Journal, November 1751: Volume 59

Journal, November 1751

Tuesday, November 5. Present:—Earl of Halifax, Lord Dupplin, Mr. Townshend.

Plantations General.

Their lordships took into consideration the memorial of the sugar planters, merchants and others, trading to and interested in the sugar colonies complaining of the illicit trade carried on from the northern colonies to the French and other foreign sugar settlements, and Mr. Sharpe, agent for the planters, and the agents for the several northern colonies, attending pursuant to the minutes of the 23rd of October last, the agents for the northern colonies were asked if they had received, since they last attended the Board upon this affair, any instructions from their constituents with respect to what had been alledged by the sugar planters against them.

Mr. Partridge, agent for New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, informed their lordships that during the process of this affair before this Board and before Parliament he had from time to time acquainted his constituents with the steps which had been taken, and upon the planters sending him written notices in July last that they should apply to Parliament this sessions, he immediately transmitted over such notices but has not as yet received any letters or instructions from his constituents.

Mr. Abercromby, agent for North Carolina, acquainted the Board that he had transmitted over a copy of the planters' memorial to his constituents, that he had received advice of it's being arrived and that it would be laid before the Assembly at their next meeting.

Mr. Crokatt, agent for South Carolina, acquainted the Board that he had also transmitted over a copy of the memorial to his constituents, but has as yet received no instructions upon it.

Mr. Charles, agent for New York, acquainted the Board that he had received some instructions from his constituents and expected others, with directions to oppose this affair before the Parliament, but had no instructions to prosecute it at this Board.

Mr. Pownall read a letter to him from Mr. Bollan, agent for the Massachusets Bay, acquainting him that he was so much indisposed as not to be able to attiend the Board, and that the general court of his province soon after their meeting in May was adjourned over the summer, and that this happened before they had notice of the former proceedings in this affair, or that it would come on this session of Parliament, so that since they were notified thereof, there has not been quite time sufficient for them to prepare and transmit their instructions and evidence, both of which he expected ere long to receive.

The parties were then ordered to withdraw.

Nova Scotia.

Mr. Townshend, contractor for supplying the settlers in Nova Scotia with provisions, attending as desired, their lordships took into consideration the letter from Colonel Cornwallis, mentioned in the minutes of the 25th ult., relating to the failure of his contract, and Mr. Townsend laid before the Board the following account:—
An account of the quantity of provisions to be supplyed by Mr. Townshend according to his contract, deducting one quarter's supply for 2,500 settlers which is not to be delivered till next spring.

Their lordships having examined the said account, it appeared that Mr. Townshend had fully complied with the terms of his contract.

Tuesday, November 19. Present:—Mr. Pitt, Mr. Grenville, Lord Dupplin.

Barbados.

Mr. Hammersley, agent for Mr. Braithwaite of the Island of Barbados attending, moved their lordships to take into consideration the memorial of said Braithwaite, mentioned in the minutes of the 6th of November, 1750, acquainting their lordships that Mr. Sharpe, agent for the Island, had in obedience to their directions transmitted a copy of the memorial to the inhabitants of the parish of St. Philip in the said Island, and to all other parties concerned, and that he understood that the inhabitants of the said parish received this notice on the 16th of March last.

Mr. Paris attending, acquainted their lordships that he was agent for the said parishioners, that they had received a copy of Mr. Braithwaite's memorial at the time mentioned by Mr. Hammersley, and having taken affidavits in support of their cause, had transmitted to him copies thereof but not the originals and therefore, as he conceived it impossible for their lordships to proceed in this affair until the original affidavits were received, he moved the Board to postpone the consideration of this affair for a further time.

Whereupon their lordships agreed that the consideration of this affair should be postponed until the original affidavits mentioned by Mr. Paris were received, of which he was desired to give notice.

Virginia.

Read a memorial of the merchants of the port of Liverpool trading to Virginia, complaining of an Act passed in that colony in 1749, declaring the law concerning execution and for the relief of insolvent debtors.

Mr. John Hanbury and two other merchants trading to Virginia attending presented to the Board a memorial of the Master, Wardens, Assistants and Commonalty of the Society of Merchants Adventurers within the city of Bristol under their common seal, to the same effect, and humbly moved their lordships in behalf of themselves and the said memorialists to take this law into consideration and to lay it before his Majesty for his royal disapprobation, it being as they conceived greatly injurious to his Majesty's subjects trading to that colony.

