Journal, January 1770: Volume 77

Journal, January 1770

fo. 1.

At a Meeting of His Majesty's Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.

Wednesday. January 3. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Fitz herbert.

Plantations General.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State being present, the following orders of reference were read, vizt.:
Nova Scotia, Cape Breton.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, dated December 22nd, 1768, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a letter from the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia to the Earl of Hills borough, together with the plan of Louisbourg, and papers thereto annexed, relating to the best method of finally disposing of the houses at Louisbourg, and the land in the neighbourhood thereof.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Planta tion affairs, dated April 24th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, several petitions and memorials for grants of land in the Island of Cape Breton.
fo. 2.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation affairs, dated November 20th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Thomas Debrisay, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of the Island of St. John, and Captain in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, praying the King to grant him twenty thousand acres of land in the Island of Cape Breton.
New Hampshire.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated December 21st, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the extract of a letter from the Governor of New Hampshire to the Earl of Hillsborough, and a copy of a Proclamation issued by him on the 2nd of March, 1769, for ascertaining the value of gold and silver foreign coins current in the said province.
Massachusetts.
Order of the King in Council, dated December 13th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a petition of Sir Francis Bernard, Baronet, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, praying the Royal confirmation of a grant made to him by the General Court of that Province, of an island, called Mount Desert, lying within the said Province.
fo. 3.
Virginia.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated November 20th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of George Mercer in behalf of the Ohio Company, praying that the King would renew the grant made by his late Majesty to them of certain lands lying on the back of Virginia; or recom mend to the Parliament to provide for the reimbursement of their expences; or give such other relief as his Majesty shall judge best.
New York.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated November 20th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Frederick de la Porte, Esquire, praying the King to grant him four thousand acres of land in the Province of New York.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated December 21st, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the memorial of Major Robert Rogers, praying for grants to himself and his associates of certain tracts of land lying in the Province of New York.
fo. 4.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated December 21st, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, an extract of a letter from the late Governor of New York to the Earl of Hillsborough, and a copy of a Bill passed by the Assembly of that Province in April, 1769, to confirm estates claimed by, or under aliens.
South and North Carolina.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated December 21st, 1769, referring to this Board, for their con sideration and report, copies of several papers, relative to a boundary line proposed to be run between the Pro vinces of South Carolina and North Carolina.
East Florida.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated April 24th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their con sideration and report, several petitions and memorials for grants of land in East Florida.
Order of the King in Council, dated December 13th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, two petitions, one from John Oldis Boucher, the other from Thomas Griffiths, praying for grants to each of the petitioners of the thousand acres of land in East Florida.
fo. 5.
Trade, East India.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated November 20th, 1769, referring to this Board, for their examination and report, an account of the East India Company's Exports from the 29th of September, 1768, to the 29th of September, 1769.

Ordered, that the account of the Exports of the East India Company for the last year be compared with the accounts of former years not reported upon, and that a state thereof be laid before the Board.

Ordered, that the several petitions for lands referred by the above-mentioned Orders be taken into consideration, when the parties interested shall make application for that purpose.

The following memorials and letters were read and considered, vizt.:
Virginia.
Memorial of George Mercer, Esquire, on behalf of the Ohio Company, to this Board, dated December 18th, 1769, praying their Lordships not to recommend the making of any grant to other persons within the limits prescribed by the Royal Instruction to the said Company.
fo. 6.
East Florida.
Memorial of John Cornwall of the City of London, merchant, to this Board, praying to be recommended to His Majesty for a grant of twenty thousand acres of land in East Florida.
Trade.
Letter from Mr. How, in the absence of the Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, to the Secretary to this Board, December 18th, 1769, transmitting,
An Account of the value of the goods exported from England to His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in America from Christmas, 1749, to Christmas, 1750, and from Christmas, 1752, to Christmas, 1753, distinguishing each Colony and year.
Letter from Edward Stanley, Esquire, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, to the Secretary to this Board, December 9th, 1769, inclosing,
An Account of the value of goods exported from England to His Majesty's Colonies in America from Christmas, 1762, to Christmas, 1768, distinguishing each year.
Jamaica.
Letter from Walter Murray, Esquire, Deputy Naval Officer of Jamaica, to Mr. Pownall, July 1st, 1769, transmit ting,
fo. 7.
Naval Office Lists of Ships and Vessels entered and cleared in the Island of Jamaica, from the 25th of March to the 25th of June, 1769.

