Journal, February 1739: Volume 47

Journal, February 1739

Friday, February 2. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Antigua.

Montserrat.

Read a letter to the Secretary from Mr. Yeamans, agent for those Islands, enclosing a list of the Councillors for both, with an account where each now resides, together with an account of the last Ordnance Stores sent to Antigua in 1735. The Board at the same time ordered the draught of a report to be prepared, relating to Ordnance Stores wanted in Montserrat, mentioned in the minutes of January 23rd.

Pennsylvania.

Read Mr. Fane's report upon 3 Acts, passed in Pennsylvania in 1738; and the Secretary was ordered to write a letter to Mr. Paris, agent for that province, desiring his attendance at this Board on Tuesday morning next [the 6th inst.], in relation to the 3 Acts referred hither by the Lords of the Committee of Council, as mentioned in the minutes of the 23rd of the last month.

Tuesday, February 6. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

New York.

The answer to the last letters of Mr. Clarke, LieutenantGovernor of New York, mentioned in the minutes of the 31st of last month, was agreed to, and signed.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Paris, agent for Pennsylvania, attending, as desired by the minutes of the 2nd instant, the Board had some discourse with him, relating to the supplement of an Act passed in that province; which Act had never been transmitted to this Office; and he not being able to give a satisfactory account of the said affair, their lordships desired him to search farther into it, and attend again upon that subject Tuesday next [the 13th inst.], which he promised to do accordingly.

Wednesday, February 7. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer, Mr. Herbert.

Bermudas.

Read the memorial of Mr. Henry Popple in behalf of Alured Popple, Esq., Governor of the Bermuda Islands, in relation to a supply of Military Stores, and to the augmentation of the Independent Company of Soldiers in those Islands; and their lordships were pleased to direct the Secretary to acquaint Mr. Popple that the Board were of opinion the said memorial should be presented by him to the king in Council.

New York.

Read Mr. Fane's report upon a Private Act, passed at New York in December, 1737, for settling some entailed lands, to which he has no objection; and the Board accordingly ordered the draught of a representation to be prepared to his Majesty for his Royal approbation.

Thursday, February 8. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter to the Board from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated December 5th, 1738, inclosing a state of his Majesty's four Councils in those Islands, together with Registers of Births, Marriages and Burials in two Parishes of St. Christophers, from Oct. 30th, 1737, to October 30th, 1738.

New York.

The representation to his Majesty, recommending to his royal approbation a Private Act, passed in New York, as mentioned in the minutes of yesterday, was agreed to, and signed.

Friday, February 9. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Read the Petition of Captain Taverner for a recommendation to the Treasury, to be allowed a gratuity out of the Salt Duty, for services performed to the advantage of that part of the Revenue.

Bahamas.

Read an order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated January 23rd, 1738/9, that this Board do transmit the evidence laid before them, in support of the articles of complaint in Mr. Chaloner Jackson's petition against Mr. Fitzwilliams, Governor of the Bahama Islands.

Montserrat.

The report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, relating to Ordnance Stores wanted in Montserrat (a draught of which was ordered to be prepared in the minutes of the 2nd inst.) was agreed to, and signed.

Tuesday, February 13. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Paris attending, according to promise, as mentioned in the minutes of Tuesday last, and not being able to show that the Act, to which the Supplemental Act, mentioned in the same, refers, had ever been laid before this Board, or confirmed by his Majesty, their lordships were pleased to order the draught of a report should be prepared, recommending his Majesty's disallowance of the said Supplemental Act.

Barbados.

Mr. Colleton, one of the Council of Barbados, attending, according to his promise made to the Board, mentioned in the minutes of December 6th, informed their lordships that his affairs not permitting him to return thither soon, he was come in order to resign his seat in the Council of that Island.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from Mr. Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica, dated November 21st, 1738, relating to the nomination and recommendation of Councillors to supply vacancies there, and at the same time recommending five persons to be of the Council.

Plantations General.

Trade.

Read a letter from the Duke of Newcastle, dated February 9th instant, enclosing copies of three resolutions of the House of Commons, for an humble address to his Majesty, for copies of such papers since the Treaty of Seville, relating to any losses his Majesty's subjects have suffered from the Spaniards, which have not already been laid before that House, by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations; and the Board directed that the Office should be searched for all such papers, and that copies of them should be prepared accordingly.

Thursday, February 15. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Virginia.

