Journal, April 1776: Volume 83

Journal, April 1776

Tuesday. April 2nd. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene. Mr. Greville, Mr. Eden.

Lord George Germain, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

The following reports to the Lords of the Privy Council having been prepared pursuant to order, were approved and signed, vizt.,
Trade.
Report upon the petition of Robert Hunter, for leave to export military stores to Quebec and Montreal.
Report upon the petition of Richard Morland, for leave to export military stores to Montreal.
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Report upon the petition of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading to Hudson's Bay, for leave to export military stores to the said Bay.

Dominica.

Their lordships took into consideration twelve Acts passed in the Island of Dominica in the years 1774 and 1775, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon; and it was ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty should be prepared, proposing the confirmation of one of the said Acts intituled, an Act for associating the members of his Majesty's Council of this island with the Governor and Commander in Chief for the time being in holding a Court of Chancery, and for regulating the proceedings of the said court.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty be prepared, proposing the disallowance of the Act for regulating the manumission of slaves, etc.

Barbados.

Their lordships took into consideration five Acts passed in the Island of Barbados in the years 1773, 1774 and 1775, together with Mr. Jackson's report thereupon.

fo. 62.

St. Christopher, Nevis, Antigua.

Their lordships also read and considered three Acts passed in the Islands of St. Christopher, Nevis and Antigua in the year 1775, together with Mr. Jackson's reports thereupon.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated March 28th, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of William Wilson, for leave to export to Middleburg 600 musquets, for the African trade, on board the Antwerp packet.

Mr. Wilson attending, and their lordships having entered into an examination of such points as they thought fit to interrogate him upon, were of opinion, that the exportation prayed for should be allowed; and the draught of a report to the Lords of the Council thereupon having been prepared, was approved, transcribed and signed.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated March 22nd, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of James Phynn of London, merchant, for leave to export sundry military stores to the Province of Quebec, for trade.

fo. 63.

Mr. Phynn attending, and their lordships having entered into an examination of such points as they thought fit to interrogate him upon, were of opinion, that the exportation prayed for should be allowed under the restrictions contained in the resolution of the Board, mentioned in the minutes of the 19th of March; and the draught of a report to the Lords of the Council, conformable thereto, having been prepared, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated February 28th, 1776, referring to this Board the petition of Messrs. Campbell and Clarke, for leave to export sundry military stores to the Island of St. John in the Gulph of St. Lawrence, in order to barter with the Indians for furs and skins.

Their lordships upon consideration of the foregoing petition, were of opinion, that it would not be adviseable to recommend the exportation prayed for.

Grenada.

The draught of a letter to the Governor of Grenada. having been prepared pursuant to the minutes of the 19th ultimo, was agreed to transcribed and signed.

fo. 64.

Tuesday. April 23rd. Present:—Mr. Jenyns. Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Keene. Mr. Greville. Mr. Eden.

Senegambia.

Lord George Germain, one of his Majesty principal Secretaries of State. attended and laid before the Board, by his Majesty's command, several letters and papers relative to the state of the Province of Senegambia in Africa, the titles of which are hereafter inserted: and his Lordship signified to the Board his Majesty's commands, that they do take the said papers into their immediate consideration, and after having examined fully into the state of the province and the administration of the government thereof, their lordships do represent to his Majesty their opinion thereupon: and whether it may be adviseable to make any. or if any what alteration in the form and constitution of the government of that province, as at present established.

fo. 65.

