Journal, October 1765: Volume 72

Journal, October 1765

Tuesday, October 1st. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Quebec.

fo. 278.

The Secretary laid before the Board a volume of papers received from the Governor of Quebec, being a collection of all such letters and papers, as relates to the acts and proceedings of government from the publication of the Governor's Commission on the (fn. 1) …

Their lordships took into consideration such of the said papers as contain further facts and information relative to the assault on Mr. Walker of Montreal and the prison breach, and ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon to be prepared.

Ordered, that Mr. Price, one of the Council of Quebec, lately arrived from thence, and referred to in the last letter from the Governor, be desired to attend the Board tomorrow morning.

fo. 279.

Massachusetts.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the proceedings of the House of Representatives of Massachusets Bay, relative to a Congress of committees of the several assemblies in America, proposed to be held at New York, having been transcribed pursuant to order, was signed; as was also a representation, recommending to his Majesty's mercy and compassion for his royal pardon, two persons condemned for murder in Virginia; and a letter to Mr. Secretary Conway, inclosing the latter representation, and desiring him to lay it before his Majesty, was also signed.

fo. 280.

Wednesday, October 2nd. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Quebec.

Mr. Price, mentioned in the minutes of yesterday, not attending, through a mistake, their lordships took into consideration the draught of a representation to his Majesty upon such of the papers lately received from the Governor of Quebec, as contain further facts and information relative to the assault upon Mr. Walker of Montreal and the prison breach; and the said draught having been agreed to, was transcribed and signed; and it was ordered, that notice should be given to Mr. Price to attend the Lords of the Council upon the subject of those papers.

fo. 281.

Bermuda.

Read a letter from George James Bruere, esquire, Governor of Bermuda, dated July 18th, 1765, desiring an instruction to oblige all vessels to enter and clear at St. George's Harbour; and proposing that twelve members may constitute a House of Assembly.
Copy of the humble petition of the Governor, Council and Assembly of the Bermuda Islands, praying for a supply of military stores.
Copy of a list of cannon and military stores for the use of the Island of Bermuda.

A representation to his Majesty, humbly to lay before his Majesty the abovementioned address and paper therein referred to, was signed.

fo. 282.

Tuesday, October 8th. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Massachusetts.

The following letters and papers, received from the Governor of Massachusets Bay since the Board's last meeting, were read and considered, vizt.,
Letter from Francis Bernard, esquire, Governor of Massachusets Bay, to the Board, dated August 15th, 1765, containing a particular account of a riot at Boston which had arisen on account of the Stamp Act passed last session of Parliament.
Letter from Governor Bernard, dated August 22nd, 1765, giving a further account of the riot at Boston.
fo. 283.
Minutes of Council on the 14th, 15th and 21st August, 1765, relative to their proceedings for suppressing the riot.
Two proclamations on the 15th and 28th of August, 1765, offering rewards for apprehending the rioters.

Ordered, that the said letters and papers be copied to be laid before his Majesty, and that the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon be prepared.

Virginia, Pennsylvania.

The following orders of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, were read and considered vizt.,
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated October 3rd, 1765, requiring the Board to prepare and lay before them draughts of an additional instruction to the Governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania, to cause an immediate evacuation of the settlements on lands contiguous to the River Ohio.
fo. 284.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated October 3rd, 1765, requiring the Board to prepare and lay before them a draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of Virginia to repress any such outrages as have lately been committed there, and to apply, if necessary, for troops to the Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Forces in America.

Virginia, Pennsylvania.

Ordered, that draughts of additional instructions to the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and of an instruction to the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania be prepared, conformable to the directions contained in the said order.

fo. 285.

Wednesday, October 9th. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Virginia, Pennsylvania.

Draughts of additional instructions to the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and the draught of an instruction to the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, having been prepared pursuant to the orders of yesterday, were approved and ordered to be transcribed, and it was ordered, that draughts of reports thereupon to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs should be prepared.

Massachusetts.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the letters and papers received from the Governor of Massachusets Bay, and mentioned in the minutes of yesterday, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved and ordered to be transcribed.

fo. 286.

Thursday, October 10th. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Rice, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Virginia, Pennsylvania.

Massachusetts.

The draughts of reports to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs upon the draughts of additional instructions to the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and of an instructions to the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania, having been prepared pursuant to order, were approved, transcribed and signed; as was also a representation to his Majesty upon the letters and papers received from the Governor of Massachusets Bay.

fo. 287

Plantations General.

East Florida.

