Journal, May 1772: Volume 79

Journal, May 1772

fo. 82.

Friday, May 1. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Gascoyne.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

New York.

The draught of a letter to the Governor of New York, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of Wednesday last, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Virginia.

The Secretary acquainted the Board, that he was desired by Mr. Walpole and his associates to move their lordships for a copy of their report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon their memorial for a grant of lands in America, and it was ordered, that a copy of the said report should be made and delivered to them.

fo. 83.

New York.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing the disallowance of three Acts passed in the province of New York in February, 1771, having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

East Florida.

Read a supplemental memorial of Daniel Roux of Lausanne in Switzerland, containing further propositions respecting the number of persons he engages to settle in East Florida, in case his Majesty shall be graciously pleased to grant him the lands he petitions for.

Their lordships, upon consideration of Mr. Roux's proposals, and upon hearing what he had further to offer thereupon, agreed to recommend him to his Majesty for a grant of six thousand acres of land in East Florida, and a draught of a representation to his Majesty was accordingly ordered to be prepared.

fo. 84.

West Florida.

Their lordships read and considered thirteen Acts passed in the province of West Florida in May, 1770, and June and July, 1771, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty be prepared, submitting to his Majesty, for his royal disallowance, two of the said Acts, intituled,
An Act to indemnify the officers or others commanding the forts at Rose Island, and in the town of Mobile, from prosecutions in the cases therein mentioned.
An Act to prevent masters of vessels from carrying off persons in debt, from this province, for improving the coasting trade, and for repealing the Acts of this province therein mentioned.

fo. 85.

Thursday, May 7. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Jolliffe.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Jamaica.

fo. 86.

Their lordships took into consideration the Act passed in Jamaica in December, 1768, intituled, "An Act for enabling William Gilchrist, millwright, to carry into execution his new invented mill for grinding of sugar canes"; and the solicitor for John Ellis, Esquire, having signified his consent in writing to withdraw the caveat he had entered against the confirmation of the said Act, their lordships proceeded to hear what Mr. Gilchrist had to offer in support thereof; and it appearing to their lordships, that the said mill was of a new construction, and that it might be a great service to the island of Jamaica, it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty should be prepared, proposing the confirmation of the said Act.

Dominica.

Their lordships read and considered eleven Acts passed in the island of Dominica in the years 1769, 1770 and 1771, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon; and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty should be prepared, proposing the disallowance of three of the said Acts, intituled,
An Act to naturalize John de la Tour of the island of Dominica,
merchant, a Protestant, but an alien born.
An Act for establishing a publick treasury for regulating the
duty of a treasurer, and for fixing his salary.
fo. 87.
An Act to regulate the proceedings of the Assembly on all
bills to impose any tax on the inhabitants of this island.

North Carolina.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated April 22nd, 1772, permitting an Act passed in North Carolina in January, 1771, for preventing tumults, etc., to expire by its own limitation; and directing the draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of the said province, to recommend to the Legislature there, in case they shall enact a new law for the general purpose of the Act, to pass it with an exception as to a clause extending the penal laws against rioters.

The draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of North Carolina having been prepared, conformable to the said order, was approved, and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon should be prepared.

fo. 88.

West Florida.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing the disallowance of two Acts passed in West Florida in May, 1770, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

East Florida.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon Mr. Roux' memorial, praying for a grant of lands in East Florida, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved and ordered to be transcribed.

Tuesday, May 12. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Eliot, Lord Robert Spencer.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

New York.

fo. 89.

Read a memorial of the Lord Bishop of Chester, and his brothers George Markham and Major Enoch Markham, praying that they may be recommended to the King for a grant of fifteen thousand acres of land in the province of New York.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the said memorial having been prepared, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

North Carolina.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated May 6th, 1772, disallowing an Act passed in North Carolina in January, 1771, "to encourage and support the establishment of a Post Office in that province"; and directing this Board to prepare the draught of an additional instruction to the Governor, to recommend to the Assembly to pass another Act for the general uses of the former, free from certain objections stated by the Postmaster General in his letter to this Board.

fo. 90.

The draught of an additional instruction, conformable to the said order, having been prepared, was approved, and a representation to his Majesty thereupon was signed; as were also several other representations, vizt.

East Florida.

Representation to his Majesty upon Mr. Roux's memorial, praying for a grant of lands in East Florida.

North Carolina.

Representation to his Majesty upon an additional instruction to the Governor of North Carolina, respecting the Act passed in that colony for suppressing tumults and riots.

ward Islands, Antigua.

