Journal, November 1740: Volume 48

Journal, November 1740

Thursday, November 6. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Russia.

Persia.

The Board had under consideration the draught of a representation, ordered by the preceding minutes, and made some progress therein.

Tuesday, November 11. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Massachusetts.

Land-Bank.

Mr. Paris.

Mr. Alderman Baker.

Mr. Sandford.

Mr. Townsend.

Mr. Tonnereau.

Mr. Tomlinson.

Mr. Samuel Baker.

Mr. Caswall.

Mr. Russell.

Mr. Bland.

Mr. Griffin.

Mr. Yeamans.

Mr. Ashley.

Mr. Christopher Kilby.

Mr. Richard Partridge.

Mr. Paris attending (as desired by the minutes of the 29th October), together with several merchants and others concerned in the trade to New England (whose names are in the margin), the Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, [vide supra, p. 109] referring to this Board the petition of several merchants of London, in behalf of themselves and other merchants and traders in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, complaining of a scheme lately projected and published at Boston, called the Land Bank, for emitting £150,000 in Bills of Credit, was again read; and then Mr. Paris, the solicitor, in behalf of the petitioners, opened and proved the allegations of their said petition. And after reading several extracts of the minutes of Council, and votes of the House of Representatives of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, as also other papers and letters relating to the said Land Bank; the gentlemen being withdrawn, their lordships gave directions for preparing the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon.

Trade.

Russia.

Persia.

A representation to his Majesty upon Captain Elton's proposal for opening a trade by the British merchants in Russia, to those parts of Persia, adjacent to the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, (mentioned in the last minutes), was agreed to, and signed, as also a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, for inclosing the same. [v. pp. 88, 95, 110, 111.]

Wednesday, November 12. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Plantations General.

Read a letter from Captain Tomlinson (to the Secretary), dated the 29th October, 1740, inclosing a scheme for putting the paper money in America upon a better foot, and the Board deferred the consideration of the said scheme to another opportunity.

Virginia.

Read a letter from William Gooch, Esq., Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, dated the 10th of August, 1740, inclosing the accounts of his Majesty's revenue of 2s. per hogshead, and of Quit Rents, etc. to the 25th of April, last, transmitting likewise:
Colonel Gooch's speech to the Council and Assembly of Virginia, together with their addresses to him thereupon.

Thursday, November 13. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Massachusetts.

Land-Bank.

Mr. Tomlinson, attending with Mr. Paris, presented to the the Board Governor Belcher's message, the 12th of September, 1740, to the Council and Representatives of the Massachusetts Bay, to prohibit the Land Bank scheme, and their refusal so to do, authenticated under the seal of the province; which paper came to their hands since their attendance at this Board on Tuesday last, and the said message was read; as also, one of the Manufactory Bills, issued there, dated at Boston, the 9th of September, 1740.

Their lordships then considered the draught of a report (ordered to be prepared the 11th inst.), upon the merchants' petition against a scheme, published at Boston, called the Land-Bank for emitting £150,000 in Bills of Credit, which said draught was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Tuesday, November 18. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

New Hampshire.

Read a letter from Colonel Dunbar, Lieutenant Governor of New Hampshire, dated the 14th inst., recommending Captain Christopher Rymes to supply a vacancy in the Council of that Province, occasioned by the death of Ephraim Dennet, Esq. Ordered that the said Mr. Rymes be put upon the list of persons recommended, and the further consideration of the said letter be referred to another opportunity.

Leeward Islands.

Antigua.

The Secretary laid before the Board 3 Acts, passed at Antigua in February, April, and May last (lately received), mentioned in General Mathew's letter, dated July 24th, 1740, read the 22nd of last month. Ordered that the said Acts be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion thereon, in point of law.

Wednesday, November 19. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Denmark.

Russia.

Passes.

The Board had under consideration the draught of a representation to his Majesty on the papers concerning the alteration proposed to be made in the forms of passes in the ports of Russia, and to the abatement desired in the duties collected at the Sound, upon Russia commodities (as mentioned in the minutes of the 9th and 14th of October last), and resolved to consider the same again to-morrow morning.

Leeward Islands.

Additional instructions Powder duty.

The draught of two additional instructions to the Governor of the Leeward Islands, concerning the powder duty and preservation of the stores (ordered by the minutes of the 28th of last month) [vide supra, p. 109], having been prepared and laid before the Board, the same were agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed; as also the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, for inclosing the said draught of instructions, in pursuance of their Lordships' order, read the 28th of last month.

Thursday, November 20. Present:—Lord Monson, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Massachusetts Bay.

New Hampshire.

Read two letters from Mr. Belcher, Governor of New Hampshire, one dated September 5th, 1740, transmitting proceedings of New Hampshire in August, 1740, to which are annexed five Acts, passed there, August 7th, 1740.

