Journal, August 1728: Journal Book E.E

Journal, August 1728

August 6. Present:—Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

Jamaica.

Mr. Delafaye and Mr. Carey attend, etc., upon Mr. Donovan's affair.

Letter to Mr. Attorney General.

Mr. Delafaye, agent for Jamaica, attending, as he had been desired, as also Mr. Carey and several other contractors for furnishing his Majesty's squadron at Jamaica with rum and other provisions, their Lordships took again into consideration the reference from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, mentioned in the Minutes of the 30th of the last month, referring to the Board a letter from Mr. Donovan, the said contractor's agent at Jamaica, with several other papers, relating to a prosecution, which Mr. Donovan now lyes under, for importing Barbadoes rum to Jamaica for the use of the said squadron, and not paying the duties for the same, according to an Act of Assembly, passed there in 1724, entituled, An Act for raising several sums of money and applying the same to several uses. And their Lordships, after some discourse with these gentlemen on this matter, gave directions for writing to Mr. Attorney General, for his opinion, whether his Majesty, according to the circumstances of this case, may legally grant Mr. Donovan a noli prosequi [fos. 201, 205].

Letter from the Commissioners of the Navy.

A letter from the Commissioners for Victualling his Majesty's Navy, dated the 3rd inst., signifying that provisions for his Majesty's ships in the West Indies had always been allowed to pass duty free, was read.

August 7. Present:—Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

Trade.

Sweden.

Letter from the Lord Townshend, new duty upon commodities, with papers.

A letter from the Lord Townshend, dated the 5th inst., relating to a new duty of 5 per cent. being laid on several foreign commodities in Sweden, was read, and the papers, therein referred to, were laid before the Board, viz:—
Extract of a letter from Mr. Jackson, Resident at Stockholm, to the Lord Townshend, concerning the said duty.
Translation of the King of Sweden's ordinance, laying a new duty of 5 per cent. upon several commodities, thereto annexed.

Merchants summoned.

Whereupon ordered that Mr. Lyle, Mr. Nisbet and Mr. Norris, merchants trading to Sweden, be acquainted with the Board's desire of speaking with them on Tuesday morning next.

Jamaica.

Letter to the Commissioners of the Navy.

Ordered that a letter be wrote to the Commissioners for victualling the Navy, to know whether the wine and rum, mentioned in their letter, read yesterday, were sent directly to the fleet [fos. 203, 212], where the fleet then was, and whether those stores were landed in any part in the West Indies?

August 13. Present:—Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

Trade.

Sweden.

Merchants attend, new duty.

Mr. Norris, one of the Swedish merchants, attending, as he had been desired, their Lordships took again into consideration the letter from the Lord Townshend, relating to an ordinance published by the King of Sweden, laying a new duty of 5 per cent. upon several commodities imported there, mentioned in yesterday's Minutes, and desired Mr. Norris would consider the British goods rated by the said ordinance, and let their Lordships know his opinion whether those goods were proportionably rated with those of other countries.

August 14. Present:—Mr. Docminique, Mr. Pelham, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

Massachusets.

New Hampshire.

New Jersey.

Bermuda.

Letter to the Duke of Newcastle, warrants, new seals, signed.

A letter to the Duke of Newcastle, with draughts of warrants for the Governors of the Massachusets Bay, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Bermuda to use the new seal, ordered to be prepared the 16th of the last month, was agreed and signed.

Nova Scotia.

Representation, with instructions for Colonel Philipps, signed, and letter to the Duke of Newcastle.

A representation, with the draught of instructions, in relation to the Acts of Trade and Navigation for Colonel Philipps, Governor of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, was signed, as also

A letter for enclosing the same to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle.

Bahamas.

Letter from the Lord Townshend with papers of copmlaints against Captain Phenncy.

A letter from the Lord Viscount Townshend, dated the 13th inst., referring to this Board several papers, with complaints against Captain Phenney, Governor of the Bahama Islands, was read, and the papers, therein referred to, were laid before the Board, viz:—
Remarks on the Island of Providence.
Copy of Mr. Curphew's letter to Sir Charles Wager.
Copy of Mr. Curphew's, (Chaplain to the garrison in the Bahama Islands), account of the condemnation of John Wadsworth.
Copy of Mr. Hughes' letter to the Duke of Newcastle, relating to Governor Phenney.

Persons summoned.

Whereupon ordered that Mr. Curphew, Mr. Hughes and Mr. Boswell be acquainted that the Board desire to speak with them thereupon on Tuesday sennight, as also with the agents for Captain Phenney.