East Florida.

Ordered, that Mr. Cornwall's memorial for lands in East Florida be taken into consideration on Wednesday, the 17th of January, and that notice be given to Mr. Cornwall to attend.

Grenada.

The Earl of Hillsborough communicated to their Lordships several papers relative to the suspension of six Members of the Council of Grenada from their Seat at that Board by Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice, and signified His Majesty's commands that their Lordships should consider the same, and represent their opinion thereupon to His Majesty in His Privy Council.

The titles of the said papers are as follows, vizt.:
fo. 8.
Letter from six Members of the Council of Grenada and the Grenadines to the Earl of Hillsborough, October 4th, 1769, complaining of the conduct of Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice in suspending them from their seats at the Council Board, and transmitting several papers on that subject.
Copy of a letter from Mr. Fitzmaurice to the Deputy Clerk of the Council, dated September 29th, 1769.
Copy of the minutes of Council of the 24th of August, and 25th and 29th of September, 1769.
Copy of an address from the said Councillors to the King, October 5th, 1769.
Copy of a letter from the said Councillors to the Earl of Hillsborough, dated October 7th, 1769, relative to a fresh suspension of them by Mr. Fitzmaurice.
Copy of the said suspension, dated October 6th, 1769.
Letter, No. 44, from Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice to the Earl of Hillsborough, dated October 5th, 1769, containing his reasons for suspending six Members of the Council, and transmitting five following papers,
Copy of the Minutes of Council, September 25th, 1769.
Do: September 29th, 1769.
Copy of a letter from Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice to the Deputy Clerk of the Council, September 29th, 1769.
fo. 9.
Copy of the suspension of the six Councillors, October 6th, 1769.
Reasons for suspending the said six Councillors, Octo ber 5th, 1769.
Copy of a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough to Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice, dated October 12th, 1768.
Do: from Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice to the Earl of Hillsborough, dated February 19th, 1769.
Extract of a letter from the Earl of Hillsborough, to Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice, dated May 13th, 1769.
Extract of a letter from Lieutenant Governor Fitzmaurice to the Earl of Hillsborough, August 26th, 1769.

The said papers were accordingly read and considered, as also several Orders and Instructions relative to the admission into the Council of Grenada of two of His Majesty's new subjects, which Orders and Instructions were communicated to the Board by Lord Hillsborough, and the draught of a representation upon the above papers was ordered to be prepared.

fo. 10.

Massachusetts.

Their Lordships then took into consideration the reference of Sir Francis Bernard's petition, praying a confirmation of the grant of the island of Mount Desert, made to him in the year 1762 by the General Court of Massachusets Bay, and after examination of the former proceedings thereupon, it was ordered, that the draught of a Report thereupon to the Lords of the Committee of Council should be prepared.

Thursday, January 11. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert, Lord Lisburne.

Grenada.

Their Lordships read and considered the draught of a repre sentation to His Majesty on the papers, mentioned in the foregoing minutes, relative to the suspension by Mr. Fitzmaurice of six gentlemen from their seats at the Council Board of Grenada.

fo. 11.

Friday, January 12. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert, Lord Lisburne.

Massachusetts.

Their Lordships read and considered the draught of a Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon Sir Francis Bernard's petition praying a confirmation of his title to the island of Mount Desert in the district of Sagadehock.

Grenada.

Their Lordships also took into further consideration the draught of a representation to His Majesty upon the papers relative to the suspension by Mr. Fitzmaurice of six Members of the Council of Grenada.

Trade, East India.

fo. 12.

The Secretary laid before the Board a comparative state of the Exports of the East India Company for the last seven years, and it appearing, upon a view of the said state, that there had been a discontinuance in the years 1767 and 1768 of the exportation of bullion, except only the inconsiderable sum of nine hundred, forty six pounds, five shillings and four pence, it was ordered, that the Secretary should write to the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Court of Directors of the said Company to desire that the Board may be informed of the circumstances which occasioned so remarkable a variation in this Article of Exports.

