Journal, July 1757: Volume 64

Journal, July 1757

Friday, July 1. Present:—Mr. Stone, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton.

Barbados.

Bahamas.

Leeward Islands.

Virginia.

Jamaica.

The draughts of letters to the Governors of Barbados, Bahamas and the Leeward Islands, and to the Lieutenant Governors of Virginia and Jamaica, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 22nd instant, were agreed to transcribed and signed.

Bahamas.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that having in pursuance of their lordships' order examined the correspondence with the Governor of the Bahama Islands during the last war, to which the said Governor referrs for his opinion of what is necessary to be done for putting those Islands into a proper posture of defence, he found frequent representations of the expediency of augmenting the military establishment there, stationing two sloops to cruize amongst the Islands, and erecting a redoubt at Phenny's Hill and a small battery upon the point of Hog Island; upon consideration of which, their lordships ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty upon this affair, to be prepared.

Massachusets.

Ordered, that the consideration of the petition of the agent for the Massachusets Bay relating to ordnance stores, mentioned in the minutes of the 23rd of June, be postponed to Tuesday, the 12th of July, and that the said agent be desired to attend on that day.

Wednesday, July 6. Present:—Mr. Stone, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the petty expences and incidental charges of this office from the 5th of April to the 5th of July, 1757, amounting in the whole to three hundred, sixty-four pounds, eighteen shillings, and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury desiring payment thereof and of the salaries due to the Secretaries and under officers in the service of this Board, was signed.

Tuesday, July 12. Present:—Mr. Stone, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton.

Massachusets.

Their lordships took into consideration the petition of the agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay respecting a supply of cannon and ordnance stores for that province, and the said agent attending as desired he was called in and their lordships having heard what he had to offer in support of the allegations of his petition ordered him to withdraw, and the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs thereupon was ordered to be prepared.

Bahamas.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon a letter from Mr. Tinker, Governor of the Bahama Islands, respecting the state of defence of those Islands, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 1st instant, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Georgia.

The Secretary acquainted the Board that Mr. Reynolds, Governor of Georgia, had left notice in writing at the office of his arrival in England in consequence of his Majesty's commands signified to him by the Board's letter of the 5th August, 1756; their lordships ordered the draught of a letter to Mr. Pitt, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, to be prepared, signifying the said Governor's arrival, to the end that such measures may be taken thereupon as his Majesty shall judge most proper.

Nova Scotia.

The Secretary laid before the Board a memorial prepared by Mr. Parker in behalf of Mr. Kilby, agent for the settlement of Nova Scotia, to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury praying that the sum of £8,000 may be issued to him out of the grant of Parliament for the service of Nova Scotia in order to discharge bills of exchange drawn upon him by the Governor of the said province for the service thereof, which memorial their lordships were pleased to approve of, and to order Mr. Parker to present it to the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury for their lordships' directions upon it.

The Secretary likewise laid before their lordships another memorial prepared by Mr. Parker in behalf of Mr. Kilby, agent for the settlement of Nova Scotia, to be presented to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, desiring their lordships' directions with respect to other warrants directed to him for payment of certain sums due to the contractor for supplying the troops in that colony with provisions; and the said memorial having been approved of, Mr. Parker was ordered to present it to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their lordships' directions upon it.

Read a letter from four members of the Council of Nova Scotia to the Board, dated March 12th, 1757, complaining of the delay in calling an Assembly there, and stating several other grievances under which they apprehend his Majesty's subjects in that province do at present labour, and inclosing:—

Resolutions of the Governor and Council of the province of Nova Scotia, respecting the calling an Assembly in that province.

Their lordships upon consideration of the said letter are of opinion that as the Board had in their letters to the Governor of the 25th March, 1756, and 10th of March last, given their opinion at large as to the necessity and expediency of convening an Assembly in Nova Scotia, and directed him to carry that measure into execution with all possible dispatch, they had as far as lay within their department complyed with what is represented in the said letter from the members of the Council, as necessary for the welfare of the province, and that it was not adviseable to do anything further therein for the present.

The Secretary laid before the Board an instrument signed by several persons styling themselves freeholders of the province of Nova Scotia, appointing John Ferdinando Paris, Esquire, agent for the said freeholders, to represent the want of an Assembly and other grievances, which they apprehend they layed under, and the same was ordered to be entered in the books of the office, and the original returned to Mr. Paris.

Read an anonymous letter to the Board, complaining of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia for delaying to call an Assembly and for other matters, and advising their recall as necessary to the preservation of the province, and inclosing:—

Several gazettes printed at Halifax.

New York.

