Journal, August 1705: Journal Book K

Journal, August 1705

August 10. Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Mr. Cecill, Sir Philip Meadows.

Plantations General.

Letter from Mr. Dumer about the sailing of his packet boat.

A letter from Mr. Dummer of the 4th instant, giving an account of the course of the six islands' packet boat to the West Indies and back, was read.

Jamaica.

Letter from Col. Handasyd.

A letter from Colonel Handasyd, Governor of Jamaica, of the 11th of June last, was read, and the papers therein refer'd to laid before the Board, vizt.:
Publick papers.
Minutes of the Councill of the 2nd of Aprill, 8th and 30th of May, 1705.
Naval Officers' lists of ships from the 2nd of Aprill, 1703, to the 14th of May, 1705.

Barbados.

Two letters from Sir Beville Granville.

Two letters from Sir Beville Granville, Governor of Barbados, vizt., of the 8th of Aprill and 16th of May, 1705, were read, and the papers therein refer'd to laid before the Board, vizt.:
Publick papers.
Two Acts past in February, 170⁴/5.
And Naval Officers' lists of ships from the 25th December, 1704, to the 24th of March following.

Leeward Islands.

Letter from Col. Codrington.

A letter from Colonel Codrington of the 24th of May last, was read.

Letter from Col. Johnson.

A letter from Colonel Johnson, Commander in Cheif of the Leeward Islands, dated the 22nd of March last, was read.

Letter from Col. Johnson with publick papers.

A letter from the said Colonel Johnson, dated at Nevis the 24th of May last, inclosing an account of the exports and imports from and to that island, from the 12th of January, 170⁴/5, to the 12th of Aprill following, was read.
Two Acts past at Antegoa in January and February, 170⁴/5, as also four Acts past at Mountserrat in March and Aprill last, received at the same time with the foregoing letter, were laid before the Board.

A third letter from him.

Transcript of Nevis laws.

Prisoners.

A letter from the said Colonel Johnson, with a transcript of the laws of Nevis now in force in that Island, and about 100 prisoners being arrived there from Martinico, dated the 26th of May, 1705, was laid before the Board.

A fourth letter from Col. Johnson.

Another letter from Colonel Johnson, with papers relating to the case of Mr. Peter Vanbelle, dated at Nevis the 26th of May, 1705, was laid before the Board and read. And the inclosed therein were:
Publick papers.
Minutes of a Court of Admiralty held at Nevis in May, 1699, relating to the case of Mr. Vanbell.
Memorial from Mr. William Mead to the President and Councill (against Mr. Vanbelle), setting forth that 50 negro slaves were imported in a foreign vessell into the Island of St. Christophers, contrary to an Act of Parliament.

Bermuda.

Letter from Col. Bennet.

A letter from Colonel Bennet, Lieutenant Governor of Bermuda, of the 31st of March last, was read, and the following paper there inclosed laid before the Board.
Jones.
Copy of Mr. Jones's paper of complaints, with Colonel Bennet's answer.

Bermuda.

Letter from Col. Bennet.

Another letter from Colonel Bennet to the, secretary, dated the 4th of Aprill last, was read, and the papers therewith transmitted laid before the Board, and are as follows, vizt.:
Papers relating to Jones.
Proceedings relating to Mr. Jones since his arrival in Bermuda.
Observations made by Mr. Charles Minors on the behaviour of Mr. Edward Jones since his return to Bermuda, with a list of records and papers delivered into his custody.
The opinions of the Councill of Bermuda relating to Mr. Jones's demands.

Nevis.

Acts.

Six Acts past at Nevis in March last [fo. 83] were presented to the Board by Colonel Jory.

Attorney General's report and Board's representation upon one.

Mr. Attorney General's report upon an Act past at Nevis [fo. 28] to settle the estate of Captain Thomas Butler, deceased, on his three sons, William, Thomas and James Butler, and their heires and assignes for ever, was read; and a representation offering the said Act to her Majesty for her royal confirmation [fo. 43], was signed.

Leeward Islands.

Letter to Col. Park.

New seal.

A letter to Colonel Park, inclosing a new seal for the Leeward Islands, together with her Majesty's warrant for using the same, was signed.

August 28. Present:—Lord Dartmouth, Mr. Cecill, Sir Phillip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Warr about translating the answer of this Board to the Imperial envoy's memorial.

A letter from Mr. Warr to the secretary, returning the Board's answer to the Imperial Envoy's &c. memorial relating to the carrying the trade, to Turkey through Germany and Hungary [fo. 29, 104] (sent to Mr. Secretary Harley the 27th of the last month), and desiring that the same might be translated into French, was read; whereupon their lordships agreed a translation thereof, and inclosed the same in a letter to Mr. Secretary Harley, which was signed.

Jamaica.

Letter from Mr. Secretary Hedges about prisoners at the Havana and Trade about a duty laid on English ships lading fruit at Venice.

Jamaica.

Mr. Dyer at the Board relating to prisoners at Havana.