Grenada, Dominica.

Their Lordships then proceeded to the consideration of a Report on the petition of Sir George Colebrooke and others, praying that the island of Dominica may be separated from the Government of the Grenades, and stating the necessity of having the said island put into a state of defence, and it was agreed to take the said petition into further consideration on Wednesday next, and that the petitioner should be desired to attend, as also Mr. Maitland, agent for the Grenades, and Sir William Young, Lieutenant Governor of Dominica.

fo. 13.

Wednesday, January 17. Present: Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert, Lord Lisburne.

Grenada, Dominica.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, being present, their Lordships took into consideration the memorial of Sir George Colebrooke and others, praying that the Government of the Island of Dominica may be separated from that of the Grenades, and that the Island may be put into a state of defence and security, and the memorialists attending, as also Sir William Young, and Mr. Maitland, agent for the ceded Islands, their Lordships heard what they had to offer on the subject matter of the said memorial, after which they withdrew, and their Lordships ordered, that the draught of a Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the said memorial should be transcribed.

fo. 14.

Virginia.

Read a letter from Grey Cooper, Esquire, Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, to the Secretary to this Board, dated January 13th, 1770, transmitting,
Copy of a Treasury minute of 4th of January, 1770, upon a memorial of Messrs. Walpole, Sargent, Franklin and Wharton.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit to Mr. Cooper such information, touching the matter contained in the said minute, as can be collected from the books of this Office.

East Florida.

Their Lordships, pursuant to their resolution on the 3rd instant, took into consideration Mr. Cornwall's memorial, praying for a grant of twenty thousand acres of land in East Florida, and Mr. Cornwall attending, was heard in what he had to offer in support of his said memorial, after which he withdrew, and their Lordships agreed to take the same into further consideration on Wednesday, the 31st instant, when Mr. Cornwall was desired to attend again.

fo. 15.

Wednesday, January 24. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert, Lord Lisburne.

Grenada.

Their Lordships took into further consideration the draught of a representation to His Majesty upon the petition of the six Members of the Council of Grenada, suspended by Mr. Fitz maurice, and made some progress therein.

Virginia.

Read a memorial of Arthur Lee, agent for certain inhabitants of Great Britain, Virginia and Maryland, in the case of an applica tion made by them for a grant of lands on the back of His Majesty's Colony of Virginia and Maryland, of which mention is made in the minutes of the 4th of May, 1769, requesting that the lands prayed for by the said persons may not be granted away to others, till they are apprized of the terms on which His Majesty will be graciously pleased to make them the grant.

fo. 16.

Ordered, that copies of the above-mentioned memorial and of the petition to which it refers, as also copies of the original petition of the Ohio Company, and of the memorial presented on their behalf by Colonel Mercer on the 3rd instant, be transmitted to the Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury for their information, as having reference to the application of Mr. Walpole and others, now before that Board.

Grenada.

Read a letter from Governor Melvill to the Secretary to this Board, dated January 12th, 1770, desiring a communication of certain papers therein mentioned.

Ordered, that Governor Melvill have access to and liberty to take copies or extracts of the papers to which his letter refers.

Miscellanies.

fo. 17.

The Secretary reported to the Board, that there were three vacancies in the Clerks' room by the removal of Mr. Lewis, mentioned in the minutes of the 29th of June, 1769; the death of Mr. Samber, and the resignation of Mr. Wilks; whereupon the following persons were appointed to fill the said vacancies, vizt.:
John Lillington Pownall, at the recommendation of the Earl of Hillsborough.
John Powell, at the recommendation of Mr. Roberts.
William Lloyd, at the recommendation of Mr. Fitzherbert.

Ordered, that the salaries respectively belonging to the seats, to which they are appointed, be paid to the said persons from the 5th instant.

fo. 18.

Thursday, January 25. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rice, Mr. Fitzherbert, Lord Lisburne.

Grenada.

Their Lordships took into further consideration the draught of a representation to His Majesty on the petition of the members of the Council of Grenada, suspended by Mr. Fitzmaurice, and made some progress therein.

Trade, East India.

