Journal, May 1719: Journal Book V

Journal, May 1719

May 1. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. Bladen.

New England.

Letter to Colonel Shute.

The draught of a letter to Col. Shute, Governor of the Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire, was agreed and ordered to be transcribed.

Trade.

Letter to Mr. Tigh.

The draught of a letter from the Secry. to Mr. Tigh, Consul at Elsinore, was agreed and ordered to be sent.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Gee, &c.

Act.

Representation.

Mr. Joshua Gee and others attending, and desiring the Board would please to lay before His Majesty, as soon as may be, their report upon an Act passed in Pennsylvania in 1718, intituled An Act for the advancement of Justice and more certain administration thereof, (mentioned in the Minutes of the 6th March last), in order to His Majesty's confirmation of the said Act. The draught of a representation for that purpose was agreed and signed.

May 5. Present:—Mr. Docminique, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. Bladen.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Carkesse.

Admeasurement of ships.

A letter from Mr. Carkesse, dated this day, desiring, for the use of the Commissrs. of the Customs, a copy of the rule agreed on formerly at this Board for the admeasurement of ships, was read. And an extract of a Representation of the 5th January, 1707–8, upon that subject was ordered to be sent him.

Virginia.

Leeward Islands.

Negroes imported from St. Eustatia.

Letter to Mr. West.

Upon further consideration of paragraph I of the letter from General Hamilton, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated the 10th of September, 1718, relating to negroes being imported from the Dutch Plantation of Eustatia into his Government. Ordered that a copy of the said paragraph be sent to Mr. West, one of His Majesty's Council at Law, for his opinion thereupon.

Trade.

Trade to Denmark and Norway.

Letter from Sir Benjamin Ayloff.

Letter to Sir Benjamin Ayloff.

Then their Lordps. took into consideration several papers relating to the abuses and grievances in the British trade to Denmark and Norway &c. And an abstract thereof was read, as likewise a letter from Sir Benjamin Ayloff, Governor of the Russia Company, dated the 21st of the last month, on the same subject. Whereupon their Lordps. made several observations and ordered the same to be transcribed, together with a state of the said grievances. In the meantime ordered that the 6th article of the paper from Mr. Tigh junior, intituled, Abstract of Abuses to the British Trade into Denmark and passing the Sound, mentioned in the Minutes of the 24th July last, relating to the difference of computing the weight of goods from Riga and from Petersburgh, be sent to Sir Benjamin Ayloff, for his opinion thereupon.

May 6. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Pulteney.

Trade.

Treaty with Denmark.

Their Lordships took again into consideration the Treaty of Commerce concluded with Denmark in the year 1679, as also the grievances complained of by the merchants in the trade to Norway and Denmark, and made progress therein.

Letter to Commissioners of Customs.

Ordered that a copy of the 7th Article of the said Treaty be sent to the Commissrs. of His Majesty's Customs for their opinion thereupon.

May 7. Present:—Earl of Holderness, Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Molesworth, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. Bladen.

Massachusets Bay.

Act.

Letter to Mr. Burchet.

Letter to Mr. Carkesse.

Upon further consideration of the Acts passed in the Massachusets Bay in 1716, intituled An Act in addition to the Act for regulating fees made in the 4th of King William and Queen Mary, stating the fees of the Officers of the Court of Admty. And An Act stating the fees of the Custom House Officers. Ordered that a copy of the first mentioned Act be sent to Mr. Burchet to know if the Lords of the Admty. have any objection to the fees stated in the said Act, and that a copy of the latter of the said Acts be sent to Mr. Carkesse to know if the Commissrs. of His Majesty's Customs have any objection thereto.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Carkesse

Answer.

A letter from Mr. Carkesse, dated yesterday, signifying the Commissioners' of the Customs desire to be informed on what point of the 7th Article of the Treaty with Denmark, concluded in 1670, their opinion is desired by this Board, was read. Whereupon an answer was immediately agreed and ordered to be sent.

Treaty with Denmark.

Their Lordships then made a further progress in the consideration of the Treaty of Commerce concluded with Denmark in 1670, with the grievances complained of by the merchants in our trade to Denmark and Norway.

May 8. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. Bladen.

Trade.

Mr. Nash and Mr. Kellaway petition.

