Journal, May 1745: Volume 53

Journal, May 1745

Wednesday, May 1. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Herbert, Mr. Pitt.

Miscellanies.

Mr. Popple, solicitor and clerk of the reports, being appointed Governor of Bermuda by his Majesty, my Lord Monson recommended Mr. John Pownall, one of the clerks of the Office, to supply the vacancy, and he was accordingly appointed solicitor and clerk of the reports.

Thursday, May 2. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Herbert.

Virginia.

Read Mr. Fane's report upon an Act, passed at Virginia, in June, 1732, to vest certain entailed Lands, Parcel of a greater Tract, therein mentioned, in George Braxton the Younger, in fee simple, and for settling other Lands of greater Value to the same Uses, to which he has no objection.

Resolved to take the said Act into consideration, when application shall be made to the Board in behalf thereof.

Wednesday, May 8. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Pitt.

Virginia.

Read Mr. Fane's report upon An Act, passed at Virginia, in October, 1744, to enable Mann Page, Esquire, to sell and dispose of certain entailed Lands, to raise money for the Payment of his Father's Debts and Performance of his Will, and for other Purposes therein mentioned.

Mr. Robert Cary, Virginia merchant, attended, and desired that the Board would be pleased to lay the said Act before the Lords Justices, for the royal confirmation, Colonel Gooch having writ to the Board in favour of it; and Mr. Fane having no objection against it, they resolved to consider thereof.

At the same time Mr. Cary likewise desired their lordships' favourable representation upon another Act of Virginia, passed in June, 1742, to vest certain entailed Lands in George Braxton the Younger in fee simple, and for settling other Lands of greater Value to the same Uses, upon which Mr. Fane has reported, and has no objection to it; and directions were given for preparing the draught of a representation to the Lords Justices for the confirmation of the said Act.

South Carolina.

Colonel Fenwicke, one of the Council in the province of South Carolina, attending, the Board had some discourse with him upon the subject of his representation, relating to the situation and growing power of the French settlements and garrisons on the Mobile and Missisippi Rivers, mentioned in the minutes of the 23rd of last month, and their Lordships deferred the further consideration thereof to another opportunity.

Miscellanies.

George Armitage, Chamber Keeper, discharged.

Robert Willis appointed.

Mr. George Armitage, chamber keeper and assistant messenger to this Office, having for some months past been guilty of great neglect of his duty, the Board thought proper to discharge him; and Colonel Bladen this day recommended to their lordships Mr. Robert Willis, to supply the vacancy made by his removal, which was agreed to by the Board; and the said Mr. Willis being called in, he was appointed chamber keeper and assistant messenger to this Office accordingly.

Thursday, May 9. Present:— Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Pitt.

Virginia.

The draught of a representation to the Lords Justices, proposing the confirmation of a private Act of Virginia, relating to the estate of George Braxton the younger, having been prepared, as ordered yesterday, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

New Jersey.

Then the Board took into consideration eight Acts, passed at New Jersey in December, 1743, as agreed the 26th March last (at the desire of Mr. Paris), when Mr. Fane's report upon the said Act was read; and resolved to take the same into further consideration next week; and ordered that Mr. Fane and Mr. Paris be acquainted that the Board desire to have some discourse with them on Thursday morning next, between eleven and twelve, upon the said Acts.

Wednesday, May 15. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Pitt.

Plantations General.

New York.

N.B.

Read a letter from Monsieur de Gersdorff, dated the 7th instant, in behalf of the Moravian Brethren in the province of New York, inclosing the copy of an Act, passed there in September last, entitled, An Act for securing his Majesty's Government of New York, complaining that their Brethren will be very much oppressed by it; and after some discourse had with him and two of the Moravian ministers then present, the Board resolved to write to the Governor of New York upon the subject of that Act, to know for what particular reasons the said Act was passed, and if any practices or behaviour of the Moravians induced the legislature of New York to pass it.

Thursday, May 16. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Pitt.

New Jersey.

N.B.

