Journal, August 1744: Volume 52

Journal, August 1744

Wednesday, August 1. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer.

Trade.

Africa.

Messrs. Lascelles and Hall attending, as desired by the minutes of Wednesday last, the Board had some discourse with them on the subject of the trade to Africa, etc., after which was read a letter from Mr. Corbet, Secretary to the Lords of the Admiralty, dated July 25th, 1744, transmitting copies of informations their lordships have received from the captains of his Majesty's ships stationed on the coast of Africa, relating to the condition of the forts and settlements there, belonging to the Royal African Company of England, which informations were likewise read.
Extract of a letter from Captain Gregory, Commander of his Majesty's bomb vessel, the Comet, to Mr. Corbet, dated at Spithead, the 11th of June, 1743.
Copy of two letters, one from Thomas Buchanan, dated at Tantum, the other from Isaac Gregory, dated at Whydah, in September, 1742, to Captain Gregory, Commander of his Majesty's ship the Norwich.
Copy of a letter from Captain Frogmere, Commander of his Majesty's ship the Ruby, dated at Longreach, the 22nd August, 1743, to Mr. Corbet, enclosing a state of the Royal African Company's forts, settlements and factories on the coast of Africa, together with the copy of one to Captain Frogmere, from Mr. Birchall, an English merchant at the Banana Islands.
Extract of a letter from Captain Boys, Commander of his Majesty's ship the Greyhound, to Mr. Corbett, dated the 14th of April, 1744.
Extract of a letter from the Chiefs at Cape Coast, to the said Captain Boys, Commander of his Majesty's ship the Greyhound, dated the 9th of April, 1744.

Ordered that the Secretary write to Mr. Wood, the Secretary of the Customs, to inform him that the Board desires he would make a return to the letter wrote him by their order, the 14th of June last, relating to the tonnage of vessels cleared from Great Britain for Africa, from the year 1730.

Trade.

Hamburgh.

Sweden.

The Board had again under consideration the draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the several papers referred to them by Lord Carteret's letter, relating to Hamburgh and Sweden (mentioned in the minutes of the 19th of last month), ordered by the minutes of Wednesday last, and made a further progress therein.

Thursday, August 2. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Trade.

Hamburgh.

Sweden.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the several papers referred to them, relating to Hamburgh and Sweden (mentioned in the preceding minute), having been agreed to, was transcribed and signed, as was also a letter to the Lord Carteret, for enclosing the same.

New York.

Read a letter from Mr. Clinton, Governor of New York, to the Board, dated June 5th, 1744, transmitting the following public papers, viz.:—
Governor Clinton's speech to the Assembly of New York, 17th April, 1744, together with the address of the Council and Assembly, and also of the Grand Jury, to him.
Extract from the Votes of Assembly at New York, the 17th 18th and 19th of May, 1744.
Two Proclamations, issued by Governor Clinton, in May, 1744, to forbid the exportation of gunpowder, or supplying the French with any kind of provisions, warlike stores or merchandise.

Ordered that the draught of a letter be prepared in answer to this, and another received from him since the Board's last to him. (N.B.—Not prepared, before the Board adjourned.)

Virginia.

The draught of a letter to Colonel Gooch, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, in answer to those received from him, having been laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

New Jersey.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Morris, Governor of New Jersey, in answer to one received from him, having been laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Bahamas.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Tinker, Governor of the Bahamas, in answer to those received from him, having been prepared and laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Nova Scotia.

The draught of a letter to Major Mascarene, President of the Council and Commander in Chief of Nova Scotia, in answer to one from him, having been prepared, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Barbadoes.

Ordered that the paragraph (F) in Sir Thomas Robinson's letter of the 25th of June, 1743, be transcribed and sent to Mr. Fane; and that he be desired to send his opinion thereon to the Board, before Wednesday next.

Wednesday, August 8. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

New Jersey.

Read a letter from Mr. Hamilton, eldest Councillor in New Jersey, dated at Amboy, May 15th, 1744, acknowledging the receipt of a letter by the Board's order, dated August 23rd, in answer to one from him of the 9th of June, 1743.

Barbadoes.

The draught of a letter to Sir Thomas Robinson, Governor of Barbadoes, in answer to those received from him, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, agreed to, transcribed and signed.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, and agreed to take the same into consideration to-morrow morning.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated June 13th, 1744, transmitting, beside duplicates, the several following original papers, viz.:—
Minutes of Council of Antigua, from the 6th of May to the 31st October, 1743.
Minutes of Council of Montserrat, from the 24th of June to the 29th of September, 1743, and minutes of Assembly of that Island for the same time.
Minutes of Council of Montserrat, from the 25th December, 1743, to the 25th March, 1744.
Four Acts, passed at Antigua, in May and June, 1744.
One Act, passed at Montserrat, the 5th of June, 1744.

Ordered that the receipt of this letter be acknowledged in a postscript to the Board's letter of the 19th of last month.

Ordered that the Acts above-mentioned be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion, in point of law.

