Journal, April 1741: Volume 49

Journal, April 1741

Tuesday, April 7. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Newfoundland.

The draught of instructions to Thomas Smith, Esq., commander of his Majesty's ship the Romney, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, and a representation to his Majesty, accompanying the same, as also a letter to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, enclosing them, were agreed to, and signed.

Wednesday, April 8. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

Sharpe.

The Board took into consideration several Acts of Jamaica, which Mr. Sharpe had desired might be reported upon, and after some progress made therein, referred the further consideration to another opportunity.

Thursday, April 9. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

Read the 3 following Acts of the island of Jamaica, viz:
An Act for confirming the Articles executed by Colonel John Gutherie, Lieutenant Francis Sadler, and Cadjoe, the commander of the rebels; for paying rewards for taking up and restoring runaway slaves, and making provision for four white persons to reside at Trelawney Town, and for granting freedom to five negroes. Passed May 12th, 1739.
An Act to entitle William Cunningham the younger, a free mulatto, the reputed son of William Cunningham the elder, etc., by a free negro woman, to the same rights and priviledges as English subjects born of white parents. Passed April 14th, 1739.
An Act to entitle Jane Stone, a free mulatto woman, and her four children, etc., to the same rights and priviledges as English subjects born of white parents; passed April 14th, 1739.

To which, there being no objection, ordered that they be reported upon for confirmation.

Friday, April 10. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

Read the following Private Act, transmitted from Jamaica, entituled:
An Act to intitle Susanna Angeir, a mulatto woman, of the parish of Kingston, and Mary Angeir and Frances Angeir, two of the children of the said Susanna Angeir, to the same rights and priviledges with English subjects born of white parents. Passed July 19th, 1738.

To which, there being no objection, ordered that it be reported upon for confirmation.

Tuesday, April 14. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Jamaica.

Read a letter from Mr. Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica, to the Board, dated January 5th, 1740, transmitting three Acts, passed there December 20th, 1740.

Ordered that the said Acts be sent to Mr. Fane, for his opinion thereon in point of law.

Barbados.

Read a letter from Mr. Dottin, President of the Council and Commander in Chief of Barbados, to the Board, dated January 9th, 1740, relating to the differences between the Council and Assembly, and to a collection of laws, and referring himself to the minutes of Council and Assembly, transmitted therewith.

North Carolina.

Read a letter from Mr. Johnston, Governor of North Carolina, to the Board, dated at Edenton, December 17th, 1740.

Wednesday, April 15. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Plantations General.

Ordered that the draught of a circular letter be prepared, in order to be sent to the several Governors of his Majesty's colonies and plantations in America, with the two following Acts of Parliament, passed this session, viz:
An Act to prohibit for a time, therein limitted, the exportation of corn, grain (rice excepted), meal, malt, flour, bread, biscuit, starch, beef, pork and bacon.
An Act for licensing the importation of victuals from Ireland and other parts beyond the seas, into Scotland, in time of dearth and scarcity.

Nevis.

Read a letter from General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, dated at St. Christophers, January 6th, 1740, transmitting minutes of the Assembly of Nevis, for the quarter ending the 25th December, 1740.

Trade.

Wool.

Read a letter to the Secretary from Mr. Thomas Lowndes, dated April, 1741, relating to the woollen manufacture, and inclosing several patterns of woollen cloth made in North Wales, which he thinks very proper for the foreign markets, especially those of Asia and the Levant.

Ordered that Mr. Lowndes be desired to attend the Board, upon the subject of his said letter.

Thursday, April 16. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plummer.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter to the Secretary of this Board, from Mr. Burchett, Secretary to the Lords of the Admiralty, dated the 15th instant, signifying that Captain Burrish, of the Dover, is ordered to Canço to protect the fishery there, and desiring that heads of enquiry for him may be sent to that Office, as soon as may be. And the said heads of enquiry having been prepared and examined, were accordingly transmitted, in a letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty.

South Carolina.

