Journal, December 1746: Volume 54

Journal, December 1746

Tuesday, December 2. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Paris attending, as desired by the preceding minute, the Board, after some discourse had with him on the subject of the Act therein mentioned, ordered the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, upon the said Act, and other Acts passed in Pennsylvania, in 1742–3, referred to this Board by order of their Lordships, dated the 7th August last, to be prepared.

Jamaica.

At the same time Mr. Paris moved the Board that their lordships would give directions to one of their clerks to attend the Council with Mr. Trelawney's letter, dated the 15th of May, 1746, in which he gives his reasons for the removal of Rose Fuller, Francis Sadler and Francis Wightwick from their seats as Judges in the Island of Jamaica, when that matter should be heard before their Lordships, which request the Board did not think proper to comply with.

Trade.

Holland.

Minorca.

Denmark.

Gibraltar.

Read a letter from the Duke of Newcastle to the Board, dated 30th October, 1746, inclosing copy of a memorial from Monsieur Hop, Envoy Extraordinary from the States General, to the Earl of Harrington, desiring his Majesty's approbation of the Sieur Desaguliers, appointed by their High Mightinesses, their consul at Mahon, in Minorca, dated London, 18–29 September, 1746; and transmitting copy of Mr. Söhlenthal's letter to the Duke of Newcastle, dated 18–29 October, 1746, inclosing Mr. Peter Lynch's memorial, with a copy of the late king of Denmark's constitution of him to be his consul at Gibraltar, dated 13th December, 1745, desiring his Majesty's approbation of the said Peter Lynch.

Ordered that the Secretary write to Mr. Stone, to acquaint him that the Board desires he would inform them whether consuls are established at Gibraltar, [and] Port Mahon, with his Majesty's approbation, from any foreign Powers, and from whom.

Antigua.

The Board took into consideration an Act, passed in the Island of Antigua, in April, 1745, entituled, An Act to encourage the Importation of Provision into this Island, and ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty to be prepared, proposing the repeal thereof.

Wednesday, December 3. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Norway.

The Board having taken into consideration the letter from Lord Harrington, relating to Mr. Wallace, appointed consul at Bergen in Norway, mentioned in the minutes of the 11th of last month, ordered the Secretary to write to John Smith and Peter Theobalds, Esquires, to desire their attendance on Tuesday next [Tuesday, December 9th], between eleven and twelve, with such other gentlemen as they shall please to bring with them, in order to have some discourse with them on the subject of the said letter.

Antigua.

The draught of a report upon the Act, passed in Antigua, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, agreed to and signed.

Bermuda.

Read a paper, entituled "Brief observations and explanations of the petition and proposal for improving the trade and commerce of the Summer Islands by planting and cultivating vines there, from the Madeiras."

Ordered that Alexander Smith, William Selby and Vincent Mathias be wrote to by the Secretary, to attend this Board on Wednesday next, and that Mr. Noden, agent for the Island of Bermuda, be desired to attend at the same time [Wednesday, December 10th].

Thursday, December 4. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Pennsylvania.

The Board took into consideration the draught of a report upon the six Acts, passed in Pennsylvania, ordered to be prepared by the minutes of Tuesday last, which being agreed to, was ordered to be transcribed.

Friday, December 5. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Pennsylvania.

The draught of the report, mentioned in the preceding minute, having been transcribed, was laid before the Board and signed.

Gibraltar.

Port Mahon.

Read a letter from Mr. Larpent, Chief Clerk in the Duke of Newcastle's office (in answer to one of the 2nd instant wrote by order of the Board to Mr. Stone), inclosing a list of such foreign consuls, as have been approved of by his Majesty at Gibraltar and Port Mahon.

Tuesday, December 9. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Norway.

John Smith and Peter Theobalds, Esquires, attending, as desired by the minutes of Wednesday last, the Board had some discourse with them on the subject of Lord Harrington's letter, relating to his Majesty's consul at Bergen, and then they withdrew; and the Board having reconsidered the said letter, ordered the draught of an answer thereto, to the Earl of Chesterfield, since appointed Secretary of State in the room of Lord Harrington.

Holland.

Minorca.

