Journal, October 1758: Volume 65

Journal, October 1758

Wednesday, October 11. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Stone, Mr. Sloper.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the petty expences and incidental charges of this office from the 5th of July to the 10th of October, 1758, amounting to three hundred and seventy-one pounds, four shillings and threepence halfpenny; and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury desiring payment of the same, and of the salaries due to the Secretary and under officers in the service of this Board for the same time, was signed.

Wednesday, October 25. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Miscellanies.

Mr. Pownall having acquainted the Board, that Mr. Hill, joint Secretary with him in the service of this Board, was dead, Mr. Pownall was thereupon admitted sole Secretary, and took his place accordingly.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary acquainted the Board, that the agent for the settlement of Nova Scotia having during the recess prepared a memorial to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the sum of eight hundred, fifty-five pounds, one shilling and eightpence might be issued to him out of the remainder of the money granted by Parliament for the service of that colony to discharge certain demands for fees paid upon the receipt of money at the Exchequer, and for salary due to himself and the Chief Justice, he had thought it his duty, upon finding the contents to be just and true, to attest the same in the usual form, and to direct the agent to present it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their directions upon it.

Bahamas.

Georgia.

North Carolina.

Leeward Islands.

New Hampshire.

Virginia.

Representations to his Majesty in Council, proposing that William Shirley, Esquire, may be appointed Governor of the Bahama Islands in the room of John Tinker, Esquire, deceased; that William Grover, Esquire, may be appointed Chief Justice of the colony of Georgia; that Charles Berry, Esquire, may be appointed Chief Justice of the province of North Carolina in the room of Peter Henley, Esquire, deceased; that Thomas Warner, Esquire, may be appointed Attorney General of the Leeward Islands in the room of Thomas Walker, Esquire, deceased; that Mark Hunking Wentworth and James Nevin, Esquires, may be appointed of the Council of New Hampshire; and that Webb Stone, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council of Montserrat, were agreed to and signed; as were also letters to Mr. Secretary Pitt, desiring he would move his Majesty, that Mr. James Robert may be appointed naval officer of the upper district of James River in Virginia, and that William Knox, Esquire, may be appointed Provost Marshall of Georgia in the room of Alexander Kellet, and inclosing warrants for his Majesty's signature, in case his Majesty should approve such recommendations.

Newfoundland.

Their lordships then took into consideration the state of the settlements, trade and fishery of his Majesty's Island of Newfoundland; and after some time spent therein, agreed to take the same into further consideration on Wednesday next, the 1st of November; and the Secretary was directed to prepare in the meantime, from such returns and papers as appear upon the books of this office, an account of the number of ships cleared out from the several ports and places in this kingdom for Newfoundland, and of those employed in the fishery there for the years 1713, 1714, 1715, 1716 and 1717, 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752 and 1753.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary reported to the Board a state of the several matters contained in the Board's last letter to the Governor of Nova Scotia, and in his letters in answer thereto, as also the number of shipping entred inwards and cleared outwards in the Port of Halifax for the year 1757, and of the produce exported; and the following papers received since the Board's adjournment were read, viz.:—
Letter from Lieutenant Colonel Monckton to the Secretary, dated 5th June, 1758, acknowledging the receipt of his letter dated March 8th, with the papers inclosed, respecting the method of defraying the expense of military services arising in that colony.
Letter from Mr. Monckton, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, to the Board, dated August 14th, 1758, inclosing the accounts of the expences of services arising in that colony for the year 1757.

Ordered, that the said accounts be delivered to Mr. Parker, acting for Mr. Kilby, late agent for this settlement, and that he be directed to prepare an account in the usual form to be laid before Parliament.

The following letters from Mr. Paris to the Secretary in the form of caveats were read, and ordered to be entered upon the minutes, viz.:—
Sir,
I desire this may stand by way of caveat in your office, that in case any representation or complaint is or shall be sent in against Jonathan Belcher, John Collier, Robert Grant and Charles Morris, Esquires, four of his Majesty's Council in the province of Nova Scotia, or against any of them, I may have notice, and a copy, of the same, before any proceedings thereon, to the prejudice of the said Councillors or any of them.
I remain, Sir,
Your most obedient honourable servant,
Ferdinand John Paris,
Attorney of the said four Councillors.
Surry Street, Strand,
26th September, 1758.
To John Pownall, Esquire, Secretary to the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.
Sir,
I desire this may stand as a caveat in your office, that in case any claim or memorial shall be sent in, claiming or demanding a right of precedency in the Council of Nova Scotia, for or on behalf of Benjamin Green, Esquire, against Jonathan Belcher, Esquire, in case of the death or absence from the province of his Majesty's Governor and Lieutenant Governor, I may have notice of the same, on Mr. Belcher's behalf, before any determination be come to thereon.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient honourable servant,
Ferdinand John Paris,
Attorney for Mr. Belcher.
Surry Street, Strand,
26th September, 1758.
To John Pownall, Esquire, Secretary to the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.

New Hampshire.

The Secretary then reported to their lordships the several matters contained in the last letters received from the Governor of New Hampshire, respecting the proceedings and conduct of the House of Assembly, and the amendments he thinks necessary to be made to the Acts for the preservation of his Majesty's woods in America to render the same effectual.

Ordered, that an extract be made of so much of Mr. Wentworth's letter of the 15th January last, as relates to the refusal of the Assembly to make proper provision for the judges' salaries, to be laid before his Majesty in Council, and that the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon be prepared.

Ordered, that Mr. Wentworth's proposal for rendering more effectual the laws now in force for the preservation of his Majesty's woods, be taken into consideration to-morrow morning, and that the Secretary do desire the attendance of Mr. John Tomlinson, contractor with the Commissioners of the Navy for the supply of masts from his Majesty's woods in America.

Thursday, October 26. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, with an extract of so much of the letter from the Governor of New Hampshire, mentioned in the minutes of yesterday, as relates to the refusal of the Assembly to make provision for the judges' salaries, having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Their lordships then took into consideration the several laws and regulations made for the preservation of his Majesty's woods in America, and also the proposals made by Mr. Wentworth, the Surveyor General of his Majesty's woods, for remedying the same; and Mr. Tomlinson, contractor, with several others, for supplying his Majesty's Navy with masts, yards, bowsprits, etc., attending as desired, was called in, and their lordships having had some conversation with them upon the subject under consideration, they withdrew, and their lordships agreed further to consider thereof on Wednesday next, the 1st of November, and the Secretary was directed in the mean time to prepare a state of the several provisions made by the Charter of the Massachusets Bay and by the statutes of this Kingdom, for the preservation of his Majesty's woods, together with a state of the several unwarrantable pretensions and constructions set up to evade their force and effect, and of what has been represented to be necessary to render them more effectual.