Journal, June 1740: Volume 48

Journal, June 1740

Tuesday, June 3. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Nova Scotia.

New England.

The Board took into consideration the draught of a report, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 21st of the last month, on the subject of the petition of several merchants, trading to, and interested in, New England, and the fishery carried on from thence to Nova Scotia, referred to this Board by an Order of the Committee of Council of the 6th of May last, and after some time spent therein, referred the further consideration of the same to another opportunity.

Wednesday, June 4. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Massachusetts.

Rhode Island.

Mr. Partridge, agent for Rhode Island, attending, together with Mr. Paris, his solicitor, as likewise Mr. John Sharpe, solicitor for the Massachusetts, as appointed by the minutes of the 21st of last month, the Board, after some discourse had with them on the subject of the petition of the Governor and company of his Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, together with the papers thereto annexed, referred to this Board by order of the Committee of Council, mentioned in the minutes of the 16th of last month, ordered the draught of a report to be prepared.

North Carolina.

Mr. McCulloch attending, delivered in at the Board a paper entitled "General remarks on such clauses of the Quit Rent and Cultivation Acts passed in North Carolina in 1738, as are conceived to be inconsistent with his Majesty's instructions, the Constitution and Laws of England, and the rights of his Majesty's subjects in America," the Board took the same into consideration, and after some time spent therein, deferred the further consideration of the same till to-morrow.

Thursday, June 5. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

North Carolina.

Mr. McCulloch attending, the paper of remarks, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, being again read, the Board, after some discourse with him on that subject, took the same again into consideration and made some progress therein, referring the further consideration thereof to Tuesday next, (Tuesday, June 10th).

Tuesday, June 10. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Nova Scotia.

New England.

The Board had again under consideration the draught of a report, on the subject of the petition of several merchants trading to, and interested in, New England, and the fishery carried on from thence to Nova Scotia, as mentioned in the minutes of the 3rd inst., and made some progress therein.

North Carolina.

The Board likewise had again under consideration the paper of remarks on some clauses in two Acts, passed at North Carolina in 1738, mentioned in the minutes of the 5th inst., and ordered the draught of a report to be prepared.

Wednesday, June 11. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen.

North Carolina.

Mr. McCulloch attending, the Board had some further discourse with him on the subject of that part of his paper of remarks, which relates to the Quit Rent Act, and taking into consideration the draught of a report on that and the other Act, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, made some progress therein.

Thursday, June 12. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Connecticut.

Read a letter from Mr. Talcot, Governor of Connecticut, dated at Hartford, January 12th, 1739–40, in answer to the Board's circular letter of July 5th, 1739, relating to paper currency in America.

North Carolina.

Read an account of the state of the paper currency of North Carolina, from the first emission of any Bills of Credit to the year 1740.
(N.B. This came under a cover addressed to the Board, but without any letter.)

Ordered that the Secretary write a letter to the Governors of North Carolina, acquainting him that the above paper had come to the Board without being signed, or any letter transmitting it, and desiring him to send an authentick account.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from Mr. Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica, dated March 23rd, 1739–40, acquainting the Board with the death of Mr. Campbell, one of the members of his Majesty's Council in that Island, and that the principal gentlemen are averse to accept of a seat in Council, which may be of any bad consequence.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated March 19th, 1739–40, transmitting duplicates of:—
Minutes of Council and Assembly of Nevis, from June 1st to December 15th, 1739.
Minutes of Assembly of St. Christophers, from November 1st, 1739, to January 9th, 1739–40. The originals whereof have not been received.

North Carolina.

Mr. McCulloch attending, the Board had some further discourse with him on the subject of the Quit Rent Law etc., and the Secretary was ordered to write to some of the merchants trading to North Carolina, desiring their attendance at the Board on Thursday morning next (Thursday, 19th June).

Plantations General.

Ordered that letters be sent to the several agents of the Provinces upon the continent of America, to attend this Board on Wednesday morning next, (Wednesday 18th), upon the subject of the paper money.

Tuesday, June 17. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

New Hampshire.

Massachusetts.

Read a letter from Mr. Belcher, Governor of New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay, dated March 24th, 1739–40, transmitting:—
Minutes of Council and Assembly of New Hampshire, in January and February, 1739–40.
To which are annexed:—
Four Acts, passed there in February, 1739–40.

Massachusetts.

Read another letter from Governor Belcher, dated at Boston, the 4th of April, 1740, complaining of the conduct of the Assembly, and mentioning that a new one is soon to be convened.

Massachusetts Bay.

Rhode Island.

The report upon an order of the Committee of Council of the 6th of May last, and read the 16th, relative to a commission for settling the boundaries betwixt Rhode Island and Massachusetts Bay, was agreed to, and signed.

