Journal, June 1713: Journal Book P

Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 2, February 1709 - March 1715. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1925.

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'Journal, June 1713: Journal Book P', in Journals of the Board of Trade and Plantations: Volume 2, February 1709 - March 1715, (London, 1925) pp. 431-441. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/jrnl-trade-plantations/vol2/pp431-441 [accessed 24 March 2024]

Journal, June 1713

June 1. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

Hudson's Bay.

Company's petition referr'd by Earl of Dartmouth.

A letter from the Earl of Dartmouth, of the 27th May last, referring to the Board the petition of the Hudson's Bay Company, desiring the assistance of a man-of-war, for taking possession of the places and territories belonging to the said Company in the said Bay, which were in the possession of France, was read; and Sir Biby Lake, with several members of the said Company attending, and being asked several questions, they said that whilst Fort Nelson was in their possession, they always nominated a Governor to her Majesty, who was pleased to grant him a commission to command in chief there; that the French King's order for delivering up the places in the said Bay was directed to the Governor of Quebeck, which lyes so far distant from Hudson's Bay that it was not practicable for him to do it, and therefore her Majesty has been pleased to send to France for a new order, and that, as soon as the same did arrive, they wou'd wait upon their lordships.

Several members of the Company heard.

New England.

Letter from Mr. Harley.

Representation from Post Master General.

Bills of credit.

A letter from Mr. Harley, secretary of the Treasury, of the 16th of May last, with a representation of the Post Master General, to the Lord High Treasurer [fo. 379], relating to the loss which the revenue of postage will suffer in New England, by the currency of paper bills of credit there, was read; and their lordships agreed to take the same into consideration at the first opportunity.

Plantations General.

Letter from Mr. Harley.

Expence of Ordnance stores.

Another letter from Mr. Harley, of the 23rd of May [Q. fo. 116], signifying my Lord High Treasurer's desire that the Board consider how the several plantations may defray their own expence of ordnance, stores &c., was read; and their lordships agreed to consider the same at a full Board.

Trade.

Order of House of Lords.

Lord Bolingbroke's letters.

An Order from the House of Lords, of the 30th of May [vide infra], directing the Board to lay before that House an account [fo. 361], whether any and what answer was sent, and what return was made or what was done, in answer to the Lord Bolingbroke's letters of the 8th of May, and 24th July, 1712, was read, and directions given for looking out the papers therein mentioned.

Spanish Netherlands.

A letter from the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, of the 13th of May, 1713, with several papers from the Earl of Orrery and Mr. Drummond, relating to trade in the Spanish Netherlands, were read.

June 2. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Trade.

Lord Guilford to report an answer to the Order of House of Lords on Lord Bolingbroke's letters.

The Lord Guilford was desired to acquaint the House of Lords, in answer to their order of the 30th of the last month, and mentioned in yesterday's minutes [vide supra, 363], that no answer was return'd by the Board to the Lord Bolingbroke's letter of the 8th May, 1712, and that there could be none to his letter of the 24th July following, his lordship going imediately after that time to France.

June 4. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

Trade.

Netherlands.

Letter from Lord Bolingbroke.

A letter from the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, of the 26th May, 1713 [fo. 360, 363], inclosing the copies of several papers, receiv'd from Mr. Drummond, her Majesty's commissary for commerce in the Netherlands, was read, together with the said papers, which are as follow, vizt.:
Papers from Mr. Drumond.
Copy of a letter from Mr. Drummond to the Lord Bolingbroke, dated at Utrecht, the 30th of May, 1713.
First, extract of the register of the resolutions of the States General, the 9th of May, 1713.
Second, extract of the register of the resolutions of the States General the 9th of May, 1713.
Copy of a letter from Mr. Drumond to the Lord Bolingbroke, dated at Utrecht the 2nd of June, 1713.
Provisional regulation for the trade of the Spanish Netherlands.

New regulation to be translated.

Mr. Dorpere summond.

Whereupon ordered, that a translation be made of the said regulation, to be consider'd to-morrow morning, and that Mr. Dorpere be desired to attend the Board at the same time.

Carolina.

Order of Council.

Eden Governor of North Carolina.

His sureties.

Letter to the secretarys of the Treasury.