Referred by Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Pass for ships to go to Barbary.

Mr. Nash and Mr. Kellaway attending in relation to the Petition to His Majesty, signed by the said Nash and Kellaway and other merchants, referred to this Board by Mr. Secry. Craggs the 6th inst., praying that Mr. Richard Holroide of Gibraltar may have a licence or pass to send over any English vessel to Barbary, with the goods and merchandize he hath in Gibraltar, and to bring back the merchandizes of Barbary in return for the same, and for such debts as are due to them there, the said Petition and Reference were read. And Mr. Nash and Mr. Kellaway being called in and asked if they had anything further to offer on the subject of the said Petition, how long their effects had lain in Gibraltar, and whether there were not others besides the Petitioners in like circumstances with them, they said some of their effects had been in Gibraltar this year and half, that there is no other English house but Mr. Holroide's there concerned in the trade to Barbary, and they had nothing further to offer, than to desire the Board would please to consider the said Petition and report their opinion. Whereupon their Lordships agreed to consider thereof the first opportunity.

New York.

Mr. West's report.

Mr. West's report in answer to the letter writ him the 2nd inst. upon two Acts passed at New York in 1718, entituled
Acts.
An Act for reviving an Act for the easier Partition of Lands in joint Tenancy or in Common and making the same more useful and effectual for the purposes therein mentioned. And
An Act for explaining of certain clauses in an Act for a supply to be granted to His Majesty for supporting his Government in the Province of New York and for striking Bills of Credit for that purpose, passed in 1715, and for the explaining certain clauses in an Act made in 1716, entituled An Act to oblige all vessels trading into this Colony (except such as are therein excepted) to pay a certain duty, and for the further explanation and making more effectual certain clauses in an Act by which a duty is laid on all negroes and other slaves imported into this Colony, was read.

Letter to Brigadier Hunter.

Whereupon their Lordps. gave directions for transmitting with the next letter to Brigadier Hunter a copy of Mr. West's said Report that the Govt. of New York may rectify such part of the first mentioned Act, as Mr. West has objected against in point of law. And their Lordps. agreed to consider further of the latter of the said Acts at another opportunity.

May 12. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. Bladen.

Trade.

Letter from Sir Benjamin Ayloff.

Goods passing the Sound.

Treaty with Denmark.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs..

Letter to Sir Benjamin Ayloff.

A letter from Sir Benjamin Ayloff, Govr. of the Russia Company, dated the 8th in answer to one writ him the 5th instant, relating to the inconvenience of different computations of the weight of goods passing the Sound, was read. And their Lordps. made a further progress in considering the Treaty of Commerce with Den mark concluded in 1670, and the grievances complained of by the merchants in our trade to Denmark and Norway. Whereupon directions were given for preparing the draught of a letter to Mr. Secry. Craggs in answer to the Earl Stanhope's letter of 23rd Jan. last, on the same subject. In the meantime, ordered that the Secry. write to Sir Benjamin Ayloff for the sentiments of the Russia and Eastland merchants upon the proposals relating to the masters of all British ships at Elsinore, applying to His Majesty's Consul before they go to the Custom House there, and to a British Consul being appointed for Norway.

May 13. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pulteney, Mr. Bladen.

Trade.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Trade to Denmark.

Grievances.

A letter to Mr. Secry. Craggs upon that from the Earl Stanhope, of the 23rd of Jan. last, relating to the trade with the dominions of Denmark, the grievances complained by the merchants therein, and to the Treaty of Alliance and Commerce concluded between the two Crowns in the year 1670, was agreed and signed.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Merchants' petition.

Pass to go to Barbary.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Secry. Craggs, upon the petition of several merchants in behalf of themselves and Mr. Holroide of Gibraltar, praying for a licence or pass for an English ship to go to and return from Barbary with their goods and effects, was agreed and ordered to be transcribed.

New York.

Merchants' petition.

Then their Lordps. took again into consideration the petition and representation of several merchants trading to New York, (mentioned in the Minutes of the 6th May, 1718), against an Act passed in that Province in December, 1717, intituled An Act for paying and discharging several debts due from this Colony &c., as likewise the copy of a Memorial from the Governor and Council of New York, (mentioned in the Minutes of 22nd April last), in answer to the said petition and representation of the merchants, which were all severally again read, and directions thereupon given for preparing abstracts of the said papers.