Massachusetts Bay.

New Hampshire.

The additional instruction to Mr. Belcher, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, ordered by the minutes of the 29th of April last, having been prepared, a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, transmitting the same, was agreed to, and signed.

New Hampshire.

Massachusetts.

Ordered that the draught of a letter be prepared, in answer to such of Governor Belcher's letters, as are as yet unanswered.

Bermuda.

Read a letter from Mr. Popple, Governor of Bermuda, dated February 28th, 1739–40, to which is annexed his answer to the Board's general queries, in relation to the state of the Bermuda Islands.

Ordered than [that] an extract of so much of his letter, as relates to the settling a custom house officer in that part of his government called the Country, be sent to Mr. Carkesse, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, to be laid before the Commissioners, and that he be desired to inform this Board, if any resolution has been taken, in consequence of a letter formerly wrote to him on the same subject.

Wednesday, June 18. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

North Carolina.

Read a letter from Mr. Johnston, Governor of North Carolina, to the Board, dated at Newbern, March 3rd, 1739–40, inclosing an account of the state of the paper currency of that Province from the first emission of any Bills of Credit to the year 1740, and recommending some persons to be of the Council there.

Ordered that the draught of a letter be prepared, in answer to this and the other letter received from him, since the last to him from the Board.

Nova Scotia.

The report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 15th of May last, on the subject of the petition of several merchants trading to, and interested in New England and the fishery carried on from thence and Nova Scotia, having been laid before the Board, was agreed to, and signed.

Plantations General.

Several of the agents of the Provinces on the continent of America attending, as desired by the minutes of the 12th instant, the Board, after some discourse had with them on the subject of the paper currency, desired, if any thing should occur to them, that might be of service in settling the said currency to the satisfaction of the people concerned in it, they would lay their thoughts thereon before the Board.

Thursday, June 19. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Denmark.

Read a letter from Mr. Tigh, Consul at Elsinore, dated April 4th, 1740, transmitting two lists of ships of all nations that passed and repassed the Sound, anno 1739.

North Carolina.

Mr. Robert Carey.

Mr. Thomas Hyam.

Mr. John Tomlinson.

Mr. Henry Heylyn.

Mr. John Hawkins.

Mr. Henry Howson.

Mr. Thomas Smith.

Mr. David Cave.

Capt. Aaron Mellish.

Mr. William Vaughan.

Mr. McCulloch attending, with several merchants (whose names are in the margin), trading to North Carolina, as desired by the minutes of the 12th inst., the Board had some discourse with them on the subject of the Quit Rent Law etc., passed in that Province; and after hearing their objections to the same, the Board ordered that the draught of a representation to their Excellencies the Lords Justices be prepared, advising the disapprobation of the said Act.

Ordered likewise that the draught of a representation to their Excellencies the Lords Justices be prepared, advising the disapprobation of the Cultivation Act, passed in the said province of North Carolina.

Jamaica.

A representation to their Excellencies the Lords Justices, recommending Matthias Phelp, Esq., to be of the Council in Jamaica in the room of John Campbell, Esq., deceased, was agreed to, and signed.

A representation to their Excellencies the Lords Justices, recommending Thomas Edlin, Esq., to be of the Council in Jamaica, in the room of Samuel Whitehorne, Esq., whom the Governor has declined admitting for reasons set forth in his letter of the 12th November, 1739, was agreed to, and signed.

Wednesday, June 25. Present:—Lord Monson, Col. Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

North Carolina.

The Board had under consideration the draught of a representation to their Excellencies the Lords Justices, on the subject of the Quit Rent Law, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of Thursday last, and made some progress therein.

Leeward Islands.

Virgin Islands.

The draught of a representation to the Lords Justices on the subject of the Virgin Islands, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of the 20th of last month, having been laid before the Board, the same was agreed to, and signed.

Thursday, June 26. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Sir. A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Denmark.

Read a letter from Mr. Stone, Secretary to the Lords Justices, dated June 25th, 1740, enclosing a memorial from Baron Sohlenthall, the Danish Envoy, desiring that the English Cocquets may be rectified according to the Treaty of Commerce with Denmark in 1670.

Ordered that the Secretary write a letter to Mr. Stone, acquainting him that the Board would be glad to have an explanation of what the Baron intends by his said memorial.

North Carolina.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Johnston, Governor of North Carolina, having been prepared, as ordered by the minutes of the 18th instant, the same was agreed to, and signed.

The draught of a representation to the Lords Justices, ordered by the minutes of the 19th inst., advising the disapprobation of the Quit Rent Law of North Carolina, anno 1738, was agreed to, and signed.