|
Aug. 11.
Virginia. |
357. Lt. Governor Spotswood to the Council of Trade and
Plantations. Acknowledges letter of 9th April, and will take
the security required when Mr. Hart shal make use of his licence
of absence etc. Continues: I should have been glad such a
licence had come for myself that I might ease yor. Lordps. of
the trouble of Mr. Byrds impertinent memorials, and myself of
the disadvantage of defending my character against the
calumnys of a person who durst not offer to my face, what he
now so confidently affirms, under the security of a thousand
leagues distance, etc. Replies to his memorial (v. March 24, 1719.)
of which he has seen a copy. "Mr. Byrd having nothing to object
against the plan of accommodation, which I offerred to his
Party, and they scornfully rejected, craftily insinuates that
yor. Lordps. authority is necessary to oblige me to a complyance with my own proposal" etc. Repeats case of Oyer and
Terminer Courts etc. Continues:—Dec. 8th 1715 I directed the
Minutes of each Council to be laid before them at their next
meeting etc., and this hath constantly been observed by the Clerk
ever since; but 'tis true that the Council often ommit to look
upon these minutes or find leasure to hear them read. Only Mr.
Ludwell hath not only had the perusal of all the Journals, but
copys of the greater part of them, and yet I have never heard
any entry therein faulted, etc. Refers to his answer to the Burgesses'
charge, v. March 25. Continues: Those who do not know the
character of this Memorialist, will be surprized to find that he, who
not long before his departure from hence, joined with his brethren
of the Council in acknowledging under his hand, my constant
civilitys to the gentlemen of that Board, should now charge
me with denying them the freedom of delivering their opinions
etc. As to their consultations in Assembly, I do affirm that I
never have interposed, but when they have vouchsafed to ask
my advice, or when the King's service has obliged me to declare
my opinion of their proceedings, and then left them to consider
of it, and if some few instances may be given of my expostulating
with some of them upon their opinions offerred in Council or
General Court, yet I will maintain that my reasoning with them
on those occasions ever was with temper and good manners:
and if the taking notice of, and fairly laying open their sentiments, exposed them to reproach and ridicule, I shal answer
little to that complaint, for as I do not grant that either in the
capacity of Governor or Judge I am to sitt silent, and suffer
absurd notions to prevail, so neither do I think that Mr. Byrd
and his confederates have treated me with such decent respect
as to deserve that I should be indulgently blind to all their
errors etc. As to that part [of the Memorial] which proposes
a reciprocal communication of complaints sent over by either
Party: To this I have to object, that there is some difference
in the character of those who are entrusted by the Sovereign
with the chief administration of the Government, and the subordinate members of the Council etc., so that I hope all Mr.
Byrd's rhetorick will never prevail with yor. Lordps. to levell
the one with the other. This I only offer for preserving the
dignity of the Governmt. and that the authority of such as
H.M. shal think fitt to honour with the chief administration,
may not be rendered contemptible among the people, who seing
men of their own rank in as much consideration at home as
their Governor, will be apt to fancy themselves his equal too,
and lay aside their obedience when they have lost their reverence. For my own part, I should readily agree to what Mr.
Byrd here proposes, were I to expect a fair communication
from my adversarys of their complaints agt. me: but the fallacy
of the proposal lyes in this, that they need send no publick
representations to yor. Lordps., and consequently will have
none to impart to me, for they have their Agent (Mr. Byrd)
ready to act according to the private notice they give him, and
if they have not real grievances, he can by the help of a ready
invention frame complaints which were never thought of here,
as he has in this memorial, in the case of the Governor's house,
and the reading the Council Minuts; and a Governor's reputation shall be sullyed and blasted before he knows that he is
accused etc. A gentleman of the Council here publickly said
upon perusing the aforesaid memorial, that he would not for
£1,000 have his hand appear subscribed to so many lyes as he
knew that paper contained, etc. It is not in Virginia alone, where
the conscientious discharge of a man's duty exposes him to the
rage of ill men: The neighbouring Province of North Carolina,
highly provoked at the suppressing the pyrates who had been
sheltered and too much countenanced in that Province, seems
resolved to revenge on me, as the author of that project, the disappointment of their expected gain, by being the repository of all
the ill-gotten wealth of that abandoned crew, etc. All I shal at
present say to the menaces of my angry neighbours, is that if
in one of H.M. Provinces, governed, or which at least ought
to be so by the Laws of England or such as are conformable
thereto, pyrates may be admitted to bring in and expose to sale
as their proper estate, 80 or 90 negroes confess'd by them to
have been piratically taken from the subjects of the French
King, His Majesty's ally: if the Governor of that Province and
others in chief station there shal so far countenance that unjust
traffique as to become the first purchasers thereby setting an
example to the meaner people: If to condemn as lawfull prize
a sloop piratically taken from the subjects of Spain in a time
of peace and to vest the property of that vessell in the pyrate
who was the captor, by a formal decree of a pretended Court of
Admiralty: If to permitt the same pyrate to arm and man the
sd. sloop with a number of his associates far greater than were
necessary to navigate that vessell on a lawfull voyage to clear
the vessell for a pretended trading voyage to St. Thomas without
any cargo at all that could denote a lawfull design: If to permitt
the same vessell to return in less than a month into that
Province with a French ship piratically taken, to leave that
ship and cargo to be disposed of at the pleasure of the pyrates,
without questioning by what means that booty came to be
theirs, and if instead thereof the chief Officers of the Governmt.
