Journal, December 1773: Volume 80

Journal, December 1773

fo. 162.

Thursday, December 2. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Africa.

The draught of an answer to the memorials of the Commissaries of the West India Company of the United Provinces is further considered, and the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa attending, their Lordships had some discourse with them touching the meaning and intention of those words in the latter part of the 7th Article of the Convention of 1708 for adjusting differences upon the coast of Africa which relate to passports.

fo. 163.

The Committee not being able to give any satisfactory elucidation of those words, they were desired to refer to, and consult the book of the old Royal African Company of England, and to attend the Board again on Tuesday next.

Trade, India.

Read a letter to Mr. Pownall from the Secretary to the directors of the India Company, requesting copies of some papers relative to the cession of Bombay in 1672.

Ordered, that the Secretary do give the said directors copies of such papers as he shall think may be necessary for their information in respect to the business stated in Mr. Michell's letter.

fo. 164.

Thursday, December 9. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne. The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Africa.

The Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa attending were examined touching the matters proposed to them at the last meeting, and they produced the following papers for the information of the Board, which were read, vizt.:
Copy of a letter from Gilbert Petrie, Esquire, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated December 31st, 1768.

fo. 165.

At the same time they acquainted the Board, that they had not found any thing on the books of the late Royal African Company of England, that explains the meaning and intention of the words in the latter part of the 7th article of the Convention of 1708.

The Committee being withdrawn, Lord Dartmouth stated to the Board some transactions between His Majesty's Minister at Lisbon and the Minister of that Court respecting the trade with Portuguese vessels on the coast of Africa, in which it is asserted by the Portuguese, that all trade between their subjects and the subjects of any other foreign power whatever upon the coast of Africa is clandestine, and a violation of their right and law.

fo. 166.

Trade.

The draught of the answer to the memorials of the Commissaries of the Dutch West India Company is further considered, and several alterations and corrections made therein.

Read a letter from Edward Stanley, Esquire, Secretary to the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, to the Secretary to this Board, dated December 7th, 1773, desiring to be informed, whether, if their Lordships can wait till the account of the number of ships and their tonnage, required by his letter of the 30th ultimo, can be made up, they will give orders for paying the several persons employed in preparing it.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit a copy of the said letter to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and signify the request of this Board, that they would give directions for paying the expence of preparing the account mentioned in Mr. Stanley's letter.

fo. 167.

Ordered, that the Secretary do acquaint Mr. Stanley therewith, for the information of the Commissioners of the Customs.

South Carolina.

Their Lordships observing upon the Journals of the Lower House of South Carolina, lately transmitted, certain transactions respecting the committment of a printer by the Upper House of Assembly; his discharge by two Justices; and the resolutions of the Lower House thereupon; it was ordered, that the said transactions should be extracted to be laid before His Majesty in Council; and it was ordered, that the Secretary should transmit the said extract to the Clerk of the Council in waiting.

fo. 168.

Monday, December 13. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Africa.

Their Lordships took into further consideration the memorials of the Commissaries of the United Provinces, and an answer thereto having been agreed to and signed by their Lordships' order by the Secretary, the Earl of Dartmouth was requested to communicate it to Count Welderen.

South Carolina.

Read a memorial of the agent of South Carolina to the Board, dated 13th December, 1773, praying liberty to inspect sundry papers relative to the constitution of the Council in the administration of Governor Nicholson.

fo. 169.

Ordered, that Mr. Garth have liberty to inspect the papers referred to in his memorial.

Monday, December 20. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer.

Africa.

fo. 170.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attended, and acquainted the Board, that he had, pursuant to their Lordships' request, communicated to Count Welderen their memorial, in answer to those delivered by the Commissaries of the West India Company of the United Provinces, on the subject of the disputes which have arisen between that Company and the English African Company, respecting commerce and possession upon the coast of Africa; and that, in consequence thereof, his Lordship had received from the said Commissaries, through the channel of Count Welderen, a proposition in writing touching the commerce with Portuguese vessels, and his Lordship desired the sentiments of the Board upon the said proposition.

fo. 171.

fo. 172.

fo. 173.

