Journal, April 1748: Volume 56

Journal, April 1748

Tuesday, April 5. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Pitt.

New York.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, with a copy of Mr. Clinton's reasons for his suspension of Mr. Horsmanden, and other papers, therein referred to, ordered to be prepared by the minute of Friday, 25th March last, was laid before the Board, agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Trade.

Indigo.

Read a letter from Mr. Wood, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, to Mr. Hill, dated the 1st of April, 1748, inclosing:—
An account of the quantity of indigo imported for ten years past, distinguishing each year, and how much from America, Europe and prize.

Jamaica.

Read two letters from Mr. Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica, to the Board, both dated the 19th of January, 1747–8.

The one relating to the inconveniences attending the absence of gentlemen from their estates in that Island.

The other transmitting,
Minutes of Council, and Council in Assembly, between May, 1746, and July, 1747.
Twenty nine Acts, passed in Jamaica, in May, June and July, 1747.

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

Wednesday, April 6. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Pitt.

Virginia.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 23rd of February, 1747, directing this Board to take into consideration a letter from Sir William Gooch, Baronet, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, dated the 6th of November, 1747, relating to applications that had been made to him for grants of land on the western side of the Great Mountains, and to report their opinion whether it may be for his Majesty's service and the advantage of the said Colony, to empower the said Lieutenant Governor to make grants of land, on the western side of the Great Mountains, as desired.

Agreed to take the same into consideration, so soon as an answer shall be received from Sir William Gooch to the Board's letter to him upon this subject, mentioned in the minutes of the 19th of January last.

Read the following Orders of the Lords of the Committee of Council, viz.:—

South Carolina.

Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 26 March, 1748, referring to this Board the humble petition of John Hamilton, Esquire, praying for a grant of 200,000 acres of land in the province of South Carolina, and directing them to report their opinion thereupon.

North Carolina.

Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 15th of January, 1747, referring to this Board the petition of certain persons, inhabitants of several precincts and counties in North Carolina, against an Act, passed therein in 1746, for regulating the Number of the Members of the Assembly, and directing them to report their opinion thereupon.

Newfoundland.

Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 23rd February, 1747, directing this Board to consider and report their opinion upon a letter from Otho Hamilton, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Placentia in Newfoundland, dated the 31st of October, 1747, complaining of the want of civil officers there for the administration of justice, and of his not having a power to appoint such officers.

Agreed to take the said Orders into consideration on Tuesday sen'night.

Tuesday, April 12. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Newfoundland.

Read a letter from Mr. Cleveland, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to Mr. Hill, dated the 6th of April, 1748, desiring heads of enquiry may be prepared for Commodore Charles Watson, appointed to the care of the fishery at Newfoundland; and a draught of the usual heads of enquiry concerning the trade and fishery of Newfoundland, with some alterations and additions, having been laid before the Board, the same was agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed, and transmitted to the Secretary of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for their directions thereupon.

Thursday, April 14. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Newfoundland.

The Board took into consideration the letter from Mr. Clevland, Secretary to the Lords of the Commissioners of the Admiralty, desiring that heads of enquiry might be prepared for Commodore Charles Watson, who is appointed to take care of the fishery of Newfoundland, mentioned in the preceding minute; and the draught of a letter to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, one of his Majesty's Secretaries of State, transmitting to his Grace upon this occasion three letters, which have been received from the commanding officers at Placentia, relating to the failure of justice and other inconveniences, which have arisen from his Majesty's ships not having visited that harbour for several years; and likewise to acquaint his Grace that great numbers of Irish Catholicks have settled in that country, and that it has been usual to appoint the Commander of his Majesty's ships upon that station Governor during his stay there, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Tuesday, April 19. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

South Carolina.

North Carolina.

The Board, pursuant to the minutes of the 6th instant, took into their consideration three Orders of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, referring to them the humble petition of John Hamilton, Esquire, for a grant of 200,000 acres of land in South Carolina; A petition of several inhabitants of the northern counties of North Carolina against An Act for regulating the Number of Members of the Assembly, and a letter from Otho Hamilton, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Placentia, relating to the want of civil officers there; and after sometime spent therein, the Secretary was directed to write to Mr. Hamilton to attend the Board on Wednesday, the 27th instant, upon the subject of his said petition; and their Lordships being informed that Mr. McCulloch, Inspector and Comptroller of the Quit Rents in South and North Carolina, was employed by the petitioners against the abovementioned Act of North Carolina, to support the said petition; and Mr. Joshua Sharpe having desired to be heard in favour of the said Act, the Secretary was further directed to write to them to desire their attendance upon that subject on Thursday the 28th instant.

Newfoundland.

Read a letter from his Grace the Duke of Bedford, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, dated the 18th instant, signifying that his Majesty had appointed Charles Watson, Esquire, Commander of his Majesty's ships and vessels of war to be employed for the defence of Newfoundland, Louisbourg, etc., to be Governor of Newfoundland, and desiring that a commission and instructions might be prepared for him; and a draught for a commission for the said Charles Watson having been prepared, and laid before the Board, was agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed, and the draught of a representation thereupon to be prepared, as also a letter to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, for inclosing the same; and directions were given in the mean time to prepare a draught of instructions for the said Charles Watson, to be laid before the Board as soon as possible; whereupon the consideration of the abovementioned reference of a letter from Otho Hamilton, Esquire, relating to the want of civil officers at Placentia, was postponed to another opportunity; and the secretary was directed to write to Mr. Clevland, Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, to desire he would acquaint them, that this Board having received his Majesty's commands to prepare a commission and instructions for Commodore Charles Watson to be Governor of Newfoundland, the usual heads of enquiry will be inserted in the said instructions.

