, and made some progress therein.

Thursday, February 14. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plummer.

Newfoundland.

Captain Taverner attending, as desired by the minutes of the 7th instant, together with Walter Cary, Esqr., Mr. Christopher Kilby, Mr. Chauncy Townsend, Mr. John Masters and Mr. Jandin, the Board had some discourse with them on the subject of the petition of the merchants of London and Dartmouth etc., referred to this Board by the Lords of the Committee of Council, as mentioned in the said minutes; and after those gentlemen were withdrawn, their lordships deferred the further consideration of the said reference and petition to another opportunity.

Captain Taverner communicated to the Board a scheme of the fishery of Newfoundland at a medium yearly, from 1736 to 1739.

Friday, February 15. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Newfoundland.

Ordered that the Secretary write a letter to Major General Armstrong, acquainting him that their lordships desire that he would attend their Board on Wednesday next, or any other day, that shall be more convenient to him, in order to have his opinion on the subject of the forts and fortifications in Newfoundland. [Wednesday, February 20th.]

South Carolina.

Read a letter from Colonel Bull, President and Commander in Chief of South Carolina, dated November 20th, giving an account of the death of Mr. Chief Justice Wright, and several other officers, and recommending Colonel Joseph Blake to supply the vacancy in Council, made by the death of Mr. Justice Wright. He complains likewise of a new French settlement on a branch of the Mississippi River.

Ordered that the draught of a representation be prepared, recommending William Middleton, Esqr., to be a Councillor in South Carolina, in the room of the said Robert Wright, late Chief Justice of that province, and one of the Council there.

Ordered that so much of the said letter from Colonel Bull, as relates to the French Settlement, be communicated to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, and that an extract of the same be made, and a letter prepared accordingly.

Trade.

Denmark.

Russia.

Read an answer from Mr. Holden, Governor of the Russia Company, dated the 12th instant, to a letter from the Secretary to him, ordered by the minutes of the 7th instant, and the Board agreed to take the subject of the said answer into consideration on Tuesday next. [Tuesday, February 19th.]

Tuesday, February 19. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

New York.

Read a letter from Mr. Clarke, Lieutenant Governor of New York, dated December 3rd, 1739, in answer to the Board's circular letter upon the addresses of both Houses of Parliament, concerning the rates of Gold and Silver Coins, and the Paper Currency in America.

New Jersey.

Read likewise a letter from Mr. Morris, Governor of New Jersey, dated December 6th, 1739, in answer to the Board's Circular Letter upon the addresses of both Houses of Parliament, relating to the Paper Currency in America.

Ordered that copies of the said Accounts be made, in order to be laid before Houses, when called for.

South Carolina.

The representation recommending William Middleton, Esqr., to be of the Council in South Carolina, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of Friday last, was agreed to, and signed.

As was also the letter to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, ordered by the same minutes, transmitting an extract of Colonel Bull's letter, relating to a French Settlement on a branch of the Mississippi.

Trade.

Denmark.

Russia.

The Board took into consideration the letter from Mr. Holden, mentioned in the minutes of Friday last, and after some time spent therein, ordered the draught of a representation to be prepared, in answer to my Lord Harrington's letter, referring to this Board the Memorial of the Danish Envoy, Mr. Sohlenthal, mentioned in the minutes of the 1st inst. of August, 1739.

Wednesday, February 20. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

New York.

Read a letter from Mr. Clarke, Lieutenant Governor of New York, dated November 30th, 1739, enclosing the following Papers, vizt.:—
1. Advice of the Council of New York to Lieutenant Governor Clarke, against his dissolving the Assembly of that province.
2. Mr. Clarke's speech, at proroguing the Assembly of New York, October 3rd, 1730.
3. Copy of a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of New York from the Commissioners of Indian Affairs, with the Governor of Canada's answer to the Mohawks, relating to the French settling at Crown Point.

Ordered that a copy of the foregoing paper, together with an extract of Mr. Clarke's above-mentioned letter, be transmitted in a letter to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle.

Read also another from the Lieutenant Governor of New York, dated December 7th, 1739, giving a particular account of the members of the Council of that province, and recommending Mr. Richard Bradley, Attorney General, to be of the Council, in case Mr. Van Horn should be removed for non-attendance; promising, likewise, to send the Acts of Assembly, as soon as they are finished.

Thursday, February 21. Present:—Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

New York.

The letter to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, transmitting a copy of the letter from the Commissioners of Indian Affairs to the Lieutenant Governor of New York, as also an extract of the said Lieutenant Governor's letter, ordered by the minutes of yesterday, was agreed to, and signed.

Friday, February 22. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Newfoundland.

The Board took again into consideration the petitions of the Merchants of London and Dartmouth, in behalf of themselves and others trading to Newfoundland, referred to this Board by an order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 24th of January last, as mentioned in the minutes of the 7th inst., and gave directions for preparing the draught of a report thereupon.

Trade.

Denmark.

Russia.

The Board had again under consideration the draught of a representation, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 19th inst., in answer to my Lord Harrington's letter, referring to this Board the Memorial of the Danish Envoy; and after some progress made therein, ordered that the Secretary write a letter to Mr. Holden, Governor of the Russia Company, desiring his attendance here on Tuesday next, in order to have some discourse with him on the subject of his last letter to the Board. [Tuesday, February 26th.]

Tuesday, February 26. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Denmark.

Russia.

Mr. Holden, Governor of the Russia Company, attending (as had been desired by the preceding minutes), the Board, after some discourse had with him, took the representation, ordered to be prepared upon that subject, under consideration, and the same being agreed to, was accordingly signed, together with a letter to the Lord Harrington, inclosing the said representation.

Wednesday, February 27. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Massachusetts.

Read a letter from Mr. Belcher, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, dated at Boston, November 12th, 1739, acknowledging the receipt of the Board's Circular Letter of the 5th July last, with addresses of both Houses of Parliament to his Majesty, and promising to transmit the accounts therein required from both provinces under his Government, so soon as they are completed, by the first good conveyance.

Read also another letter from Governor Belcher, dated at Boston, November 26th, 1739.

Thursday, February 28. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Newfoundland.

The Board had under consideration the draught of a report, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 22nd instant, on the subject of the petitions of the Merchants of London and Dartmouth, mentioned in the same minutes, and after some time spent therein, deferred the reconsideration of it to tomorrow.

Friday, February 29. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Newfoundland.

The Board having reconsidered the draught of the Report, mentioned in the preceding minute, agreed to the same, and ordered it to be transcribed.