The proposition was accordingly read and considered, and their Lordships being unanimously of opinion, that the said proposition, in so far as it deviates from the reciprocal freedom of commerce with foreign vessels, insisted upon by the Board, is inadmissible, Lord Dartmouth was requested to communicate that opinion to Count Welderen; and that, through him, it may be made known to the Commissaries of the West India Company of the United Provinces, that however desirous their Lordships are that the matter in negotiation should terminate to the mutual satisfaction of both Companies, yet, that the reciprocal freedom of commerce with foreigners upon the Gold Coast of Africa is so essential to the honour and interest of the Nation, that it cannot be departed from; and therefore it is hoped, that the Commissaries of the West India Company of the United Provinces will acquiesce with what has been proposed by this Board on that head: in which case their Lordships, without drawing into question or further discussion the right of each party to make such regulations as shall be judged proper in respect to foreign vessels trading to the ports or factories, or putting themselves under the protection of each respectively, will recommend, that the most positive instructions be given by the English African Company, that their officers and servants shall not obstruct, nor take possession of any foreign vessel arriving on the coast of Africa, and declaring her intention to trade at a Dutch factory, nor protect such foreign vessel against the observance, or in violation of any regulation, to which such vessel may be subject, after her arrival at any factory of the West India Company of the United Provinces, or after she shall have put herself under the protection of their officers and servants; and farther, that the officers and servants of the said English African Company shall not molest nor disturb, in any manner whatever, any foreign vessel which shall be trading at any factories of the West India Company of the United Provinces, or which shall have put herself under the protection of their officers or servants; provided, at the same time, that the like instructions be given by the West India Company of the United Provinces to their officers and servants, in respect to foreign vessels, declaring their intention to trade with the English, and actually trading at any of the factories of the English African Company, or having put themselves under the protection of their officers and servants.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, for their information, a copy of the Board's memorial of the 13th instant, in answer to the memorials of the Commissaries of the West India Company of the United Provinces, together with copies of the foregoing minute, and of the proposition made by the Dutch Commissaries therein referred to.

Plantations General.

fo. 174.

Duplicates of letters and papers received by the Earl of Dartmouth from the Governors and other Officers in His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations in America, relative to publick proceedings in the said Colonies for some time passed, were communicated to the Board, and the said letters and papers were read, and ordered to be bound up under the several heads, to which they belong.

