Journal, October 1773: Volume 80

Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 13, January 1768 - December 1775. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1937.

This free content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.

'Journal, October 1773: Volume 80', in Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 13, January 1768 - December 1775, (London, 1937) pp. 367-372. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/jrnl-trade-plantations/vol13/pp367-372 [accessed 28 March 2024]

Journal, October 1773

fo. 137.

Tuesday, October 26. Present:—Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer, Mr. Jolliffe.

Africa.

Read a letter from the Earl of Suffolk, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, dated October 22nd, 1773, acquainting the Board, that the States General having, in consequence of a memorial presented to them by His Majesty's Ambassador at the Hague, named and sent over two Commissaries to discuss and settle with such persons as the King should appoint those disputes which have arisen upon the coast of Africa between the servants of the African Company of England and the Dutch West India Company, it was the King's pleasure, that this Board should confer with the said Dutch Commissaries upon these points, and should represent to the King what they think proper to be finally settled in regard thereto; the said letter also inclosing the following papers, vizt.:
fo. 138.
Mémoire remis par le Chevalier Yorke aux Deputés des États Généraux dans une Conférénce tenue a la Haye, 21 Juin, 1773.
Mémoire présenté aux États Généraux, le 7 Septembre, 1773.
Mémoire présenté à le Comte de Suffolk par Monsieur Graafland, Octobre 22, 1773.
Copy of a letter from Comte Welderen to the Earl of Suffolk, October 21st, 1773.
Copy of a letter from the Earl of Suffolk to Count Welderen, 22nd October, 1773.
Copy of Messrs. Graafland and Ribant's credentials, August 30, 1773.

fo. 139.

Their Lordships took the matters referred into consideration, and the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa attending, their Lordships commuicated to them the substance of Monsieur Graafland's memorial of the 22nd instant, a copy of which was ordered to be sent to them, and they were requested to lay before the Board, with all convenient dispatch, such information as they may be able to furnish respecting those objects of dispute which they think ought now to be discussed, accompanied with such propositions as they shall think proper to be finally insisted upon, and the evidence and vouchers necessary to support the same.

The Earl of Dartmouth having acquainted the Board, that the two Dutch Commissaries, with Count Welderen, Envoy Extraordinary from the States, would attend at his Lordship's apartments at Whitehall on Thursday at eleven o'clock, it was agreed to meet there on that day in order to enter upon conference with them, pursuant to His Majesty's commands.

fo. 140.

North Carolina.

Read Mr. Jackson's report upon an Act passed in North Carolina in March last, with a suspending Clause, for establishing superior and inferior Courts of Judicature within that Province, and stating several material objections to the said Act, and the Earl of Dartmouth having communicated to the Board a letter he had wrote in July last to the Governor of that Colony, signifying His Majesty's disapprobation of the said Act, and containing instructions to endeavour to obtain another Court Act to be passed under certain limitations and restrictions therein expressed; it was agreed that the present Law should lye by, until it was seen what effect Lord Dartmouth's letter would have.

New Hampshire.

fo. 141.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated September 1st, 1773, disallowing an Act passed in New Hampshire in April, 1771, to dissolve the marriage of Greenwood Carpenter, etc., and directing this Board to prepare, and lay before His Majesty, draughts of instructions to the Governors or Commanders in Chief of all his Majesty's Colonies in America, not to give their consent to any Act of the like nature for the future.

New Jersey.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated September 1st, 1773, disallowing three Acts passed in New Jersey in August and September, 1772, and allowing, in the present instance, an Act to enable persons to hold and inherit real estates, notwithstanding any defect of purchases made before naturalization; and directing this Board to prepare, and lay before His Majesty, draughts of instructions to the Governors or Commanders in Chief of the Colonies not to give their assent in future to any Acts of this nature.

Plantations General.

fo. 142.

Ordered, that the draught of a circular additional instruction to the Governors of His Majesty's Colonies be prepared, pursuant to the above Order in Council, forbidding them to assent to any Law of naturalization or divorce.

Massachusetts.

Read two Orders of His Majesty in Council, the one dated June 30th, the other October 8th, 1773, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report to the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, several Laws passed in the Province of Massachusets Bay in March and June, 1773.

Ordered, that the abovementioned Acts be sent to Mr. Jackson for his opinion thereupon in point of law, as soon as conveniently may be.

West Florida.

fo. 143.

Read an Order of the King in Council, dated March 5th, 1773, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, the petition of John Robinson, Esquire, one of the Commissioners of the Customs for North America, to His Majesty, praying for a grant of twenty thousand acres of land in the Province of West Florida.

Virginia.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, dated August 26th, 1773, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the memorial and petition of Francis Plowden of New Quay in the County of Montgomery, to the King, praying to be restored to the enjoyment of a tract of land, therein described, which was granted to the memorialist's ancestor by King Charles the First.

New York.

Their Lordships read and considered an Act passed in the Colony of New York in March, 1772, for dividing and setting apart lands in the Patent of Wawayanda in the County of Orange, etc., together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon.

fo. 144.