An Order of Council, of the 18th of May, 1713 [fo. 352], approving the report of this Board, dated the same day, relating to Charles Eden, esquire his being appointed Governor of North Carolina, and the said order directing their lordships to take care that good security be given by the said Charles Eden accordingly, was read; whereupon the Honorable Charles Bertie, esquire, and the Reverend Mr. James Jones attending, were called in, and they declaring themselves willing to enter into security for Mr. Eden, as her Majesty has been pleased to direct, the secretary, by order of the Board, wrote a letter to the secretaries of the Treasury, inclosing the draught of a bond approved of by Mr. Attorney General [fo. 375], that the said security may be taken at the Exchequer or elsewhere, as the Right Honorable the Lord High Treasurer shall think fit.

Trade.

Miscellanies.

Order of the House of Lords.

Minutes of the Board to be laid before them.

An Order of the House of Lords, dated the 2nd instant, requiring copies of the minutes of all the proceedings of this Board, from the 9th of May, 1712, to the 24th July following, was read; and the said minutes being accordingly copy'd, the Lord Guilford was desired to lay the same before the House, which he promised to do accordingly.

Trade.

Answer to the House of Lords.

The Lord Guilford then acquainted the Board [fo. 360] that he had deliver'd the message to the House of Lords, as desired at the last meeting.

June 5. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

Trade.

Flanders.

Letter from Lord Bolingbroke.

Papers from Mr. Drumond.

Provisional regulation.

Mr. Dorpere's opinion &c.

Their lordships took again into consideration the letter from the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, together with the papers therein referr'd to [fo. 361, 365], and particularly the provisional regulation for the trade of the Spanish Netherlands, with the translation ordered to be made thereof; and Mr. Dorpere attending, as he had been desired, was called in, and the said provisional regulation communicated to him; where-upon he said, in reference to the first article, relating to the duties to be paid upon goods ent'ring into or exported out of the Netherlands, that he thought it might be better to express the duties paid by the tariff of the 21st December, 1680, than the duties paid in the year 1680, because of a difference between the duties paid in the said year, and those paid pursuant to the said tarif; that he did not know that difference, but promised to write to his correspondents in Flanders for information what duties were paid at any time in the year 1680, different from those imposed by the said tarif, and to lay such answer as he shal receive before the Board.

Answer to Lord Bolingbroke.

Mr. Dorpere being withdrawn, their lordships gave directions for preparing an answer to the Lord Bolingbroke's fore-mention'd letter.

June 8. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John H. Cotton.

Trade.

Flanders.

Letter from Lord Bolingbroke with letters &c. from Mr. Drumond.

Answer.

A letter from the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, of the 5th June, 1713, inclosing copies of two letters, dated the 6th and 9th instant, n.s., from Mr. Drummond, commissary for commerce in Flanders, with a new draught of a provisional regulation for the trade of the Spanish Netherlands [fo. 363], were read; and an answer thereunto, as also to another letter from my Lord Bolingbroke on the same subject, mention'd in the minutes of the 4th instant [fo. 361, 367], was drawn up, agreed and ordered to be transcribed.

New England.

Letter from Mr. Harley.

Petition of disbanded officers and soldiers &c.

Grant of land.

Mr. Dummer summon'd.

A letter from Mr. Harley, of the 4th instant, by order of the Lord High Treasurer, referring to the Board a petition [fo. 368], presented to her Majesty, in the name of several officers and soldiers who served in the late war, and are now disbanded, praying a grant of a great tract of land in North America uninhabited, and belonging to her Majesty, between New England and Nova Scotia, in order to their settling and planting there, was read, as likewise the papers inclosed in the said letter. Whereupon ordered that Mr. Dummer, agent for New England, have notice to be at the Board on Thursday morning next at ten of the clock.

June 9. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John H. Cotton.

Trade.

Letter from Lord Bolingbroke.

Address from the House of Commons.

Trade with Flanders.

Answer to be prepared.

A letter from the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, of the 8th instant, referring to the Board an address from the House of Commons to her Majesty [fo. 370], desiring an account of what has been stipulated for the trade of Great Britain in Flanders, and how the same is secured, was read; and their lordships taking into consideration the Barrier Treaty, concluded at Utrecht the 19/30th of January last, gave directions for preparing an answer to the Lord Bolingbroke's foresaid letter.

June 10. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John H. Cotton.

Trade.

Flanders.

Mr. Drumond.

Letter to Lord Bolingbroke.

A letter to the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, in answer to his lordship's of the 26th of the last month, and 5th instant [fo. 365, 387] (mention'd in the minutes of the 4th and 8th of this month), upon several letters from Mr. Drummond and the provisional regulations transmitted by him, relating to the trade of Flanders, was sign'd.