The following letters and plans received from Mr. De Brahm, Surveyor General of Lands for the Southern District of America, were laid before the Board, and the letters were read.
Letter from William Gerard De Brahm to the Board, dated February 6th, 1765, relative to his survey of the Coast of East Florida.
Letter from Mr. De Brahm to the Board, dated March 24th, 1765, relative to his survey of the Province of East Florida.
Letter from Mr. De Brahm, dated April 4th, 1765, containing an account of his proceedings.
A map of the Eastern coast of the Province of East Florida from the inlet of St. Augustine's Bay to the beginning of the Marteers.
fo. 288.
Letter from Mr. De Brahm, dated July 3rd, 1765, relative to his labour and expences in executing the service in which he is engaged; and transmitting chart of the middle inlet.
Ditto: of new inlet.
Ditto: Cape Florida.
Special chart of Cape Florida.

Ordered, that the said plans, together with such other plans of the Coast of Florida, as have been lately received, be transmitted to the Admiralty Office, to the end that the Lords of that Board may order copies to be made of such as they shall think of any use to that branch of his Majesty's service under their direction.

Virginia, South Carolina.

Read a letter from Charles Lowndes, esquire, Secretary to the Treasury, to the Secretary, dated September 26th, 1765, transmitting, for the opinion of this Board,
fo. 289.
Memorial of the agents of Virginia and South Carolina for leave to import salt from foreign ports.

Ordered, that the memorials of the agents of South Carolina and Virginia be taken into consideration, so soon as the other pressing business now before the Board, will admit.

East Florida.

Read a letter from Charles Lowndes, esquire, Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, to the Secretary of this Board, dated September 1765, transmitting, for the opinion of their lordships,
Extract of a letter from Mr. Greening, Naval Officer at East Florida, dated June 6th, 1765, to the Lords of the Treasury, relative to an augmentation of his salary.

Ordered, that the above mentioned letter and extract do lye by for further consideration at another opportunity.

fo. 290.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from William Burke, esquire, to the Secretary, dated October 7th, 1765, transmitting, by the direction of Mr. Secretary Conway,
Extract of a letter from the Earl of Halifax to Major General Gage, dated 9th of February, 1765, inclosing,
Copy of the King's Warrant to the Attorney and Sollicitor General to prepare a bill for the royal signature to pass the Great Seal, constituting the Honourable Major General Gage, Commander in Chief in North America.
Explanatory orders to the Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Forces in America, 9th February, 1765.
Major General Gage's Commission.

fo. 291.

West Florida.

Read a letter from John Ellis, esquire, agent for West Florida, to the Secretary, dated October 3rd, 1765, relating to the steps he has taken for conveying sixty French Protestants to that province, and inclosing a copy of his agreement with Lieutenant Governor Browne for that purpose.

Read a letter from the agent for West Florida, to the Secretary, dated October 5th, 1765, inclosing the state of the contingent funds for the last two years, and an account of the money granted for Indian presents, with the balances remaining in his hands.

North Carolina.

Read a letter from William Tryon, esquire, Governor of North Carolina, to the Board, dated June 24th, 1765, relative to a duel between Lieutenant Whitehurst and Alexander Simpson, master, both of his Majesty's sloop, the Viper.
Copies of sundry papers relative to the murder of Mr. Thomas Whitehurst.
fo. 292.
Copy of a letter from Captain Phipps to Governor Tryon, dated April 8th, 1765, and of the Governor's answer, dated April 9th.

Ordered, that copies of the said letter and of the papers therein referred to, be transmitted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, as relating to the conduct of two officers of his Majesty's Navy.

Thursday, October 17th. Present:—Mr. Rice, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Massachusetts.

fo. 293.

Read two letters from Francis Bernard, esquire, Governor of Massachusets Bay, to the Board, dated August 31st, and September 7th, 1765, containing a further account of riots at Boston.
M8nutes of the proceedings of the Council on the 27th, 28th and 29th of August, 1765, relative to the riots.
Extract of a letter from Governor Bernard to Mr. Pownall, dated 7th September, 1765.

Ordered, that the said letters and papers therein referred to be copied to be laid before his Majesty; and a representation to his Majesty thereupon, having been prepared and agreed to, was signed.

fo. 294.

Tuesday, October 29th. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Rice, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

Trade, Russia.

Read a letter from his Grace the Duke of Grafton, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, to the Board, dated September 20th, 1765, transmitting,
Copy of a treaty of commerce between Great Britain and Russia, concluded at St. Petersbourg, 4th August O.S., 1765.

Quebec.

fo. 295.