Read the following letters from Sir Charles Hardy, late Governor of New York, viz.:—
Letter from Sir Charles Hardy, dated the 24th of May, 1757, to the Board, signifying his having received orders from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to repair to Halifax, there to take upon him a command in his Majesty's Navy.
Letter from Sir Charles Hardy, dated the 4th of June, 1757, acquainting the Board that upon receipt of orders from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to join Admiral Holburne at Halifax, he had resigned the government and delivered his Commission and instructions to Mr. Delancy, the Lieutenant Governor.

Read a letter from James Delancy, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of New York, to the Board, dated the 3rd of June, 1757, acquainting their lordships with his having, on the departure of Sir Charles Hardy, taken upon him the administration of government, and inclosing:—
Minutes of Council on Sir Charles Hardy's delivering the seals to the Lieutenant Governor and embarking for Halifax on the 2nd and 3rd of June, 1757.
Memorial of William Walton to his Excellency, Sir Charles Hardy, praying leave to continue supplies to the Spanish garrison at Saint Augustine, according to his contract with the governor and royal officers, dated 29th of January, 1757.
Copy of the report and order made by a Committee of Council on the memorial of W. Walton, Esquire, for leave to send provisions to St. Augustine for the use of the Spanish garrison there, dated the 21st of February, 1757.
Affidavits concerning a trade carried on between some of the British colonies and French St. Domingo, May 31st, 1757.

Pennsylvania.

Read a letter from Thomas Penn, Esquire, one of the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania, dated the 1st of July, 1757, desiring that their lordships would be pleased to order the several papers, containing conferences between persons employed by the government of Pennsylvania and several chiefs of the neighbouring Indians, together with a copy of an Indian treaty, sent by him to their lordships in December last, to be returned to him.

Ordered, that the said papers be looked out and delivered to Mr. Penn.

Wednesday, July 13. Present:—Mr. Stone, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Hamilton.

Georgia.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Pitt, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, notifying the arrival of Mr. Reynolds, Governor of Georgia, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of yesterday, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Massachusets.

The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the petition of the agent for the province of the Massachusets Bay respecting a supply of cannon and ordnance stores for that province, having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of yesterday, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Connecticut.

Read a letter from Thomas Fitch, Esquire, Governor of Connecticut, to the Board, dated the 11th of April, 1757, giving an account of the measures taken in that colony to prevent the sending provisions to the French, and of the zeal with which the quota of men demanded by Lord Loudoun has been raised.

New Jersey.

Read a letter from Jonathan Belcher, Esquire, Governor of New Jersey, dated the 11th of May, 1757, transmitting the following publick papers, viz.:—
Minutes of Council of March the 1st and 31st; and of their proceedings in General Assembly from March 11th to the 31st, 1757.
Journals of the Assembly from March 15th to 31st, 1757.
Four Acts passed in New Jersey in December, 1756, and March, 1757.

Ordered, that the said Acts be sent to Sir Mathew Lamb for his opinion thereupon in point of law.

Virginia.

Read a letter from Robert Dinwiddie, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, to the Board, dated the 16th of May, 1757, desiring his Majesty's leave to return home, and giving an account of the measures he is taking for the assistance of the neighbouring colonies, and inclosing:—
His speech to the Council and Assembly of Virginia, April 14th, 1757.
Address of the Council of Virginia to Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddie, April 16th, 1757.

Read a memorial of Caleb Lamb, late an Indian trader on the Ohio, to the Board, setting forth the losses he has sustained, and praying their lordships' good offices to procure him a recompence.

Maryland.

Read a letter from Horatio Sharpe, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, dated Philadelphia, the 23rd of February, 1757, acknowledging the receipt of the Board's letter of the 9th of October last, directing an embargo to be laid on all provisions.

North Carolina.

Read a letter from Arthur Dobbs, Esquire, Governor of North Carolina, to the Board, dated at Philadelphia, the 22nd of March, 1757, acquainting their lordships with the measures agreed upon at a meeting of the Southern Governors with the Earl of Loudoun for the protection of the Carolinas.

Trade.

Africa.

Read a letter from Mr. Poirier, Secretary to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated July 11th, 1757, transmitting:—
Copy of a letter from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa to the Governor and Council of James Fort, Gambia, dated June 8th, 1757.
Also of a letter from the said Committee to Mr. Samuel Worrall, Bristol, Mr. Francis Gildart, Liverpool, and Mr. Henry White, Lancaster, dated June 9th, 1757, and of one from T. Lisle, Esquire, etc., to the Committee, dated James Fort, the 14th of February, 1757.
List of nine committee men for London, Bristol and Liverpool, for 1757.

Massachusets.

Read a letter from the Council of the Massachusets Bay to the Board, dated at Boston, the 8th of April, 1757, acquainting their lordships with the death of Lieutenant Governor Phips.