Journal, March 1757: Volume 64

Journal, March 1757

Wednesday, March 2. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Pennsylvania.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon an Act passed in Pennsylvania in September, 1756, for granting £30,000 to the King's use, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of Thursday last, was signed.

Jamaica.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that he was desired by Admiral Knowles to move their lordships for leave that he may have copies of the several addresses of the Council of Jamaica to him during his administration as governor of that Island.

Ordered, that copies be made of the said addresses and delivered to Admiral Knowles.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following Orders of the House of Commons received since the Board's last meeting, viz.:—
Mercurii 16 die Februarii, 1757, ordered,
That there be laid before this House and account of the money paid and charges incurred by supporting and maintaining the settlement of his Majesty's colony of Nova Scotia from the 1st of January, 1755, to the 31st of December following:
Ordered,
That there be laid before this House an account of the money paid and charges incurred by supporting and maintaining the settlement of his Majesty's colony of Nova Scotia from the 1st of January, 1756, to the 31st of December following.

The account required by the first mentioned Order having been prepared, as mentioned in the minutes of the 10th of February last, was delivered to Mr. Oswald and he was desired to present it to the House of Commons, and to acquaint the House at the same time that the last mentioned Order cannot at present be complied with, by reason the proper officers in the colony have not transmitted any accounts of the expenditure or any vouchers for the payment of money for the year 1756, but that as soon as the accounts and vouchers are received, the account will be made up with all possible dispatch and laid before the House.

Plantations General.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit printed copys of the Act passed in the present session of Parliament, entituled,
An Act to prohibit for a limited time the exportation of corn, grain, meal, malt, flour, bread, biscuit, starch, beef, pork, bacon, and other victuals (except fish and roots and rice, to be exported to any part of Europe southward of Cape Finisterre) from his Majesty's colonies and plantations in America, unless to Great Britain or Ireland, or to some of the said colonies and plantations; and to permit the importation of corn and flour into Great Britain and Ireland in neutral ships; and to allow the exportation of wheat, barley, oats, meal and flour from Great Britain to the Isle of Man, for the use of the inhabitants there.
to the governors and commanders of his Majesty's several colonies in America; and that he do also write to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury to desire him to move that Board to give directions to the Commissioners of the Customs to send such instructions to the several officers of the Customs in the plantations as shall appear to them to be proper for the due observance and punctual execution of the said Act.

North Carolina.

Read a letter from Mr. Clevland, Secretary to the Admiralty, dated the 28th February, 1757, in answer to one from Mr. Pownall with the extract of a letter from Governor Dobbs, giving account that the coasts of North Carolina are infested with the enemies' privateers from the West Indies, and acquainting him for the information of their lordships that a twenty gun ship and sloop are ordered upon that station for their protection.

Thursday, March 3. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

New Hampshire.

The Secretary laid before the Board the two following petitions to his Majesty, received from Mr. Bollan, agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay, viz.:—
Petition of the inhabitants of Hindsdale in New Hampshire to his Majesty in Council, setting forth the defenceless state of their settlements and praying protection.
Petition of the inhabitants of Number Four in New Hampshire to his Majesty in Council, setting forth the defenceless state of their frontiers and praying for protection.

Ordered, that the said petitions be laid before his Majesty in Council and that the draught of a representation thereupon be prepared.

Virginia.

Read a letter from Robert Dinwiddie, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, to the Board, dated the 4th of January, 1757, representing the present state of that country, and inclosing the following accounts, viz.:—
Account of his Majesty's revenue of quit rents, etc., arising in the colony of Virginia for the year 1755.
Account of his Majesty's revenue of 2s. per hogshead arising in the colony of Virginia from the 25th of April to the 25th of October, 1756.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit an extract of so much of Mr. Dinwiddie's letter as relates to the want of a naval force for the protection of the coasts of that colony to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and desire him to lay it before that Board.

New Jersey.

Read an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 1st March, 1757, approving a representation of this Board proposing Samuel Woodroffe, Esquire, to supply a vacancy in the Council of New Jersey by the death of John Rodman, Esquire; and directing this Board to cause a warrant to be prepared for that purpose.

A warrant in the usual form having been prepared a representation thereupon to his Majesty was agreed to and signed.

Pennsylvania.

Read a letter from Mr. Stephens to Mr. Pownall, dated Philadelphia, the 20th of December, 1756, inclosing copy of one to Mr. Harding of the Treasury, relating to the progress made by Mr. Stephens in the manufacture of pot ash in those parts.

Wednesday, March 9. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

South Carolina.