Read a copy of an Order of the King in Council, dated October 18th, 1765, approving a report of the Committee of Council, relative to the assault on Mr. Walker, and other events, which have arisen in the Province of Quebec; and directing that the Right Honourable Mr. Conway do receive his Majesty's pleasure thereupon.

Virginia.

Read a letter from the Right Honourable Henry Seymour Conway, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, dated October 12th, 1765, informing the Board, that his Majesty has signed warrants for the pardon of the two persons condemned in Virginia for murder, and who were recommended for mercy by the Board in their representation of the 1st instant.

The Secretary at the same time laid before the Board attested copies of the warrants of pardon referred to in General Conway's letter.

fo. 296.

Ordered, that the draught of a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia be prepared, acquainting him with his Majesty's having graciously pleased to extend his royal mercy to the persons he recommends, and inclosing the abovementioned copies of the warrants for their pardon.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from the Right Honourable Henry Seymour Conway, one of his Majesty' Principal Secretaries of State, dated September . . . , 1765, transmitting, for the Board's opinion,
Extract of a letter from Major General Gage to the Earl of Halifax, dated New York, August 10th, 1765, relative to the desire of several of the Acadians to be settled in Nova Scotia or Quebec.
Copy of a petition of Stephen Landry to Major General Gage
fo. 297.
Their lordships took the said letter and papers into consideration, together with the following letters and papers received from the Governor of Nova Scotia, respecting the conduct and temper of the Acadians, and after some time spent therein, ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon to be prepared.
Letter from the Earl of Halifax to the Board, dated September 11th, 1764, transmitting, for their consideration and report, copies of a letter from the Governor of Nova Scotia, and of a petition presented to him by a great number of the Acadians, declaring that they acknowledge no other sovereign than the French King, and therefore demanding to be conveyed to some part of the Dominions of France.
Copy of a letter from Governor Wilmot to the Earl of Halifax, June 4th, 1764.
Memorial of the French Acadians.
fo. 298.
Letter from Montague Wilmot, esquire, Governor of Nova Scotia, to the Board, dated June 2nd, 1764, relating to the behaviour of the Acadians.
Copy of a memorial of the Acadians to the Governor of Nova Scotia, dated May 12th, 1764, desiring to be transported to some of the Dominions of France.
Letter from Governor Wilmot to the Board, dated August 29th, 1764, relative to the arts made use of by the French to withdraw the Acadians and Indians of Cape Breton and St. Peter's.
Copy of a paper dispersed in the name of the Governor General of the French Leeward Islands, inviting the Acadians to come to St. Domingo.
fo. 299.
Letter from Governor Wilmot to the Board, dated November 5th, 1764, relative to the proceedings of M. Robins; the plan for regulating commerce with the Indians; the Acadians, etc.
Lands assigned for the French Acadians as settlements in Nova Scotia, and the oath of allegiance proposed for them.
List of laws passed in the General Assembly at their session begun 12th October, 1764, and ended the 3rd of November following.
Nova Scotia.
Report of a survey made on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia and the western parts of the Island of Cape Breton, dated November, 1764.
Memorial of Mr. Nesbitt, Attorney General of Nova Scotia, to the Governor, praying that the sum of eighty two pounds per annum may be issued to him out of the contingent money.
fo. 300.
Report of the survey made by the Honourable Charles Morris, esquire, chief Land Surveyor, 26th June, 1764.
Letter from Governor Wilmot to the Board, dated 17th December, 1764, relative to the disposition of the Acadians after the oath of allegiance had been tendered to them, and offers of a settlement in that province made; and the fishery at Canceau.
Establishments of the several Courts and jurisdictions in the Province of Nova Scotia.
Table of fees, with observations thereupon.
Charts of Cape Breton and St. John's.
Treasurer's accounts to the end of the year 1764.
fo. 301.
Seven laws passed in the last session.
Exports of the production of Nova Scotia, 1764.
Extract from the register of grants of land made in the Province of Nova Scotia from 1750 to 1760.
Naval Office lists of vessels entered and cleared from the 1st of July, 1764, to the 31st of December following.
Minutes of Council from the 27th of March to May 15th, 1764.
Nova Scotia vouchers from 1st of January to the 30th of June, 1764.

New Hampshire, New York.

fo. 302.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated 15th October, 1765, directing this Board to write to the Governors of New Hampshire and New York, requiring them to transmit an account of the grants of lands they have respectively made in those parts, concerning which the dispute on the boundary line between the said provinces subsisted.