Leeward Islands.

Debenture.

Mr. Tryon.

Mr. William Tryon attending, he signed the receipt (which Mr. Rowland Tryon had already done) for the debenture number'd 201, in the name of Daniel Burchal, one of the sufferers at St. Christopher's, pursuant to a letter of attorney to the said Mr. Rowland and William Tryon, which having been examin'd, the said debenture was deliver'd to Mr. William Tryon accordingly.

Newfoundland.

Letters from Mr. Burchet. Convoy.

Heads of inquiry, to be transmitted to Mr. Burchet for the Commodore.

Two letters from Mr. Burchet, secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, dated the 21st of May and 9th instant, relating to a convoy's being appointed for the trade of Newfoundland, and to such heads of enquiry as this Board may think fit to be given the Commodore of the said convoy, were read; and a draught of the usual heads of inquiry given to the Comodore of the Newfoundland convoy being prepared, ordered that the secretary transmit the same to Mr. Burchet, for the answers of the Comodore now appointed.

Newfoundland.

Letters to General Nicholson and Capt Moody.

Proclamations for the peace.

A letter to General Nicholson and another to Captain Moody, inclosing her Majesty's proclamations to be published in Newfoundland for declaring the peace with France, were signed.

June 11. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

New England.

Mr. Dummer.

Petition of disbanded soldiers.

Lands they desire to settle &c.

Mr. Dummer attending, as he had been directed and being acquainted with the petition of the disbanded soldiers [fo. 364, 371], for a tract of land in New England between Nova Scotia and the River Sagadehoc, referred to the Board by my Lord Treasurer, and mention'd in the minutes of the 8th instant, he said that the lands therein mentioned were within the Massachusets Charter; that formerly the Earl of Limerick had made a proposal for settling a colony of Irish Roman Catholicks there, but that, upon his writing to the government of the Massachusets Bay, they had absolutely refused to admit them, by reason of their religion, and had signify'd their willingness to receive any others; and he read to their lordships part of a letter from the Assembly of that province to him to the same purpose; he added that he had no objection to the sending the petitioners there, if it cou'd be done; on the contrary, he thought it wou'd be a strengthning of the frontiers, and that in time these people might be of service in the production of naval stores. He also produced a letter from the Dutchess of Hamilton and Brandon to him, whereby she laid claim to 10,000 acres of lands in those parts, in behalf of those claiming under the grant to the Marquis of Hamilton; but he said he beleived those lands were never planted or settled by the grantees.

Trade.

Order of House of Lords.

Representation in 1697.

Trade with France &c.

An Order of the House of Lords, dated yesterday, requiring the representation made to his late Majesty by this Board, the 23rd December, 1697, to be laid before their lordships, was read; and directions accordingly given for preparing a copy of the representation of that day upon the general state of the trade of this kingdom.

Orders from the House of Comons.

Memorial of Meers and papers about trade with France.

Report to be prepar'd.

Two Orders of the House of Commons, dated yesterday, requiring the memorial of Robert Meers [fo. 371] to be laid before that House, as likewise all memorials, petitions, representations, schemes of trade, and papers relating thereunto that are before this Board, concerning the trade of England and France, between the years 1664 and 1676, and also the representation presented to the late King by their lordships, in the year 1697, in relation to the commerce with France, were read; and directions given for preparing a report, and copies of several papers, in answer to the said Orders.

Trade with Flanders Representation and letter to Lord Bolingbroke.

The draught of a representation to her Majesty [fo. 366], upon an address from the House of Commons inclosed in the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke's letter of the 8th instant (which was read the 9th), requiring an account what is stipulated for the trade of Great Britain in Flanders, was signed, together with a letter to his lordship, for inclosing the same.

June 12. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Trade.

Mr. Meers summond upon Order of House of Commons.

Ordered that Mr. Robert Meeres [fo. 370, 372] (mention'd in the Order of the House of Commons of the 10th instant, and read yesterday) be desired to come to the Board on Monday morning next, at eleven of the clock.

New England.

Petition of disbanded officers and soldiers.

Answer to Lord High Treasurer thereupon.

A petition from several disbanded officers and soldiers, praying their lordships to dispatch their report upon their petition [fo. 368, 372], referr'd to the Board by my Lord Treasurer, mention'd in the minutes of the 8th instant, was read; and their lordships thereupon taking into consideration their petition, gave directions for preparing an answer to the Lord Treasurer thereupon.