Ordered that this memorial be taken into consideration on Tuesday next, the 26th inst., when Mr. Hanbury and the other merchants were desired to attend, and the Secretary was ordered to give notice thereof to the agent for the colony.

Trade.

East India.

Read an Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council, dated the 12th of November, 1751, referring to this Board an account of the East India Company's exports from the Port of London between the 29th of September, 1750, and the 29th of September, 1751, to be examined and reported upon.

Ordered that the said account be examined and compared with those of the two preceding years, and with the years 1746, 1747 and 1748, and also with the years 1736, 1737 and 1738, the three years immediately preceding the last war, and that a state thereof be prepared, and also the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council thereupon.

Wednesday, November 20. Present:—Mr. Pitt, Mr. Grenville, Lord Dupplin.

Trade.

East India.

The Clerk of the Reports laid before their lordships pursuant to their order of yesterday, a state of the exports of the East India Company for the years 1736, 1737 and 1738, the three years immediately preceding the war, and also for the years 1749, 1750 and 1751, the three periods compared together and the exports of the year 1751 compared with those of the two preceding years; he likewise laid before their lordships the draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of Council upon the said accounts, which was agreed to, transcribed and signed.

Leeward Islands.

Read a letter from Lieutenant-General Fleming, Commander in Chief of the Leeward Islands, to the Board, dated at St. Christopher's, the 3rd of August, 1751, promising to transmit copies of accounts wanting from that government, as soon as he shall receive them, as required by Mr. Hill's letter of the 12th of April last.

Pennsylvania.

Read the two following letters from Mr. Peters, Secretary of the province of Pennsylvania, viz.:—
Letter from Mr. Peters to Mr. Hill, dated the 1st of June, 1749, transmitting:—
Certificate of foreigners naturalized at the Supreme Court in Philadelphia, September Term, 1748.
Certificate of foreigners naturalized at the Supreme Court in Philadelphia, in April Term, 1749.
Letter from Mr. Peters to Mr. Hill, dated the 1st of June, 1750, transmitting:—
Certificate of foreigners naturalized at the Supreme Court in Philadelphia, September Term, 1749.
Certificate of foreigners naturalized at the Supreme Court in Philadelphia, April Term, 1750.

Trade.

Africa.

Read the following papers received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, viz.:—
Instructions from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa to Thomas Melvill, Esquire, chief agent, etc., at Cape Coast Castle, 17th April, 1751.
Instructions from the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa to James Skinner, chief agent and warehouse keeper, and Frederick Smith, one of the chief agents and deputy warehouse keeper at James Fort in the River Gambia.
Account of the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa distinguishing each particular of the sums of money received and disbursed by them since their establishment.

Trade.

Africa.

Their lordships upon consideration of the above account observed that there was no particular account of the distribution and application of the goods sent to the forts of Gambia and Cape Coast nor of the establishment there; that there was also no account of the disposition of the £800 per annum allowed by Parliament for their home establishment, and that there wereParliament for their home establishment, and that there were several articles charged separate from that which ought to have been charged under that head.

Ordered that the Secretary do write to the said Committee to acquaint them with these observations.

Trade.

Minorca.

Read a petition of Mr. Charles Williams to Lieutenant-General Blakeney that he would recommend him to this Board that a patent may be passed empowering him to carry on the coral and tunny fishing on the coasts of the Island of Minorca, which petition is referred to in General Blakeney's letter to the Secretary, mentioned in the minutes of the 18th of June last.

The Secretary having acquainted the Board that the petition was delivered by Mr. John Russel, agent for the petitioner, he was ordered to write to the said Russel to desire his attendance at the Board on Tuesday next.

Miscellanies.

The Secretary laid before the Board an account of the incidental charges of this Office from Lady Day to Midsummer, 1751, amounting in the whole to £277 6s. 0d.; and a letter to the Lords of the Treasury desiring payment thereof, and of the salaries due to the Secretary and under officers in the service of this Board for the same time, was laid before the Board and signed.

Friday, November 22. Present:—Mr. Pitt, Mr. Grenville, Lord Dupplin.

Trade.

Africa.