Their lordships took the said order into consideration, together with the following letters and papers, received from the Governor of New Hampshire, respecting the grants made and townships laid out by him in that province, and after some time spent therein, it was ordered, that the draughts of letters to the Governors of New York and New Hampshire, conformable to the order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, should be prepared.
Letter from Benning Wentworth, esquire, Governor of New Hampshire, to the Board, dated September 23rd, 1764, relative to the proceedings of the government of New York against some settlers under grants from the government of New Hampshire.
fo. 303.
Copy of Governor Wentworth's letter to Lieutenant Governor Colden, August 17th, 1764.
Copy of the sheriff's of Albany's letter to Lieutenant Governor Colden, without date.
Lieutenant Governor Colden's letter to Governor Wentworth, September 10th, 1764.
Governor Wentworth's letter to Lieutenant Governor Colden in answer to the foregoing letter.
Letter from Governor Wentworth to the Board, dated September 26th, 1764, containing remarks on the Acts passed last session of Parliament respecting the colonies; on the fees of offices and grants of townships; also inclosing,
List of townships granted in New Hampshire between the 3rd of January, 1749, and 8th of April, 1754.
List of fees taken by the respective officers in the government of New Hampshire.
fo. 304.
Letter from Governor Wentworth to the Board, dated November 28th, 1764, relative to the grants of lands made in that province.
Copy of a charter for granting a tract of land in New Hampshire.
An abstract of all the grants of townships from the first establishment of the Province of New Hampshire with the names of the grantees, etc.

East Florida.

fo. 305.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated October 8th, 1765, referring to the Board, for their consideration and report, a memorial of William Thompson and two others, merchants of London, in behalf of John Gordon, esquire, praying that, in case his Majesty should not accept of a surrender, at a reasonable valuation, of certain lands in East Florida purchased from the Spaniards, Mr. Gordon may be quieted in the possession of his legal purchase, or otherwise relieved.

Their lordships took the said order into consideration, together with the following letter and papers received from the Governor of East Florida, in which mention is made of the state and circumstances of the claims of Messrs. Gordon and Fish, and made some progress therein.
Copy of the Commission for constituting the Court of Common Pleas.
fo. 306.
Copy of the Commission for constituting Courts of General Sessions of the Peace, Oyer and Terminer, Assize and General Goal delivery.
Copy of the Chief Justice's Commission.
Form of a Commission for constituting and appointing assistant judges or justices.
Copy of the deputy clerk of the Council's Commission.
Copy of the Secretary and Clerk of the Council's Commission.
East Florida.
Copy of the sheriff's Commission.
Copy of the Commission of the peace.
Copy of the Register's Commission.
Copy of the Attorney General of East Florida's Commission.
fo. 307.
Copy of the Naval Officer's Commission.
List of the members of the Council.
Proclamation published by Governor Grant in the several provinces of North America.
Proposal made for settling a tract of land in East Florida by John Savage, esquire, to Henry Laurens, esquire, to be laid before Governor Grant.
Copy of a memorial presented by John Gordon, esquire, to Governor Grant concerning the purchases made by him from the Spanish inhabitants of East Florida.
fo. 308.
Copy of an agreement made by Colonel Robinson, Quartermaster General in North America, with James Warner, etc., pilot at St. Augustine, by order of Major General Gage.

Massachusetts.

Read the following Orders of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, vizt.,
Order of the Lords of the Committee, dated July 16th, 1765, referring to the Board twenty Acts passed in the Massachussets Bay in January, February, and March 1765, for their lordships' opinion thereupon.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, October 3rd, 1765, referring to the Board, for their report, twenty three Acts passed in the Massachusets Bay in June 1765.

fo. 309.

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

Tuesday, October 31st. Present:—Earl of Dartmouth, Mr. Rice, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Fitzherbert.

East Florida.

Their lordships took into further consideration the Order of Council relative to the claims of Messrs. Fish and Gordon to upwards of six millions of acres of land in East Florida, and also such parts of the Governor's letter, mentioned in the minutes of Tuesday, as relate thereto; and, after some time spent therein, it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon should be prepared.

fo. 310.

New York.

Read a memorial of the Earl of Ilchester and others, praying that their grants may be located on the lands, which Mr. Renselaer claims.

Their lordships took the said memorial into consideration, together with an order of the Lords of the Committee of Council in February last, referring the petition of Captain John Campbell, in behalf of himself and twenty nine other reduced officers, praying that the lots of land they are entitled to under his Majesty's proclamation of the 7th of October, 1763, may be located on the lands unwarrantably claimed by Van Renselaer; and their lordships having also read and considered two letters from the Lieutenant Governor of New York, relative to the abovementioned memorial of the Earl of Ilchester and others, and also to the petition of the officers, it was agreed to take the whole into further consideration tomorrow morning.