Journal, February 1741: Volume 49

Journal, February 1741

Thursday, February 5. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Antigua.

Read Mr.Fane's report upon a Private Act, passed at Antigua March 14th, 1739/40, relating to the sale of the estate of Samuel Byam, Esq., deceased, to which he has no objection; agreed to take the said Act into consideration the first opportunity.

Trade.

Turkey.

Read a letter from the Duke of Newcastle to the Board, dated the 29th January, 1740/1, inclosing copy of an address of the House of Commons to the king, and signifying his Majesty's pleasure that copies of all petitions and representations from the Levant Company, that have been delivered to the Commissioners for Trade and Plantations in 1739 and 1740, together with all proceedings thereupon, be laid before that House.
Note, the said papers having been laid before the House by the Hon. Mr. Pelham, it was not thought necessary to send them from this Office.

New Hampshire.

Mr. Tomlinson, agent for New Hampshire, attending, informed the Board of the death of Mr.John Rindge, one of his Majesty's Council in that province, and at the same time recommended Mr. Richard Wybird to supply that vacancy, as being a person every way qualified for that post.

Read Mr. Partridge's memorial recommending Nathaniel Gilman, Esq., to succeed John Rindge, Esq., deceased, as one of the Council of New Hampshire.

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

Antigua.

The Board took into consideration the Act (mentioned in yesterday's minutes) entituled, An Act to impower John Thomlinson of the island of Antigua, Esq., one of the executors of Samuel Byam, late of Antigua, Esq., deceased, and in case of the death of the said John Thomlinson, to impower the other acting executors of the said Samuel Byam or the survivors of them, or the executors or administrators of the survivor of them to sell certain lands and tenements in Antigua, etc., etc., and ordered the draught of a representation thereupon to be prepared.

Tuesday, February 10. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe.

North Carolina.

South Carolina.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from the Duke of Newcastle, dated February 9th, 1740/1, inclosing copies of two Addresses of the House of Commons to the king, one desiring an account of the Quit Rents of North and South Carolina, the other desiring an account of the present Governors in America, and their appointments; as likewise of the vacant Governments there, and of the salaries and appointments thereunto respectively belonging, and signifying his Majesty's pleasure that this Board should comply with the said Addresses.

Antigua.

The draught of a representation, ordered by the minutes of the 6th instant, having been prepared and laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Leeward Islands.

Read an Order of the Committee of Council, dated January 26th, 1740/1, referring to this Board a paragraph in a report from the principal officers of his Majesty's Board of Ordnance, relating to the sending a supply of or ordinance and stores to all his Majesty's Leeward Charribbee Islands in America.

Thursday, February 12. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

New Hampshire.

Read two letters from Mr. Belcher, Governor of New Hampshire, one dated December 1st, 1740, transmitting an account of the present state of outstanding Bills of Credit in the province of New Hampshire, and promising his opinion how best to discharge the said Bills; as also a state of the laws in force there. The other, dated December 2nd, 1740, giving an account of the death of John Rindge, Esq., late one of the Council in that province, and recommending Nathaniel Gilman, Esq., for that trust.

Massachusetts Bay.

Read a letter from Mr. Belcher, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay, dated November 17th, 1740, giving some account of the paper currency, as also of 2 schemes, one for emitting £12,000 sterling, redeemable in 15 years by gold and silver, the other for £120,000 sterling, redeemable by manufactures, and approving of the first of these schemes, but wholly disapproving of the latter; transmitting likewise a printed book of the laws of the Massachusetts, and giving an account of the state of the fortifications, owning also the receipt of his Majesty's instruction for marking out the boundary line between the Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, as likewise of the additional instruction relating to the future emissions of paper money.
An accompt of the Bills that have been created and issued in the province of the Massachusetts Bay, since the account transmitted in December, 1739, and now outstanding; with the amount in sterling money, dated at Boston in October, 1740.
Two proclamations, published the 5th and 6th of November, 1740, at Boston.

New Hampshire.

The Board having taken into consideration the supplying the vacancy in the Council of New Hampshire, occasioned by the death of Mr. John Rindge, agreed to recommend Mr. Richard Wybird to the said post; and ordered the draught of a representation to be prepared, which was accordingly done, and the same was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Massachusetts Bay.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated January 26th, 1740/1, directing this Board to prepare a draught of an instruction to the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay to give all possible discountenance to a scheme, lately projected and published at Boston, called the Land Bank, for emitting £150,000 in Bills of Credit, and that the said Governor continue to give all possible discouragement to any other Banks of the like nature, that may be attempted to be set up in the said province. Ordered that the said draught of an instruction be prepared.