Representation to his Majesty, recommending William Salmond, Esquire, to be appointed of the Council of Antigua, in the room of William Warner, Esquire, deceased.

fo. 91.

Dominica.

Jamaica.

Representation to his Majesty, proposing the disallowance of three Acts passed in the island of Dominica, 1769, 1770 and 1771.

Representation to his Majesty, proposing the confirmation of the Act passed in the island of Jamaica, "for enabling William Gilchrist, millwright, to carry into execution his new invented mill for grinding of sugar canes."

East Florida.

Read a memorial of Governor Grant to the Lords of Trade, praying that the balance in the hands of the late agent for East Florida, of savings upon the grant of Parliament for the support of the civil establishment of that colony, may be applied in paying the memoralist's bills on account of certain publick works; and proposing other services.

Their lordships agreed to take the said memorial into consideration at another opportunity.

fo. 92.

Friday, May 15. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Gascoyne.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Virginia.

Read a letter from the Honourable Thomas Walpole to the Secretary, dated May 14th, 1772, desiring him to move the Board, that he may have copies of some treaties with the Indians, which are referred to in the Board's report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon his memorial, as evidence of what is stated therein concerning the boundary line.

fo. 93.

Ordered, that the Secretary do acquaint Mr. Walpole, that the facts stated in that part of the report, to which his letter refers, are the result of papers confidentially communicated to this Board by one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, which papers are not in their lordships' possession.

Leeward Islands, St. Christopher's.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated April 22nd, 1772, stating certain unwarrantable proceedings of the Judges and Assembly of St. Christopher's; and directing, among other things, that the draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of the Leeward Islands be prepared by this Board, and laid before his Majesty, requiring the Governor to keep the Assembly of Saint Christopher's more within the legal bounds of a Pro vincial Council, and to hinder them from usurping authorities, inconsistent with the peace and good government of the said island.

fo. 94.

Their lordships took the said order of reference into consideration, together with an address of the Assembly of St. Christopher's to Governor Woodley on the 28th of June, 1770, containing their answer to a remonstrance and petition of William Warton and others, to the same effect as that presented to his Majesty, and recited in the above mentioned Order.

Ordered, that the draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of the Leeward Islands be prepared, conformable to the above mentioned Order; as also the draught of a representation for laying before his Majesty the said additional instruction, together with a copy of the above mentioned address of the Assembly of St. Christopher's.

Plantations General.

fo. 95.

Duplicates of letters and papers received by the Earl of Hillsborough from the Governors and other officers in his Majesty's colonies in America, relative to publick proceedings in the said colonies for some time past, were communicated to the Board, and the said letters were read and ordered to be bound up under the several heads to which they belong.

The Secretary laid before the Board publick Acts and proceedings of the Legislatures of several of the colonies in America, the titles of which are as follows, vizt.
New Hampshire
Journal of the votes of the Governor, Council and Assembly of New Hampshire from November 13th, 1770, to January 19th, 1771.
Ditto: from March 19th to April 13th, 1771.
Twenty one Acts passed in New Hampshire in January and April, 1771.
Massachusetts.
Letter from Thomas Flucker, Esquire, Secretary to the Massachusets Bay, to the Secretary to this Board, dated January 3rd, 1772, transmitting,
fo. 96.
Journal of the General Court from May 29th, 1771, to July 5th, following.
North Carolina.
Minutes of Council in North Carolina from April 5th to June 28th, 1771.
Ditto: June 29th, 1771.
List of Patents granted at the Court of Claims held at Newburn in April, 1771.
Georgia.
Minutes of the Council for the province of Georgia, October 29th, 1771.
Ditto: on the 9th of December, 1771.
West Florida.
Minutes of the Council for the colony of West Florida from April 23rd, 1771, to the 9th of September following.
Dominica.
Minutes of the Council for the island of Dominica from April 22nd to October 7th, 1771.
fo. 97.
Journal of the Assembly of the island of Dominica from April 12th, 1771, to May 22nd following.
Ditto: from July 29th to October 7th, 1771.
Dominica.
One Act passed in the island of Dominica in October, 1771, respecting the Governor's salary.
Leeward Islands, St. Christopher's.
Two Acts in passed in the Island of St. Christopher in December, 1771.
Nevis.
Powder account in the island of Nevis from the 1st of January to the 9th of December, 1771.
Montserrat.
Ditto: in the island of Montserrat from September 15th, 1764, to November 16th, 1770.
St. Christopher's.
Ditto: in the island of St. Christopher from October 18th, 1769, to October 3rd, 1771.
Antigua.
Ditto: in the island of Antigua to the 22nd of July, 1770.
Ditto: settled by the Committee.

fo. 98.

