Journal, May 1742: Volume 50

Journal, May 1742

Tuesday, May 4. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Keene.

Virginia.

Mr. Peter Leheup, agent for the Colony of Virginia, attending, as appointed by the minutes of the 29th of last month, was called in, and the Board had some discourse with him on the subject of the Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, referring to this Board Mr. Dinwiddie's memorial, mentioned in the minutes of the 27th of April, and after hearing his objections to the same, ordered that the draught of a report be prepared thereupon.

Nova Scotia.

Read a letter from Mr. Adams, late President of the Council and Commander in Chief of Nova Scotia, to the Board, dated at Boston, March 12th, 1741, inclosing a Bill of Exchange drawn by him on Major-General Philips for £144 4s. sterling, due for his salary as Commander in Chief, from the time of the death of Lieutenant Governor Armstrong, to the arrival of Major Mascarene from Boston. Read likewise the petition of the said Mr. Adams to his Majesty, dated at Annapolis Royal July 28th, 1740, transmitted in the said letter.

Ordered that the said papers lie by, to be considered at a proper opportunity.

Wednesday, May 5. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Massachusets.

Read a letter from Mr. Shirley, Governor of the Massachusets Bay, dated at Boston, February 22nd, 1742, transmitting the following public papers, viz.:—
Copy of a grant of the General Assembly for the service of the expedition against the Spanish West Indies, dated October 7th, 1741.
The Governor's Speech to the General Assembly of the province of the Massachusets Bay, on the 15th of January, 1741–2, upon the two money Acts.
The Governor's message to the General Assembly of the Massachusets Bay, upon settlement of his salary, dated January 21st, 1741–2.
An Act for supplying the Treasury with the sum of thirty thousand pounds in Bills of Credit for discharging the public debts, etc., for appropriating the same and drawing them, and also the Bills of Credit already extant, again into the Treasury. Passed the 15th January, 1741–2.
An Act to ascertain the value of money, and of the Bills of Publick Credit of this province, granted this present year for the supply of the Treasury, and for securing the credit of the said Bills. Passed the 15th January, 1741–2.

Thursday, May 6. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Maryland.

Read a certificate from the Remembrancer's Office of his Majesty's Exchequer, dated this day, that Thomas Bladen, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, had given the proper security for observing the Acts of Trade and Navigation; and the draught of instructions for the said Lieutenant Governor, relating to the Acts of Trade and Navigation being prepared, was agreed to, and a representation, for laying the said draught before his Majesty, was signed.

Friday, May 7. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell.

Virginia.

The draught of a report on the subject of Mr. Dinwiddie's memorial, referred to this Board by the Lords of the Committee of Council (as mentioned in the minutes of the 4th instant), having been prepared (as ordered by the said minutes), was agreed to and ordered to be transcribed.

Tuesday, May 11. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Virginia.

The draught of a report, mentioned in the preceding minute, having been transcribed, was laid before the Board and signed.

Read two letters from Mr. Hammerton, Secretary of South Carolina, both dated Charles Town, February 13th, 1741–2; one to the Board inclosing a list of persons, who have taken the benefit of the late Act of Parliament for naturalizing foreign Protestants settled in America; the other to the Secretary of this Board, transmitting the following public papers, viz.:—
Laws of the province of South Carolina, collected in two volumes, by Nicholas Trott, L.L.D., printed at Charles Town, anno 1736.
Journal of the Commons House of Assembly, from the 6th of November, 1739, to the 10th May, 1740.

Thursday, May 13. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer.

Bermuda.

Read a letter from Mr. Popple, Governor of Bermuda, dated the 21st December, 1741, mentioning public papers not yet arrived.

Friday, May 14. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Ashe, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Hobart, Mr. Keene.

Massachusets.

The Board took into consideration the thirteen Acts of the Massachusets Bay, referred to them by Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated August 13th, 1740, read the 19th of that month, and made some progress therein.

Tuesday, May 18. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Massachusets.