Leeward Islands.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated January 26th, 1740/1, referring to this Board a paragraph in a report from the Principal Officers of his Majesty's Board of Ordnance, relating to the sending a supply of ordnance and stores to all his Majesty's Leeward Charribbee Islands in America etc.; and directions were given for preparing the draught of a report thereupon to the Lords of the Committee.

Jamaica.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated January 26th, 1740/1, directing this Board to prepare a draught of instructions for the Governor of Jamaica, to grant to the agents of the Commissioners of the Victualling such a quantity of ground there, near the waterside, as may be necessary for erecting store houses for lodging the provisions, and also for a cooperidge, now the Fleet at Jamaica is so considerably augmented.Their Lordships gave directions for preparing a draught of instructions accordingly, and of a report to the Lords of the Committee thereupon.

Tuesday, February 17. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir Archibald Croft, Mr. Plummer.

New Jersey.

Read a letter from Mr. Morris, Governor of New Jersey, dated October 25th, 1740, relating to the conduct of the Assembly, and transmitting publick papers, minutes of Council and Assembly and Acts, with his observations; the present state of the Council there; and the inconveniencies of holding Assemblies alternately at Perth Amboy and Burlington. Agreed to take the said letter and papers into consideration the first opportunity.
Mr. Morris's speech to the Council and Assembly of New Jersey.
Address of the General Assembly to Governor Morris thereupon.
Copy of a proclamation dated the 19th April, 1740.
Speeches made and a letter wrote by Governor Morris to the Assembly of New Jersey in June and July, 1740, on the intended expedition against the Spaniards in the West Indies.
Copy of an Act the better to enable creditors to obtain satisfaction of their recoveries against their debtors; and to direct the sheriff or other officer in the execution of his duty therein.
Minutes of Council, beginning March 26th, ending August 8th, 1740.
[Minutes of] Council in Assembly, from April 10th to the 31st of July, 1740.
Minutes of Assembly, beginning April 10th, ending July 31st, 1740.
Seven Acts, passed the 31st July, 1740.

Wednesday, February 18. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plummer.

Plantations General.

New England.

Colonel Dunbar attending, the Board had some discourse with him on the subject of a memorial delivered by him, relating to the preservation of his Majesty's woods in North America.

Thursday, February 19. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

Additional Instruction. Store Houses.

The Board had under consideration the draught of an additional instruction for the Governor of Jamaica, in pursuance of an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, relating to the erecting of store houses there, etc., and made some progress therein. [vide supra.fol.20.]

Friday, February 20. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plummer.

New Jersey.

The Board had again under consideration the letter and papers from Mr. Morris, Governor of New Jersey (mentioned in the minutes of the 17th inst.), and ordered that the Acts, transmitted therewith, be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion thereon, in point of law; and likewise ordered that the draught of a representation be prepared, recommending Mr. Archibald Home to supply a vacancy in the Council of New Jersey, occasioned by the death of Robert Lettice Hooper, Esq., and agreed to consider the remainder of Governor Morris's abovementioned letter at another opportunity.

Tuesday, February 24. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer, Mr. Herbert.

New Jersey.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, recommending Archibald Home, Esq., to be of the Council of New Jersey, in the room of Robert Lettice Hooper, Esq., deceased, having been prepared (as ordered the 20th inst.), and laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Wednesday, February 25. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

The draught of an additional instruction to Edward Trelawney, Esq., Governor of Jamaica, in consequence of an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated January 26th, 1740/1, and read at the Board the 12th instant, relating to a grant of ground for storehouses, and a cooperidge for the Fleet at Jamaica, together with a report inclosing the same, was agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed.

Leeward Islands.

The Board had under consideration the Order of the Committee of Council of 5th December last (mentioned in the minutes of the 8th of January), relative to the powder duty in the Leeward Islands, and made some progress therein.

Thursday, February 26. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

A report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, inclosing an additional instruction to the Governor of Jamaica, having been transcribed, as ordered by yesterday's minutes, was agreed to and signed.

Friday, February 27th. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Nova Scotia.

Fishery at Canço.

Read a letter from Captain Smith of the Eltham, dated at Spithead, February 11th, 1740/1, inclosing his answer to the heads of enquiry (sent him in March last), concerning the fishery at Canço and that of Cape Breton.

Leeward Islands.

Their Lordships had under consideration the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council (mentioned in the minutes of the 8th January and 25th instant), relating to the powder duty in the Leeward Islands, and made a further progress therein.