Copy of a letter from Matthias McNamara. esquire. Lieutenant Governor of Senegambia, to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Fort Lewis. Senegal. January 26th. 1776. complaining of the conduct of Governor O'Hara: also relative to the state of Fort Lewis, and other matters.
Return of the garrison of Fort Lewis. January 24th. 1776.
Return of African inhabitants with their children, domestics, etc. of the Island of St. Lewis, as given in to the Lieutenant Governor by his order, January 24th. 1776.
Return of guns and carriages, with a state of the buildings belonging to the Crown on Fort Lewis in Senegal, December 6th and 7th. 1775.
Demand of ordnance stores.
Inventory and valuation of the Lord Dartmouth schooner, taken by the masters of vessels in the River Senegal.
Copy of a letter from Thomas Walker to Lieutenant Governor McNamara. dated June 13th. 1775. concerning some expression of Mr. Thomas Price, master of the Lord Dartmouth schooner, and that the said schooner was intended to be lost.
fo. 66.
Return of councillors and others absent without leave.
A return and valuation of furniture left by Governor O'Hara; annexed also is a return of a house and premises on the Island Senegal, the property of government.
Copy of a letter from Lieutenant Governor McNamara to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated Senegal, January 29th, 1776, respecting the state of affairs in his government, and transmitting,
Copy of minutes of Council held at Fort Lewis, the 26th and 27th of January, 1776.
Copy of a power of attorney to Stephen Le Juge from the inhabitants of Senegal.
Copy of a deposition of James Pellegrine of the Island of St. Lewis.

fo. 67.

Ordered, that letters be written to Governor O'Hara; to the agent for the Province of Senegambia; to Mr. Le Juge; and to Captain Campion, who brought over several of the papers from Lieutenant Governor McNamara, desiring their attendance at the Board on Tuesday next, the 30th instant.

Pennsylvania, Connecticut.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the minute of this Board on the 16th of January last, by which the 30th of this month is appointed for a further hearing of the parties interested in the claims set up by the Colony of Connecticut to lands within the reputed boundary of Pennsylvania, agreed that it would not be proper, in the present situation of affairs in North America, to proceed upon that business at the time appointed; and it was ordered that the hearing should be postponed to Saturday, the 30th of November, and notice thereof given to the parties.

Plantations General.

Read an Order of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated August 26th, 1773, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Vernon Hawley, late Captain Lieutenant in the 35th Regiment, to his Majesty, praying for a grant of ten thousand acres of land on the River Ohio, or in any other part of his Majesty's dominions in America.

Ordered, that Captain Hawley be acquainted, that his petition cannot be complied with, on account of the King's Order of Council of the 28th of October, 1773, relative to granting of lands.

fo. 68.

Trade.

Read two Orders of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated the 18th and 22nd of April, 1776, referring to this Board the petitions of Thomas Lynch and John Norton, for leave to export military stores to the Island of Antigua and Barbados.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the above-mentioned petitions, were of opinion, that it would not be adviseable to recommend the exportation prayed for.

Their lordships read and considered the following Orders of the Lords of the Privy Council, vizt.,

Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 12th, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Messrs. Watson and Rashleigh for leave to export to the Province of Quebec certain military stores, on board the ship Canadian.

Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 12th, 1766, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of John Fraser, for leave to export military stores to the Province of Canada.

Trade.

Order of the Lords of the Privy Council. dated April 12th, 1776, referring to this Board a petition of John Strettell, for leave to export military stores to the Province of Quebec.

fo. 69.

Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 12th, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Thomas Pecholier, for leave to export military stores to Nice, on board the ship Lively.

Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 12th, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Isaac and Benjamin Lester, for leave to export certain military stores to Newfoundland, on board the ship Duff.

Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated March 22nd, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of Messrs. Peter Thelusson and Company, for leave to export to Rochelle, by way of Campveer, certain military stores for the Guinea trade.

The parties interested in the above mentioned petitions attending, and their lordships having entered into an examination of such points as they thought fit to interrogate them upon, were of opinion. that the exportation prayed for should be allowed; and draughts of reports to the Lords of the Council thereupon were ordered to be prepared.

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Draughts of reports on the above mentioned petitions of Messrs. Watson and Rashleigh, Strettell and Fraser, having been accordingly prepared, were approved, transcribed and signed.

Africa.

The following letter and paper, received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, were laid before the Board, vizt.,
Copy of a letter from David Mill, esquire, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, to the African Committee, dated November 5th, 1775.
List of shipping, dated Cape Coast Castle, November 5th, 1775.