The Board had again under consideration the Acts, passed in the province of the Massachusets Bay in 1738, mentioned in the preceding minute, and made some further progress therein.

Wednesday, May 19. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Trade.

Great Britain.

Flanders.

Mr. Thomas Lowndes having delivered to the Secretary the following paper, the same was laid before the Board and read, viz.:—
A state of the cambrick trade between Great Britain and Flanders, together with a proposal showing how to put the cambrick manufactures of Great Britain and Ireland upon a more advantageous footing than it is at present.

Ordered that the Secretary write to Mr. Lowndes and thank him for the information given them in the said paper.

Thursday, May 20. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Massachusets.

The Board had again under consideration the Acts, passed in the province of the Massachusets Bay in 1738, referred to them by the Lords of the Committee of Council the 13th of August, 1740 (mentioned in the minutes of the 15th inst.), and made some further progress therein.

Friday, May 21. Present:—Lord Monson, Mr. Brudenell, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Massachusets.

The Board had again under consideration the Massachusets Acts, passed in 1738, referred to them by the Lords of the Committee of Council (mentioned in yesterday's minutes), and made some further progress therein.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. Paris, solicitor for the petitioners of the province of Pennsylvania, attending, and being called in, moved the Board that a day might be appointed for hearing the merits of the petition referred to them by Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, relating to the security and defence of that province (as mentioned in the minutes of the 9th of March last); and the Board was pleased to direct the Secretary to write to Mr. Sharpe, solicitor of the agent of the said province, to attend on Tuesday or Wednesday morning next, [25th or 26th instant], in order to have some more discourse with him thereon.

Tuesday, May 25. Present:—Lord Monson, Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Pennsylvania.

Mr. John Sharpe attending (as desired by the minutes of the 21st instant), on behalf of the agent of Pennsylvania, acquainted the Board that a petition from the Quakers had been laid before the king and Council, and was referred to the Lords of the Committee of Council, who, he apprehended, would take the same into consideration on Thursday next, when he expected their lordships would refer it to this Board; whereupon their lordships agreed to defer the consideration of Mr. Paris's motion (as mentioned in the minutes of Friday last), till the result of the said Committee shall be known.

Wednesday, May 26. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Antigua.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated May 18th, 1742, referring to this Board the petition of the General Assembly of Antigua to his Majesty against Charles Dunbar, Esquire, Surveyor General of the Customs, and a member of the Council of that island.

Read likewise the petition of Mr. William Dunbar, merchant, in behalf of his brother, the said Charles Dunbar, Esquire, in relation to a petition of the representatives of that Island to his Majesty against the said Charles Dunbar, and praying for copies of the said petition, etc.

Whereupon Mr. John Sharpe, solicitor for Mr. Yeamans, agent for the said Island, as also Mr. Paris, solicitor for Mr. William Dunbar, the petitioner, brother of the said Charles Dunbar, attending without, were called in; and Mr. Sharpe moving the Board to appoint a day for the hearing of the merits of the said petition of the public of Antigua, Mr. Paris objected to the same, praying the affair might be deferred till proper instructions could be had from Mr. Dunbar, in order to his defence.

Ordered that the Secretary write a letter to the said Charles Dunbar, and transmit therewith a copy of the aforesaid petition of the General Assembly of Antigua to his Majesty, that the said Mr. Dunbar may prepare and send over to his agent here, what he has to offer in his own vindication, as soon as may be, and all such papers to have the public seal of the Leeward Islands affixed to them.

Directions were likewise given at the same time to prepare the draught of a letter to General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, upon the same subject, requiring that the publick seal of the Leeward Islands be affixed to all such papers as shall be transmitted upon this occasion, relating to either side.

Thursday, May 27. Present:—Colonel Bladen, Mr. Plumer, Mr. Keene.

Antigua.

A draught of a letter to General Mathew, Governor of the Leeward Islands, ordered by the minutes of yesterday, having been prepared, was laid before the Board, and ordered to be transcribed.