Denmark.

Gibraltar.

The Board also took into consideration a letter from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, relating to his Majesty's approbation of the Dutch consul at Port Mahon, and of the Danish consul at Gibraltar, mentioned in the minutes of the 2nd instant, and ordered the draught of an answer to be prepared.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated December 2nd, 1746, referring to this Board an account of the East India Company's exports from London between the 29th September, 1745, and the 29th September, 1746, to be examined and reported upon.

South Carolina.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 2nd of December, 1746, referring to this Board the petition of Mr. Thomas Lowndes to his Majesty, relating to a grant of twelve thousand acres in South Carolina, made to him the 26th of October, 1726.

Wednesday, December 10. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Norway.

The draught of an answer to Lord Harrington's letter, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Holland.

Minorca.

Denmark.

Gibraltar.

As was also, the draught of a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, ordered by the same minutes.

Bermuda.

Mr. Selby and Mr. Smith, petitioners for a grant of lands in Bermuda, attending, as desired by the minutes of the 3rd instant, together with Mr. Paris, their solicitor; and Mr. Noden, agent for the said Island, attending likewise; the Board, after hearing what the petitioners had to offer in support of their petition, and Mr. Noden's objections thereto, agreed to postpone the further consideration of the affair to another meeting, when the petitioners are to come prepared with an account of such lands as remain yet unappropriated in the Island, and with fresh proposals with regard to the quit rent to be by them paid to the Crown.

Thursday, December 11. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Fane, Lord Dupplin.

Trade.

Read a letter from Mr. Wood, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, dated December 2nd, 1746, with copies of the Inspector General's leidger of imports and exports for the years 1742 and 1743.

Trade.

South Carolina.

Ordered that the Secretary write to Mr. Wood, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, for an account of the quantity of rice exported to the northward of Cape Finistere, from Midsummer, 1732, to Midsummer, 1746.

Norway.

Holland.

The draught of an answer to Lord Harrington's letter having been transcribed, as ordered by yesterday's minutes, was signed.

Minorca.

Denmark.

Port Mahon.

As was also the draught of an answer to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, mentioned in the same minutes.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from Mr. Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica, to the Board, dated October 17th, 1746, containing his observations on an Act, passed in that Island, in May, 1746, for the further Qualification of Assembly Men, etc., and transmitting:—
Minutes of the Council, from the 13th of July, 1745, to the 15th of May, 1746.
Minutes of the Council and Assembly, from 18th March, 1745–6, to 15th of May, 1746.
Nineteen Acts passed in Jamaica, in May, 1746.

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

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, requiring this Board to lay before them a copy of the reasons transmitted to them by the Governor of Jamaica for having removed Rose Fuller, Francis Whitwick, and Francis Sadler, Esquires, from being Judges of the Supreme Court of Judicature of that Island.

Ordered that an extract of so much of the Governor's letters, as relates to that affair, and the draught of a letter, for transmitting the same, be prepared.

Read a letter from Mr. Williams, Deputy Secretary of Jamaica, to the Board, dated the 29th of September, 1746, inclosing a list of persons naturalized in that Island, from the 1st of June, 1745, to the 1st of June, 1746.

Friday, December 12. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated Antigua, September 19th, 1746, transmitting:—
Minutes of the Council and Assembly of Nevis, from the 27th of January, 1745–6, to the 23rd April, 1746.

Jamaica.

An extract of the letter from Mr. Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, and the draught of a letter to the Lords of the Committee of Council, for transmitting the same, was agreed to, and signed.

Tuesday, December 16. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

South Carolina.

Read three letters from Mr. Glen, Governor of South Carolina, to the Board, the first dated at Saludy, May 2nd, 1746, containing an account of the several nations of Indians bordering upon that province and of his undertaking a progress amongst them; the second, dated at Charles Town, September 29th, 1746, containing a further account of the Indian nations, and his interview with them. The third, dated October 4th, 1746, relating to the state of his Majesty's Council of that province, and the necessity of having a ship stationed there for the protection thereof.

