Journal, July 1758: Volume 65

Journal, July 1758

Wednesday, July 5. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton.

Virginia.

Their lordships took into consideration the memorials of the merchants of London and Bristol trading to Virginia, mentioned in the minutes of the 21st of June; as also the Act complained of in the said memorials; and the principal merchants of London attending with the late Lieutenant Governor and the agent of the province, they were called in, and having been heard in what they had to offer upon the affair, they withdrew, and their lordships, after some further time spent in the consideration of the whole matter, ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon to be prepared.

Jamaica.

Read an Order of his Majesty in Council, dated the 29th of June, 1758, directing that the draught or heads of a bill, (thereunto annexed), prepared by the Attorney and Solicitor General for dividing the Island of Jamaica into three Counties, and appointing Justices of Assize and oyer and terminer in two of the said Counties; for making provision for the payment of the salaries of the judges and other officers of those courts; and defraying other expenses attending the establishment thereof, be put into the hands of this Board, to be transmitted by them to the Governor or Commander in Chief of the said Island, for his guidance in passing such law.

The draught of a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, transmitting the said draught of an Act, and containing their lordships' directions thereupon, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Bermuda.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Popple, Governor of the Bermuda Islands, upon the several points contained in his letters to the Board of the 30th of November, 1756, 31st of January, 18th of April, and 15th of September, 1757, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 21st of June, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary laid before the Board a memorial prepared by the agent for Nova Scotia to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the sum of seven thousand, one hundred and sixty-nine pounds and sixpence may be issued to him, to discharge expences incurred on account of the settlement of the said colony; and the said memorial having been approved, it was ordered, that the agent should present it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their directions upon it.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the petty expences and incidental charges of this office from the 5th of April to the 5th of July, 1758, amounting in the whole to two hundred, ninety-one pounds and fourpence; and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury desiring payment thereof, and of the salaries due to the Secretaries and under officers in the service of this Board, was signed.

Thursday, July 6. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton.

Bahamas.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the address of the Council and House of Representatives of the Bahama Islands, respecting their fortifications, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 29th of last month, was agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the memorials of the merchants of London and Bristol trading to Virginia, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, having been prepared, was agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed.

Read a letter from Mr. Martin, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, inclosing a memorial of Messrs. Byrd and Randolph, appointed by the late Lieutenant Governor Commissioners for negotiating a treaty with the Cherokees, in which they pray an allowance for that service, and signifying their lordships' desire that the Board would report to them their opinion upon it.

Ordered, that the Secretary do acquaint Mr. Martin, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, that as their lordships have no knowledge of any of the facts stated in the memorial, nor of the precedent, upon which the demand is grounded, they are not enabled to give any opinion upon it.

Nova Scotia.

Read the following letters and papers received from the Governor of Nova Scotia, viz.:—
Letter from Mr. Lawrence, Governor of Nova Scotia, to the Board, dated Halifax, May 9th, 1758, inclosing:—
Abstract of the state of the money expended for the expedition against the French in the Bay of Fundy, and carrying on the works at Fort Cumberland.
Letter from Mr. Lawrence, Governor of Nova Scotia, to the Board, dated Halifax, May 20th, 1758, inclosing:—
Abstract of the money received on Governor Lawrence's bills, and paid by the Treasurer at Halifax between the 1st of January, 1755, and the 20th of May, 1758.
Letter from Mr. Lawrence, Governor of Nova Scotia, to the Board, dated Halifax, May 22nd, 1758, in answer to their lordships' letter of 7th February last, and transmitting:—
Copy of the minutes of Council on May 20th, 1758, relative to supplying the settlers at Lunenburg with provisions; to the convening an Assembly; and to the devolution of government in the absence of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Massachusets.

Read the following letters received from the Governor of the Massachusets Bay, viz.:—
Letter from Thomas Pownall, Esquire, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, to the Board, dated Castle William, May 7th, 1758, relating to his progress in compleating the levies of the province.
Letter from Thomas Pownall, Esquire, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, to the Board, dated Castle William, May 8th, 1758, inclosing:—
Copy of a letter from Andrew Oliver, Esquire, Secretary of the Massachusets Bay, to Governor Pownall, dated May 6th, 1758, inclosing a list of forges and furnaces in the said province, and of the names of the persons, by whom they are owned or occupied.

