Journal, May 1765
Wednesday, May 1st. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne,
Mr. Dyson.
Newfoundland.
The draught of a report upon the petition of the agents for the
proprietors of houses and buildings in the Island of St. Peter,
having been prepared pursuant to order, was agreed to, transcribed and signed.
fo. 143.
Thursday, May 2nd. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr.
Dyson.
Trade, Africa.
Read a letter from the Earl of Halifax to the Board, dated this
day, transmitting copy of an Address of the House of Commons
to his Majesty, and signifying the King's pleasure, that copies of
such of the memorials, or other papers as have been presented to
this Board on the subject therein mentioned, be laid before that
House.
Copies of such of the papers mentioned in the Address of the
House of Commons as have originated in this office, having been
prepared, Mr. Bacon was desired to present them to the House
pursuant to his Majesty's commands.
fo. 144.
Friday, May 3rd. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr. Gascoyne,
Mr. Dyson.
Quebec.
Read the following Orders in Council, vizt.,
Order of the King in Council, dated February 1st, 1765,
referring to this Board, for their consideration and report,
a memorial from a considerable number of his Majesty's
new subjects of the Province of Quebec, representing
against the constitution lately established there, together
with the papers thereto annexed, and transmitted there-with by their lordships.
fo. 145.
Order of the Lords of the Committee of Council for Plantation Affairs, dated the … of March last, referring to this
Board, for their consideration and report, an Address to
his Majesty from the Chapter of Quebec, relative to the
appointment of a Roman Catholick bishop in that colony.
Their lordships had under consideration the heads of a plan
for allowing the free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion in
Canada, under certain limitations and restrictions.
Monday, May 6th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr.
Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.
South Carolina.
fo. 146.
Their lordships took into consideration the memorial of the
French Protestants, mentioned in the minutes of the 30th of
April, and several of them attending, their lordships informed
them that their case would be taken into further consideration.
Newfoundland.
Read an Order of the King in Council, dated May 5th, 1765,
directing the Board forthwith to prepare and lay before his
Majesty, a draught of instructions for the Governor of Newfoundland, agreable to what is proposed in their lordships' representation of the 29th of April.
The draught of an additional instruction to the Governor of
Newfoundland, conformable to the said order, having been
prepared, was agreed to, and a representation to his Majesty
thereupon was signed.
fo. 147.
Wednesday, May 8th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Lord Orwell, Mr.
Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.
Quebec.
Their lordships took into further consideration the heads of a
plan for allowing the free exercise of the Roman Catholick
religion in Canada, under certain limitations and restrictions.
Newfoundland.
Ordered, that the Secretary do write to the Governor of Newfoundland, desiring him to procure and report to the Board the
best account he can of the state of the Magdalain Islands in the
Gulph of St. Lawrence.
fo. 148.
Tuesday, May 14th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr. Dyson.
Quebec.
Their lordships took into further consideration the heads of a
plan for allowing a free exercise of the Roman Catholick religion
in Canada, under certain restrictions and limitations, and it was
ordered, that the draught of a report thereupon should be prepared.
Virginia.
Their lordships read and considered the two following private
Acts of Virginia, vizt.,
An Act to enable the executors of the will of John Spotswood,
esquire, deceased, to pay the debts and legacies due from the
estate of Major General Alexander Spotswood, and for other
purposes therein mentioned.
fo. 149.
An Act to direct the sale of certain intailed lands whereof John
Spotswood, esquire, died seised, for payment of the debts due
from him and the estate of Major General Alexander Spotswood.
It appearing, that a caveat was entered in the office against
reporting for the confirmation of the said Acts untill the parties
objecting thereto had been heard, their lordships appointed
Friday next for the further consideration of them, and the
Secretary was ordered to give notice to the parties to attend.
Friday, May 17th. Present:—Mr. Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr.
Rice, Mr. Gascoyne.
Virginia.
fo. 150.
Their lordships took into further consideration the private
Acts of Virginia, mentioned in the minutes of the 14th instant,
and Mr. McBean, sollicitor for those parties interested in, and
who object to the said Acts, attending with Mr. Graham, his
counsel, and Mr. Montague, agent for those parties interested
therein, and praying the confirmation of them, attending also,
with Mr. Dunning, his counsel, they were heard in what they had
respectively to offer for and against the same, and being withdrawn, their lordships, after consideration thereof, and of what
had been offerred, ordered the draught of a representation to his
Majesty to be prepared, proposing that the said Acts may be
confirmed.
fo. 151.
(fn. 1) Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne, Mr.
Dyson.
Quebec.
The draught of a report to the Lords of the Committee of
Council upon the heads of a plan for allowing the free exercise of
the Roman Catholick religion in Quebec, under certain limitations and restrictions, having been prepared pursuant to order,
was read and considered, and it was agreed to consider further
thereof on Thursday sennight.
Jamaica.
Their lordships took into consideration the Order of Council
referring the petition of the patentees of certain offices in the
Island of Jamaica, mentioned in the minutes of the 26th of
March, and a report thereupon was agreed to and signed.
fo. 152.
Virginia.
The draught of a representation to his Majesty, proposing the
confirmation of two private Acts of Virginia, relating to the
estates of the Spotswood family, having been prepared pursuant
to order, was agreed to and signed.