Trade.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the copy of a report upon the petition of the Royal African Company, read 19th March, 1743–4, received from the Clerk of the Parliament's Office.

Thursday, August 9. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

New Jersey.

Read two letters from Mr. Morris, Governor of New Jersey, to the Board, one dated at Kingsbury, the 3rd March, 1743–4 (and marked duplicate), the other, dated at Kingsbury, the 11th of June, 1744, transmitting, besides some duplicates, several original papers, viz.:—
Speech of Mr. Morris, upon the prorogation of the General Assembly, on the 10th of December, 1743; also a letter from him to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, dated December the 5th, referred to in the said speech.
Minutes of Council and Assembly, from the 10th of October to the 10th of December, 1743.
Printed Votes and Proceedings of the General Assembly of New Jersey, for the same time.
Five Acts, passed the 17th of November, 1743.
Seven Acts, passed the 2nd of December, and one (passed) the 10th of December, 1743.

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

Massachusetts Bay.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Shirley, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay, having been laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Georgia.

South Carolina.

Read Mr. Fane's report upon an Act, prepared by the Georgia Trustees in 1742, for establishing the Tenures of Lands in Georgia and reducing the Quit Rents thereof. (Vide supra, fol. 54.)

New Hampshire.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Wentworth, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, having been reconsidered, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

New York.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following public papers from New York (received in two boxes), referred to in Governor Clinton's letter, dated the 5th of June, 1744, that came first by the post and was read the 2nd inst. [Fol. 101 and 102]:—
Minutes of Council, from the 22nd September, 1743, to the 27th March, 1744.
Minutes of Council and Assembly, from the 27th September, 1743, to the 19th May, 1744.
Printed Votes of the General Assembly, from the 2nd of August to the 17th of December, 1743, and from the 17th of April to the 19th of May, 1744.
Printed copy of the Acts, passed in December, 1743, and May, 1744.
Naval Officer's lists of ships and vessels entered and cleared at New York, from the 25th March, 1742, to 24th June, 1743.
Two and twenty Acts, passed in December, 1743, and May, 1744.

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

Tuesday, August 28. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Colonel Bladen.

Plantations General.

Ruatan.

The Board read an Order of Council, dated the 19th of July last, approving a report from the Lords of the Committee of Council of the 19th June, 1744, relating to a settlement upon the Island of Rattan; and directing the Governor of Jamaica to issue a proclamation in his Majesty's name, promising certain encouragements to such Protestants, as shall settle in that Island; and also directing this Board to transmit copies of this Order to the Governors of such of his Majesty's colonies in America, as they shall think proper, with directions to cause the said encouragements to be published and distributed within their respective Governments.

Ordered that a circular letter to the Governors of his Majesty's colonies of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina, for transmitting copy of the said order, be prepared, and the same was accordingly prepared, and signed.

Read also another Order of Council, dated the 19th June last, approving a plan prepared by this Board for establishing a civil government in the Island of Rattan, and also directing the Board to prepare a draught of instructions agreeable thereto, to be given to a Governor of the said Island, when his Majesty shall think it proper to appoint one.

Ordered that the said draught of instructions be prepared against their next meeting.

Massachusetts.

New England.

New Hampshire.

The Board read a letter from Mr. Shirley, dated the 16th June last, also an Order of the Committee of Council, dated the 21st inst., referring to this Board the copy of two letters from the said Mr. Shirley, Governor of Massachusetts Bay, one to the Duke of Newcastle, dated at Boston, the 31st of May last, the other to the Earl of Harrington, Lord President of the Council, dated there the 20th of June last, about supplying of Fort Dummer, and issuing paper money in the Massachusetts government.

Ordered that the draught of a report of the Lords of the Committee, with a draught of an instruction to Governor Shirley thereupon, be prepared, and the same was accordingly prepared and signed.

New York.

Mr. John Griffith, Master of the ship Britannia, and Mr. John Bryant, Master of the ship London, attending, with Captain John Rutherford, informed the Board that Mr. Lane, one of the Council of New York, died there sometime in the month of June last.

Ordered that a representation to his Majesty, proposing the said Captain John Rutherford to be one of the Council of New York, in the room of Mr. Lane, deceased, be prepared, and the same was accordingly prepared and signed.

Trade.

Denmark.

Read also a letter from My Lord Carteret, dated 13th August, enclosing a memorial from Mr. Sohlenthal, ambassador extraordinary from the King of Denmark, demanding such an alteration in the Treaty of Commerce between that Crown and England, of the year 1670, as would put the commerce of the Danes on the same foot with that of the Dutch, as reserved to them by the Marine Treaty of 1674.

Ordered that all the papers in this Office be looked out, relating thereto, and laid before the Board at their next meeting.

Pennsylvania.

Read also an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated 21st instant, referring to this Board a representation from Colonel Thomas, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, made in pursuance of his Majesty's additional instruction of the 7th July, 1743, to lay before his Majesty what he apprehended necessary for the security of that province.