The other dated September 18th, 1740, recommending to the Board Samuel Sherburne, Esq., to supply a vacancy in the Council of that Province by the death of the late Ephraim Dennet, Esq.

Ordered that the abovementioned five Acts be sent to Mr. Fane, his Majesty's Council at Law, for his opinion thereon, in point of law.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated September 9th, 1740, promising to send over a complete collection of the laws in that Government, in pursuance of the Board's directions of the 21st of May last.

The draught of the additional instructions to the Governor of the Leeward Islands, as also the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council, for inclosing the same, mentioned in yesterday's minutes, having been transcribed, was agreed to, and signed.

Friday, November 21. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Denmark.

Russia.

Passes.

The representation to his Majesty, mentioned in the minutes of Wednesday last, having been again considered, and agreed to, was transcribed and signed, as was also a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, enclosing the same.

Tuesday, November 25. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

New York.

Read a letter from Mr. Clarke, Lieutenant Governor of New York, dated August 4th, 1740, transmitting a complete collection of the Acts of Assembly, passed in that Province, from 1691 to 1740. (Printed at New York in 2 volumes in folio.)

Trade.

Dantzig.

The Board took into consideration Lord Harrington's letters together with 2 letters to him from Mr. Gibsone, the king's agent at Dantzig; and other papers, thereto annexed, (mentioned in the minutes of October 9th); and after some discourse thereon, ordered the draught of a representation to the king on that subject to be prepared, as also of a letter to the Lord Harrington, for inclosing the same.

Barbados.

Read a letter from Mr. Byng, Governor of Barbados, dated September 20th, 1740, in which, among other matters, is a paragraph relating to the carrying on a trade with New Spain in America, notwithstanding the Bill prohibiting all commerce with Spain in Europe, and the Canarys in Africa; ordered that the consideration of the said paragraph be referred to another opportunity.

Trade.

Russia.

Persia.

Ordered that the Secretary do write a letter to Mr. Carkesse, Secretary to the Commissioners of his Majesty's Customs, to desire he would inform the said commissioners that it is their lordships' desire they would give leave to the Russia Company to import five and twenty pounds of Persia silk from Holland, in compliance with the said company's request.

Wednesday, November 26. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Wool.

Read a letter from Mr. Pinkerton, dated at Clacton, near Colchester, November 11th, 1740, concerning a scheme to prevent the running of wool by an universal register.

Read a second letter from the same, dated November 17th, 1740, enclosing a paper called, Proposals for preventing the running of Wool by a general register.

Ordered that the said letters lye by, to be considered at another opportunity.

Read a letter to the Secretary from Mr. Lowndes, dated Hampstead, November 25th, 1740, acquainting him that this Board has now an opportunity of doing a thing of great consequence to the publick in every respect. Ordered that the Secretary acquaint him, that the Board is ready to receive any proposal he has to make, tending to the advantage of the publick.

Thursday, November 27. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, recommending Captain Christopher Rymes to supply the vacancy in the Council of New Hampshire, occasioned by the death of Ephraim Dennet, Esq., was ordered to be prepared.

Trade.

Dantzig.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, ordered by the minutes of Tuesday last, as also a letter to the Lord Harrington, enclosing the same, were agreed to, and signed.

Friday, November 28. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Trade.

Russia.

Persia.

Read a letter from Mr. Carkesse, Secretary to the Commissioners of the Customs, dated November 27th, 1740, in answer to one from the Secretary of this Board, relating to the importation of some samples of silk from Persia through Russia, as mentioned in the minutes of the 21st. inst. Ordered that the contents thereof be communicated to Mr. Nettleton, for the information of the Russia Company.

Nova Scotia.

Read two letters from Major Mascarene, President of the Council and Commander in Chief of Nova Scotia; the first from Annapolis, without date, relating to the present state of that province, and the want of a more perfect establishment of civil government there; the other, dated from Annapolis, August 16th, 1740, relating likewise to the present state of that province, and the great increase of French inhabitants, and desiring directions about the Isle of Sables, king's rents, Secretary's charges, Council's attendance, etc.

Ordered that the said letters lye by, in order to be reconsidered the first opportunity.

New Hampshire.

The draught of a representation, recommending Captain Christopher Rymes to be of the Council in New Hampshire (mentioned in yesterday's minutes), having been prepared, was agreed to, and signed.

Saturday, November 29. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plummer, Mr. Herbert.

Plantations General.

The Board took into further consideration the three addresses of the House of Commons of the 25th of April last, transmitted to this Board by his Grace the Duke of Newcastle in his letter of the 30th of the same month, in order to make their report thereupon; and after having made some progress therein, agreed to resume the same the first opportunity.