combined with the pyrates, by receiving and concealing part of
these pyratical effects: If in neither of the aforementioned
cases no care was taken by that Government to observe the
Treatys of Peace, which injoins that goods piratically taken or
becoming wreck, and brought unto the Dominions of H.M. or
the French King shal be reciprocally restored to the owners.
If instead of securing the French ship last mentioned for the
benefite of such as might claim the same a warrt. shal be prepared by the Secretary and sign'd and sealed by the Governor
for burning that ship within a month after her arrival and when
she might have been well preserv'd. If to keep a correspondence with these villains all the while they were perpetrating
these acts of piracy; to give them the appellation of friends
and to connive at their robbing H.M. subjects even in that
Province and almost at the Governor and Secretary's doors:
and finally, if when the Court of Admiralty for trying of pirates
here, shal upon due prooff represent to that Government,
that their Secretary and Chief Justice appeared to be accessory
to piracy and thereupon desired he might be secured and sent
to England for his tryal; no notice shal be taken of this representation, but on the contrary the offender suffered to enjoy
his post, and those in principal authority joine in his vindication.
I say if all these, and many other instances wch. I could give,
and am able to prove, may be lawfully practised in the Province
of North Carolina, Then I must own myself to have been too
officious, in meddling at all in the reduction of those pirates,
and too imprudently sollicitous for the observation of the Treatys
between H.M. and his allyes etc. Appeals for their Lordps.'
protection against the unjust clamour of prejudiced men.
Continues: Your Lordps. may be pleased to remember how
much I laboured wth the Assembly in May 1718 to get them
to renew the peace with the Indians of the five Nations,
thereby to secure our frontiers from the disturbances I then
discovered those Indians were inclined to give us, but all
my endeavours proving ineffectual to perswade either the
Council or Burgesses to such prudent measures, The Indians
have this year fallen down among the upper inhabitants
plundered some familys and behaved themselves with such
insolence as hath occasioned no small uneasiness among the
people who are fearfull of more fatal attempts: there hath
also been a rencounter between those Indians and our Tributarys wherin some on both sides have been killed. On these
alarms the Militia of the frontier countys are ordered to
be in a readiness to oppose their incursions, the only means
left to protect the country, and even that like to be far more
expensive than ten times the charge of obtaining a peace by
way of Treaty: for if nothing more happens than only keeping
the people in constant alarms, it will greatly injure them in
their cropps, and probably force a great many to desert their
Plantations, and perhaps the country too, when they perceive
they cannot be safe, and their Representatives will take no
care to protect them. And yet at last, these obstinate men who
refused to come into the measures I proposed for obtaining a
peace with the Indians will be forced to submitt to the same
way, after all the dangers to wch. they expose their country
and I'm confident with more charge and less honour than if
they had sought such pacifick means at first: for I perceive
such of the Council and Burgesses as acted by a spirit of opposition in the last Assembly, have lost all credit with the people
upon this incident and will never be able to recover it, without
falling in again with the true interest of their country, wch.
the meanest Planter now sees, is only to be promoted by cultivating a good correspondence with the neighbouring Indians,
and not by engaging in a warr under the disadvantage of our
scattered habitacons and the uncertain and sudden attacks of
such an enemy. It remains that I return yor. Lordps. my
humble acknowledgments for yr. goodness in not giving ear
to the malicious insinuations of my enemys, and more especially
in resisting the pressing sollicitations of Mr. Byrd tho varnished
over with the specious pretence of friendship and peace etc.
Signed, A. Spotswood. Endorsed, Recd. 28th Sept., 1719.