Mr. Hollier, Secretary to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, attending, laid before the Board the following papers, viz.:—
Copy of a letter from Thomas Melvill, Esquire, chief agent, President of the Council, treasurer and warehouse keeper at Cape Coast Castle to the Committee of the Company of Merchants trading to Africa, dated 11th July, 1751, relating to the present state of affairs upon that coast.
Account of the palaver at Anamaboe between Captain Derbyshire and the Fanteens.
Copy of a letter from James Skinner, Esquire, Frederick Smith and Robert Lawrie to the Committee, dated Gambia, May 20th, 1751.
Copy of the President and Council's letter, 27th June, 1751, to the Commissioners of Ships at Anamaboe with their answer.
Copy of Mr. Melvill's letter of the 6th July, 1751, to the Dutch General with the answer, 2nd July, n.s.
Copy of the Chief of Dixcove's letter to the President and Council at Cape Coast Castle, 9th July, 1751.
Copy of a letter from James Skinner, Esquire, Frederick Smith and Robert Lawrie to the Committee, dated Gambia, July 30th.
Copy of Captain Derbyshire's letter of 24th June, 1751.

Trade.

Africa.

Ordered that extracts be made of such parts of the above-mentioned papers as relate to the behaviour of the Dutch at Dixcove, and to the conduct of the captains of his Majesty's ships to be transmitted to the Secretary of State, and to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and that the draughts of letters therewith be prepared.

Tuesday, November 26. Present:—Mr. Pitt, Mr. Grenville, Lord Dupplin.

Virginia.

Mr. John Hanbury and several other merchants of the City of London trading to Virginia, and also Mr. Leheup, agent for the colony, attending, upon the subject of the Act passed there in the year 1749, declaring the law concerning execution and for relief of insolvent debtors, their lordships acquainted them, that having received information that the Act complained of has been upon a representation of this Board confirmed by his Majesty in Council, they could not entertain the petition of the merchants of Bristol and Liverpool, but recommended it to them to apply in the first instance to his Majesty; whereupon the merchants desired leave to withdraw the said petition, and they were accordingly ordered to be delivered to them.

Montserrat.

Mr. John Sharpe, sollicitor for the repeal of an Act passed in Montserrat in 1748–9 for regulating the Assembly, and Mr. Wilmot, agent for the Island, in support of it, attending, moved their lordships to appoint a day for hearing what they had to offer thereupon by counsel; whereupon their lordships appointed Tuesday next, the 3rd of December, when both parties were ordered to attend.

Nevis.

Mr. Paris, sollicitor for the repeal of a bill lately passed in the Council and Assembly of the Island of Nevis to repeal the law against Papists, and Mr. Sharpe, agent for the Island, in support of it, attending, moved their lordships to appoint a day for hearing what they had to offer by counsel thereupon, and their lordships appointed Thursday next, the 5th of December, when both parties were ordered to attend.

Trade.

Minorca.

Their lordships pursuant to the minutes of the 20th instant, took into consideration the petition of Mr. Williams of Mahon, desiring a patent for fishing for coral and tunny fish; and Mr. Russel, agent for the petitioner, attending, their lordships after having had some discourse with him thereupon ordered the draught of a representation to his Majesty thereupon to be prepared.

Barbados.

Read a letter from Mr. Grenville, Governor of Barbados, to the Board, dated the 27th of September, 1751, containing a further account of his proceeding in the execution of the orders for the evacuation of the Neutral Islands, and transmitting several publick papers, viz.:—
Copy of Governor Grenville's letter to Monsieur Bompar, dated 2nd September, 1751.
Copy of Monsieur Bompar's letter to Governor Grenville, dated September 17th, n.s., 1751.
Copy of Governor Grenville's second letter to Monsieur de Bompar, dated 30th September, 1751.
Copy of an address of the Governor, Council and Assembly to his Majesty on the death of his late Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.
A list of the honourable the members of his Majesty's Council of Barbados, certified September 16th, 1751.
Abstract of all persons born, christened and buried in the Island of Barbados from the 25th March, 1750, to the 25th March, 1751.
Treasurer's return of new negroes imported into Barbados from the 14th day of April, 1750, to the 14th of April, 1751.
Storekeeper's return of powder collected in the magazine of Barbados from 21st August, 1750, to the 21st February following.
Storekeeper's return of powder collected into the magazine of Barbados from the 23rd of February, 1750–1, to the 23rd of August, 1751.
Minutes of Council from the 13th of February, 1750–1, to the 6th of August, 1751.
Minutes of Assembly from the 10th of December, 1750, to the 6th of August, 1751.

Ordered that the said letter together with those which passed betwixt the Governor and Monsieur Bompar be copyed to be transmitted to the Secretary of State, and that the draught of a letter therewith be prepared.