May 15. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Bladen.

New York.

Act.

Their Lordships taking into consideration an Act passed at New York in 1717, (mentioned in the Minutes of 22nd April last), entitled An Act for paying and discharging several debts due from this Colony to the persons therein named, and for raising and putting into the hands of the Treasurer several quantities of Plate to be applied to the public and necessary uses of this Colony, and to make Bills of Credit to the value of 41,517½ ounces of Plate for that purpose— their Lordps. made a progress therein.

Jamaica.

Reference from Mr. Secretary Craggs upon Lord Archibald Hamilton's memorial.

A reference from Mr. Secry. Craggs of the 7th instant, upon a memorial from the Lord Archibald Hamilton relating to his share in a sloop taken from the Spaniards, was read.

Trade.

Letter to Mr. Secretary Craggs.

Merchants' petition.

Pass for Barbary.

A letter to Mr. Secry. Craggs upon the petition of several merchants and Mr. Holroide of Gibraltar, desiring a licence or pass for an English ship to go to, and return from Barbary, with their goods and effects, (mentioned in the last Minutes), was signed.

May 21. Present:—Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen.

Trade.

Letter from Mr. Carkesse.

Treaty with Denmark.

A letter from Mr. Carkesse, Secry. to the Commissioners of the Customs of the 16th in answer to those sent him the 6th and 7th instant, relating to the 7th Art. of the Treaty with Denmark in 1670, was read.

New York.

Act.

Representation.

Their Lordships took into further consideration an Act passed at New York in 1717, for paying and discharging several debts due from that Colony to the persons therein named &c., (mentioned in the Minutes of the 15th instant), and gave directions for preparing the draught of a Representation thereupon.

Nova Scotia.

Representation upon Sir Alexander Cairnes' petition.

Their Lordps. likewise took into consideration the draught of a Representation upon an Order of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affaires, dated the 15th of Dec. last, relating to the petition of Sir Alexander Cairnes and others, for granting them a tract of land upon the coast of Nova Scotia, (mentioned in the Minutes of 18th Dec., 1718), and made a progress thereon.

May 27. Present:—Earl of Westmoreland, Sir Charles Cooke, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen.

Miscellanies.

New Commission.

A new Commission from His Majesty under the Great Seal bearing date the 11th instant, was opened and read. Whereby, besides the great Officers of State, as in the last Commission, The Right Hon. the Earl of Westmoreland, John Chetwynd, Esqr., Sir Charles Cooke, knight, Paul Docminique, John Molesworth, Thomas Pelham, Daniel Pulteney and Martin Bladen, Esqrs., are appointed Commissioners for promoting the Trade of this Kingdom and for inspecting and improving His Majesty's Plantations in America and elsewhere.

Newfoundland.

Letter from Mr. Burchett.

Heads of Inquiry.

Instructions.

A letter from Mr. Burchett, Secry. to the Lords of the Admty., dated the 18th instant, desiring that the instructions and heads of inquiry may be prepared by this Board, as usual, for Capt. Ogle, Commadore of the convoy this year to Newfoundland, was read. Whereupon directions were given for preparing the said instructions accordingly.

Jamaica.

Letter from Mr. Burchett.

Ships.

Another letter from Mr. Burchett of 18th instant, with advice that two men of war are going to Jamaica for the protection of that Island and Trade, was likewise read.

Virginia.

Order of Council.

Cole Digges Esq.

Council.

Copy of an Order of Council, dated the 9th May, upon a Representation from this Board of the 10th April, 1719, recommending Cole Digges, Esqr., to be of the Council of Virginia, in the room of Edmond Berkeley, Esqr., deceased, approving the same, was read.

Massachusets Bay.

Letter from Mr. Burchett.

Act.

A letter from Mr. Burchett of 8th instant, about an Act passed in the Massachusets Bay, relating to fees of the Officers of the Admty. there, signifying that the Lords Commissioners of the Admty. have no objections to the fees established by the said Act, was read.

New York.

Representation.

Act.

Their Lordps. took again into consideration the draught of a Representation upon An Act passed at New York in 1717, for paying and discharging several debts due from that Colony &c., (mentioned in the last Minutes), and made a further progress therein.