Journal, June 1757: Volume 64

Journal, June 1757

Tuesday, June 7. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Georgia.

Read a letter from Mr. Henshaw, master of a vessel which sailed from Georgia on the 15th of April, dated Cowes, 31st of May, 1757, acquainting the Board that Lieutenant Governor Ellis had entrusted to him several letters and dispatches for the Board, but that having been taken by a privateer he had destroyed them.

Read a letter from John Reynolds, Esquire, Governor of Georgia, dated Bayonne, 19th of May, 1757, acquainting the Board that having in consequence of his Majesty's orders embarked for England on board the Charming Martha, Captain Thompson, he was on his passage taken by a privateer of 36 guns and carried into that port, and desiring that the Board would intercede for his being exchanged or released, and inform him what salary he was entitled to draw for as Governor of Georgia.

Ordered, that an extract be made of so much of Mr. Reynolds's letter as relates to his request of being released or exchanged to be laid before his Majesty, and that the draught of a letter to Lord Holdernesse, his Majesty's principal Secretary of State, to be prepared for inclosing the said extract, to the end that such directions may be given thereupon as his Majesty shall judge proper.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from the Earl of Holdernesse, [one of] his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, dated the 27th of May, 1757, inclosing an address of the House of Commons of the 25th of May to his Majesty that there may be laid before that House the next session an account of the quantity of iron made in the colonies from Christmas, 1749, to the 5th of January, 1756, and signifying his Majesty's commands that this Board do cause the said account to be accordingly laid before that House.

Ordered, that a copy of the said address be forthwith transmitted to each of the governors of the several colonies upon the continent of America, and that the draughts of letters inclosing the same, and directing them to transmit the accounts therein mentioned with all possible dispatch, be prepared.

Bermuda.

Read a letter from William Popple, Esquire, Governor of the Bermuda Islands, dated the 31st of January with a postscript dated the 2nd of April, 1757, relating to the revenue of those Islands, and stating the case of the Revenue Act passed in November, 1698, and transmitting the following papers, viz.:—
Account of the Liquor Act in 1698 from its first passing to the present time deduced from original papers and records in the Secretary's office.
Schedule of Acts of Assembly confirmed by her late Majesty Queen Anne, the 3rd day of August, 1704, the confirmation of which Acts were formerly transmitted and are now extant in the records of these Islands.
An Act concerning an Act entituled, an Act for raising a publick revenue for the support of the government of these his Majesty's Islands, passed the 11th day of November, 1698.

Wednesday, June 8. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Georgia.

The draught of a letter to the Earl of Holdernesse, his Majesty's principal Secretary of State, inclosing the copy of one from Mr. Reynolds, Governor of Georgia, mentioned in the preceding minutes, having been prepared pursuant to the said minute, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Thursday, June 9. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Sloper.

Plantations General.

The draughts of letters to the governors of the several colonies in America directing them to transmit accounts of the quantities of iron made in the said colonies from Christmas, 1749, to the 5th day of January, 1756, to be laid before the House of Commons in the next sessions pursuant to their address to his Majesty, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 7th instant, were agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Bermuda.

Read the following letters and papers received from Mr. Popple, Governor of Bermuda, viz.:—
Letter from Mr. Popple to the Board, dated the 18th of April, 1757, transmitting:—
An Act for altering, amending and prolonging an Act entituled, an Act for the regulating the militia of these his Majesty's Islands of Bermuda.
Letter from Mr. Popple to the Board, dated the 18th of April, 1757, transmitting:—
The humble address of the Governor, Council and Assembly of Bermuda.
Minutes of Council from the 1st of November, 1756, to the 25th of March, 1757.
Minutes of Assembly from the 7th of February to the 25th of March, 1757, inclusive.
Minutes of Council in Assembly from the 7th of February to the 25th of March, 1757.

Ordered, that the said address be laid before his Majesty in Council and that the draught of a representation to his Majesty accompanying the same be prepared.

Ordered, that the said letter together with that mentioned in the minutes of the 7th instant and the papers transmitted with them be taken into consideration at another opportunity.

Ordered, that the aforementioned Act be sent to Sir Mathew Lamb for his opinion thereon in point of law.

Georgia.

Ordered, that the draught of a letter to Mr. Reynolds, Governor of Georgia, acquainting him with the steps which the Board has taken for his release in consequence of his letter, mentioned in the minutes of the 7th instant, be prepared.

Wednesday, June 15. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Mr. Oswald, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Hamilton.

Georgia.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Reynolds, Governor of Georgia, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 9th instant, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Bermuda.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty accompanying the address of the legislature of the Bermuda Islands respecting the forts and harbours in those Islands, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 9th instant, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Georgia.

The Secretary laid before the Board a memorial prepared by Mr. Martyn, agent for the province of Georgia, to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the money granted by Parliament for the support of that colony from Midsummer, 1756, to Midsummer, 1757, may be issued to him for the service of the said province; and the said memorial having been approved Mr. Martyn was ordered to present it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their directions upon it.

Thursday, June 23. Present:—Mr. Stone, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Rigby.

Virginia.

Read a letter from Robert Dinwiddie, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, dated the 16th of May, 1757, inclosing the undermentioned papers and desiring the Board would move his Majesty that he may have leave to return to this kingdom for the recovery of his health, which is so impaired that he is not able to attend to the duty of his station.