June 15. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Foley.

Trade.

Mr. Robert Meers.

Order of House of Commons.

Mr. Robert Meers attending [fo. 371], as directed the 12th instant, and the Order of the House of Commons of the 10th instant, directing this Board to lay before them a copy of the said Meers's memorial, being communicated to him, and he thereupon asked if he deliver'd to the Board any such memorial, he said that he had not.

Representation about general state of trade in 1697, copy'd for the House of Lords.

The representation of this Board of the 23rd December, 1697, relating to the general state of the trade of this kingdom, in which are some articles relating to the trade with France, having been copy'd, pursuant to the Order of the House of Lords, mention'd in the minutes of the 11th instant, my Lord Guilford was desired to present the same to their lordships, which he promised to do accordingly.

New England.

Letter to Lord High Treasurer.

Settling disbanded soldiers.

A letter to my Lord Treasurer, upon the petition of several disbanded officers and soldiers [fo. 371, 374], mentioned in the minutes of the 12th instant, was agreed and order'd to be transcribed.

June 16. Present:—Mr. Monckton, Mr. Moore, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

Trade.

Report to House of Comons.

Memorial from Meers and other papers about trade with France.

The draught of a report, in answer to the Order of the House of Commons of the 10th instant [fo. 372, 374] (mention'd in yesterday's minutes), requiring the memorial of Robert Meers, and all memorials, petitions, representations, schemes &c., relating to the trade of England and France, was agreed and ordered to be transcribed.

Extract of minutes of the Committee for Trade.

Then an extract of the minutes of the Lords of the Council, appointed a Committee for Trade and Plantations, from March, 1675, to July, 1676, relating to the trade with France [fo. 370, 374], which is to be laid before the House of Commons with the foresaid report, was read, the same being entred in the Journal of the said Committee, volume 1, page 84, 85, 88, 92, 93, 116, 145, 164, 165.

June 17. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

Trade.

Report to the House of Commons.

The draught of a report, in answer to the Order of the House of Commons of the 10th instant, requiring the memorial of Robert Meers [fo. 373], and all memorials, petitions, representations and schemes &c., relating to the trade of England and France, agreed at the last meeting, was sign'd.

Letter from Mr. Hare.

Papers from Mr. Drumond.

Flanders.

Answer.

A letter from Mr. Hare [fo. 375], secretary to the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, dated yesterday, referring to the Board a letter from Mr. Drummond, of the 23rd June, 1713, n.s., with abstracts of the tarifs made at Bruxels the 18th of July, 1670, and the 21st of December, 1680, and several orders and regulations belonging thereto, was read; whereupon directions were given for preparing an answer to his lordship.

New England.

Letter to Lord Treasurer. Petition of disbanded soldiers.

Grant of lands.

A letter to the Lord High Treasurer, upon the petition of several disbanded officers and soldiers [fo. 372, 387], praying a grant of land between New England and Nova Scotia &c., as agreed the 15th instant, was signed.

June 18. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynde Cotton.

Trade.

Letter to Lord Bolingbroke.

Mr. Drumond's papers.

A letter to the Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, upon Mr. Hare's of the 16th instant [fo. 374], referring to the Board, by his lordship's order, a letter from Mr. Drummond, of the 23rd of June, 1713, n.s., &c., as directed yesterday, was sign'd.

Carolina.

Certificate of Mr. Eden's security.

Letter to Earl of Dartmouth.

Instructions for trade.

A certificate of Mr. Eden's having given security in the office of her Majesty's Remembrancer of her Exchequer [fo. 362], for the due execution of his office of Governor of North Carolina, was read; whereupon a letter to the Earl of Dartmouth, transmitting to his lordship a draught of instructions for her Majesty's royal signature to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina, relating to the Acts of Trade and Navigation, which are to be observ'd by the said Eden, was signed.

June 19. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton.

Leeward Islands.

Debentures sign'd.

Their lordships signed two debentures, number'd 465 and 468, for sufferers at Nevis.

Mr. Travers.

Debentures deliver'd

Then Mr. John Travers and Mr. Samuel Travers attending, and their letters of attorney and other powers from several of the sufferers at Nevis and St. Christopher's being examin'd at the Board, the fourteen debentures, which are number'd as follows, were upon their joint receipts deliver'd to them, vizt.:

447 452 459 465
448 453 460 468
450 454 463
451 457 464

June 22. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John H. Cotton.