Ordered that the Secretary write to Mr. Colleton, Mr. Fenwicke and Mr. Hammerton, to attend this Board on Thursday next, in order to have some discourse with them on that part of the Governor's third letter, which takes notice of their absence; and that the Secretary transmit so much of the same letter, as relates to the danger the province is in, for want of a stationed ship to protect their trade, to the Secretary of the Admiralty, in order that the same may be laid before that Board.

Barbados.

The Secretary laid before the Board, a letter from Sir Thomas Robinson, late Governor of the Barbados, dated August 23rd, 1746, containing a further account of his proceedings in the administration of that government, and of the behaviour of the Assembly, with several papers annexed, and transmitting:—
Minutes of Council, from the 19th day of August [1745], to the 19th of August, 1746, inclusive.
Minutes of the General Assembly, from 26th December, 1745, to 28th May, 1746.

Wednesday, December 17. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

St. Christophers.

Upon application from Mr. Burt, for the copy of an Act, passed in St. Christophers, in 1722, entituled, An Act to enable Andrew Audain and Peter Audain or the Survivor of them, Infants under the Ages of Twenty-one Years, with the consent of Isaac Peter Audain their Father, to sell the Plantation and Lands, therein mentioned, unto William Pym Burt Esquire, and for securing the Monies arising thereby unto the said Andrew Audain and Peter Audain; the Board ordered a copy of the said Act to be made and delivered to him accordingly.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from Colonel Fenwicke, one of the Council of South Carolina, to the Secretary, in answer to one from him, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, signifying, that he is not able, by reason of an indisposition, to attend the Board on Thursday, but will wait upon them as soon as he is able. Ordered that the Secretary write to him again to acquaint the Board whether he has any intention of returning to the province, and how soon.

Thursday, December 18. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

South Carolina.

Mr. Hammerton, one of the Council of South Carolina, attending, as desired, the Board had some discourse with him on the subject of Mr. Glen, the Governor's letter, mentioned in the minutes of Tuesday last, when he informed the Board that he intended to return to Carolina in about two months; at the same time he acquainted the Board, that Mr. Colleton, who likewise was wrote to, to attend on the same subject, was in the country; upon which the Secretary was ordered to write thither to him, and desire he would acquaint the Board with his intentions as to his returning to South Carolina.

Trade.

Read a letter from Mr. Wood, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, dated 17th instant, in answer to the Secretary of this Board, inclosing, as desired, an account of the quantities of rice exported from Great Britain to the several ports to the northward of Cape Finistere, from Midsummer, 1732, to Midsummer, 1746, and the places to which exported.

Friday, December 19. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

New York.

Upon application from Mr. Clarke, late Lieutenant Governor of New York, desiring the Board would give directions that the several letters and other papers they had received from him during his administration of the government, as also their letters to him, might be laid before Mr. Walpole, Auditor General of the Plantations, to whom a memorial of his to his Majesty had been referred; it was ordered that the said papers be accordingly laid before Mr. Walpole.

North Carolina.

The Board took into consideration the letter from Mr. Johnston, Governor of North Carolina, mentioned in the minutes of the 21st of August last, and ordered the Secretary to write to Messrs. Halton and Innes, to whom he refers them for a further account of the state of that province, desiring them to attend the Board on Tuesday next [Tuesday, December 23rd], in order to have some discourse with them upon that subject.

Tuesday, December 23. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Mr. Fane.

Barbados.

Leeward Islands.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated 18th of December, 1746, referring to this Board a letter from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the Duke of Newcastle, proposing that his Majesty will be pleased to appoint Edward Legge, Esquire, who is to command his Majesty's ships at Barbados and the Leeward Islands, to be a member of his Majesty's Council in the Islands of Barbados and Antigua, during the continuation of his command in those seas.

Ordered that the draught of a report thereto, for recommending the said Edward Legge, Esquire, to his Majesty, to be of the said Council, be prepared.

North Carolina.

Mr. Halton, attending, as desired by the minutes of Friday last, the Board had some discourse with him on the subject of Mr. Johnston's letter.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from Mr. Fenwicke, dated December 22nd, 1746 (in answer to one wrote to him by the Secretary the 17th instant), signifying his desire of resigning his seat in the Council of South Carolina, and recommending his son to succeed him therein.