Read a letter from Colonel Bull, President of the Council and Commander in Chief of South Carolina to the Board, dated at Charles Town, the 23rd of January, 1740/1, signifying the danger the province is exposed to from the Spanish row-gallys at St. Augustin etc.; mentioning likewise the death of the Deputy Provost Marshall there.

Ordered that an extract be made of that part of the said letter as relates to the row-gallys, and the draught of a letter, transmitting the same to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, in order to be laid before his Majesty, be prepared, which was accordingly done, agreed to and signed.

Barbados.

Read a representation of the Assembly of Barbados to this Board, dated October 28th, 1740, containing a particular account of the additional salary given to former Governors of that island, from the time of Sir Bevil Granville in 1703, and declaring their resolution not to make any settlement whatever upon any future Governor of the said island.

Friday, April 17. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Plantations General.

The several circular letters to the Governors of his Majesty's plantations in America, ordered by the minutes of the 15th instant, having been prepared and laid before the Board, the same were approved and signed.

Georgia.

A state of the province of Georgia in America, Anno 1740, taken upon oath the 10th of November, 1740, transmitted to the trustees for establishing that colony; and by Mr. Verelst, their accomptant, presented to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, was ordered to be read and considered at some other opportunity.

Wednesday, April 22. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Massachusetts.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated April 9th, 1741, referring to this Board the petition of Thomas Hutchinson of Boston, Esq., praying his Majesty to direct that the several line townships, which by the line, directed to be run by his Majesty's order in Council of the 9th of April, 1740, will be cut off from the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, may be united to that province.

The Board being informed that Mr. Hutchinson attended without, ordered him to be called in, and after some discourse had with him, agreed to appoint a day for the consideration of the said petition, as soon as they shall meet again, after the recess, on account of the ensuing elections.

Jamaica.

The draught of a representation to his Majesty, recommending the three private Acts of Jamaica, mentioned in the minutes of the 9th, and one in the minutes of the 10th instant, for confirmation, having been prepared and laid before the Board, the same was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the incidental charges of this Office, from Midsummer to Michaelmas, 1740, amounting to the sum of £271 4s. 2½d., and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury, desiring payment thereof, and of the salarys due to the Secretary and under officers for the same time, was agreed to and signed.

Friday, April 24. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Sir A. Croft, Mr. Plummer.

Bermuda.

The Board took into consideration 8 Acts passed at Bermuda in 1739. Mr. Fane's report thereupon was read, and he, having no objection to them in point of law, it was agreed to reconsider the same at another opportunity.

Trade.

Ireland.

Wool.

The Lord Monson and Colonel Bladen, after some discourse at the Board, in relation to a scheme for registering the wool of Great Britain and Ireland, in consequence of a letter, which has been some time expected from the Duke of Newcastle, concerning that affair, thought proper to order the Secretary to write to Mr. Buckley, to insert in three successive Gazettes an advertisement to the following purport; and also, that the said advertisement should likewise be published in the daily Advertiser, viz:
[N.B. The Duke of Newcastle's letter above-mentioned, was received the 28th of April.]

Whitehall, May 5th, 1741.

"The Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations having received his Majesty's commands to prepare a scheme for the registering the wool of Great Britain and Ireland, to be laid before the House of Commons at their next meeting; these are therefore to inform all persons whatsoever, who may have any proposals to offer, that have a tendency to promote so useful a work, that the said Commissioners are ready to receive the same at their Office at Whitehall.

By Order of their Lordships,
Thomas Hill."

Memorandum.

Massachusetts.

Since the adjournment of the Board, a letter having been received at the Office, from the Duke of Newcastle, dated the 30th of April, 1741, directing draughts of a commission and instructions to be prepared by this Board for William Shirley, Esq., appointed Governor of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. Upon application made by Mr. John Sharpe to my Lord Monson (the only Commissioner in town), praying that the draught of a commission might be prepared by this Board (so as to be laid before his Majesty at the next Council), a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, for inclosing a representation to his Majesty (with a draught of the said Commission), were signed by my Lord Monson, and then carried by the messenger, to be signed by Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell and Mr. Pelham in the country; which they did accordingly.