Journal, December 1779: Volume 86

Journal, December 1779

fo. 235.

Thursday. December 2nd. Present:—The Earl of Carlisle, Mr. Jenyns, Lord Robert Spencer, Mr. Eden, Mr. de Grey, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Gibbon.

Leeward Islands, Antigua.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing that Robert Jeffreson, esquire, may be appointed of the Council for the Island of Antigua, having been prepared pursuant to order, was approved, transcribed and signed.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated November 26th, 1779, referring the petition of Messieurs Baugh, Ames and Company, praying leave to export from Bristol to the Island of Antigua, on board the ship Meredith, seventy five barrels of gunpowder, for the use and defence of the inhabitants.

fo. 236.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the foregoing 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 thereupon having been prepared, was approved, transcribed and signed.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Mr. Robinson to Mr. Cumberland, dated November 30th, 1779, transmitting, by direction of the Lords of the Treasury, the following memorial, to be laid before the Lords of Trade for their opinion what may be fit to be done therein, vizt.,
fo. 237.
The memorial of Messieurs Watson and Rashleigh to the Lords of his Majesty's Treasury, stating, that the Province Legislature of Nova Scotia have lately enforced an old law laying a duty of ten pence per gallon on all rum and spirits, not the growth or produce of Great Britain, and exported immediately from thence; and praying a speedy decision in the matter to regulate their conduct in a cargo now ready to be shipped by them for that province.

Their lordships, having taken the said memorial into consideration, and having referred to the several Acts of Nova Scotia by which the said duty is imposed on rum under the description beforementioned, it was ordered, that the said memorial should be further considered on Tuesday next, and that Mr. Jackson, Governor Legge and the memorialist should be desired to attend.

Plantations General.

fo. 238.

Read a memorial of the principal inhabitants of the Mosquito Shore, for themselves, and on behalf of his Majesty's subjects established there, stating, amongst other things, that Mr. Robert White, agent to the memorialists, had received on the 30th of last month, a message from the Secretary to this Board, acquainting him for his information, that the Lords of Trade had consented to hear Mr. Hodgson by his counsel on the 9th instant, upon the subject of the two memorials exhibited against him on the 11th of September, 1773, and the 14th of June, 1775, and praying that the Board will discharge Mr. Hodgson's present application to be heared; or in case it should be determined to hear him, that the time for such hearing may be greatly inlarged, as the said agent cannot otherwise be prepared by counsel to give their lordships the necessary information on behalf of the memorialists.

Ordered, that the Secretary do confer with Mr. White and Mr. Hodgson, upon the subject of the foregoing application, and report the same to the Board at their next meeting on Tuesday.

fo. 239.

Africa.

Read a letter from Mr. Rutherford. Secretary to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, to Mr. Cumberland, dated November 20th, 1779. transmitting, by the direction of the said Committee, the following paper, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, for their lordships' approbation, vizt.,
Orders and instructions given by the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, to John Roberts, Robert Stubbs, Stuart Beard and James Morgue, esquires, the Governor and Council of Cape Coast Castle, or to their successors, the Governor and Council of Cape Coast Castle for the time being.

fo. 240.

Their lordships having referred to the minute of the 15th of July last, containing his Majesty's commands for their taking into consideration the manner in which the money granted by Parliament for repairing, maintaining and supporting the British forts and settlements on the Coast of Africa for the year 1780, may be applied to the purposes only for which it was granted; and it appearing by the orders and instructions now communicated by the Committee, that their lordships' resolution of the 15th of July last, for the proper investments of the grant of Parliament for the year 1780, has been complied with; and that the said investments were ready to be sent to Africa; and also that the agents going out under the appointment of the Committee, were by their instructions enjoined not to suffer any part of the said investments to be applied to the payment of the arrears of former years, but strictly to be confined to the services of the year 1780, and the surplus, if any, to go over to the year ensuing, did so far approve of the said instructions as being in direct conformity to his Majesty's commands, founded upon the Address of the House of Commons.

fo. 241.

Tuesday, December 7th. Present:—The Earl of Carlisle, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Greville. Mr. Eden, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Gibbon.

Nova Scotia.