Wednesday, May 20. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Lord Robert Spencer.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

New York.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated May 6th, 1772, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, an address of the Rector and inhabitants of the city of New York to his Majesty, praying that the whole or such part as to his Majesty shall seem meet of the quit rents reserved upon a tract of land granted to that Corporation by Lieutenant Governor Colden for the benefit of the church belonging thereto, may be remitted.

fo. 99.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated May 6th, 1772, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, an address of the Governors of the College of New York to his Majesty, praying that it may be constituted an University, and that the quit rents reserved on a tract of land, lately granted for the benefit of that institution, may be remitted.

Dr. Cooper, President of the College of New York, and instructed to solicit what is requested in the humble addresses referred by the foregoing orders, attending, their lordships had some discourse with him upon the subject matter thereof.

Virginia.

fo. 100.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated May 5th, 1772, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a petition of John Wadman for a grant of five thousand acres of land in Virginia, in such dimensions as the laws of that colony, and the nature and situation of the land contiguous, granted by patent, will admit.

Ordered, that the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council be prepared, proposing that the prayer of the petition, referred by the forementioned Order, may be complied with.

fo. 101.

Thursday, May 24. Present:—Mr. Eliot, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer, Mr. Jolliffe.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Leeward Islands.

The Secretary, pursuant to order, laid before the Board such evidence as can be found upon the books of this office respecting his Majesty's title to Crab Island, and it appearing, that his Majesty's subjects had, in the years 1698 and 1717, been obstructed by the Spaniards in taking possession of that island, and that complaint thereof had been made to the Court of Spain, a letter to the Earl of Rochford was agreed to and signed, desiring his Lordship to communicate to the Board, if he thinks fit, what appears upon the books of his office relative to those complaints.

fo. 102.

New York.

The Secretary laid before the Board printed Journal; of the votes and proceedings of the General Assembly of the colony of New York from the 7th of January, 1772, to the 24th of March following; and their lordships read and considered several resolutions of the said Assembly on the 16th of January and 5th of February, 1772, declaring persons, under certain descriptions, incapable of being elected Representatives in Assembly, and disqualified from serving as members therein.

Their lordships took into further consideration the reference of the petition of the rector and inhabitants of the city of New York to his Majesty, mentioned in the minutes of yesterday, praying a remission of the quit rents upon a tract of land granted to that Corporation by Lieutenant Governor Colden; and a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon was agreed to and signed.

fo. 103.

Virginia.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon Mr. Wadman's petition for a grant of five thousand acres of land in Virginia having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Leeward Islands.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, with an additional instruction to the Governor of the Leeward Islands, and a copy of the address of the Assembly of St. Christopher's to Governor Woodley on the 28th of June, 1770, containing their answer to a remonstrance and petition of William Warton and others, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

fo. 104.

Friday, May 29. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Lord Robert Spencer.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Virginia.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon Mr. Wadman's petition for a grant of five thousand acres of land in Virginia, having been transcribed pursuant to order, was signed.

New York.

fo. 105.

Dr. Cooper, President of the College of New York, attends again upon the subject of the application made by the said College to be erected into an University, and for a remission of quit rents upon a tract of land granted to the said College by the Governor of New York; and after some discourse with him, their lordships agreed to report in favour of the proposition for remission of quit rents, and to postpone the consideration of what regards the other part of the petition, untill further evidence shall be laid before them of the original constitution and present state of the College, and untill the nature and extent of what is proposed be further explained.

Ordered, that the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, conformable to the above minute, be prepared.

Their lordships took into further consideration the resolutions of the Assembly of New York on the 16th of January and 5th of February, 1772, mentioned in the minutes of the 21st instant, declaring all persons under certain descriptions incapable of being elected Representatives in Assembly, and it was agreed to lay the same before his Majesty in Council.

fo. 106.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the above mentioned resolutions of the Assembly of New York, be prepared.

St. John's.

Read a memorial of James Montgomery, Lord Advocate of Scotland, to the Board, praying a grant of three small islands adjacent to the lands possessed by the memorialist in the island of St. John.

fo. 107.

The Lord Advocate attending, their lordships had some discourse with him on the subject of his memorial, and it was agreed to send a copy thereof to the Governor of St. John's, and that he should be desired to report a state of the said islands, with his opinion, whether any, or if any, what disadvantages or inconveniencies might arise to the publick from making a grant of the said islands, as proposed by the Lord Advocate; and that, in the mean time, he be directed not to pass any grant of the said islands under the Seal of that government, without his Majesty's express orders for that purpose.

Ordered, that the draught of a letter to Governor Patterson, conformable to the above minute, be prepared.