Journal, December 1742: Volume 50

Journal, December 1742

Wednesday, December 1. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Keene.

South Carolina.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated November 24th, 1742, directing this Board to lay before their Lordships the names of such persons as are proper to be appointed Commissioners for the Trial of Piracies and other offences committed within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty in South Carolina. Ordered that the draught of a report thereupon be prepared.

Antigua.

Mr. Hugh Hamersly, clerk to Mr. John Sharpe, attending, prayed the Board, in his master's name, that the hearing on the subject of the Antigua petition, appointed by the minutes of the 26th November [vide folio 107 and December 3rd infra, folio 110], for to-morrow, might be postponed for a few days; and Mr. Paris, solicitor for the petitioners, attending likewise, and making no objection thereto, the Board was pleased to order that the said hearing be accordingly postponed to Tuesday next [Tuesday, December 7th].

Thursday, December 2nd. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

South Carolina.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council (as ordered in yesterday's minutes), having been prepared and laid before the Board, the same was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Friday, December 3. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Antigua.

Mr. Sharpe, solicitor for Mr. Yeamans, agent for the Island of Antigua, and Mr. Paris, agent for the petitioners, attending, were called in, when Mr. Sharpe moved the Board that the hearing, appointed by the minutes of the 1st instant for Tuesday next, might be postponed, till he could send over a copy of the petition to the Assembly of Antigua, and receive their instructions thereupon; and Mr. Paris consenting thereto, their lordships were pleased to agree to the said motion.

Ordered that the Secretary prepare the draught of a letter to Mr. Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, requiring him to acquaint the Board with his reasons for passing Acts of such an extraordinary nature, without a suspending clause; and that a copy of the said petition be likewise prepared, in order to be transmitted therewith.

Tuesday, December 7. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Massachusets.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee, dated November 24th, 1742, referring to this Board eleven Acts, passed at Boston, in the Massachusets Bay, in October, 1741, and January, 1741–2.

Ordered that the said Acts be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion thereon, in point of law.

Wednesday, December 8. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Bahamas.

Read two letters from Mr. Tinker, Governor of the Bahama Islands, dated New Providence, one the 9th, the other the 30th of August, 1742, giving an account of his apprehensions of being attacked by the Spaniards, and of his having dispatched an express to Jamaica, as also an account of what money has been expended on the fortifications, and what more may be necessary to complete them, and make that place the strongest in America.

Ordered that copies of said letters be made, as also the draught of a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, for transmitting the same, be prepared.

Ordered likewise that the draught of a letter be prepared, in answer to the Governor's said letters.

Thursday, December 9. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Antigua.

The draught of a letter to General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, having been prepared, as ordered by the minutes of the 3rd instant, was laid before the Board, agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Bahamas.

The draught of a letter to John Tinker, Esquire, Governor of the Bahamas, as also the draught of a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, having been prepared, as ordered by yesterday's minutes, was laid before the Board, agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Tuesday, December 14. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Barbados.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated November 24th, 1742, referring to this Board the petition of John Price, praying that an Act of Assembly, passed in Barbados, on the 21st of June, 1720, during his infancy, may be repealed and declared void.

Ordered that Mr. Paris, solicitor for the petitioner, and Mr. Sharpe, solicitor on the other side, have notice to attend this Board on Thursday next [Thursday, December 16th], on the subject of the said Act.

Wednesday, December 15. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene, Mr. Brudenell.

New York.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated November 24th, 1742, referring to this Board the petition of the Honourable George Evans, Esquire, relating to two tracts of land bounding upon Hudson's River, granted in the year 1694 by Colonel Fletcher, under the Great Seal of the province, to the petitioner's uncle, Captain John Evans, who then commanded the Richmond man-of-war on that station, and is since dead.

Mr. John Sharpe, from whom this reference and petition came, having been by yesterday's minutes appointed to attend the Board to-morrow, their lordships agreed to have some discourse with him then, upon the subject of the said petition.

Thursday, December 16. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Barbados.

This day Mr. Paris, solicitor for John Price, and Mr. Sharpe, in behalf of the executors of Mr. Warren, attending the Board, on the reference of the petition of John Price from the Lords of the Committee, dated 24th November last, relating to a private Act of Assembly, past in Barbados on the 21st of June, 1720. Mr. Paris moved their lordships to appoint a short day for hearing the said petition, which Mr. Sharpe opposed, and prayed time to send the said petition to the executors of Mr. Warren, and receive their answer thereto, in order to support the said Act; and Mr. Sharpe declaring that he would write to and recommend to the said executors, that no proceedings should be carried on in the causes in such petition mentioned, from the time the executors shall receive notice of such petition, until their answer be returned, and the said Act taken into consideration; their lordships do thereupon agree to put off the consideration thereof until the month of June next.
Memorandum. The above minute was drawn up by Mr. Paris, and agreed to by Mr. Sharpe, and at their joint request, by consent of the Board, entered in the minutes.

New York.

The Board likewise, after some discourse had with Mr. Sharpe on the subject of the petition of the Honourable George Evans, Esquire, agreed to take the same into consideration, whenever he should make application for the same after the holydays.

Friday, December 17. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

New Hampshire.

The Board had under consideration the Acts, passed at New Hampshire, in April, 1742, mentioned in the minutes of the 4th and 12th August last, and made some progress therein.

Tuesday, December 21. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the incidental charges of this office, from Christmas, 1741, to Lady day, 1742, amounting to the sum of two hundred and eighty-three pounds, fourteen shillings and three pence three farthings, and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury, desiring payment thereof, and of the salaries due to the Secretary and under officers for the same time, was agreed to and signed.

New Hampshire.

The Board had again under consideration the New Hampshire Acts (mentioned in yesterday's minutes), and ordered the Secretary to acquaint Captain Tomlinson that they should proceed further in the same on Thursday next [Thursday 23rd instant].

Wednesday, December 22. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

New Hampshire.

The Board, having again had under consideration the New Hampshire Acts, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, agreed to postpone their final resolution thereupon till after the holydays, and ordered the Secretary to give Captain Tomlinson notice thereof.

Bermuda.

Ordered that the Secretary write a letter to the Governor of Bermuda, concerning two Bermuda laws, the Board had under consideration the 23rd, 24th, and 25th November last.