Read a memorial of Messieurs Watson and Rashleigh, merchants and partners, to the Board, stating, that on the 18th of last month they had presented to the Treasury a memorial respecting several Acts passed in the Province of Nova Scotia, laying an impost duty of ten pence per gallon on all rum imported into that province, except in particular cases, which memorial they are informed, has been referred to this Board: and praying such relief as their lordships may think proper in the particular circumstances by which the memorialists are affected by the said Acts.

fo. 242.

Mr. Jackson, Governor Legge and Mr. Watson, attending pursuant to order, were called in, and their lordships after some conversation with the said parties upon the policy and effects of the duty imposed by the said Acts, resolved, that the draught of a representation to his Majesty upon the last of the Acts beforementioned, passed in the year 1774, should be prepared, and that mentioned (sic) should be made of the case to the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, in the letter to him, ordered to be prepared by the minute of the 24th of last month.

Plantations General.

fo. 243.

The Secretary reported to the Board the substance of several conversations and some correspondence he had with Mr. White and Mr. Hodgson, pursuant to order on the subject of the memorial presented by Mr. White on the 2nd instant; and amongst other things, informed their lordships that Mr. White would so far depart from the application he had made, as not to appear by his counsel on the day appointed for hearing Mr. Hodgson; and the 9th instant, the day appointed for that purpose, appearing to their lordships, for some reasons, to be inconvenient, they were pleased to fix the said hearing for Monday, the 13th instant, at twelve o'clock, and the Secretary was desired to acquaint Mr. Hodgson and Mr. White therewith.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated December 2nd, 1779, referring to this Board, the petition of Messieurs Baugh, Ames and Company of Bristol, praying leave to export from thence to the Island of St. Christopher's, on board the ship Pilgrim, seventy five barrels of gunpowder, for the use and defence of the inhabitants.

fo. 244.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the foregoing 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 thereupon, having been prepared, was approved, transcribed and signed.

fo. 245.

Saturday, December 11th. Present:—The Earl of Carlisle, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Greville, Mr. Eden, Mr. de Grey, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Gibbon.

Plantations General.

Resolved, that the meeting appointed for Monday next, to hear Mr. Hodgson by his counsel, be postponed until Wednesday next, the 15th instant, at 12 o'clock in the forenoon, and it was directed that Mr. Hodgson and Mr. White should be acquainted therewith.

Nova Scotia.

fo. 246.

Upon a reconsideration of the minute of the 7th instant, respecting the Acts of Nova Scotia, imposing a duty on rum, etc., their lordships directed, that in addition to the letter to the Lieutenant Governor of that province, it should be desired of him to make a return of the quantity of British spirits imported into that province, in order that their lordships may be enabled to form their future opinion upon the said Acts; and it was ordered, that the representation proposed by the minute of the 7th instant, to be made on the said Acts, should, for the present, be suspended; and it was also ordered, that the Secretary do write to Mr. Robinson, in answer to his letter of the 30th of last month, transmitting the memorial of Messieurs Watson and Rashleigh to the Lords of the Treasury, upon the subject of the Acts beforementioned.

Africa.

fo. 247.

Read a letter from Mr. Rutherford, Secretary to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, to Mr. Cumberland, dated December 10th, 1779. transmitting the following paper, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, for their lordships' approbation, vizt.,
Draught of a letter from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated December the 7th, 1779, containing additional orders and instructions to John Roberts, Robert Stubbs, Stuart Beard and James Morgue, esquires, the Governor and Council at Cape Coast Castle, or to their successors, the Governor and Council at Cape Coast Castle, for the time being.

Their lordships, upon perusal of these instructions, observed that they contained the following sentence, vizt.,
fo. 248.
"Our orders and instructions, dated the 10th of last month, as well those which follow, respecting the application of the grant of Parliament to the services of the year 1780 only, have been formed under their lordships' direction."

As the instructions given to the agents, by the Committee, of the 10th of last month, and those now transmitted, do contain various matters of local regulation and arrangement, not referred to the direction of the Board by his Majesty's commands of the 15th of July last: and as it also appeared, that the instructions of the 10th of last month had been so settled by the Committee, that the agents were upon the point of their departure, their lordships resolved, that the Committee should be desired to expunge the sentence before recited, and substitute in its place the following words, vizt.,
fo. 249.
"Such and so many of our orders and instructions of the 10th day of last month, respecting the application of the grant of Parliament for the year 1780, to the purposes only for which it was granted, as likewise those which follow, respecting the application of the said grant, have been formed with their lordships approbation."

