Journal, March 1748: Volume 56

Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 8, January 1742 - December 1749. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1931.

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'Journal, March 1748: Volume 56', in Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 8, January 1742 - December 1749, (London, 1931) pp. 274-277. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/jrnl-trade-plantations/vol8/pp274-277 [accessed 19 March 2024]

Journal, March 1748

Tuesday, March 1. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Lord Dupplin.

South Carolina.

The Board took into consideration the Act, passed in South Carolina, in 1746, for emitting £210,000 in Bills of Credit, mentioned in the preceding minutes, and made some progress therein.

Wednesday, March 2. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Fane.

South Carolina.

The Board took into consideration the draught of a representation upon the Act, passed in the province of South Carolina in 1747, relating to the tryal of small causes, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 23rd of last month, and made some progress therein.

Thursday, March 3. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

South Carolina.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, mentioned in the preceding minute, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Friday, March 4. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Fane, Lord Dupplin.

South Carolina.

The draught of the representation to his Majesty upon the Act, passed in the South Carolina, in 1747, relating to the tryal of small causes, having been transcribed, as ordered by the preceding minute, was laid before the Board and signed.

Wednesday, March 9. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Plumer, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Bermudas.

Read two letters from William Popple, Esquire, Governor of Bermudas, to the Board,— one dated the 30th of November, the other the 14th of December, 1747, relating to the Assembly's refusal to allow him a salary, and inclosing:—
Answer of William Popple, Esquire, Governor of the Bermuda Islands, to a message from the Assembly of the said Islands, relating to their refusing to allow him a salary, dated 17th November, 1747.

Copy of an address from the Assembly of the Bermuda Islands to his Majesty, relating to the whale fishery.

Leeward Islands.

Read two letters from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, one dated at St. Christophers, January 19th, 1747–8, transmitting:—
Minutes of the Assembly of Montserrat, from Midsummer to Christmas, 1747, and
A Tax Act for that Island, passed the 19th January, 1747–8.
—the other, the duplicate of a letter from him to the Board, dated at St. Christophers, January 16th, 1747–8, mentioning several papers, as inclosed, which were not received with this duplicate.

Ordered that the abovementioned Act be sent to Mr. Lamb, for his opinion thereon, in point of law.

New Hampshire.

The Board took into consideration the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, relating to the Assembly of New Hampshire having refused to admit the representatives of five new towns and districts in that province, to sit and vote in the choice of a Speaker, mentioned in the minutes of the 23rd February, and made some progress therein.

Hudsons Bay.

Mr. Dobbs, concerned in the discovery of a north west passage to China, attending, was called in, and moved the Board that he might have liberty to inspect such papers as are in this office, relating to the liberty to inspect such papers as are in this office, relating to the settling of the limits between the Hudson's Bay Company and the French; whereupon the Board agreed that if there were any papers to be found in the office, relating to this matter, he should have liberty to inspect the same.

Thursday, March 10. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Grenville.

Bermudas.

The Board took into consideration the two letters from Mr. Popple, Governor of Bermudas, relating to the Assembly's refusing to allow him a salary, mentioned in the preceding minutes, and gave directions that all papers in the office, relating to the whale fishery of the Bermuda Islands, and to the salary allowed to former Governors by the Assembly of the said Islands, should be laid before them, as soon as conveniently may be.

Wednesday, March 16. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Massachusets Bay.

The Board took into consideration the state of the paper currency in the province of the Massachusets Bay, and directed the Secretary to write to Mr. Kilby, agent for that province, and to Mr. Bollan, employed by the said province to sollicit the reimbursement of their expences upon the Cape Breton expedition, to attend the Board to-morrow morning, between twelve and one o'clock.

Thursday, March 17. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from Mr. Glen, Governor of South Carolina, to the Board, dated the 19th January, 1747–8, giving an estate of the affairs of the province, with remarks upon it's trade, and the means of protecting it.

Ordered that the Secretary do transmit an extract of so much of the said letter, as relates to the want of a further protection for the trade of that province, to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to be laid before that Board.

Massachusets.

Mr. Kilby, agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay, and Mr. Bollan, employed by the said province to sollicit the reimbursement of their expences in the Cape Breton expedition, attending, as had been desired, the Board had some discourse with them upon the state of the paper currency in the said provinces.

Tuesday, March 22. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Read a paper received from Mr. Crockat, concerned in the trade to the province of South Carolina, entitled:—
Reasons for laying a duty on French and Spanish indico, for the encouragement of indico of the growth of the British Plantations,
and agreed to take the same into consideration on Friday next.

Wednesday, March 23. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

New Hampshire.

The Board took into consideration the draught of a report to Lords of the Committee of Council, relating to the Assembly of New Hampshire having refused to admit the representatives of five new towns and districts in that province to sit and vote in the choice of a Speaker, mentioned in the minutes of the 9th instant, and the same having been agreed to, was ordered to be transcribed.

Friday, March 25. Present:—Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

New Hampshire.

The draught of the report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, mentioned in the preceding minutes, was laid before the Board and signed.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from Mr. Corbet, Secretary to the Lords of the Admiralty, dated the 22nd March, 1747–8, in answer to one from the Secretary of this Board, inclosing the extract of a letter from Mr. Glen, Governor of South Carolina, relating to his Majesty's ships stationed upon that coast, signifying that the Lords of the Admiralty have received a letter from the said Governor to the same purpose.

New York.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 8th of March, 1747, directing this Board to lay before them a copy of the reasons transmitted by the Governor of New York to their Lordships, for suspending Daniel Horsmanden, Esquire, from his seat in Council there, and from being Judge of the Supreme Court of the said province, and Recorder of the city of New York.

Ordered that the reasons received from Mr. Clinton for his suspension of Mr. Horsmanden, and the several papers, therein referred to, be copied, as soon as conveniently may be, and a draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee be prepared, for transmitting the said reasons, pursuant to the above Order.

South Carolina.

The Board took into consideration the reasons for laying a duty on French and Spanish indigo, for the encouragement of indigo of the growth of the British Plantations, mentioned in the minutes of the 22nd instant, and the Secretary was directed to write to Mr. Crockat, to desire his attendance thereupon at the Board upon Tuesday next.

Tuesday, March 29. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

South Carolina.

Mr. Crokat attending, as desired, presented to the Board a printed paper containing some further reasons for laying a duty on French and Spanish indigo, and granting a bounty on what is made in the British Plantations, and the Board had some discourse with him upon that subject.

Ordered that the Secretary do write to the Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs for,
An account of the quantity of indico imported for ten years past, distinguishing each year, and how much from Europe, America, or as prize;
and likewise for,
Africa.
An account of the number of British ships that have been entered, as to and from the coast of Africa, from Christmas, 1727, to Christmas, 1747, distinguishing each year, and each port, and which belonged to the Royal African Company, and which to the separate traders,
to be laid before this Board, as soon as conveniently may be.