Their Lordships also read and considered a memorial of Dr. James Smith, in behalf of persons stated to be interested in the said Act, praying that the same may be disallowed; whereupon it was ordered, that the same should lye by until the parties should make further application.

Virginia.

Their Lordships read and considered an Act passed in Virginia in March, 1773, to dock the intail of part of a tract of land whereof John Tazewell is seized, etc., 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 confirmation of the said Act.

Dominica.

fo. 145.

Their Lordships took into consideration the state of His Majesty's Council in Dominica, and there being five vacancys by deaths and resignations, a representation to His Majesty was signed, recommending that Thomas Wilson, William Garnier, James Bruce, Thompson Smith and John Lyons, Esquires, may be appointed of the said Council.

The following letters and papers were laid before the Board and read, vizt.:
Trade.
Letter from William How, Esquire, in the absence of the Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, dated August 16th, 1773, to the Secretary to this Board, transmitting,
Copy of the Custom House Leidger for the year 1767.
Africa.
Letter from Mr. Jackson, Deputy Secretary to the Lords of the Admiralty, to the Secretary to this Board, dated October 11th, 1773, transmitting,
Copies of Accounts of the state and condition of His Majesty's forts and settlements on the coast of Africa.
fo. 146.
Massachusetts.
Letter from Thomas Hutchinson, Esquire, Governor of Massachusets Bay, to the Board, dated April 17th, 1773, transmitting the Acts passed in the session of Assembly in January, 1773.
Governor Hutchinson's remarks upon the said Acts.
Letter from Governor Hutchinson to the Board, dated August 7th, 1773, transmitting the Acts passed in the session of Assembly in May, 1773.
Remarks upon the said Acts.
New York.
Letter from William Tryon, Esquire, Governor of New York, to the Board, dated June 2nd, 1773, in answer to one from their Lordships of the 26th of February last, containing their observations upon several Bills transmitted by the said Governor to the Earl of Hillsborough, with his publick dispatches of the 9th of April, 1772.
fo. 147.
North Carolina.
Letter from Josiah Martin, Esquire, Governor of North Carolina, to the Board, dated July 1st, 1773, in answer to a letter from their Lordships of the 11th of March last, and respecting some Laws passed in that Province.
Bermuda.
Letter from George James Bruere, Esquire, Governor of the Bermuda Islands, to the Board, dated April 30th, 1773, recommending John Hinson, Esquire, to be of the Council for those Islands, in the room of Leonard White, Esquire, deceased.
Bahamas.
Letter from Thomas Shirley, Esquire, Governor of the Bahama Islands, to the Board, dated June 22nd, 1773, transmitting,
Eleven Acts passed in February, 1773.
Journals of the Council and House of Assembly from the 19th of January to the 24th of February, 1773.
Dominica.
fo. 148.
Letter from William Stuart, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Dominica, to the Board, dated August 24th, 1773, in answer to their Lordships' letter, relative to an omission in an Act passed in Dominica in June, 1772, for raising a publick fund, etc.
Grenada, St. Vincent's.
Letter from the Commissioners for the sale of lands in the Ceded Islands to the Board, dated May 25th, 1773, desiring their Lordships not to assent to the assignment of a lease of land in St. Vincent's from a window Teteron to Josias Jackson, Esquire.

Thursday, October 28. Present:—Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer, Mr. Jolliffe.

Africa.

fo. 149.

The Earl of Dartmouth attended and laid before the Board a letter to him from the Commissarys of the West India Company of the United Provinces, inclosing a memorial setting forth the right of the said Company to the district of Appollonia.

Their Lordships proceeded to take the said memorial into consideration, together with the other papers relative to the subject matter of the negotiation directed to be entered into by Lord Suffolk's letter of the 22nd ultimo, and the Commissaries of the West India Company of the United Provinces attending, with Count Welderen, Minister Plenipotentiary from the States General, their Lordships had some discourse with them on the subject matter of discussion.

fo. 150.

It having been observed to them, that there had been other objects of dispute and disagreement upon the coast of Africa than those which have arisen respecting Appollonia and the trade with Portuguese vessels coming from the Brazils and other Portuguese Colonies, to which points only their memorials are confined, they said they had no instructions upon any other matters than what relate to those two points, and proposed that the negotiation should therefore be confined to those heads; to which their Lordships agreed, and having acquainted them, that they would consider what had been urged in their memorials, and give such answer thereto as should appear to be proper, the said Commissaries withdrew.

fo. 151.

The Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa attending without were called in, and having been informed of what had passed in the conference, they signified their consent that the negotiation should be confined to what regards Cape Appollonia and the Portuguese trade, whereupon they were ordered to withdraw, and the Clerk of the Reports was instructed as to the substance of the answer to be given to the memorials of the Commissaries, and was ordered to prepare accordingly the draught of a memorial on that subject.

Plantations General.

The draughts of additional instructions to the Governors of His Majesty's Colonies in America, forbidding them to assent to any Laws for naturalization or divorce in the said Colonies, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, and a representation to His Majesty thereupon was signed.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to His Majesty, proposing the confirmation of an Act passed in the Colony of Virginia in March, 1773, to dock the intail of part of a tract of land, whereof John Tazewell is seized, etc., having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.