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Aug. 7.
Whitehall. |
699. Journal of Council of Trade and Plantations. Letters from Col. Quary, June 1st and 6th, read. Additions ordered accordingly to Representation ordered upon the letter from Mr. Bass, Aug. 4th. |
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Letter from the Governor of Rhode Island, May 27, read. Answer ordered. |
| Aug. 8. |
Mr. Brenton attending, as desired, in answer to several questions about the government of Rhode Island, said that the greatest part of the inhabitants are Quakers or Demy-Quakers, such as go to the Quakers' meeting, but are free to take an oath. The present Governor, Mr. Cranstone, is one of these Demy-Quakers, a man of small estate and only put in to serve the Quakers' turn. The Freeholders formerly chose the Governors; now it is the Freemen. There are several persons of considerable estate, but they and all the principal inhabitants are out of the Government. Neither the Judges nor Juries are ever sworn upon trial. They have passed a law repeating a former one, which obliged their Deputies at their General Assemblies to take an oath for the faithful discharge of their trust. Their laws were formerly in good order, but now that the Government is in the hand of the meaner sort of people, they are in great confusion, upon loose papers, blotted and torn. Green, the Deputy-Governor, is a man of small estate and very indifferent character. Mr. Brenton then proposed that an Act of Parliament might be passed here to oblige all those who were in any place of trust in that Government to take an oath of fidelity to the King and an oath for the faithful discharge of their trust, and promised to make a draft of such an Act and present it to their Lordships. |
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Mr. Hamilton, attending, desired their Lordships to report upon the Proprietors of West New Jersey's Memorial, praying he may have H.M. approbation for the Government of that Province, but he was told that they did not think fit to represent upon that, till the questions about the title of the Government were settled. |
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An account of the cargoes of the four ships that cleared from New York for Madagascar, June, 1698, received from Mr. Weaver. |
Aug. 9.
Aug. 10. |
Representation, upon the advices of Mr. Bass and Col. Quary, relating to pirates and illegal Trade agreed upon, and signed and sent. |
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Letter from the Earl of Bellomont, Boston, May 29, read. Directions for preparing an answer given. |
| Aug. 11. |
Letter to the Governor and Company of Rhode Island signed. Copy prepared for Lord Bellomont. |
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Acts of Nevis, April, 1698—Jan. 5, 1699, sent to Mr. Solicitor General for his opinion. |
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Letter from Mr. Grey, Barbados, June 6, 1699, read. Answer ordered. |
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Letter to Lord Bellomont considered. [Board of Trade. Journal, 12. pp. 138–144; and 96. Nos. 122–126.] |
| Aug. 7. |
700. Minutes of Council and Assembly of New Hampshire. Members of General Assembly:—Capt. John Pickerin, Samuel Penhallow, John Plaisted (for Portsmouth); Capt. John Tuttle, Capt. John Woodman, Nathaniel Hill (for Dover); Capt. Henry Dow, Lt. John Smith, Joseph Swett (for Hampton); Theophilus Dudley, Moses Levet (for Exeter); James Randall, Theodore Atkinson (for Neweastle). |
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Henry Green of Hampton was excused serving on the Council owing to age, infirmity and remoteness of habitation. |
Aug. 8.
Aug. 9. |
The Representatives chose Samuel Penhallow for their Speaker. The Governor addressed them. Bills for reviving and continuing processes and actions etc. in the Supreme Court, and for regulating Jurors, read a first time and second time. Bill forbidding correspondence with the Scotch Expedition read a second time. Bill for regulating Jurors read a third time and sent down. Accounts of Major William Vaughan and Major Joseph Smith, late treasurers, referred to a Committee. Col. Samuel Allen, late Governor, summoned to answer to the reflections against him contained in the Bill for reviving the Supreme Court and to the petition of Richard Waldron, Major W. Vaughan and Capt. Henry Dow, was heard together with the petitioners. |
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The Assembly replied to the Governor's address. Richard Waldron sworn a member of Council. Bill for establishing Courts of Justice read three times and sent down. Bill for regulating Jurors returned with amendment. A new bill ordered. Address to H.M. ordered to be prepared. [Board of Trade. New England, 49. pp. 507–514.] |
| Aug. 8. |
701. An account of the cargoes of 4 ships that cleared from New York for Madagascar in June, 1698. Signed. S. V. Cortlandt. Endorsed, Mentioned in Lord Bellomont's letter of June 22, 1698. Recd. from Mr. Weaver, Aug. 8, 1699. 2 pp. [Board of Trade. New York, 8A. No. 33; and 55. p. 310.] (Memorandum only.) |
| Aug. 8. |
702. Minutes of Council and Assembly of Nevis. Col. John Ward was sworn a member of Assembly for the N.W. division. John Smargin was sworn Deputy Secretary of the Island. [Board of Trade. Leeward Islands, 64. p 505.] |
Aug. 8.