Read the following letters and papers received from Mr. Lyttelton, Governor of South Carolina, viz.:—
Letter from Mr. Lyttelton to the Board, dated the 25th of December, 1756, inclosing copies of two affidavits and other papers which contain advices of an intended invasion of South Carolina, viz.:—
Letter from William Gray to the Commanding Officer at Frederica, dated the 20th of November, 1756.
Copy of an affidavit of William Wilkins sworn at Frederica in Georgia, the 24th of November, 1756.
Copy of an affidavit of Joseph Blyth sworn at Frederica in Georgia, the 24th of November, 1756.
Mr. William Birch's narrative, dated Charles Town, the 15th of December, 1756.
Letter from Mr. Lyttelton to the Board, dated the 31st of December, 1756, inclosing the three following papers containing intelligence from Captain Demiri.
Intelligence received from Captain Raymond Demiri, dated English Camp, November 25th, 1756.
Intelligence from Captain Raymond Demiri, dated English Camp, 2nd December, 1756.
Intelligence from Captain Demiri, English Camp, the 13th December, 1756.

Ordered, that copies of the said letters and papers be made to be laid before his Majesty, and a letter to Mr. Secretary Pitt inclosing the said copies having been prepared for that purpose, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty with the petitions of the inhabitants of Number Four and Hindsdale upon Connecticut River, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 3rd instant, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Nova Scotia.

New Hampshire.

New York.

New Jersey.

Virginia.

North Carolina.

Their lordships took into consideration the several letters received from the Governors of Nova Scotia, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina, since the date of the Board's last letter to them, and ordered draughts of letters in answer thereto to be prepared.

New York.

The draught of a letter to Sir William Johnson, agent for Indian Affairs in the Northern District, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 9th of February, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Thursday, March 10. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Sloper.

Massachusets.

The Board being informed that the Governor of the Massachusets Bay was attending without in order to receive their lordships' final orders before his departure for his government, which he expected would be in a day or two, he was called in and the Board recommended to him immediately upon his arrival to do every thing within his power to promote his Majesty's service, and to carry into execution such measures as should be recommended by his Majesty's Commander in Chief for annoying and distressing the enemy in the ensuing year; their lordships had also some conversation with him respecting the disputes between Massachusets Bay and New York concerning the boundaries, and earnestly recommended to him to use his utmost endeavours to preserve peace and order upon the borders untill his Majesty's further pleasure was known concerning this matter, and then he withdrew.

New Hampshire.

Read a letter from Benning Wentworth, Esquire, Governor of New Hampshire, dated January 16th, 1757, acknowledging the receipt of their lordships' letter, dated the 9th of October last, and containing a further account of the state of affairs in that province.

Nova Scotia.

New Hampshire.

New York.

New Jersey.

Virginia.

North Carolina.

The draughts of letters to the Governors of Nova Scotia, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and North Carolina, in answer to those received from them since the Board's last letters, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of yesterday, were agreed to, transcribed and signed.

New York.

The draught of a letter to Sir William Johnson, agent for Indian Affairs in the Northern District of America, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of yesterday, was signed.

Georgia.

Read a memorial of Benjamin Martyn, Esquire, agent for the colony of Georgia, to the Board, praying their lordships' warrant to enable him to pay out of the ballance remaining in his hands the several sums and for services therein mentioned.

Their lordships upon consideration of the said memorial agreed that the several charges mentioned therein to have been incurred should be defrayed out of the ballance remaining in the agent's hands of the grants of Parliament for the service of Georgia for the year 1753 and 1754, and a warrant authorizing and directing the said agent to pay the same out of the said ballance was approved and signed.

Tuesday, March 15. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Newfoundland.

Read a letter from the Right Honourable Mr. Pitt, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, dated the 12th of March, 1757, signifying his Majesty's appointment of Captain Richard Edwards to be Governor of Newfoundland, and directing their lordships to prepare draughts of a Commission and instructions to be laid before the King for his approbation.

The draught of a Commission for the said Richard Edwards in the usual form, having been approved of, was ordered to be transcribed, and a representation thereupon was signed.

Ordered, that a draught of instructions for the said Richard Edwards be prepared with all possible dispatch.

New Hampshire.

Read Sir Mathew Lamb's report upon forty-six Acts passed in New Hampshire between October, 1752, and September, 1755, dated the 18th December, 1756.

Their lordships took the said laws into consideration and made some progress therein.

Wednesday, March 16. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

New Hampshire.

Their lordships took into further consideration the laws passed in the province of New Hampshire between October, 1752, and September, 1755, and ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty to be prepared proposing that the two following laws may be confirmed, viz.:—
An Act directing and regulating the appointment and choice of petit jurors, passed May the 7th, 1754.
An Act for choosing of grand jurors and directing their service, passed May 7th, 1754.

Ordered, that the remainder of the said laws do lay by for further consideration.

Thursday, March 17. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Sloper.

Massachusets.