Read 15th June, 1720. 9½ pp. [C.O. 5, 1318. No. 73.] |
| [Aug. 11.] |
358. Form of a certificate for the bounty on pitch and tar.
Endorsed, Recd. Read 11th Aug., 1719. 1¼ pp. [C.O. 323,
7. No. 159.] |
Aug. 11.
Whitehall. |
359. Mr. Popple to Mr. Tryon. The Council of Trade and
Plantations, desires to discourse with you and any of the gentlemen who signed a memorial in behalf of the sufferers at Montserrat in April, 1714. [C.O. 153, 13. pp. 424, 425.] |
Aug. 11.
Whitehall. |
359a. Same to Mr. Potter. Presses for what was desired
of the Hudson's Bay Company, the 4th instant, as soon as
possible etc. [C.O. 135, 3. p. 138.] |
Aug. 12.
Whitehall. |
359b. Same to Richard Harris. By the 11th Article of the
Treaty of Utrecht, it is provided that the Commissaries to be
appointed on the part of Great Britain and France, are to enquire
into those things, of which the French subjects complain relating to
the capitulation of Nevis, and Castle of Gambia, as also to French
ships, if perchance any such have been taken by British subjects
in time of Peace. The Council of Trade and Plantations desire
you would give them the best information you are able of that
matter and what they desired of you at their Board the 5th
inst., as soon as possibly you can. [C.O. 324, 10. pp. 265, 266.] |
Aug. 12.
Whitehall. |
359c. Same to Governor Hamilton. Encloses duplicate of
letter from the Board of 24th April, and the order in Council
repealing the Additional Duty Act of Antegoa, with the Board's
reasons for repealing it. By the said Order the Act to prohibit
the importation of foreign sugars, etc. is likewise repealed. [C.O.
153, 13. pp. 425, 426.] |
| Aug. 13. |
360. Memorial of the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay to the Council of
Trade and Plantations. At the Treaty concluded at Uttrecht
it was agreed between the Crowns of Great Britain and France
that the Streights and Bay of Hudson should be deliver'd up
to the British subjects, and that the limits should be settled
between the said Bay of Hudson and the places appertaining
to the French, and also that satisfaction should be given to the
Company for all depredations committed against them by the
French in a time of Peace according to an estimate thereof to
be made at the requisition of the several parties. The first
of these Articles vizt. the surrender of the Streights and Bay
aforesaid has been made according to the tenour of the Treaty
at least in such manner that the Company acquiesc'd therein,
and have nothing to object or desire further on that head. The
other two vizt. the running a line betwixt the English and French
territories, and the making reparation to the Company for their
losses and damages yet remain to be done, whereupon the
Governor and Company most humbly represent to your Lordps.
that they conceive it absolutely necessary that the limits between
the two Nations be setled without delay, for that the French
have since the conclusion of the Peace (vizt. in 1715) made a
factory settlement at the Head of Albany River, upon which
very river our principal factory is setled, whereby they intercept
the Indian trade from coming to the Company's factories and
will in time utterly ruin the trade if not prevented. It is therefore propos'd and desir'd that a boundary or dividend line may
be drawn so as to exclude the French from coming any where
to the northward of the latitude of 49, except on the coast of
Labrador; Unless this be done the Company's factorys at the
bottom of Hudson's Bay cannot be secure nor their trade
preserv'd. As to the article of the Company's losses it will appear
by a true and exact estimate to this Memorial annex'd that the
French took from the Company in full Peace vizt between the
years 1682 and 1688 seven ships with their cargoes and six forts
and factories in which they found and carried away great stores
of goods laid up for trading with the Indians the whole amounting
to £38332 15s. principal money and £62210 18s. 9d. interest
computed to the year 1713, which two sums being added together make the total £100543 13s. 9d. [v. Aug. 13.] The
Company humbly referring your Lordps. to the estimate itself
for particulars crave leave to make two remarks upon it. First
that the loss of the forts is not charg'd therein, nor are the
damages valu'd which the Company suffer'd by the depredations
of the French which must be very great considering how long
they held possession of our forts and enjoy'd the trade depending
thereon, particularly they held Albany fort and all the places
of trade in the Bottom of the Bay for six years, the bare interest
only is charged, which is always suppos'd necessary to grow
out of the principal and to be inseparable from it. Secondly,
that the proofs and vouchers which support the account are
such as the reason and nature of the thing will admit of especially
considering the distance of time and place where the injuries
complain'd of were committed, the seizure of the several forts
and capture of the respective ships being acts of a publick and
notorious nature 'tis presum'd they will not be denied, besides
that there are living witnesses here to some of them. The cost
of the ships and goods is extracted out of the Companys books
where every article was fairly enter'd when there could be no
foresight of the misfortunes which afterwards happen'd, the
tradesmen's several bills are likewise ready to be produc'd to
confirm the account. Wherefore the Governor and Company
most humbly pray that your Lordps. will be pleas'd to espouse
their just cause and so to recommend it to H.M. that they may
have full reparation made them as was agreed and promis'd
by the late King of France at the Treaty of Utrech. Signed,
By Order of the Governor, Depty. Governor and Committee,
Wm. Potter, Secry. Mem. The seal of the Company was
affix'd to the original, wch. Col. Bladen took with him to France,
in Sept. 1719. Copy. 3 pp. [C.O. 134, 2. No. 45.] Enclosed, |
|
360. i. Account of the damages sustained by the Hudson's
Bay Company from the French in times of peace.
