Journal, February 1779: Volume 86

Journal, February 1779

Thursday. February 4th. Present:—Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Eden.

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

Trade.

Read the following Orders of the Lords of the Privy Council, vizt.,
fo. 21.
Order dated January 26th, 1779, referring the petition of William Elyard, praying leave to export to Gibraltar, on board the ship Dolphin. certain military stores therein specified, for the use of a privateer.
Order dated February 4th, 1779, referring to this Board the petition of William Richards, praying leave to export to Halifax, on board the ship Sally, certain military stores therein specified, for the use of a privateer.
Order dated February 1st, 1779, referring to this Board the petition of James Phyn, praying leave to export to Canada, on board the ship Detroit, certain military stores therein mentioned, for the Indian trade.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the three foregoing petitions, were of opinion, that the exportation prayed for should be allowed; and the draughts of three reports to the Lords of the Privy Council thereupon having been prepared, were approved, transcribed and signed.

fo. 22.

Tuesday. February 9th. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Greville, Mr. de Grey.

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

St. Vincent's.

The Secretary acquainted the Board, that Mr. Fraser and Mr. Keane had made application to him for copies of the papers respecting the complaints of Valentine Morris, esquire, Governor of the Island of St. Vincent, which he had not given, as it did not appear, that either of the said gentlemen were appointed agent for the said island; but Mr. Fraser, who attended, having exhibited letters of appointment from the Speaker of the Assembly, written by order of that body, the copies required were directed to be made out.

fo. 23.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following papers received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, vizt.,
Anno 1777. An account of the money received and expended by the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, for the support and improvement of the forts and settlements on the said Coast.
Orders and regulations relating to forts and settlements in Africa, and the government of the officers and servants imployed therein in the years 1777, and 1778.
Copy of the humble petition of the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, to the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled.

Senegambia.

fo. 24.

Read a letter from Sir Grey Cooper to Mr. Cumberland, dated January 26th, 1779, acquainting him, that upon reading a memorial of Mr. Hansard to the Lords of the Treasury, stating, that there is due to Mr. Wallace the sum of £1161 17s. 4¼d. for contingent expences incurred by him on account of the Lord Dartmouth, armed show; and also a certificate of stores supplied the said vessel in Senegambia amounting to the sum of £381 3s. 8d., he was ordered to transmit the said papers to the Board of Trade, for their Lordships' opinion thereupon.

Read a memorial of Mr. Thomas Wallace to the Board, praying to be heard upon the subject of his demands on the Treasury, mentioned in the foregoing minutes.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of the above letter and memorial, were of opinion, that as there are no papers or accounts in their office relative to the charge in question, answer should be returned by the Secretary to Sir Grey Cooper, submitting it to their Lordships of the Treasury to act in the matter as they shall see fit.

fo. 25.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Richard Bulkeley, esquire, to Mr. Cumberland, dated Halifax, August 31st, 1778, transmitting the following papers to be laid before the Lords of Trade, vizt.,
Memorandum in answer to a letter from the Lords of Trade (12th June, 1777), respecting an application from the inhabitants of Lunenburg for grants of lands without paying the fees of office.
List of the members of his Majesty's Council for Nova Scotia, dated June 30th, 1778.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Mr. Knox to Mr. Cumberland, dated December 8th. 1778, transmitting, by direction of Lord George Germain.
Extract of a letter from Lieutenant Governor Hughes to Lord George Germain, dated Halifax. 29th August, 1778.
Estimate of the civil establishment of Nova Scotia for the year 1779.

fo. 26.

Read a memorial of Jonathan Binney, esquire, Chief Magistrate of the District of Canso, and one of the members of the Council for the Province of Nova Scotia, to the Board, stating his services, (confirmed by a certificate annexed signed by part of the Council for that province) by enforcing the laws made for protecting and encouraging the fishery and trade at Canso: and in bringing in good order and subjection great numbers of disaffected French Acadians: and praying their lordships to take his case into their consideration, and grant him such a salary as they shall think fit.

Their Lordships at the same time read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated 11th March. 1777, referring to this Board the petition of Jonathan Binney, esquire, touching certain sums of money due to him for his salary and otherwise as Superintendant, etc., of a fishery at Canso in the Province of Nova Scotia, and praying payment of the same.

fo. 27.

Ordered, that the draught of a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia be prepared, recommending that the request of Mr. Binney contained in his memorial to the Board may be considered as matter of provincial concern, and if proper to be done, that some allowance for him may be proposed to the Assembly of the province.

Plantations General.