Trade.

Letter from Lord Bolingbroke.

Address from House of Lords.

Rule of comerce with France besides the tarif of 1664.

Answer to the House by Lord Guilford.

A letter from the Lord Bolingbroke, of the 3rd instant, was read, signifying that her Majesty, having receiv'd an address from the House of Lords: “That her Majesty will be pleased to order the proper officer to lay before this House the rule mention'd in the 9th article of the Treaty of Commerce with France, for payment of any duties in any provinces not particularly mentioned in the tarif of 1664,” had commanded him to acquaint this Board with her pleasure that they do, as soon as conveniently may be, lay before the House of Lords the said rule. Whereupon [fo. 383] the Lord Guilford was desired to acquaint the House that those provinces are called les Provinces Etrangeres, and not being particularly mention'd in the said tarif of 1664, suffer'd no alteration by it, but depend upon so many different tarifs made before that time, that it is impossible to prepare so particular an account of the several duties in the said provinces as is necessary to lay before their lordships before the end of the Sessions, but that care is taken for preparing the same as soon as may be.

Plantations General.

Letter from Mr. Harley.

Chappel furniture.

Letter to the Lord Treasurer.

A letter from Mr. Harley, of the 17th instant [vide infra], signifying the Lord High Treasurer's desire to be inform'd by the Board, what care is taken about preserving the chappel furniture in the several governments where any is allow'd by her Majesty, particularly in Bermuda, was read; and a letter to his lordship, in answer thereto, was agreed and ordered to be transcribed.

June 23. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Plantations General.

Letter to Lord Treasurer.

Chappel furniture.

A letter to the Lord High Treasurer, in answer to Mr. Harley's of the 17th instant [vide supra], relating to chappel furniture in the plantations, was sign'd.

New England.

Letter from Mr. Harley.

Representation of Post Master.

Bills of Credit.

Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Dummer summond.

A letter from Mr. Harley, of the 16th of May, with a representation of the Post Master General to the Lord High Treasurer [fo. 359], relating to the loss which the revenue of postage will be subject to in New England by the currency of Bills of Credit there, as mention'd in the minutes of the 1st instant, was again read; whereupon ordered [fo. 382] that Mr. Hamilton, who has the management of the posts on the Continent of America, and Mr. Dummer, agent of the province of the Massachusets Bay, be desired to attend the Board to-morrow morning, and that the Acts of that province, relating to this affair, be look'd out, and laid before their lordships at the same time.

June 24. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Trade.

Order of House of Lords.

Trade to Africa.

An Order of the House of Lords, dated yesterday, requiring such addresses as have been made from the plantations, and the reports of this Board, relating to the trade to Africa, to be laid before their lordships, was read; whereupon the said addresses and reports being look'd out, were deliver'd to the Lord Guilford, with a list thereof, and his lordship was desired to lay them before the House, which he promised to do accordingly: the list is as follows, vizt.:
1707. February 3rd. Letter to the Earl of Sunderland, with a representation upon the petition of the Royal African Company.—Trade E., fo. 115.
1708/9. January 27th Answer to an Order of the House of Commons, dated the 20th of January, 1708/9, requiring a state of the African trade.—Ibidem, fo. 275.
1709. December 19th. Answer to an Order of the House of Commons, relating to the trade to Africa.—Trade F., fo. 7.
17 10/11. February 1st. Letter to the Duke of Queensberry, with a representation relating to the trade to Africa.—Ibidem, fo. 441.
1711. July 27th. Letter to Mr. Secretary St. John, inclosing a representation relating to the securing the settlements on the coast of Africa.—Trade G., fo. 225.
1711/12. March 15th. Representation relating to the settlement of the trade to Africa.
1710. December the 10th. Copy of the petition of several planters, inhabitants of Barbadoes, praying that the trade to Africa may be preserv'd &c.—Barbadoes, Bun. R. 94.
17 10/11. January the 5th. Letter from Mr. Harris, inclosing the copy of a petition from the planters, merchants and inhabitants at Jamaica to the House of Commons, relating to the trade to Africa.—Trade, M. 5.
Extract of a letter from Major-General Handasyd, Governor of Jamaica, to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, dated the 2nd June, 1711.—Jamaica, M. 56.
1711. September the 12th. Address from the Governor, Council and Assembly of Jamaica to her Majesty, relating to the benefit of an open and free trade to Africa &c.—M. 57.
Some considerations from the Council and Assembly of Jamaica, in relation to the Royal African Company's obtaining an exclusive trade to Africa.—M. 58.

