Journal, February 1774: Volume 81

Journal, February 1774

fo. 12.

Monday, February 7. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene.

Dominica, Bahamas.

The Earl of Dartmouth, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends, and his Lordship acquainted the Board, that his Majesty had been pleased to appoint Thomas Shirley, Esquire, Governor of the Bahama Islands, to be Governor of Dominica, in the room of Sir William Young, who has resigned; and also to appoint Montfort Browne, Esquire, to be Governor of the Bahama Islands, in the room of Mr. Shirley; and his Lordship signified the King's commands, that this Board should prepare and lay before his Majesty, draughts of Commissions for the said Governors, and also draughts of such instructions as they should think fit to be given to them.

fo. 13.

The draughts of Commissions for the Governors of Dominica and the Bahama Islands having been accordingly prepared, were approved, and representations to his Majesty thereupon were signed.

Trade.

Read a letter to Mr. Pownall from Mr. Hanley, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, dated the 29th ultimo, inclosing,
An account of the value of goods exported from England from Christmas, 1768, to Christmas, 1771, distinguishing each year, and the places to which exported.

Newfoundland.

Read a memorial of the Society of Unitas fratrum, established at Lindsey House, accompanying a report of the state of their establishment upon the coast of Labrador, and praying, that they may have permission to form establishments at two other places upon the said coast.

fo. 14.

Their lordships took the said memorial and report into consideration, and the proposal of the said Society appearing to their lordships to be reasonable and proper, it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon should be prepared.

Virginia.

Read two orders of his Majesty in Council, dated the 19th of November last, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, two petitions, the one of the Earl of Dunmore, the other of Captain Edward Foy of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, praying for grants of land in the back parts of the colony of Virginia.

Ordered, that the draughts of reports to the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs upon the said petitions be prepared.

fo. 15.

Thursday, February 10. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene.

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

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

His Lordship signified the King's commands, that this Board do prepare, and lay before the House of Commons, estimates of the sums necessary for the support of the civil establishments of the colonies of Senegambia, Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida and West Florida, and for general Surveys of his Majesty's dominions in America, for the year 1774.

The several estimates having been prepared, were agreed to, and Mr. Gascoyne was desired to present them to the House of Commons, pursuant to his Majesty's commands.

fo. 16.

Monday, February 14. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene.

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

Barbados.

Mr. Walker, the agent for Barbados, attending without, was called in, and he presented to the Board a memorial stating the advantages of making that island a free port under certain limitations and restrictions, and prayed their lordships' support in Parliament to an application he was instructed by his constituents to make on that subject.

The memorial having been read, their lordships acquainted Mr. Walker, that, as what was suggested in his memorial was a weighty and very high concern, they should give no opinion upon it as a Board, but that they should not fail, as members of Parliament, to give attention to the proposition, whenever it should be brought forward.

fo. 17.

Africa.

Read a petition of George Vaughan Heydon, stating complaints against the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa and their servants on the coast, and praying the Board would take cognizance thereof, pursuant to the powers vested in them by the statute of the 23rd of the late King, cap. 31.

Ordered, that the Secretary do transmit a copy of said petition to Mr. Jackson, and desire his opinion, whether the complaints therein stated are of such a nature that the Board either can or ought to take cognizance thereof on the ground on which it is desired.

Newfoundland.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the petition of the traders of Newfoundland, complaining of the establishment of a Custom House there, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed, and Lord Dartmouth was requested to lay it before the King.

fo. 18.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty in Council upon the petition of the Society of the Unitas fratrum respecting their establishments in Labrador, having been also prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

Proprieties, Pennsylvania.

Read an order of the King in Council, dated February 2nd, 1774, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, fifteen Acts passed in Pennsylvania in February, 1773.

Ordered, that the Laws mentioned in the above order of reference be sent to Mr. Jackson, for his opinion in point of law.

Trade, East India.

Read an order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated January 25th, 1774, referring to this Board, for their examination and report, an account of the East India Company's exports from September 29th, 1772, to September 29th, 1773.

fo. 19.

Massachusetts.

Their lordships read and considered twenty seven Acts passed in the province of Massachusets Bay in February and March, 1773, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon, and it was ordered, that draughts of reports to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon should be prepared pursuant to their lordships' orders of reference of the 19th of May and 30th of June, 1773.

Monday, February 21. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene.

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

Massachusetts.

fo. 20.

Read a petition of James Duncan and others to the Board, praying their lordships to make a return to an order of the King in Council of the 4th of February, 1764, respecting the right of the province of Massachusets Bay to make grants of lands within the territory of Sagadehock.

Ordered, that the subject matter of the said petition be taken into consideration on this day se'nnight, and that Mr. Jackson be desired to attend.

North Carolina.

Bermuda.

South Carolina.

Representations to his Majesty were signed recommending that Thomas McGuire and Willie Jones, Esquires, may be appointed of the Council of North Carolina, in the room of Marmaduke Jones, Esquire, and Sir Nathaniel Duckenfield, who have resigned; that John Hinson, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council of Bermuda, in the room of Leonard White, Esquire, deceased; and that Thomas Irving, Esquire, may be appointed of the Council of South Carolina.

fo. 21.

Monday, February 28. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene.

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

Massachusetts.

Their lordships read and considered the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon an Act passed in the province of Massachusets Bay in February, 1773, to regulate the sale of goods by publick vendue, prepared pursuant to order. and the said draught having been approved, was ordered to be transcribed.

Plantations General.

Read a memorial of Mr. de Brahm, Surveyor General of lands for the Southern district of North America, praying an allowance for the purchase of instruments, and that a vessel may be ap pointed to attend him on his survey.

fo. 22.

Mr. de Brahm attending, was called in and acquainted, that provision had been made upon the estimate for general surveys for the purchase of instruments for his use, and that their lordships would further consider of that part of his memorial, which relates to the vessel to attend him on his surveys.

Ordered, that enquiry be made what steps were taken in regard to the appointment of the vessel which attends the Surveyor General for the Northern district.

Massachusetts.

It was ordered, that the consideration of the petition of James Duncan and others, relative to the township granted by the province of Massachusets Bay, east of Penobscot, should be postponed.