Thursday, May 30th. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne.
Quebec.
Their lordships took into further consideration the draught of a
report upon the heads of a plan for allowing the free exercise of
the Roman Catholick religion in Canada, under certain limitations and restrictions, and the said draught having been agreed
to, was transcribed and signed.
fo. 153.
East Florida, Georgia, Nova Scotia, Plantations General.
The Secretary laid before the Board memorials of the agents for
the receipt and application of the grants of Parliament for the
service of the Colonies of East Florida, Georgia, and Nova Scotia,
and also of the attornies to Messrs. Holland and De Brahm,
prepared by the said agents and attornies to be presented to the
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, praying that the grants for
those services may be issued to them, and it was ordered, that the
said memorials should be presented to the Treasury Board, for
their directions thereupon.
Trade, Sweden.
Read a letter from the Earl of Sandwich, one of his Majesty's
Principal Secretaries of State, dated 29th instant, desiring the
Board's answer to two questions stated therein relative to a
treaty negociating between the Courts of London and Stockholm,
and inclosing,
Extract of a letter from Sir John Goodricke to the Earl of
Sandwich, Stockholm, May 4th, 1765.
fo. 154.
Projet d'un traite entré la Grande Bretagne et la Suède.
Convention preliminaire entre la France et la Suede, 1741.
Ordered, that the said letter and papers be taken into consideration tomorrow morning, and that the several treaties with
Sweden be looked out and laid before the Board.
Friday, May 31st. Present:—Earl of Hillsborough, Mr.
Jenyns, Mr. Eliot, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Rice, Mr. Gascoyne.
Trade, Sweden.
fo. 155.
Their lordships took into further consideration the letter from
the Earl of Sandwich, mentioned in the minutes of yesterday,
and the treaties made with Sweden in the years 1654, 1656, 1661,
1665, 1666, 1674, 1700 and 1720 were laid before the Board and
considered.
Africa.
The Secretary laid before the Board the two following Acts
passed in the last Sessions of Parliament relative to the Coast of
Africa, vizt.,
An Act for repealing the Act made in the last Session of
Parliament, intituled, an Act for vesting the Fort of Senegal
and its dependencies in the Company of Merchants trading
to Africa; and to vest as well the said forts and its dependencies, as all other the British forts and settlements upon the
Coast of Africa lying between the Port of Sallee and Cape
Rouge, together with all the property, estate and effects of the
Company of Merchants trading to Africa, in or upon the
said forts, settlements and their dependencies, in his Majesty,
and for securing, extending and improving the trade to
Africa.
fo. 156.
An Act for laying certain duties upon gum senega and gum
arabic imported into or exported from Great Britain, and for
confining the exportation of gum senega from Africa to Great
Britain only.
Upon consideration whereof, and of several letters and papers
lately received from the Committee of the Company of Merchants
trading to Africa relative to the districts of Senegal and Gambia,
a representation to his Majesty was agreed to and signed, proposing that directions may be given for the making such establishments, both civil and military, for this district, as shall appear to
his Majesty to be proper, upon a consideration of the plan recommended in the Board's report of the 21st of February last, and
that, until such establishments can take place, the several officers
appointed by the Committee be directed by proclamation to
continue in the execution of their respective offices and employ
ments, until his Majesty's further pleasure be known.
fo. 157.
Ordered, that Mr. Pownall do write to Mr. Jenkinson, Secretary
to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, desiring him to move
that Board to make such appointments as shall appear to them to
be necessary for the due execution of the Act relative to the
enumeration of gum senega.
Read the following letters to Mr. Pownall from Mr. Stanhope,
Secretary to the Earl of Halifax, vizt.,
Letter from Mr. Stanhope to Mr. Pownall, dated May 16th,
1765, transmitting, by the direction of the Earl of Halifax,
Memorial of the Barbary merchants against Captain
Glas.
Letter from Mr. Stanhope to Mr. Pownall, dated May 28th,
1765, transmitting,
Letter from Mr. Thomas Adams to the Earl of Halifax,
dated May 21st, 1765, relative to Mr. Glas's undertaking to open a trade at Port Hillsborough.
fo. 158.
Ordered, that the abovementioned papers be taken into consideration on Wednesday next, and that Mr. Anthony Bacon,
associated with Mr. Glas in his plan for the establishment of Port
Hillsborough, be desired to attend the Board that day.
Newfoundland.
Read a letter from Thomas Whately, esquire, to the Secretary,
dated May 23rd, 1765, signifying the desire of the Lords of the
Treasury, that this Board would transmit to them their opinion,
whether the interest of the fishery will make it improper to subject
the ships going to Newfoundland to the same regulations as are
imposed on ships going to other parts of his Majesty's dominions
in America.
Memorial of the Commissioners of the Customs about ships
used in fisheries of North America to be registered.
Ordered, that the said letter and memorial be taken into consideration to-morrow morning.
fo. 159.
Miscellanies.
Mr. Silvester, who has officiated for some time as sollicitor and
clerk of the reports, having been appointed agent for the affairs
of the intended new government upon the Coast of Africa, and
having thereupon declined officiating as sollicitor and clerk of the
reports, Richard Cumberland, esquire, was appointed to the
office of sollicitor and clerk of reports in his room, upon the salary
settled for that office by the minutes of the 4th of July last.