New York.

The Secretary having acquainted the Board that the agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay had signified to him that he was now able and desirous to attend their lordships at any time they shall appoint upon the affair respecting the disputes between that province and New York concerning their boundary line, their lordships agreed to take it into consideration on Tuesday, the 29th instant, and the Secretary was directed to give notice thereof to the respective partys.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty proposing the confirmation of two Acts passed in the province of New Hampshire in May, 1754, having been prepared pursuant to the preceding day's minute, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Plantations General.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following copies of Orders in Council, viz.:—
Antigua.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 3rd of September, 1756, upon an extract of a letter from the Governor of the Leeward Islands to the Board of Trade, and likewise a petition of the agent for the Island of Antigua, relating to the expediency of augmenting the regiment in the said Islands.
Trade.
Spain.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 5th of October, 1756, with the copy of an additional instruction that has been sent to all his Majesty's governors in America, forbidding all commanders of private ships of war to molest the subjects of the Crown of Spain during the present war with France unless in case of contraband goods, etc.
North Carolina.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 13th of October, 1756, directing that the sum of £2,500, being arrears of salary due to Henry McCulloch, Esquire, in March, 1752, be set off against the quit rents due from him to the Crown, as proposed by this Board in their representation on his memorial.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 13th of October, 1756, approving a representation of this Board on the memorial of Henry McCulloch, Esquire, and directing the Governor of North Carolina accordingly to defer the execution of the 84th Article of his instructions relative to Mr. McCulloch's lands.
Virginia.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 13th of October, 1756, approving a warrant, directing the Governor of Virginia to admit John Tayloe, Esquire, to be of his Majesty's Council in the said colony in the room of Lewis Burwell, Esquire, deceased.
South Carolina.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 13th of October, 1756, approving a warrant directing the Governor of South Carolina to admit Henry Drayton, Esquire, to be of his Majesty's Council in the said province.
Georgia.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 19th of November, 1756, directing the Governor and Commander in Chief of Georgia for the time being to take care that the small arms and ammunition, in the annexed estimate, be kept in good order and well preserved in some storehouse to be set apart for them.
Copy of an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 19th of November, 1756, directing that five hundred stands of arms with a proportionable quantity of powder and ball, contained in the annexed estimate, be forthwith sent to the colony of Georgia.

Tuesday, March 22. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Sloper.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon two Acts passed in the province of New Hampshire in May, 1754, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of the 17th instant, was signed.

Newfoundland.

The draught of instructions for the Governor of Newfoundland having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 15th instant, was approved and ordered to be transcribed and a representation to his Majesty thereupon was signed.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from the Right Honourable William Pitt, Esquire, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, to the Board, dated March . . . , 1757, inclosing the two following addresses, viz.:—
Veneris 18 die Martis, 1757.
Resolved, that an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions, that there be laid before this House a copy of the report of the Commissioners for Trade and Plantations to the Lords of the Committee of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council for Plantation Affairs, dated 3rd July, 1755.
Resolved, that an humble address be presented to his Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions, that there be laid before this House a copy of a letter from Charles Knowles, Esquire, to the Board of Trade and Plantations, concerning the behaviour of Rose Fuller, Esquire, dated 15th February, 1754, and also copys of all other letters to any of his Majesty's Secretaries of State or Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, previous to that date, in which the name of Rose Fuller, Esquire, is mentioned.

Ordered, that the said letter be taken into consideration on Wednesday, the 30th instant.

Massachusets.

Read Sir Mathew Lamb's report upon thirty-six Acts passed in the province of the Massachusets Bay between October, 1754, and August, 1755.

Their lordships took the said Acts into consideration and made some progress therein.

Thursday, March 24. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Jamaica.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that he was desired by Admiral Knowles to move their lordships for leave to have copies of certain original affidavits and depositions transmitted to their lordships with his letter of the 7th October, 1754.

Ordered, that copies be made of the said affidavits and depositions and delivered to Admiral Knowles.

New Hampshire.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated 17th of March, referring to the consideration of this Board two petitions of the inhabitants of Number Four and Hindsdale upon Connecticut River to his Majesty, setting forth their defenceless state and praying for protection.

Their lordships upon consideration of the said Order gave directions that the draught of a report thereupon should be prepared.

Tuesday, March 29. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Massachusets.

New York.

