Journal, December 1755: Volume 62

Journal, December 1755

Tuesday, December 2. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham.

Pennsylvania.

Their lordships took into further consideration the letter from Mr. Fox, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, dated the 18th of November last, and the papers therein referred to relating to Mr. Penn's proposal of granting lands to such officers and soldiers as shall engage in his Majesty's service, mentioned in the minutes of the 27th of November, and ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon, and of a letter to Mr. Fox desiring him to lay it before his Majesty, be prepared.

New York.

The draught of a letter from the Secretary to Sir William Johnson, Commander in Chief of the troops raised for the reduction of the French fort at Crown Point, and agent for Indian affairs, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 25th of November, was agreed to.

Montserrat.

South Carolina.

Nova Scotia.

Representations to his Majesty proposing that Thomas Caines, Junior, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council in the Island of Montserrat, that [Henry] Middleton, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council in the province of South Carolina, and that Robert Grant, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council in the province of Nova Scotia were signed.

New Jersey.

Read a letter from Mr. Belcher, Governor of New Jersey, to Mr. Pownall, dated Elizabeth Town, the 17th of September, 1755, acknowledging the receipt of Mr. Pownall's, inclosing copy of an Order of the Lords Justices in Council of the 13th of May last, rejecting the petition of the House of Representatives of New Jersey to his Majesty with the draught of a Bill prepared by them for emitting £70,000.

Georgia.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that he was desired by Mr. Partridge, agent for the colony of Georgia, to move them for a copy of the additional instruction lately given to the Governor of that colony prescribing the terms of cultivation to be inserted in all grants of land.

Ordered, that a copy of the said additional instruction be delivered to Mr. Partridge.

New Hampshire.

New York.

New Jersey.

Massachusets.

Connecticut.

Rhode Island.

Ordered, that the Secretary do write to the agents for the colonies of New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusets Bay, Connecticut and Rhode Island, desiring their attendance at the Board to-morrow morning and to come prepared to lay before the Board an account of men raised and moneys granted in their respective colonies for carrying on the expeditions under the command of Generals Johnson and Shirley for the reduction of forts which have been erected by the French upon lands belonging to the Crown of Great Britain.

Wednesday, December 3. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald.

New Hampshire.

New York.

New Jersey.

Connecticut.

Rhode Island.

The Board being informed that Mr. Tomlinson, agent for the province of New Hampshire, Mr. Charles, agent for the province of New York, and Mr. Partridge, agent for the colonys of New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island, were attending without, pursuant to their lordships' order of yesterday, they were ordered to be called in, and their lordships informed them that as his Majesty might possibly think it expedient in the present situation of affairs in America to recommend to Parliament to grant a sum of money to such of the colonies as had so zealously concurred and engaged in the expeditions now on foot for the reduction of such forts as had been erected by the French on his Majesty's lands, by way of recompence for what they have already done, and to assist them in their future efforts, they thought it their duty, as the consideration of this affair would possibly be referred to them, to call upon the agents for the best account they could lay before them of the actual number of men raised, and sums of money granted in the several colonies for this service, in order that no time might be lost in an affair which required so great dispatch.

The several agents then produced the best account of these particulars they were able from which, and from several letters, Acts of Assembly and other papers in their lordships' books, it appeared that the number of men raised and sums of money granted in the several colonies for the Niagara and Crown Point expeditions were as follows, viz.:—

The agents then withdrew.

Friday, December 6. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald.

Massachusets.

Read a letter from Mr. Bollan, agent for the Massachusets Bay, dated December 3rd, 1755, in answer to one from Mr. Pownall, acquainting him with his reasons for his not attending the Board and referring to a paper delivered by him to Lord Halifax, as containing information with regard to the points upon which he was ordered to attend.

The Earl of Halifax communicated the following paper to the Board, viz.:—
Letter from Mr. Bollan, agent for the Massachusets Bay, to the Earl of Halifax, dated November 22nd, 1755, inclosing a representation of the case and present circumstances of that province.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from Mr. Thomas, Governor of the Leeward Islands, to the Board, dated the 25th September, 1755, referring to Acts, minutes of Council, etc. in a box directed to their lordships by his Majesty's ship Fowey; and acquainting them that the Governor of Martinique had taken possession of the Island of Santa Lucia.

Barbados.

Read a letter from the Honourable Henry Grenville, Esquire, dated Bath, December 1st, 1755, in answer to one from Mr. Pownall desiring his attendance at the Board upon the affair relating to the removal of the Barons of the Exchequer at Barbados.

Proprieties.

Pennsylvania.