Mr. Des Barres attended, and delivered to the Board the two following papers, vizt.
A paper marked A, containing an account of the whole number of plates of which his work intituled. The Atlantic Neptune, will consist; with an account of the number of plates for which the House of Commons has been pleased already to make him allowance.
A paper marked B. containing an account of such of the plates as are now in hand. and will be ready to be published in four or five months.

fo. 28.

Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida, West Florida, St. John's, Senegambia.

Plantations General.

The Secretary informed the Board, that Lord North had, by him, requested their Lordships to prepare and lay before the House of Commons, estimates of such sums as will be necessary for supporting the civil establishments of Nova Scotia. Georgia, East Florida. West Florida, and the Island of St. John in North America, and the Province of Senegambia in Africa; and also for continuing the service of the general Surveys of his Majesty's Dominions in America for the year 1779.

Their Lordships having thereupon taken into their consideration the said estimates, and having considered such of the foregoing papers as relate thereto, the several sums necessary to be asked of Parliament were agreed to, and draughts of the estimates were accordingly ordered to be prepared.

West Florida.

Read a memorial of Doctor William Gordon, chaplain of Mobile in the Province of West Florida, to the Board, praying that their Lordships will be pleased to recommend a grant of two thousand acres of land on the River Mobile, to be given to him.

fo. 29.

Trade.

Read a letter from Wyndham Beawes, esquire, to the Board dated St. Lucar, December 31st, 1778, transmitting,
A list of ships arrived at St. Lucar, from the 1st of January, to the last of December, 1778, with their loading and reloading.

The following Orders of the Lords of the Privy Council were read, vizt.,
Order dated February 4th, 1779, referring the petition of Richard Morland, praying leave to export certain military stores to Quebec, on board the ship Montreal, for the Indian trade.
Order dated February 8th, 1779, referring the petition of Amos Hayton, for leave to export certain military stores to Quebec, on board the ship General Haldimand, for the Indian trade.
fo. 30.
Order dated February 8th, 1779, referring the petition of John Bennet, praying leave to export to the Island of Grenada, certain military stores, on board the ship Marquis of Rockingham, for the use of some of the officers of the militia of that island.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of the three foregoing petitions, were of opinion, that the exportation prayed for should be allowed; and the draughts of three reports to the Lords of the Privy Council thereupon having been prepared, were approved, transcribed and signed.

Quebec.

Mr. Gascoyne laid before the Board a paper which he had prepared containing heads of several matters proper to be delivered in the representation upon the case of Mr. Livius; and their Lordships coinciding with him in opinion upon several observations contained in the said paper, directed, that the draught of the representation to his Majesty under consideration of the Board, should be made conformable to the said observations presented by Mr. Gascoyne, and agreed to by the rest of their lordships.

fo. 31.

Tuesday, February 16th. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Lord Robert Spencer, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. Greville, Mr. Eden, Mr. de Grey.

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

Trade.

Read the following Orders of the Lords of the Privy Council, vizt.,
Order dated February 11th, 1779, referring the petition of Robert Hunter, praying leave to export to Quebec, on board the ship Betsy, sundry military stores, for trade in that province.
Order dated February 12th, 1779. referring the petitions of Messieurs Hardy and Monkland, praying leave to export sword blades to the East Indies, on board the ship Sandwich, for the use of the captain and officers of the said ship as their private trade.
fo. 32.
Order dated 15th February, 1779. referring the petition of Messieurs Graham and Simpson, praying leave to export to East Florida, on board the ship Betsy, certain military stores, for trade in that province.
Order dated February 15th, 1779, referring the petition of Robert Mangles, praying leave to export certain military stores to Guernsey, on board the ship Princess of Orange, for the use of Letters of Marque fitting out in that island.

Their Lordships having approved of the above petitions, four reports to the Lords of the Privy Council were prepared and signed.

Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida, West Florida, St. John's, Plantations General, Senegambia.

fo. 33.

The draughts of the estimates of the sums necessary for the support of the civil establishments of the Colonies of Nova Scotia, Georgia, East Florida, and West Florida, and the Island of St. John in North America; and for the general Surveys of his Majesty's Dominions in America for the year 1779, having been prepared pursuant to order, were approved, together with the estimate of the civil establishment of the Province of Senegambia in Africa, to which an addition of one hundred pounds was made for the salary of a Provost Marshall, whose appointment was signified to the Board by Lord George Germain on the 20th of August last.