The account of his Majesty's revenue of 2s. per hogshead on tobacco exported, etc., arising within the colony of Virginia from the 25th of October, 1756, to the 25th of April, 1757.

Naval officers' lists of entries inwards and outwards from the different districts in Virginia to Lady Day, 1757.

Their lordships upon consideration of the said letter and of a memorial to the same effect from Mr. Dinwiddie's agent here, ordered the draught of a letter to the Earl of Holdernesse, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, thereupon to be prepared, and also a warrant for his Majesty's signature containing his Majesty's royal leave of absence to the said Lieutenant Governor, in case his Majesty shall comply with his request, and the said draught of a letter having been prepared, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from George Thomas, Esquire, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated the 27th of March, 1757, acquainting the Board that upon complaint made by the Governors of Porto Rico and St. Domingo, that two privateers belonging to St. Christopher's had plundered the King of Spain's advice boat, he had upon their return from their cruize committed the commanders to gaol to be tryed as pirates, but that no court could be held, the original Commission for the tryal of pirates being lost or destroyed, and inclosing:—

Copy of his letter to Thomas Warner, his Majesty's Attorney General of the Leeward Islands, dated the 25th of March, 1757.

The Attorney General's answer, dated the same day, to a letter from George Thomas, Esquire, Governor of the Leeward Islands.

Ordered, that a copy of the said letter and the papers inclosed be made to be transmitted to the Earl of Holdernesse, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, and that the draught of a letter to his Lordship be prepared, and the said letter having been prepared accordingly, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Ordered, that the Secretary do give directions to Mr. Wilmot, agent for the Island of Saint Christopher's, forthwith to obtain a duplicate or exemplification of the Commission under the Great Seal for the tryal of pirates in the Leeward Islands, and transmit the same by the first opportunity to the Governor of the said Islands.

Barbados.

Read a letter from Charles Pinfold, Esquire, Governor of the Island of Barbados, dated the 24th of March, 1757, acquainting the Board with such occurrences as have happened in that Island and with the steps he has taken in the administration of government since his last letter.

Bahamas.

Read a letter from John Tinker, Esquire, Governor of the Bahama Islands, dated the 12th of April, 1757, setting forth the expediency of making proper provision for the defence of those Islands, and referring to his letters to the Board during the last war for his opinion as to what may be proper to be done.

Ordered, that a state be made from Governor Tinker's correspondence with the Board during the last war of what is therein represented as necessary to be done for putting the Islands under his government into a proper posture of defence, and that the said state be laid before the Board at their next meeting.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from Henry Moore, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, dated the 22nd of April, 1757, acquainting the Board with the particulars of the intelligence which gave rise to the publication of martial law in Jamaica in November, 1756, and with the steps which were taken previous to that measure.

Read a letter from Henry Moore. Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, dated the 27th of April. 1757. acquainting the Board that upon intelligence received of a fleet of eleven sail of large ships being seen on the coast of Hispaniola, and that a fleet of five sail of French ships supposed to come from the coast of Africa. was arrived off that Island. he had published martial law, and inclosing some questions put by him to the Council, and their answers, respecting the conduct of Mr. Pinnock, late Chief Justice of that Island.

Ordered, that an extract be made of so much of the abovementioned letters as relates to the intelligence received of a fleet of eleven sail of large ships being seen off the Island of Hispaniola, and of the arrival of a French fleet from the coast of Africa, and to the steps the Lieutenant Governor took thereupon, to be laid before his Majesty: and a letter to the Earl of Holdernesse inclosing the said extract having been prepared, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Bermuda.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit a like extract of the said letter to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and desire him to lay it before that Board.

Bermuda.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 15th of June. 1757, upon a representation from this Board to his Majesty, proposing that an instruction may be given to the Governor of the Bermuda Islands, for disposing of the Crown lands there, in the manner and upon the terms prescribed by a bill prepared by the said Governor; and directing that this Board do prepare the draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of the said Islands agreeable thereto.

Ordered, that the draught of an instruction to the said Governor be prepared conformable to the said Order.

Massachusets.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 19th of May, 1757, inclosing the petition of William Bollan, Esquire, agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay in New England, to his Majesty, relating to cannon taken out of his Majesty's Castle William there by the late Governor Shirley, none of which were returned, and referring the said petition to the consideration of this Board.

Ordered, that the said Order of reference be taken into consideration on Tuesday, the 5th of July, and that the Secretary do give notice to the agent to attend on that day.

Jamaica.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the 15th of June, 1757, upon the representation of this Board of the 25th of last month, relating to the fixing the seat of government, courts, offices and records in the Island of Jamaica, and directing the Board to consider what places it may be most adviseable for his Majesty to make Ports of entry and clearance in that Island, what orders may be proper to be given to the officers who are to attend the business of such ports, and what orders should be given with respect to the division of the Island into proper districts, and the manner of establishing Circuit Courts there, etc.

Jamaica.

Ordered, that the said Order of reference do lye by for further consideration at another opportunity.

Barbados.

Leeward Islands.

Virginia.

Jamaica.

Bahamas.

Ordered, that the draughts of letters to the Governors of Barbados, Bahamas and the Leeward Islands, and to the Lieutenant Governors of Virginia and Jamaica, in answer to those from them, mentioned in this day's minute, be prepared.