v. preceding. Endorsed, Recd. Read 13 Aug. 1719.
19 pp. [C.O. 134, 2. Nos. 45, 45.i.] |
Aug. 14.
Whitehall. |
361. Mr. Delafaye to the Council of Trade and Plantations.
In pursuance of Aug. 4th, encloses following. Signed, Ch. Delafaye. Endorsed, Recd. 15th, Read 26th Aug. 1719. ¾ p.
Enclosed, |
|
361. i. Memorial of the Deputies of the States of Guipuzcoa
to Col. Stanhope. Request prompt consideration of
their claim to the freedom of fishery of the coast of
Newfoundland, as well as to a free trade and commerce
in the several harbours thereof, of which, as the first
discoverers of those ports, the subjects of the Province
have been in continual possession, confirmed by the
Treaty of Utrecht etc. Signed, Dn. Miguel de
Aranburu and 4 others. Spanish. Copy. 1 p. [C.O.
194, 6. Nos. 69, 69 i.; and (without enclosure) 195, 6.
p. 511.] |
Aug. 14.
London. |
362. R. Harris to Mr. Popple. Encloses following. Concludes: I am to day informed that there is a man in town that
was setled for some time on one of ye branches of Misisippi
River, and by some of the Virginia merchants yt. the French
have erected a setlement within two days journey of Maryland
etc. I beleive Mr. Danson can farther informe etc. Signed, Rd.
Harris. Endorsed, Recd. 17th, Read 18th Aug., 1719. ¾ p.
Enclosed, |
|
362. i. Mr. Harris to Mr. Popple. Reply to Aug. 5th and
11th. I have not heard of any capture of French ships,
in time of peace, unless by pirates etc. Refers to French
Senegal Co. and the African Co. Concludes: Touching
Newfoundland, I cannot at present think where to
find proof, that Sebastian Chabot was the first discoverer thereof; but I am pretty sure he was allways
reputed so, and I beleive you have the time and relation thereof in Dr. Heylin's Cosmography, and 'twas
in King Henry ye 7th time, in a ship fitted out of
Bristoll etc. Signed, Rd. Harris. 2½ pp. |
|
362. ii. Same to Same. London, Aug. 10, 1719. In pursuance of their Lordships' commands, Aug. 5th, offers
suggestions as to the bounds to be fixed between the
English and French in North America. Signed, Rd.
Harris. 6¼ pp. |
|
362. iii. Extract from Sir Francis Bacon's Resuscitatio, p. 27,
relating to Spain and the trade to the Indies.
Endorsed, Recd. 17th, Read 18th Aug., 1719. 1½ pp.
[C.O. 323, 7. Nos. 160, 160. i.–iii.] |
Aug. 14.
Hudsons Bay House. |
363. Mr. Potter to Mr. Popple. In reply to Aug. 11th,
encloses following. Concludes: The original was sent with ye
Comps. Agent Capt. James Knight in June 1714 whome they
order'd to take possession according to the Treaty of Utricht.
Signed, Wm. Potter. Endorsed, Recd. 17th, Read 18th Aug.,
1719. ¾ p. Enclosed, |
|
363. i. Order by the French King for the surrender of the
Bay and Streights of Hudson. Aug. 6, 1713.
Copy. ¾ p. [C.O. 134, 2. Nos. 46, 46. i.] |
Aug. 17.
Whitehall. |
364. Mr. Delafaye to the Council of Trade and Plantations.
Encloses following for their information. Signed, Ch. Delafaye.
Endorsed, Recd. 18th Aug., Read 16th Sept. 1719. 1 p.
Enclosed, |
|
364. i. Earl of Cadogan (H.M. Ambassador Extraordinary at
the Hague) to Mr. Delafaye. Hague, Aug. 18., (N.S.),
1719. Encloses following etc. Signed, Cadogan. ½ p. |
|
364. ii. Directions of the Dutch West India Company to the
States General. Amsterdam, 16th Aug. (N.S.), 1719.