Wednesday, April 20. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Newfoundland.

The draught of instructions for Charles Watson, Esquire, Commander in Chief in and over the Island of Newfoundland, with some alterations and additions, having been prepared, as ordered by preceding minutes, was laid before the Board, and ordered to be transcribed, and the draught of a representation thereupon to his Majesty to be prepared, as also a letter to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, for inclosing the same.

Thursday, April 21. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Fane.

Newfoundland.

The draught of a commission for Charles Watson Esquire, to be Governor of Newfoundland, having been transcribed, as ordered by the minutes of the 19th instant, was laid before the Board, and the draught of a representation thereupon to his Majesty, as also a letter to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, for inclosing the same, having been prepared, were laid before the Board, agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Friday, April 22. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Bermuda.

The Board took into consideration the several letters received from William Popple, Esquire, Governor of the Bermudas, since his arrival there, and ordered the draught of a letter, in answer thereto, to be prepared.

South Carolina.

Their Lordships likewise took into consideration the Act, passed in the province of South Carolina in 1746, for emitting £210,000 in Paper Bills of Credit, mentioned in the minutes of the 1st of March, and ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon to be prepared [vide Journal of the year 1750, November 2nd].

Wednesday, April 27. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Bermuda.

The draught of a letter to William Popple, Esquire, Governor of Bermuda, in answer to several received from him, ordered to be prepared by the preceding minute, was laid before the Board, agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

South Carolina.

Mr. Hamilton attending, as desired, their lordships had some discourse with him concerning his petition for a grant of 200,000 acres of land in South Carolina, referred to them by an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, mentioned in the minutes of the 6th instant; and he acquainted their lordships, that he had entered into engagements with Mr. Solomon da Costa and other eminent Jews residing here, as also with other persons for the transportation of people, and providing them necessaries to carry on his intended settlement, and that a considerable sum of money had been advanced for that purpose. Whereupon their lordships desired that he would bring such persons as he had engaged with upon this occasion, that the Board might receive all necessary satisfaction in this affair, and likewise that he would lay before them such conditions as he had entered into with them, and Friday the 29th was appointed for his further attendance.

Massachusets.

Read a petition of William Bollan and Christopher Kilby, Esquires, agents for the province of the Massachusets Bay, praying for copies of the journals of the General Court of that province, from the 5th of July, 1737, to the 14th of February, 1746, which have been destroyed by fire, as also from time to time copies of such other papers as may help to repair the loss sustained on that occasion.

Ordered that copies be made from the books in this office, of the journals of the proceedings of the General Court of the said province, for the said time, and delivered to the said agents with all convenient dispatch, and likewise that they have liberty to have copies of such other papers from time to time, as may help to supply the loss of their records.

St. Christophers.

Read Mr. Lamb's report upon an Act, passed in St. Christophers in August, 1746, to indemnify the Sufferers for the Damages sustained by Depredations committed by the Enemy by Descents from their Ships of War or privateers; and their lordships taking the said Act into consideration, as also a letter from William Mathew, Esquire, Governor of the Leeward Islands, containing his observations thereupon, the same was ordered to lye by until the remonstrance, mentioned in the Governor's letter, to be sent over against it, shall be received, or some application made thereupon.

North Carolina.

The Secretary acquainted their lordships, that Mr. McCulloch, agent for the petitioners against an Act, passed in North Carolina in 1746, for regulating the Number of the Members of the Assembly, who had been wrote to, to attend on the 28th inst. upon that subject, had desired him to move their lordships, that the hearing upon that affair might be put off to a further day, and that Mr. Joshua Sharpe, who was likewise desired to attend upon this occasion, had consented thereto; whereupon their lordships appointed Wednesday the 11th of May for the hearing of the said matter, and notice was ordered to be given to both parties to attend on that day.

Newfoundland.

The draught of instructions for Charles Watson, Esquire, Commander in Chief in and over the Island of Newfoundland, having been transcribed, as ordered by the minutes of the 20th instant, were laid before the Board; as was also the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon, and of a letter to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, inclosing the same, ordered to be prepared by the said minutes, and the same being agreed to, were transcribed and signed.

Thursday, April 28. Present:—Mr. Plumer, Mr. Pitt, Lord Dupplin.

Bermuda.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Popple, Governor of Bermuda, in answer to several received from him, having been transcribed, pursuant to the minutes of yesterday, was laid before the Board and signed.

Virginia.

Read Mr. Lamb's report upon five Acts, passed in Virginia in April, 1747, and the said Acts being taken into consideration, and no objections appearing against them, they were ordered to lye by probationary.

Friday, April 29. Present:—Mr. Leveson Gower, Lord Dupplin.

Memorandum.

South Carolina.

Mr. Hamilton attended this day, as desired by the minutes of the 29th instant, upon the subject of his petition for a grant of 200,000 acres of land in South Carolina, but there not being a sufficient number of Commissioners present to constitute a Board, the consideration of this affair was postponed to another opportunity.