Mr. Fane and Mr. Paris attending (as desired by the minutes of the 9th instant), the Board had some discourse with them upon several Acts, passed at New Jersey in 1743, and Mr. Paris moved their lordships to make a representation upon two of them for the royal confirmation; one entituled, An Act concerning acknowledging Deeds in the Colony of New Jersey, and declaring how the Estate or Right of a Feme–Covert may be conveyed or extinguished. The other, An Act for ascertaining the Fees to be taken by the several Officers in the Colony of New Jersey, both passed the 2nd of December, 1743; after hearing what Mr. Paris had to offer in favour of the said Acts, the Board resolved to take the same into further consideration at another opportunity.

Friday, May 17. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Pitt.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the incidental charges of this office from Christmas, 1743, to Lady day, 1744, amounting in the whole to £298 12s. 7d., and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury, desiring payment thereof, and of the salaries due to the Secretary and under officers for the same time, was agreed to and signed.

Massachusetts.

Nova Scotia.

The Board took into consideration a letter from Mr. Shirley, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, dated 12th March, 1743–4, in answer to one writ the 22nd June, 1743, upon a proposal for settling several protestant Switzers, Germans and others on a large tract of country lying waste and uncultivated, between New England and Nova Scotia in America; referred to this Board by the Lords of the Committee of Council, the 31st May, 1743, (which, if improved, might be made a very valuable part of his Majesty's Dominions); and after some time spent therein, ordered a state thereof to be drawn up against their next meeting.

Wednesday, May 22. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Pitt.

Plantations General.

New York.

N.B.

Read a letter from Monsieur de Gersdorff, dated 20th May, 1745, complaining that two of the Moravian Brethren, Post and Zeisberger by name, preachers among the heathens, are actually in New York Gaol, for refusing to take the oaths to the Government; and, he attending without, was called in, when the Board, after some discourse had with him on the subject of the said complaint, promised to write to the Governor of New York, and desire him to let them know, as soon as conveniently may be, the state of that affair. Accordingly the Secretary was directed to prepare the draught of a letter for that purpose.

Massachusetts.

Plantations General.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 16th May, 1745, directing this Board to transmit to Mr. Shirley, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, a copy of an Act of Parliament lately passed, entitled, An Act to amend an Act made in the Eleventh Year of the Reign of King William the third Entituled, An Act for the more effectual Suppression of Piracy, in order to remove some doubts the Governor mentions (in a letter of the 2nd January last, to the Earl of Harrington, then Lord President of the Council), that he is under, in relation to the tryal of pirates. Ordered that the Secretary prepare the draught of a letter for enclosing and transmitting a copy of the said Act to the Governor of the Massachusets Bay.

Thursday, May 23. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Pitt.

Massachusetts.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Shirley, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, ordered by the preceding minute of yesterday, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, agreed to, and ordered to be transcribed.

St. Christophers.

Ordered that the draught of a representation to the Lords Justices be prepared, recommending John White, Esquire, to supply a vacancy in the Council of St. Christophers, by the death of Joseph Phipps, Esquire.

Tuesday, May 28. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Leveson Gower.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary presented to the Board a new commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the 24th May, 1745, continuing John Lord Monson, Martin Bladen, Edward Ashe, James Brudenell, Richard Plumer, Robert Herbert and John Pitt, Esquires, Commissioners for promoting the Trade of this Kingdom, and appointing Baptist Leveson Gower, Esquire, in the room of Sir John Phillips, Baronet; and the said commission having been read, Mr. Leveson Gower took his place at the Board accordingly.

St. Christophers.

The draught of a representation to the Lords Justices, recommending John White, Esquire, to be of the Council of St. Christophers, ordered by the preceding minute, having been prepared, and laid before the Board, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Massachusetts.

The draught of a letter to Mr. Shirley, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, for enclosing, by order of the Committee of Council, an Act, passed in the last Sessions of Parliament, for the more effectual Suppression of Piracy, mentioned in the minutes of the 22nd instant, having been transcribed, as ordered by the preceding minutes, was laid before the Board and signed.

The Board took into consideration nine of the eleven Acts, passed in the Massachusets Bay, in 1741 and 1741–2 (two having been already reported on), and having gone through the same, ordered the draught of a report thereupon to be prepared.