New York.

Read a letter from James Delancy, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of New York, to the Board, dated 1st June, 1758, transmitting:—
Printed votes and proceedings of the General Assembly of the colony of New York from January 24th to March 24th, 1758.
Four Acts passed in New York on the 24th of March, 1758.

Ordered, that the said Acts be sent to Sir Mathew Lamb for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Wednesday, July 12. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the memorials of the merchants of London and Bristol trading to Virginia, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of the 6th instant, was signed.

Bahamas.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the address of the Council and House of Representatives of the Bahama Islands respecting the fortifications, having been transcribed pursuant to the minutes of the 6th instant, was signed.

Maryland.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated June 22nd, 1758, referring to this Board an humble petition of the Upper and Lower House of Assembly of the province of Maryland, setting forth the hardships resulting from the restrictions of the Act of the 30th of his Majesty's reign, for prohibiting the exportation of grain and other provisions from the American colonies, and praying such relief as his Majesty is impowered by the said Act to grant.

Their lordships took the said order of reference and petition into consideration, and also the petition of the said Upper and Lower House of Assembly to this Board, referred to in the petition to his Majesty; and after some time spent thereon, the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council was prepared, agreed to, and signed.

Wednesday, July 26. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton.

North Carolina.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated June 15th, 1758, referring to this Board the copy of a letter from John Rutherford, Esquire, to the Lord President of the Council, respecting his suspension from his seat in the Council of North Carolina.

Their lordships took the said order of reference and letter into consideration, and ordered the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council to be prepared.

Leeward Islands.

Read the following letter and papers received from the Governor of the Leeward Islands, viz.:—
Letter from George Thomas, Esquire, Governor of the Leeward Islands, to the Board, dated May 18th, 1758, concerning the great trade carried on from Ireland to the French Islands by way of St. Eustatia, and inclosing:—
Letter from the Governor of St. Eustatia to the General and Intendant of Martinique, dated 14th March, 1758.
Copy of an intercepted letter from Dominick Farrell, a merchant at Waterford, to his correspondent at St. Eustatia, dated 26th January, 1758.

Their lordships took the said papers into consideration, and ordered an extract to be made of so much of the letter as relates to the complaints made by the Governor of St. Eustatia of the capture of several Dutch vessels by English ships and privateers, and to the French colonies being supplied with provisions by the Dutch, and also copies of the two papers received with the said letter, to be transmitted to Mr. Secretary Pitt; and a letter to him inclosing the said extract and copies was prepared, agreed to, and signed.

Trade.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following papers received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, viz.:—
Copies of two letters from Nassau Senior to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated Cape Coast Castle, 28th October and 7th December, 1757; also of two letters from the same, dated Cape Coast Castle, January and 21st February, 1758.
Copy of a letter from Charles Bell, Esquire, to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated Barbados, 2nd February, 1758.
Copies of three letters from Tobias Lisle and Council, viz., April 23rd and 24th and May 14th; and of one from Robert Caulton, May 17th, 1758; also list of officers, etc., at James Fort, Gambia, May 16th, 1756, received by the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa.
Copy of a letter from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa to Nassau Senior, Esquire, President and the Council at Cape Coast Castle, dated 22nd July, 1758; also of a letter from the said Committee to W. Devaynes, Esquire, chief of Whydah Fort, dated 22nd July, 1758.

Their lordships took the said papers into consideration, and ordered extracts to be made of such parts as relate to the ill conduct and behaviour of the Governors of the Dutch settlements upon that coast, to be transmitted to Mr. Secretary Pitt; and a letter to him, inclosing the said extracts, was prepared, agreed to and signed.

Friday, July 28. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton.

North Carolina.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the copy of a letter from Mr. Rutherford to the Lord President of his Majesty's Council, respecting his suspension from the Council Board in North Carolina, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 26th instant, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.