Journal, December 1720: Journal Book W

Journal, December 1720

December 1. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Extracts from Mr. D' Avenant.

Genoa.

Spezzia, a free port.

Merchants summoned.

A letter from Mr. Secretary Craggs, of 25th of last month, referring to their Lordships two extracts of letters from Mr. D'Avenant, His Majesty's envoy at Genoa, relating to that Republic's making the port of Spezzia a free port, was read, together with the said extracts; whereupon ordered that some of the merchants trading to Sicily and Leghorn be acquainted that the Board desire to speak with them at eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning next.

Mr. West's report.

Custom House Officers.

Mr. West's report concerning the Statute of 20th Henry the 6th, chap. 5th, relating to Custom House Officers being concerned in trade and shipping, was read.

New York.

Letter from Mr. Burnet.

Extract to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Answer.

A letter from Mr. Burnet, Governor of New York and New Jersey, dated the 24th of September last, was read; and directions given for preparing an extract thereof, to be transmitted to Mr. Secretary Craggs, as also the draught of an answer thereto.

Nova Scotia.

Letter from Colonel Philips.

Extract to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Answer.

A letter from Colonel Philips, Governor of Nova Scotia, dated the 6th August, 1720, was read, as also a letter to him from the Governor of Cape Breton; whereupon directions were given for preparing an extract of the said letter from Colonel Philips, to be transmitted to Mr. Secretary Craggs, as also the draught of an answer thereto.

December 2. Present:—Earl of Westmorland, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe.

Virginia.

Letter from Colonel Spotswood.

Dr. Cock.

Secretary, dead.

Colonel Jennings replaced.

Earl of Orkney.

Mr. Robinson of the Council.

Mr. Robinson of the Council.

Representation.

A letter from Colonel Spotswood, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, dated the 22nd of October, 1720, relating to the death of Dr. Cock, Secretary of that Colony, and a member of His Majesty's Council there, recommending Colonel Jennings to be replaced in the office of Secretary, and Mr. John Robinson to supply the vacancy in Council, was read; and the Earl of Orkney, Governor in Chief of Virginia, coming to the Board, and recommending likewise the said Mr. Robinson to be of His Majesty's said Council, in the room of Dr. Cock; the draught of a representation to His Majesty, in favour of the said Mr. Robinson, was agreed, transcribed and signed.

December 6. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen.

Trade.

Italian merchants.

La Spezzia a free port.

Mr. Porten and several other merchants trading to Sicily, Leghorn and other parts of Italy, attending, as desired, they were acquainted with a design now on foot to make La Spezzia in the Genouese Territories, a free port, as mentioned in Mr. Secretary Craggs' letter of the 25th of the last month, which was read the 1st inst., and the said merchants being asked their opinion thereupon, they agreed that the same might be of advantage to the British trade.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

The said merchants being withdrawn, an answer to Mr. Secretary Craggs' said letter was prepared and signed.

Miscellanies.

Letter from Mr. Delafaye.

Dutch Placarts against the Plague.

A letter from Mr. Delafaye, of the 16th of the last month, together with some placarts published by the States General of the United Provinces and the Government of the Netherlands, for preventing the plague, were read.

Letter from Mr. Carkesse.

Observations, Quarantine Act.

Letter to Attorney and Solicitor General.

A letter from Mr. Carkesse, of the 23rd of the last month, inclosing a copy of the observations on the Quarantine Act by the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, was read, as likewise the said observations; and upon consideration of the several papers lately transmitted to this office, relating to the quarantine to be performed for preventing the plague and other infectious distempers; the draught of a letter to be writ by the Secretary of this Board to Mr. Attorney and Solicitor General was agreed and ordered to be sent.

New York.

New Jersey.

Letter from Brigadier Hunter.

A letter from Brigadier Hunter, with his answer to several queries, relating to the state of the provinces of New York and New Jersey, were read, as likewise

Answer to quermes.

Massachusets.

Mr. Dummer's answer to queries and Colonel Vetch for

Mr. Dummer's answers to the like queries, relating to the province of the Massachusetts Bay, and
Those from Colonel Vetch, concerning Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia.

Plantations General.

Representation.

General state.

Whereupon their Lordships made a further progress in considering the draught of a representation, relating to the general state of His Majesty's plantations.

December 7. Present:—Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Ashe.

Barbadoes.

Sir Robert Davers and others.

Memorial.

Act

with Mr. West.

Sir Robert Davers and several gentlemen of Barbadoes attending, presented to the Board a memorial signed by them against an Act of that Island, intituled, An Act for the better preserving the peace and tranquility of the Island, whereby it is alleged the powers granted by His Majesty's Commission to Presidents and Commanders in Chief, in the absence of a Governor, are annulled, which was read; whereupon their Lordships agreed to take the said Act into consideration, when the same shall be returned from Mr. West, to whom it has been sent for his opinion in point of law; and ordered that the Secretary remind him thereof, for the dispatch of his report.

December 9. Present:—Earl of Westmorland, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen.

Leeward Islands.