August 27. Present:—Mr. Docminique, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

Miscellanies.

Mr. Clarke, late chamber-keeper, dead.

Disposition and duty of the other officers.

The Secretary acquainting the Board that Mr. Samuel Clarke, late chamber-keeper and assistant messenger to this office, was dead, their Lordships were pleased to appoint Mr. Richard Tregonning, the present chamber-keeper, assistant messenger likewise, in Mr. Clarke's room, at the same salary of 45l. per annum as Mr. Clarke had.

Their Lordships likewise ordered that the said Mr. Tregonning and Mr. Wilson, the present messenger and assistant chamberkeeper, shall take care to do the whole business of chamber-keeper and messenger to this office; and that Mr. Griffin, the porter, shall assist in going of such messages, as the Secretary shall from time to time direct.

Bahamas.

Complaints against Captain Phenney considered, persons attend.

Their Lordships taking again into consideration the letter from the Lord Viscount Townshend, referring to the Board several papers containing complaints against Captain Phenney, Governor of the Bahama Islands, mentioned in the Minutes of the 14th inst., and Mr. Curphew, Chaplain to the garrison of the said islands, Captain Boswell, Mrs. Vere and Mrs. Macmanners, attending, as they had been desired, as also Mr. Mulcaster and Mr. Jackson, agents for Captain Phenney, their Lordships desired they would give the Board an account of the state of the said island, as also of what they knew concerning the behaviour of Captain Phenney; upon which Mr. Curphew acquainted their Lordships, that there are about sixty families now settled on the Bahamas: that about five or six years ago, when first he went over, there were about forty families more; but that upon the ill-usage they had met with from Mrs. Phenney, the Governor's wife, they were obliged to leave the islands: that she had engrossed the whole trade of those islands, and sold all provisions by retail at advanced prices, and discouraged any others from trading there.

Mr. Vere then presented to their Lordships a memorial upon this subject, which was read; and their Lordships desiring Mr. Curphew would examine the said paper, he acquainted the Board, that he knew the contents thereof to be true.

Captain Boswell and Mrs. Macmanners confirming the information of Mr. Curphew and Mrs. Vere, their Lordships desired Mr. Curphew would put in writing, what he knew further upon this subject, and let their Lordships have the same on Tuesday next.

Mr. Mulcaster and Mr. Jackson then desired their Lordships would give them copies of the said complaint, and allow them some time to put in their answer thereto, which, being agreed to by the Board, ordered that they do attend again on Tuesday sennight.

Letter from Mr. Harris.

A letter from Mr. Richard Harris, dated the 24th inst., signifying that he could not attend the Board this day, as he had been desired, but recommending Governor Phenney, and complaining for want of an Assembly in the Bahama Islands, was also read.

Jamaica.

Mr. Donovan's affair considered, with the Attorney General's report and letter from the Commissioners of the Navy.

Their Lordships took again into consideration the letter from the Duke of Newcastle, of the 22nd of July last, referring to the Board the copy of a letter and other papers from Mr. Donovan, agent to the contractors for victualling his Majesty's ships at Jamaica, mentioned in the Minutes of the 30th of the last month, and read Mr. Attorney General's report upon this subject, dated the 20th inst. [fos. 205, 213, 314], as also

A letter from the Commissioners for victualling his Majesty's Navy, dated the 12th inst., inclosing the

Copy of one from Mr. Burchet.

Copy of a letter from Mr. Burchet, with the Lords of the Admiralty's orders to the Commissioners for victualling his Majesty's Navy, relating to the supplying Vice Admiral Hosier's squadron in the West Indies.

Representation to be prepared.

Their Lordships then gave directions for preparing the draught of a representations upon this subject.

August 28. Present:—Mr. Docminique, Mr. Bladen, Mr. Cary.

Agreed and signed, and letter to the Duke of Newcastle.

A representation, ordered yesterday to be prepared, upon the Duke of Newcastle's letter of the 22nd of July last, referring to the Board the copy of a letter and other papers from Mr. Donovan, agent to the contractors for victualling his Majesty's ships at Jamaica, was agreed and signed, as also

A letter, for enclosing the same to the Duke of Newcastle.

Plantations General.

Letter from Mr. Dunbar.

Mr. Dunbar, Surveyor General of the Woods in America, attending, he presented to the Board a letter from himself in relation to his office, which was read.