Mr. Gascoyne having been desired to present the several estimates beforementioned to the House of Commons, pursuant to his Majesty's commands, it was ordered, that the Secretary do write to Mr. Robinson, and transmit copies of the above estimates to him, together with a paper noticing the particulars in which they differ from the estimates of last year, for the information of the Lords of the Treasury.

fo. 34.

Tuesday, February 23rd. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. Greville, Mr. Eden, Mr. de Grey.

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

St. Vincent's.

Read a letter from Valentine Morris, esquire, Governor of the Island of St. Vincent, to the Board, dated December 29th, 1778, complaining of the seditious disposition of many of the Assembly of that island, and transmitting,
A printed Gazette of the Island of St. Vincent, dated December 26th, 1778. containing several resolutions of the Assembly, and a proclamation for dissolving the same.

Ordered, that the Secretary do write to Thomas de Grey, esquire, and transmit the Gazette abovementioned, for the information of Lord George Germain.

fo. 35.

West Florida.

Read a letter from Mr. Knox to Mr. Cumberland, dated February 16th, 1779, transmitting, by direction of Lord George Germain, the following papers to be laid before the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, vizt.,
Memorial of the proprietors and settlers of land in the Province of West Florida, and of the merchants trading thereto, and of others connected with, and interested in the prosperity of the said province, to Lord George Germain, stating the natural advantages of that province; the value of its trade; the practicability of increasing that trade; and the necessity of establishing Courts of inferior Jurisdiction in the settlements on the Mississippi, particularly at the Natchez.
fo. 36.
Memorial of several merchants and others interested in the Province of West Florida, to Lord George Germain, setting forth the importance of that colony to the mother country, and the great discouragement given to those who wish to become settlers, by the illegal and exorbitant fees demanded upon grants of lands, which are stated, by a table, to have increased at different periods, until the fees taken exceed the value of the lands; and praying, that orders may be given to the civil officers of that province, to demand no other fees than those established by the Governor and Council in the year 1765.

fo. 37.

Read extracts from several letters received from West Florida, complaining of the exorbitant fees exacted by the civil officers of that province upon grants of lands, and a memorial of the settlers and proprietors of lands, etc., in West Florida, to the Board, stating the great loss of time, and the trouble and expence to which the inhabitants are subjected, by being obliged to attend the courts at Pensacola in prosecution of their just demands; and the necessity of some establishment for these purposes in other parts of the province, particularly at the Natches; and praying, that the Board will take the matter into their consideration, and move his Majesty to afford such relief, as in his wisdom, shall seem fit.

fo. 38.

Lord George Germain having signified to the Board, that the necessary orders have been given for establishing military posts in the interior parts of the Province of West Florida, where they were thought most proper to conduce to the defence of the province, their Lordships resolved, that the foregoing memorials and papers respecting the establishment of inferior Courts of Judicature, and the regulation of fees upon grants of lands in the Province of West Florida, be taken into consideration on Tuesday next; and the Secretary was directed to desire the attendance of such of the subscribers to the said memorials, who might wish to be heard.

Africa.

The Secretary laid before the Board the following paper received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, vizt.,
fo. 39.
Copy of a resolution of the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated February 18th, 1779, respecting the difference in the valuation of goods sent out to Africa, and issued there in the years 1758 and 1774. explained by an account, by which it appears that the publick sustained a loss of 40 percent.: by the officers and servants in Africa having taken upon them to alter the prices.

Quebec.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the case of Peter Livius, esquire, Chief Justice of the Province of Quebec, having been prepared conformable to the order of the 9th instant, was approved and ordered to be transcribed.

fo. 40.

Friday, February 26th. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Jolliffe, Mr. de Grey.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated February 23rd, 1779, referring to this Board, the petition of John Strettle, praying leave to export to Quebec, on board the ship Quebec. sundry military stores therein specified, for trade in that province.

Their Lordships, upon consideration of the above petition, were of opinion, that the exportation prayed for should be allowed: and the draught of a report to the Lords of the Privy Council having been prepared, was approved, transcribed and signed.

fo. 41.

Read the two following Orders of the Lords of the Privy Council, vizt.,
Order dated February 22nd. 1779. referring the petition of John Ingram, praying leave to export to New York. on board the ships Diana and Camberwell. sundry ordnance and military stores, for the use of several privateers belonging to Messieurs Bartlett and Goodrick.
Order dated February 22nd. 1779. referring the petition of George Mackreth. praying leave to export sundry ordnance and stores to New York, on board the ship Commerce. for the purpose of arming vessels.

Their Lordships having some doubt respecting the propriety of recommending the exportation prayed for by the two foregoing petitions. it was ordered, that the petitioners do attend the Board on Tuesday next.