Portsmouth. |
703. Minutes of Council of Massachusetts Bay. Justices took the oath. [Board of Trade. New England, 49. p. 231.] |
| Aug. 9. |
704. Minutes of Council of New York. Advertisements ordered to be published for the apprehension of Gilham the Pirate. High Sheriffs of King's and Queen's Counties ordered to
seize Humphrey Clay, Martin Schank and John Harrison, pirates from Kidd's ship. All goods seized and brought into the Custom House ordered to be kept there till discharged by order of the Board or by due course of law. Accounts of Robert Livingston ordered to be audited. |
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The Governor requested to appoint a Registrar and other proper officers in the Court of Chancery. [Board of Trade. New York, 72. pp. 266–268.] |
| Aug. 9. |
705. Minutes of Council of Virginia. Ordered that lookouts be kept all along the coast for the pirates lately in Lyn-Haven Bay. Committee for revising Laws recommended to consider some method to procure an exact Rent-roll, to find what lands are escheatable to the King, to encourage trade particularly with relation to bulk tobacco, and to prepare a bill to ascertain fees to the officers of the Admiralty Court, the Attorney-General and Clerk of the Council. Allowance made to the Officers of the Admiralty Court for selling the stores saved from the Swift and Roe. Sloop-hire paid to Richard Kitson. Allowance paid to the Judge and Officers of the Admiralty Court for their extraordinary trouble and expenses in the condemnation of the ship Providence. Mr. Auditor ordered to give directions to the sheriffs in accordance with the King's instructions for the sale of the Quit-rents to the highest bidder at the County Courts. [Board of Trade. Virginia, 53. pp. 325–330.] |
| Aug. 10. |
706. Council of Trade and Plantations to the Lords Justices. In our representation of Oct. 19 we mentioned how Lord Bellomont, upon suspicion that four ships fitted out from New York for Madagascar, June, 1698, were designed for a trade with the pirates in those parts, proposed, but could not induce the Council to take good security before their departure. We now lay before you some informations of what appear to be the direct consequences of that voyage. Governor Bass' letter, June 9, about Giles Shelley, quoted. Shelley is one of the forementioned ships. His cargo outwards was of very small value, but the returns mentioned in his letter are exceedingly great and prove the nature of his trade. Captain Burgess named in his letter is another of the four ships. Mr. Stephen Delancey to whom Shelley wrote is one of the merchants concerned in the Fortune, Capt. Thomas Moston, Commander, mentioned in our former representation. Col. Quary's letters June 1st and 6th summarised. We represent our opinion that, for the better discouragement of illegal trade and piracy in the Province of New York and for the support of Lord Bellomont in that work which he has so vigorously begun, your Excellencies should direct his Lordship to continue to use his utmost endeavours to seize all goods imported contrary to the Acts of Trade as likewise all persons that may be justly suspected of piracy, either as principals or abettors, and to punish them with the utmost severity of law. |
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And whereas there seems to be little ground of depending upon the safe custody of the pirates seized in Pennsylvania, nor any expectation that a condign punishment will be inflicted on them, and as we are also informed by Col. Quary that there is no Act in force in West New Jersey by which those seized in that Province can be tried and punished there, we humbly offer that all pirates
seized in Pennsylvania and West New Jersey be sent hither, together with the evidences upon which they have been seized and which may be of any use for their conviction here, that so they may be tried and punished according to law. And whereas there appears to be a great want of settled Militia in Pennsylvania for the defence and security of the same, we propose that directions be given to Mr. Penn to take care in that matter upon his arrival there, according to the powers conferred upon him by his patent. Signed, Ph. Meadows, Jno. Pollexfen, Jon. Locke, Abr. Hill. [Board of Trade. Proprieties, 26. pp. 66–73; and New York, 53. pp. 316–321.] |
| Aug. 10. |
707. Memorandum of preceding Representation. [Board of Trade. Plantations General, 35. p. 63.] |
| Aug. 10. |
708. Minutes of Council and Assembly of New Hampshire. Addresses of the Assembly relating to the fortifications, and complaining of the late Governor, Samuel Allen, read. Nathaniel Fryer moved that the inconvenience of heaving out ballast in the river might be considered. Bill for establishing Courts of Justice, returned for amendment, was amended and sent down. |