A letter from Mr. Secretary, Hedges of the, 24th instant, refering to this Board a petition of several of her Majesty's subjects, prisoners of war at the Havana &c. [fo. 40], praying that the Governor of Jamaica may have directions to exchange them, as is. customary, as also an extract of a letter from Consul Broughton at Venice, about that Republick's having laid an imposition upon English ships lading fruit [fo. 8, 35] in their territories, was read; and Mr. Dyer attending (who appears in behalf of the prisoners abovementioned) [fo. 42], produced a certificate of John Crouch, John Eccleston and Thomas Humphries, setting forth that the Granville frigat &c. and 40 men was taken by a Spanish privateer in 1704 near the Island Exhuma and carryed to the Havana, where 'tis supposed the said 40 men now are; and that he himself was taken in 1703 going from Jamaica to Campeachy and was likewise carryed to the Havana, and there used with great severity for some time, being kept stark naked with very poor allowance; but that upon his petition in Latin to the Bishop of Cuba he was inlarged and treated with less rigour. He added that the prisoners were treated with the utmost barbarity; that several of them dyed under the lashes they received; that some were starved to death; that others were put to clean the river; that 40 men taken before the war were branded with the slaves' mark and sent to work in the mines; and that one Captain Isaac Hamilton, although taken since the war, yet was sent likewise to the mines; and that the prisoners now remaining at the Havana are such as have been taken during this present war; that by means of a Capuchin going from thence to France, he obtained leave to go along with him, where after his arrival he got himself exchanged among other prisoners there, and came to England. He promised to bring an account of the whole matter to their lordships in writing [fo. 42].

August 29. Present:—Mr. Cecill, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

Trade.

Mr. Broughton's papers under consideration.

Venetian merchants to attend.

Their lordships took into consideration the papers from Mr. Broughton refer'd to in Mr. Secretary Hedges's letters of the 3rd July and 24th instant [fo. 8, 33] relating to the fish and corinths trade at Venice; and thereupon ordered that the Venetian merchants have notice to attend the Board to-morrow morning [fo. 37].

Barbados.

Letter from Mr. Povey.

Papers about Mr. Skene.

A letter from Mr. Povey, returning the papers sent to Mr. Attorney and Mr. Sollicitor General relating to Mr. Skene, secretary of Barbados [fo. 28], and signifying that Mr. Attorney General had no observation to make thereupon, was read.

Order of Council for repealing an order against Skene, and for suspending him only, &c.

Letter to the Governor thereupon.

An Order of Councill of the 13th instant, repealing that part of the Order of the 20th of July last, whereby Mr. Skene was to be dismissed from his place of secretary of that Island [fo. 28], and directing that he be only suspended from the execution of the said place till his answer be returned to the papers exhibited against him [fo. 305], and her Majesty's pleasure known thereupon, and further directing the Board to transmit the said papers for the said Skene's answer accordingly, was read; and thereupon ordered that a letter be prepared to Sir Beville Granville for that purpose [fo. 37].

August 30. Present:—Mr. Cecill, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

Barbados.

Letter from Sir Beville Granville.

A letter from Sir Beville Granville, Governor of Barbados, dated the 10th of June last, was read, and the papers therein refer'd to laid before the Board, vizt.:
Publick papers.
A collection of all the laws in force in Barbados from the year 1648 to June, 1704.
Captain Lilly the Ingineer's account of the state of the fortifications in Barbados.
Two Acts past in Barbados in February and March, 170⁴/5.

Barbados, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Bermuda.

Letters.

Letters to the Governors of Jamaica, Barbados, the Leeward Islands and Bermuda, were signed.

Trade.

Venetian merchants about duty laid on fruit at Venice.

Mr. Jaminau and other Venetian merchants attending, the papers from Mr. Broughton relating to that trade [fo. 35, 45] and mentioned in yesterday's minutes, were communicated to them for their observations thereupon, which they promised to bring to their lordships in a few days.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Penn's answer to the observations on the laws, &c.

Mr. Penn presented to the Board his answer to their observations upon the Pennsylvania Laws [fo. 26, 39], which their lordships resolved to take into consideration to-morrow. Then Mr. Penn desired their lordships to signify to him by letter that they would lay such of the Pennsylvania laws, against which they had no objection, before her Majesty, after her return from Winchester, for her royal approbation; whereupon their lordships gave directions for preparing such a letter accordingly.

Congratulatory address from the Assembly to the Queen.

Mr. Penn further communicated to the Board a congratulatory address from the Assembly of Pennsylvania to her Majesty, signed by David Lloyd, which he said he would present to her Majesty; upon which he observed that the said Lloyd was the person whom he was directed by an Order of Councill of the 31st of August, 1699, to turn out of all the places he had in the Government of Pennsylvania, for mismanagement and disrespect to the Crown.

August 31. Present:—Mr. Cecill, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Blathwayt, Mr. Prior.

Barbados.

Letter to Mr. Lowndes about breach of Acts of Trade by Mr. Corbet at Bridge Town.

Ordered that a letter be writ to Mr. Lowndes, inclosing to him extracts of the minutes of Barbados of the 26th March last, relating to a breach of the Acts of trade by Robert Corbet, one of the Custome House officers and reciever of her Majesty's duty of 4½ per cent. at Bridge Town.

Pennsylvania.

Observations on the laws and Mr. Penn's answer, &c.

Mr. Penn attending [fo. 38, 41], their lordships' observations upon the Pennsylvania laws, with Mr. Penn's answer thereunto, were read; and after some discourse thereupon, Mr. Penn agreed that the said laws be remitted back to Pennsylvania to be amended according to the said observations of the Board; and he further desired that those Acts, against which Mr. Attorney General had given his opinion, might not be repealed, but returned also back to Pennsylvania to be amended.

Jamaica.

Petition of the English prisoners, &c., under consideration.

Their lordships took into consideration the petition of the English prisoners at Havana &c. [fo. 33] refer'd to in Mr. Secretary Hedges's letter of the 24th instant and agreed upon a draught of a letter in answer thereunto [vide infra].