Read an order of the Committee of Council, dated January 12th, 1738, referring to this Board the Lord Fairfax's petition to his Majesty, relating to settling the boundaries of his lordship's grant of the Northern Neck in Virginia; and their lordships were pleased to order, that Mr. Leheup, agent for the province, and Mr. Sharpe, agent for the Lord Fairfax, be appointed to attend on Wednesday next.

New Hampshire.

Read a letter from Mr. Belcher, dated December 21st, 1738, respecting the state of his Majesty's Council in New Hampshire, and again recommending Mr. Samuel Sherburne to supply a vacancy by Mr. Wentworth's long absence; transmitting also minutes of Assembly and six Acts, passed at New Hampshire in November, 1738.

Massachusets.

Read a letter from Mr. Belcher, Governor of New England, dated December 20th, 1738, owning the receipt of the Board's letter to him of 10th August, 1738, giving a state of the paper credit in New England, and inclosing a scheme thereof, with a Journal of the Assembly in November, 1739.

Read a letter to the Secretary from Mr. Willard, Secretary of the Massachusets Bay, dated December 18th, 1738, enclosing several public papers of that province.

Friday, February 16. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Colonel Armstrong, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia, dated at Annapolis Royal, April 10th, 1738, inclosing a letter and petition from Mr. Le Mercier, a French Minister at Boston, in behalf of himself and associates, praying for a grant of the Isle of Sables, and liberty to settle there.

New England.

Read a letter, dated Annapolis Royal, April 27th, 1738, from two of the Commissioners (Councillors of Nova Scotia), appointed by his Majesty for settling the boundary lines betwixt Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire, representing the trouble and hardships they have suffered in executing the said Commission, and praying just satisfaction for their trouble, expence and nine months absence from home, enclosing likewise papers relating thereto; and the Board directed the said letter should lye by, till further application be made by the agent.

Wednesday, February 21. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Pennsylvania.

Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, recommending to them to advise his Majesty's disallowance of the Supplemental Act to an Act of Pennsylvania, as mentioned in the minutes of the 13th instant, was agreed to, and signed.

Trade.

Wool.

Ireland.

Read a letter from Peter Pearn, relating to the running of wool from Ireland, with a scheme annexed for preventing the same, and the Board agreed to take the same into consideration the first opportunity.

Virginia.

Mr. Leheup attending, as desired, delivered in a copy of Mr. Scrope's letter to Mr. Paxton, which was read, signifying that the Lords of the Treasury had ordered him as their Solicitor to take upon him the management of the affairs, relating to the dispute about the Northern Neck; and the Board thereupon directed the Secretary to write to Mr. Paxton, to desire his attendance on Friday next at eleven o'clock.

Thursday, February 22. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer, Mr. Herbert.

Pennsylvania.

The Board having had under consideration the titles of several Acts, passed in Pennsylvania, and printed in that province, in the year 1728, which Acts do not appear to have been ever regularly transmitted to this Office, ordered the Secretary to write a letter to Mr. Paris, agent of the province, desiring his attendance on Tuesday next [the 27th inst.].

Friday, February 23. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Virginia.

Lord Fairfax attending, with Mr. Paxton, their lordships had some discourse with them about fixing a time for hearing the dispute concerning the Northern Neck; but Mr. Paxton, on account of several affairs he is at present engaged in, not being able to name a particular day, my Lord and he consented to defer the matter a little longer, till they could come to a final determination, when they would inform the Board of the time they had agreed upon.

Tuesday, February 27. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Plantations General.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from the Duke of Newcastle, dated February 23rd instant, enclosing copy of an address of the House of Lords of the 22nd instant, that copies of several papers in this Office relating to South Carolina etc. may be laid before that House, and the Board ordered the said copies to be prepared.

Read also another letter from the Duke of Newcastle, dated the 24th instant, inclosing copy of an address of the House of Lords the 23rd instant, that copies of all representations or memorials etc. in this Office, relating to any losses sustained by his Majesty's subjects, by depredations committed by the Spaniards since the Treaty of Seville, may be laid before that House; and the Board were pleased to order as above.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Paris, attending, as desired by the minutes of Thursday last, the Board had some discourse with him on the subject of the Pennsylvania Acts; and he promised to give by this day sennight what further information he was able to procure.

Wednesday, February 28th. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Read a letter of Mr. Thomas Lowndes, dated February 27th, about a method to prevent the running of wool from Ireland, which he would communicate, could he be sure of a reward suitable to the service; and the Board ordered the Secretary to send him for an answer; that they shall willingly receive and consider any plan he is desirous of laying before them, but have it not in their power to assure him of any reward.