Their lordships took into consideration the papers relating to the dispute between the provinces of New York and Massachusets Bay concerning their boundary line, and the agents attending as desired were called in, and their lordships, after having heard what they had to offer, and read and considered the grant to the Duke of York in 1663–4, and the Massachusets Charter granted in 1691, and also a letter from Colonel Nicholls, Governor of New York, dated in November, 1665, and a report of the Commissioners appointed in 1665 to hear and determine certain points in dispute amongst the New England governments, which papers are upon record in this office, delivered it to be their opinion that a straight line to be drawn northerly from that point where the boundary line between New York and Connecticut ends at twenty miles distant from Hudson's River, to another point at the same distance from the said river, on that line which divides the provinces of New Hampshire and Massachusets Bay, will be a just and equitable line of division between the said provinces of New York and the Massachusets Bay; and Mr. Bollan being asked if he had any objection thereto, desired time to consider of it, and that he might have their lordships' opinion in writing, and also copies of those authorities upon record on which that opinion was founded, which was agreed to by their lordships, and that copies should likewise be given to Mr. Charles, agent for New York; and then the agents withdrew.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the petition of the settlers at Number Four and Hindsdale on Connecticut River, having been prepared pursuant to the preceding minutes, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Wednesday, March 30. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Sloper.

Trade.

Africa.

Read the following papers received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, viz.:—
Copies of six letters, viz., two from C. Bell, Esquire, to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated September 1st, 1756; one from Tobias Lisle and Council to the Committee, dated James Fort, Gambia, 16th September, 1756; one from Edmund Tew to the Governor and Council at James Fort, no date; one from Tobias Lisle and Council to the Committee, dated James Fort, Gambia, 24th of October, 1756; and one from the same to the same, dated James Fort, Gambia, 17th November, 1756.
Copies of two letters from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, the one to Tobias Lisle, Esquire, etc., James Fort, Gambia, dated February 12th, 1757; the other to C. Bell, Esquire, etc., at Cape Coast Castle, dated March 19th, 1757.

Their lordships upon consideration of these papers were of opinion that as the Board of Ordnance appears to be now entrusted with the direction of compleating the fort at Annamaboe, that Board should be forthwith acquainted with the death of Mr. Apperley, the principal engineer, and with the resolution which Mr. Bell, the Company's chief agent at Cape Coast Castle, has taken of returning to England, to the end that they may take such measures thereupon as the importance of that fort, to the preservation of his Majesty's rights and the commercial interests of this country shall appear to them to require, and the Secretary was ordered to prepare a letter to the Secretary to that Board thereupon.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs upon the petition of the settlers at Number Four and Hindsdale on Connecticut River having been transcribed pursuant to the preceding minute was signed.

Jamaica.

Their lordships took into consideration the letter from Mr. Secretary Pitt, inclosing two addresses of the House of Commons of the 18th instant to his Majesty, directing copys of certain papers relating to the Island of Jamaica, mentioned in the minutes of the 22nd instant, and ordered the said papers to be looked out and copied with all possible dispatch, and a list thereof to be made out.

Thursday, March 31. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Sloper.

Miscellanies.

The Honourable and Reverend Mr. Cholmondeley, Surveyor and Auditor General of all his Majesty's revenues in America, attended and took his place at the Board, and his Patent was ordered to be entered upon record in the Office.

The Secretary laid before the Board the draught of a letter from him to the Secretary to the Board of Ordnance, prepared pursuant to their lordships' orders and the said draught was approved of.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Jonathan Belcher, Esquire, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, to the Secretary, dated Halifax, the 20th of January, 1757, inclosing several papers relative to a case tried in the Supreme Court there, viz.:—
The opinion of the justices of Nova Scotia upon the case, the King against John Young for forging and counterfeiting Spanish dollars.
Record of the trial and conviction of John Young of high treason for counterfeiting Spanish dollars, Halifax, October, 1756.
His Majesty against John Young.
Supreme Court, Halifax.
Michaelmas Term, 1757.

Ordered, that the said letter and papers be transmitted to his Majesty's Attorney and Sollicitor General for their opinion upon the case stated therein.

Jamaica.

Ordered, that the Secretary do write to the Attorney and Sollicitor General to desire their opinion as soon as possible upon the case relating to the opening Ports of entry and clearance and establishing Circuit Courts in the Island of Jamaica, referred to them on the 4th of February last.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary laid before the Board a memorial prepared by Mr. Parker in behalf of Mr. Kilby, agent for Nova Scotia, to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the sum of £17, 820 16s. 8d. may be issued to him to pay and discharge several demands made upon the said agent for the service of that colony, and the said memorial having been approved of, Mr. Parker was ordered to present it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their Lordships' directions upon it.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from Mr. Stephens to Mr. Pownall, dated at York in Virginia, the 8th of February, 1757, giving an account of the progress of the manufacture of pot ash in America.

Jamaica.

The Secretary laid before the Board copies of the papers mentioned in the addresses of the House of Commons of the 18th instant, relating to the Island of Jamaica, prepared pursuant to their lordships' orders of yesterday, and also a list of the said papers, and Mr. Oswald was desired to present them to the House of Commons.