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Mr. Knox to Mr. Cumberland, dated December 7th, 1779. transmitting, by direction of Lord George Germain, the following papers received from Nova Scotia, for the consideration of the Board: and also duplicates of two papers received from Quebec, for their lordships' information, vizt.,
fo. 250.
Duplicate of a letter from Lieutenant Governor Hughes to Lord George Germain, dated Halifax, October 22nd, 1779.
fo. 260.
Estimate of the charge of maintaining and supporting the civil establishment of his Majesty's Province of Nova Scotia for the year 1780.
Memorial of Richard Gibbons, esquire, Solicitor General for the Province of Nova Scotia, to the Honourable Richard Hughes, esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of the said province, praying that an adequate salary for his services may be inserted in the estimate for the year 1780.
Quebec.
Duplicate of the minutes of the Council of Quebec, from the 1st of November, 1778, to the 25th of September, 1779.
Duplicate of the Journals of the Legislative Council of Quebec during the session commencing the 11th and ending the 16th of January, 1779.

Nova Scotia.

fo. 251.

Ordered, that the papers beforementioned, received from Nova Scotia, be taken into consideration, when the estimates for the ensuing year shall be before the Board.

fo. 252.

Wednesday, December 15th. Present:—The Earl of Carlisle, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Greville, Mr. Eden, Mr. de Grey, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Gibbon.

Africa.

The Secretary acquainted the Board, that pursuant to order of the 11th instant, he had on that day written to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa.

Nova Scotia.

The draught of a letter to Sir Richard Hughes, baronet, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, having been prepared pursuant to order of the 24th of last month, and the 7th and 11th instant, was approved, transcribed and signed.

Trade.

fo. 253.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated December 14th, 1779, referring the petition of Archibald and William Coats, praying leave to export from Greenock to Jamaica, on board the ship Sharp, five hundred musquets and bayonets, for the use and defence of the inhabitants.

Their lordships, upon consideration of the said 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.

Plantations General.

fo. 254.

fo. 255.

Their lordships, having in pursuance of their resolution of the 1st of July last, and of the minutes of the 24th of November, and 7th and 11th instant, admitted Robert Hodgson, esquire, late Superintendent on the Mosquito Shore, to a hearing upon the matters in charge against him, contained in two memorials of the 11th of November, 1773, and 14th of June, 1775, and he attending pursuant to order, together with Mr. Hargrave, his counsel, and several other gentlemen, they were called in; when Mr. Robert White, agreable to notice given him, attending also, moved the Board to dismiss Mr. Hodgson's hearing agreable to the prayer of his memorial, mentioned in the minutes of the 2nd instant; after some consideration had upon this matter, the parties being withdrawn, it was resolved, that the hearing should go on, unless Mr. White moved to be heared at the same time by his counsel, in which case their lordships would appoint another day; and upon the parties being called in, and this resolution communicated to them, Mr. White consented that the hearing should proceed, upon their lordships acquainting him, that if he wished afterwards to put in an answer to any papers or pleadings on the part of Mr. Hodgson, free leave should be given him for that purpose. This matter being adjusted, Mr. Hargrave desired permission to give in a paper containing a circumstantial detail and defence of Mr. Hodgson's conduct, together with a bundle of vouchers referred to in the said paper, numbered from 1 to 77; and prayed of their lordships to allow of the said papers being read; which being done, they were left on the table; and Mr. White moving for copies of the said papers, order was taken that he be furnished with the same; upon which the parties withdrew.

fo. 256.

Tuesday, December 21st. Present:—The Earl of Carlisle, Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Eden, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Gibbon.

Africa.

Read a letter from Mr. Rutherford, Secretary to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, to Mr. Cumberland, dated December 17th. 1779, transmitting, by direction of the Committee, to be laid before the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations,
Copy of a letter from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, to the Governor and Council at Cape Coast Castle, dated London, 16th December, 1779, containing further orders and directions respecting the proper application of the grant of Parliament for the year 1780.

fo. 257.

Trade.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Privy Council, dated December 17th, 1779, referring to this Board, the petition of Messieurs Ketland and Company of Birmingham, merchants, praying leave to export from Liverpool to Dublin, on board the ship Dublin Packett, eight hundred and fifty guns and bayonets, for the use of several persons therein named.

Ordered that the petitioners' agents be desired to attend the Board.