June 25. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John Hynd Cotton.

Jamaica.

Letter from Mr. Clifford. His petition about lands escheated in that island.

Letter to him.

A letter from Mr. Jeronimy Clifford to the secretary, with his petition to this Board and attested copies of the deeds of his purchase of two parcels of land in Jamaica, now pretended to be escheated, were read; and thereupon ordered [fo. 385] that Mr. Clifford be desired to inform the Board of the title of the Act mention'd in his petition, and when it pass'd, as likewise the name and habitation of the person who he says is a considerable planter, and lately arrived from Jamaica, that their lordships may confer with him thereupon.

New England.

Mr. Hamilton, agent of the posts, and Mr. Dummer.

Act about Bills of Credit passing as specie.

Mr. John Hamilton, agent for the posts on the Continent of America, and Mr. Dummer, agent for the Massachusets Bay, attending [fo. 379] as they had been desired, the representation of the Post Master General to my Lord Treasurer, mention'd in the minutes of the 1st June, was again read; whereupon Mr. Hamilton said that, in the begining of November last, an Act was pass'd in the Massachusets Bay, injoining the currency of paper bills, as specie, throughout that province; that if the postage of letters (which by the Act lately pass'd here is to be paid in sterling) be paid there in those bills, it will be a great loss to that branch of the revenue, those bills having no fund for making them good.

Mr. Dummer own'd that there was no fund, but that those bills have pass'd in that province on the credit of the country for above these twenty years, by virtue of Acts made from time to time for that purpose; that they are as good as specie there, some of them being made for so small a sum as eighteen pence; and that the reason for making the said bills was, that most of the money in that province is every year sent to England.

Letter to the Lord High Treasurer.

These gentlemen being withdrawn, and their lordships inquiring for the said Act, the secretary acquainted the Board that it had not been yet received; whereupon their lordships gave directions [fo. 384] for preparing a letter to my Lord Treasurer upon the fore-mention'd representation of the Post Master General.

June 26. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley, Sir John H. Cotton.

Trade.

Rules of trade in France in 1664 besides the tarif.

House of Lords.

The Lord Guilford acquainted the Board that he had yesterday represented to the House of Lords what the Board had desired him the 22nd instant [fo. 377], relating to the rule for the provinces in France not mention'd in the tariff of 1664.

New England.

Letter to Lord Treasurer.

Damage to the Post Office by Bills of Credit.

A letter to the Lord High Treasurer, upon the representation of the Posts Masters’ General, inclosed in Mr. Harley's letter of the 16th of May, and mention'd in yesterday's minutes [fo. 383], relating to the difficulty which the post officers in New England are under, by reason of an Act lately pass'd in the Massachusets Bay for the currency of Bills of Credit as specie, was sign'd.

June 29. Present:—Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Sir John H. Cotton.

Trade.

Letter from Sir Christopher Musgrave.

Plague abroad.

Quarantine.

Answer.

A letter from Sir Christopher Musgrave, one of the clerks of the Privy Council, of the 27th instant, signifying the desire of the Lords of the Committee of Council that this Board do make their report what accounts they have received relating to the raging of the plague abroad, the said Committee being to consider of the quarantine of ships coming from the Baltick, was read; whereupon an answer from the secretary was immediately drawn up, approv'd, and sent.

Jamaica.

Letter from Mr. Clifford.

Escheated land.

Mr. Hodges summon'd.

A letter from Mr. Jeronimy Clifford, dated the 26th, in answer to the secretary's letter to him of the 25th instant [fo. 382], upon his petition relating to land said to be escheated in Jamaica, was read; whereupon ordered that Mr. Joseph Hodges [fo. 386], named by Mr. Clifford as a person acquainted in this affair, be desir'd to attend the Board on Thursday morning next.

June 30. Present:—Lord Guilford, Sir Philip Meadows, Mr. Monckton, Mr. Gwyn, Mr. Foley.

Jamaica.

Memorial from Mr. Thurston.

A memorial from Mr. Thurston, agent for the Lord Archibald Hamilton, Governor of Jamaica, praying the Board's consideration of several laws of that island, a list of escheats there, and other matters, which his lordship's letters refer to, was read; and their lordships resolved to take the same into consideration at the first opportunity.