Read a letter from Mr. Michell, Secretary to the Court of Directors of the United Company of Merchants trading to the East Indies, to the Secretary to this Board, dated January 17th, 1770, in answer to his letter of the 13th, relative to the variation in the exports of silver in the years 1767 and 1768, from those in the preceding and subsequent years.

fo. 19.

Ordered, that the draught of a Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the accounts of the Exports of the East India Company for six years last past be prepared.

Georgia.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated January 20th, 1770, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, a petition of Henry Yonge, Surveyor General of the Province of Georgia, for a grant of five thousand acres of land in that Province.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of Mr. Yonge's long and meritorious services in Georgia, and of his being a resident with his family in that Province, were of opinion that his request was reasonable, and ordered, that the draught of a Report upon his petition should be prepared.

Plantations General.

fo. 20.

Read a letter from Mr. Bradshaw, Secretary to the Lords of the Treasury, to the Secretary to this Board, dated January 22nd, 1770, desiring him to move their Lordships, to inform the Lords of the Treasury, what, in their opinion, will be a proper bounty to be given to Captain Carver, for the discoveries and observations made by him in North America.

Ordered, that the Secretary do acquaint Mr. Bradshaw, for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, with the steps which have been taken at this Board in respect to the person mentioned in his letter, and communicate to him a copy of, the Board's Report to the Lords of the Committee of Council on Mr. Carver's petition.

Trade.

Read a letter from Dr. McBride to the Secretary to this Board, dated December 27th, 1769, containing a further explanation of his intentions with respect to the trial of his method of tanning leather.

Printed petition of Dr. McBride to the House of Commons of Ireland.

South Carolina.

fo. 21.

Read a memorial of Gilbert Ross and James Mill of London, merchants, praying the confirmation of an Act passed in South Carolina in August, 1769, "for incorporating a Society, commonly called and known by the name of the Fellowship Society."

Their Lordships took the said memorial into consideration, together with the Act therein referred to, and some doubts having occurred, in respect to the propriety of the said Act in point of Law, it was ordered, that it should lye by for further consideration, when it shall have been signified to which of His Majesty's Counsel at Law matters of such a nature should be referred.

Wednesday, January 31. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Fitz herbert, Mr. Rice, Lord Lisburne.

East Florida.

fo. 22.

The Earl of Hillsborough, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State being present, the Board took into further consideration Mr. Cornwall's memorial for a grant of twenty thousand acres of land in East Florida; and after some conversation with Mr. Cornwall thereupon, it was agreed to recommend to His Majesty to grant him ten thousand acres, and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation should be prepared.

Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida, West Florida, Plantations General.

The Earl of Hillsborough signified to the Board His Majesty's commands, that their Lordships should prepare and lay before the House of Commons, estimates of what sums will be further necessary for supporting the Civil Establishments in the Colonies of Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida and West Florida; as also for general surveys of His Majesty's Dominions in America.

Their Lordships accordingly made some progress in this business, and agreed to proceed further thereupon at their next meeting.

fo. 23.

Nova Scotia.

Read a memorial of Mr. Brook Watson, merchant, praying the Board's Orders for payment of a Bill, drawn upon the agent for Nova Scotia in 1766 by the Governor of that Colony, for the expence of the surveys of the River St. John's.

The agent having represented to the Board, that the reason of this Bill's not being paid before was, from its not being ac companied with the proper Vouchers, which Vouchers were now regularly returned and annexed to the memorial; their Lordships were of opinion, that there was no objection to the said Bill being paid out of any ballance in the agent's hands, applicable to the contingent services of that Colony.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from William Bull, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, to this Board, dated December 5th, 1769, giving an account of the state of the Province, with respect to its produce and inhabitants, and of the flourishing condition of two Settlements of French and German Protestants.

fo. 24.

Account of the quantity and value of goods raised in and exported from the Province of South Carolina from November 1st, 1768, to November 1st, 1769, at the port of Charles Town.

Virginia.

Read an humble petition of Edward Montagu, Esquire, agent for Virginia, praying that advice may be given to that Colony of an application lately made to the Lords of the Treasury for a grant of certain lands in, and part of His Majesty's said Colony.

Ordered, that a copy of the above-mentioned petition be transmitted to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury for their information, as having reference to the application of Mr. Walpole and others, now before that Board.