Dominica.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing the confirmation of an Act passed in the Island of Dominica in October, 1774, for associating the members of his Majesty's Council of this island with the Governor or Commander in Chief for the time being in holding a Court of Chancery, and for regulating the proceedings of the said court, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

fo. 71.

New York, Tobago, St. Vincent's.

Their lordships read and considered several Acts passed in the province of New York, and in the Islands of Tobago and St. Vincent in September 1771. March 1774, and September and November 1775, together with Mr. Jackson's reports thereupon.

Tobago.

Ordered, that the draught of a representation of his Majesty be prepared, proposing the confirmation of two of the abovementioned Acts passed in the Island of Tobago in 1775. intituled,
An Act for the good order and government of slaves, and for repealing an Act of this island, intituled, an Act for the good order and government of slaves, and for keeping them under proper restraint for establishing a method of tryal in capital cases, and other regulations for the greater security of that part of the inhabitants' property.
An Act for establishing a Court of Chancery in this island.

fo. 72.

St. Vincent's.

Ordered, that the draught of a letter to the Governor of St Vincent's be prepared upon the Act passed in that island in September, 1771, for the better regulating the militia.

Tuesday, April 30th. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. Keene, Mr. Eden.

Lord George Germain, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, attends.

Senegambia.

The Board took into further consideration the letters and papers relative to the state of the province of Senegambia, mentioned in the minutes of the 23rd instant, and Governor O'Hara attending, the Board entered into an examination of the several matters therein contained.

fo. 73.

Mr. Le Juge was then called in, and delivered to the Board a petition of the inhabitants of Senegal, relating to the injustice stated to be done them by Governor O'Hara, dated August 22nd, 1775.

Mr. Browne, deputy to Thomas Bullock, esquire, agent of Senegambia, attending, was called in, and the Board had some discourse with him on the affairs of that province.

Governor O'Hara and Mr. Le Juge were desired to attend again on Tuesday next, and it was ordered, that Mr. Hansard, Captain John Campion and Mr. Bullock, agent for Senegambia, should likewise be requested to attend on that day.

Ordered, that a letter be written to the Secretary to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, desiring him to move their lordships to give directions, that the accounts of the issue and expenditure of the monies granted by Parliament for the support of the civil and military establishments of the province of Senegambia, may be communicated to this Board.

Trade.

The following orders of the Lords of the Privy Council were read, vizt.,
fo. 74.
Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 25th, 1776, referring to this Board, for their consideration and report, the petition of James Baril, for leave to export to Havre de Grace, by way of Campveer, certain military stores, on board the first ship that shall offer.
Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 12th, 1776, referring to this Board the petition of Messrs. Chapman and Elyard, for leave to export to Scanderoon certain military stores, on board the ship Olympia.
Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 18th, 1776, referring to this Board the petition of Messrs. Lowbridge and Bright, for leave to export to the Island of Jamaica certain military stores, on board the ship Caledonia.
Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated April 22nd, 1776, referring to this Board the petition of David Grant, for leave to export to the province of Quebec certain military stores, on board the ship Race Horse.

fo. 75.

The parties interested in the above mentioned petitions attending, and their lordships having entered into an examination of such points as they thought fit to interrogate them upon, were of opinion, that the exportation prayed for should be allowed: and it was ordered, that draughts of reports there upon to the Lords of the Council should be prepared.

Dominica.

Read a letter from Thomas Shirley, esquire, Governor of Dominica, to the Board, dated November 2nd, 1775, relative to his having suspended Mr. Seaman, one of the members of his Majesty's Council for that island, with his reasons for so doing, and inclosing,
A summons to Robert Seaman, esquire, to attend the Council, September 21st. 1775.
Mr. Smyth's letter to Mr. Seaman, September 21st, 1775.
Copy of a message from the Assembly to Governor Shirley, October 7th, 1775.
A summons to Mr. Seaman, 2nd of October, 1775.
State of his Majesty's Council at Dominica, November 2nd, 1775.