The Secretary laid before the Board publick Acts and Proceedings of the Legislatures of the Colonies in America, the titles of which are as follows, vizt.:
Quebec.
Minutes of the Council of Quebec from the 1st of April to the 30th of June, 1773.
Do: from the 29th of January to the 31st of March, 1773.
Do: from July 2nd to September 30th, 1773.
Copy of the minutes of Council of the 2nd and 4th of August, 1773.
An Ordinance on fires passed May 22nd, 1773.
Copy of an Ordinance for establishing a Court of Appeals during the absence of the present Chief Justice, etc., passed September 1st, 1773.
fo. 175.
Nova Scotia.
Minutes of the Council of Nova Scotia from July 2nd to November 26th, 1772.
Journal of Council in Assembly from April 20th to the 24th, 1773.
Printed Journal of Assembly for the same time.
Five Acts passed in April, 1773.
New Hampshire.
Minutes of the Council in the Province of New Hampshire from December 22nd, 1772, to May 29th, 1773.
Journal of the Governor, Council, and Assembly from November 24th, 1772, to February 10th, 1773.
Do: from the 11th to the 29th of May, 1773.
Twenty Acts passed in January, February and May, 1773.
Naval Office lists of ships and vessels entered and cleared in the port of Piscataqua, from the 10th of October, 1772, to the 5th of January, 1773.
fo. 176.
Massachusetts.
Printed Journal of the House of Representatives of Massachusets Bay from May 27th, 1772, to March 6th, 1773.
New York.
Minutes of the Council in Assembly for the Province of New York from January 5th to March 8th, 1773.
Printed Journal of Assembly for the same time.
Sixty seven Acts passed in February and March, 1773.
Printed copies of the said Acts.
Minutes of Council in the State Department from January 4th to April 5th, 1773.
Do: in the Department of Lands, etc., for the same time.
Virginia.
Minutes of the Council in Assembly for the Colony of Virginia from the 4th to the 15th of March, 1773.
fo. 177.
Sixteen Acts passed in the Colony of Virginia in March, 1773.
Seven resolves.
Journal of the House of Burgesses from March 4th to the 15th, 1773.
Lists of ships and vessels entered and cleared in the several ports of Virginia from December 24th, 1771, to April 5th, 1773.
Minutes of Council from 28th of February to 27th July, 1772.
Printed copies of sixteen Acts passed in March, 1773.
North Carolina.
Journal of the Council in Assembly of North Carolina from January 25th to March 6th, 1773.
Journal of Assembly for the same time.
Estimate of the expence of the Upper House of Assembly held at Newbern, the 25th of January, 1773.
fo. 178.
Estimate of the expences incurred at an Assembly begun and held at Newbern, the 25th of January. 1773.
Copies of the Laws rejected in January session, 1773.
Thirty four Laws passed in March, 1773.
Copies of seventeen Laws rejected by the Governor.
Minutes of Council from August 22nd, 1772, to May 24th, 1773.
South Carolina.
Journals of the Commons House of Assembly of South Carolina from the 2nd to the 10th of April, 1772.
Do: from the 8th of October to the 10th of November, 1772.
Do: from the 1st to the 9th of January, 1773.
List of all the grants recorded in the Secretary's Office from November 1st, 1772, to April 30th, 1773.
fo. 179.
Minutes of Council from January 1st, 1772, to December 4th, following.
Journals of the Commons House of Assembly from February 17th to September 13th, 1773.
East Florida.
Minutes of the Council of East Florida on the 2nd and 20th of August, 1773.
West Florida.
Minutes of the Council of West Florida from September 21st to December 15th, 1772.
Do: from January 18th to April 19th, 1773.
Do: from May 5th to July 10th, 1773.
Bermuda.
Minutes of Council in Assembly for the Bermuda Islands from June 10th, 1771, to December 15th, 1772.
Minutes of Council from November 5th, 1771, to December 15th, 1772.
Journal of Assembly from 5th of August, 1771, to December 15th, 1772.
fo. 180.
Leeward Islands, Antigua.
Minutes of the Council of Antigua from October 22nd, 1772, to March 18th, 1773.
Minutes of Assembly for the same time.
List of Births and Funerals in the Island of Antigua from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Do: from February 1st to October 1st, 1772.
List of Negroes imported for the same time.
Powder Officer's Account for the same time.
Return of the Forts, Batteries and Guardhouses, February 1st, 1773.
Account of Negroes imported into the Island of Antigua from 1st of October, 1772, to the 1st of April, 1773.
Powder Officer's Accounts from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Two Acts passed in March and July, 1773.
fo. 181.
St. Christopher's.
Minutes of Council from December 11th, 1772, to March 26th, 1773.
Minutes of Assembly from November 4th, 1772, to March 26th, 1773.
List of Births and Funerals from February 1st to October 1st, 1772.
List of Negroes imported at the port of Basseterre in St. Christopher's, from the 5th of January to the 1st of October, 1772.
Return of the Forts, Batteries, etc., February 1st, 1773.
List of Births and Funerals from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Account of new Negroes imported into the port of Basseterre, from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Powder Officer's Account for the same time.
Two Acts passed in June and July, 1773.
Nevis.
fo. 182.
Minutes of Council from December 9th, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Do: of Assembly from December 9th, 1772, to January 28th, 1773.
List of Births and Burials from February 1st to October 1st, 1772.
Do: from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Powder Officer's Account from March 21st to October 1st, 1772.
Return of the Forts, Batteries, etc., February 1st, 1773.
Powder Officer's Account from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Montserrat.
Minutes of Council from October 3rd, 1772, to March 31st, 1773.
Do: of Assembly for the same time.
List of Births and Funerals from February 1st to October 1st, 1772.
Do: from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
fo. 183.
List of Negroes imported from February 1st to October 1st, 1772.
Do: from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Powder Officer's Account from May 4th to September 1st, 1772.
Do: from October 1st, 1772, to April 1st, 1773.
Return of the Forts, Batteries, etc., February 1st, 1773.
Two Acts passed in May, 1773.
Two Acts passed in August, 1773.
Dominica.
Five Acts passed in Dominica in August, 1773.
Tobago.
Minutes of Council of Tobago from March 24th, 1772, to January 21st, 1773.
Three Acts passed in Tobago in March and September, 1772.
fo. 184.
St. John's.
Journal of the Council in Assembly from the 7th to the 16th of July, 1773.
Thirteen Acts passed in the Island of St. John in July, 1773.