The Earl of Halifax communicated to the Board the two following papers, viz.:—
Letter from Mr. Partridge, agent for the province of Pennsylvania, to the Earl of Halifax, dated the 5th instant, acquainting him with what the Assembly had done for promoting his Majesty's service in the expedition for the removal of French encroachments.
Extract of a letter from Richard Franklin, Esquire, to Mr. Richard Partridge, dated 28th August, 1755, relating to the disputes between the Governor and Assembly of the province of Pennsylvania with regard to raising money for his Majesty's service.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Mr. Harding, Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, dated the 3rd instant, inclosing several papers from the Board of Ordnance desiring to be re-imbursed several sums of money advanced by that office for the service of the settlement of Nova Scotia, and desiring their lordships will cause the said sums to be inserted in the estimate to be laid before Parliament this session.

Their lordships took into consideration the estimate transmitted by Colonel Lawrence of what will be necessary for the support of the settlement of Nova Scotia for the ensuing year, and made some progress therein.

Tuesday, December 9. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham.

New York.

Read a letter from Sir Charles Hardy, Governor of New York, dated the 8th of October, 1755, inclosing the two following papers, viz.:—
Copy of the conference between General Johnson and the Indians at Lake George, the 11th and 12th September, 1755.
Extract of a letter from General Johnson to Sir Charles Hardy, Governor of New York, dated Lake George, September 16th, 1755.

Pennsylvania.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon Mr. Penn's proposal for granting lands in Pennsylvania to such officers and soldiers as shall engage in his Majesty's service, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 2nd instant, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed; and the draught of a letter to Mr. Fox, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, desiring him to lay it before his Majesty was ordered to be prepared.

Nova Scotia.

Their lordships took into further consideration the estimate transmitted by Mr. Lawrence of what will be necessary for the colony of Nova Scotia for the year 1756, and made a further progress therein.

Thursday, December 11. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald.

Pennsylvania.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon Mr. Penn's proposal for granting lands in Pennsylvania to such officers and soldiers as shall engage in his Majesty's service, having been transcribed pursuant to the preceding minutes, was signed, and the draught of a letter to Mr. Fox, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, desiring him to lay it before his Majesty having been prepared was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Nova Scotia.

Their lordships took into further consideration the estimate transmitted by Mr. Lawrence of what will be necessary for the support of the colony of Nova Scotia for the year 1756, and made a further progress therein.

Tuesday, December 16. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald.

Massachusets.

Read a letter from Mr. Bollan, agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay, dated the 15th instant, inclosing the votes, resolutions and Acts of the Legislature of that province for raising men for the expedition to Crown Point under the Seal of the province.

Trade.

East India.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 11th of December, 1755, referring to the consideration of the Board an account of the East India Company's exports between the 29th of September, 1754, and 29th September, 1755.

Nova Scotia.

Their lordships took into further consideration the estimate transmitted by Mr. Lawrence of what sums will be necessary for the support of the colony of Nova Scotia for the year 1756, and ordered the draught of an estimate to be prepared to be laid before the House of Commons.

Miscellanies.

Edward Sedgwick, Esquire, one of the clerks of this office, desired leave to resign that office, which was agreed to and ordered to be entered upon the minutes.

Thursday, December 18. Present:—Earl of Halifax. Mr. Pitt, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Stone.

Read the following Orders in Council, viz.:—
Plantations General.
Nova Scotia.
Order in Council, dated the 18th of December, 1755, approving a representation of this Board recommending Robert Monckton, Esquire, to be appointed Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia; and directing this Board to cause a Commission to be prepared accordingly.
Order in Council, dated the 18th of December, 1755, approving a representation of this Board recommending Robert Grant, Esquire, to be of the Council of Nova Scotia; and directing this Board to cause the usual warrant to be prepared.

Montserrat.

Order in Council, dated the 18th of December, 1755, approving a representation of this Board recommending Thomas Caines, Junior, Esquire, to be of the Council of Montserrat; and directing this Board to cause the usual warrant to be prepared.

South Carolina.

Order in Council, dated the 18th of December, 1755, approving a representation of this Board recommending Henry Middleton, Esquire, to be of the Council of South Carolina in the room of Alexander Vanderdussen, Esquire; and directing this Board to cause the usual warrant to be prepared.

South Carolina.

Warrants in the usual form having been prepared pursuant to the directions of the said Orders, were agreed to, and representations to his Majesty with them were signed.

Nova Scotia.

Read an Order in Council, dated the 18th of December, 1755, approving a representation of this Board recommending Charles Lawrence, Esquire, to be Captain General and Governor in Chief of his Majesty's province of Nova Scotia; and directing this Board to prepare a Commission and instructions accordingly.

The draught of a Commission in the usual form having been prepared pursuant to the said Order was agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed, and a representation to his Majesty thereupon was signed.

Ordered that the draught of general instructions and of those which relate to the Acts of Trade and Navigation be prepared with all possible dispatch.

Adjourned to Wednesday, the 14th day of January.