In reply to the resolution upon Lord Cadogan's complaint that deserters and slaves from the Leeward
Islands are harboured by the Governor of St. Eustatia,
the Directors are wholly ignorant of the fact etc.
They will write by the first opportunity to the Governor
in the strongest terms, enjoining him, in case such deserters and slaves are now at St. Eustatia, to deliver
them all up to those who claim them through the
Governor of the English Colonies from whence they
have deserted, and that he should take particular
care for the future not to harbour any deserters or
slaves coming to St. Eustatia, but to cause them to
depart as quickly as possible etc. Signed, Ferdinand
van Collen jr., Van Beuningen. Endorsed, Recd.
17th Aug., 1719. Copy. French. 2 pp. [C.O.
152, 12. Nos. 149, 149. i., ii.] |
Aug. 18.
Whitehall. |
365. Mr. Popple to Mr. Pery. Similar letter to No. 359b,
[C.O. 324, 10. pp. 265, 266.] |
| [Aug. 18.] |
366. Dr. Coxe to the Council of Trade and Plantations.
I believe there will be great difficulties in a treaty between us
and the French about settling the bounderies of our English
Collonies and those of the French; particularly the Province of
Carolana, of which they seem very fond, having already made
some settlements, and are preparing to make more, and greater
etc. Proposes to assign to the French all the territory W. of
the Mississippi and retain all that on the E. etc. Endorsed,
Recd. Read 18th Aug. 1719. 1½ pp. [C.O. 323, 7. No. 161.] |
Aug. 19.
Boston. |
367. Governor Shute to the Council of Trade and Plantations. Refers to letters of 29th Sept. 1718 and 1st Jan. 1719.
Continues:—I have not had the favour of hearing from your
Lordsps. since etc. There is another vacancy in the Council
of New Hampshire by the death of Mr. Atkinson. Recommends
Robert Armstrong, collector in that Province, who is very
knowing in the affairs of it etc. Refers to enclosures. Concludes: Peace still continues between these Provinces and the
Indians: I shall use my utmost indeavours to cultivate friendship between us. Signed, Samll. Shute. Endorsed, Recd.
17th Oct. 1719. Read 3rd Aug., 1720. 1 p. Enclosed, |
|
367. i. Account of stores of war expended at Castle William,
Boston, 24th June 1718–1719. Signed, Zecr. Tuthill, Lt.
1 p. |
|
367. ii. Account of stores of war remaining at Castle William,
24th June, 1719. Signed as preceding. Endorsed as
letters. 1 p. |
|
367. iii. Accounts of powder expended at Fort William at
Newcastle in New Hampshire, 10th Oct.-27th April,
and remaining on 15th July, 1719. Signed, J. Wentworth. Endorsed as letter. 3 pp. |
|
367. iv. Account of imports into New Hampshire, Midsummer 1718–1719. Imports of rum, sugar, molasses,
cotton, tar and pitch from the West Indies; salt from
Tortuga, etc.; 10 ships from Great Brittaine and
Ireland theire whole cargoes amounting to about
£6000 sterl. Signed, Rot. Armstrong, Collr. Same
endorsement. 2 pp. |
|
367. v. Account of exports from New Hampshire, Midsummer
1718–1719, chiefly timber. Some small quantities of
English goods to Virginia, Carolina, etc. Some fish,
live stock and tar. Details. Signed and endorsed as
preceding. 2 pp. [C.O. 5, 867. Nos. 62, 62. i.–v.] |
| Aug. 20. |
368. Col. Moody to Mr. Popple. In answer to their Lordships' desire to know, what French ships have fished in the
British parts of Newfoundland, since they delivered up Placentia, I have heard, that about 10 or 15 sail doe fish sometimes in
the harbours belonging to Brittain betwen Port Rich and
Placentia etc. I believe that several French ships from Cape
Brittoon doe now and then fish in the remote and obscure
Brittish harbours on the Cannada side of Newfoundland, where
it is hardly possible to find them for rocks and foggs. Signed,
J. Moody. Endorsed, Recd. Read 20th Aug, 1719. Addressed.
1 p. [C.O. 194, 6. No. 68; and 195, 6. pp. 510, 511.] |
Aug. 20.
African House. |
369. Mr. Pery to Mr. Popple. Reply to 18th Aug. The
Sub-Governor and Court of Assistants hope to be ready on
Tuesday etc. Signed, John Pery. Endorsed, Recd. Read
21st Aug. 1719. Addressed. ½ p. [C.O. 323, 7. No. 162.] |