Letter from General Hamilton.

A letter from General Hamilton, Governor of the dated the 3rd of October last, relating to the insults committed on those Islands by the pirates, and desiring a ship of war of greater force than the Rose may be sent for their protection, was read, and the papers undermentioned were laid before the Board, viz.:—
Papers.
Extract of a letter from Lieutenant General Mathew to His Excellency General Hamilton, dated 29th September, 1720.
Letters from the pirates Bartholo, Roberts and Henry Fowle, to Lieutenant General Mathew and Mr. James Parsons.
Inventory of goods taken in the sloop Relief.
The depositions of Moses Reynoulds, Robert Dunn and James Dennison.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Copy of General Hamilton's.

Whereupon a copy of the said letter was immediately ordered to be made, and the draught of one for enclosing the same to Mr. Secretary Craggs, in order to be laid before His Majesty for his pleasure therein, was agreed and signed.

December 13. Present:—Earl of Westmorland, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Webber.

A letter from Mr. Webber to the Secretary of this Board, dated 30th of the last month, inclosing proposals relating to the wool trade with Ireland, was read.

Letter from Mr. Carkesse.

Wool carried coastwise.

A letter from Mr. Carkesse, of the 9th inst., in answer to one writ him the 24th of November past, to explain a former letter about wool carried coastwise, was likewise read.

Plantations General.

Representation.

State of Plantations.

Their Lordships then made a further progress in considering the draught of a representation relating to the general state of His Majesty's plantations on the Continent of America.

December 14. Present:—Earl of Westmorland, Mr. Chetwynd, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Ashe.

Nova Scotia.

Want of Forces &c.

Presents. Indians.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs, with copy of one from Colonel Philips.

Their Lordships, taking again into consideration the letter from Colonel Philips, Governor of Nova Scotia, mentioned in the Minutes of the 1st inst., relating to the influence of the French in those parts, the want of more forces, stores of war, a guard sloop, and presents for the Indians; the draught of a letter, wherewith to transmit to Mr. Secretary Craggs a copy of the said letter from Colonel Philips, was agreed, transcribed and signed.

New York.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs with extract of one from Mr. Burnet.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs, for enclosing an extract of a letter from Mr. Burnet, Governor of New York, mentioned also in the Minutes of the 1st inst., relating to the practices of the French to seduce our Indians on that frontier, to presents for those Indians and garrison stores, was agreed, transcribed and signed.

Barbadoes.

Letter from Mr. H. Walpole.

Copies of papers.

Pirates' effects.

A letter from Mr. Horatio Walpole, Auditor for the Plantations, dated the 3rd inst., desiring copies of papers relating to pirates' effects in Barbadoes, was read; and directions given for transmitting him copies of such of the said papers, as are in this office.

Trade.

Middleton's proposals.

Exportation of wool.

Some proposals from Mr. Middleton, to hinder effectually the exportation of wool, were read.

Memorial from Mr. Coxeter and others.

Calico manufacture.

A memorial from Mr. Coxeter, Mr. Wrightson and others, relating to the establishment of a calico manufacture in Great Britain, was also read.

December 22. Present:—Earl of Westmorland, Mr. Chetwynd, Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Ashe.

Virginia.

Merchants.

Grierances in trade.

Ships of war.

Mr. Micajah Perry and several other merchants trading to Virginia, attending, and being asked whether they had any proofs of particular grievances in their trade, more especially in relation to the common report that the ships of war interfere in the trade and take in goods upon freight, neglecting the protection of the coast, &c: they said, that the man of war last year, upon the station of Virginia, had been of no use; that 4 or 5 English vessels had been taken by Spanish cruisers in the Capes of that Colony; and that they had letters from several gentlemen in the plantations, advising them of the misbehaviour of the Captains of His Majesty's ships, but no other proofs, except that one of the gentlemen, now present, said he was a witness to the Captain of the king's ship at Virginia's, slighting an order from the Lieutenant Governor and Council there; whereupon their Lordships recommended to these gentlemen to lay before the Lords of the Admiralty the best proofs they had of the facts, wherein they are aggrieved.

Carolina.

Mr. Boon.

Copy.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs against the Government of the Lords Proprietors.

Mr. Boon, Agent for Carolina, attending, presented to their Lordships the copy of a letter from several gentlemen of that Province, to Mr. Secretary Craggs, dated at Charlestown, the 29th of September last, relating to their unwillingness to be under the Government of the Lords Proprietors, or their assigns; and to the Spaniards from St. Augustine taking several of their ships, notwithstanding the cessation of arms, which was read; and he acquainted the Board that the original of the said letter had been delivered to Mr. Secretary, but that the articles and affidavit, mentioned in the said letter, were not come to hand.

Jamaica.

Acts to Mr. West.

Ordered that the several Acts of Jamaica, received with Sir Nicholas Lawes's late letters, be sent to Mr. West, for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Letter to Sir Nicholas Lawes.

Their Lordships then considering the draught of a letter to Sir Nicholas Lawes, the same was agreed and ordered to be transcribed.