Lordship in the favourite scheme of war upon America, he hoped they would not facrifice their honour upon the prefent business, Governor Johnstone affirmed, that the whole proceedings, Governor taken together, were the moft flagitious and iniquitous he Jobnione. had ever heard of. Papers had been kept back under falfe pretences, evidences were ordered out of town that they might not give their teftimony when called upon, and, in fhort, he had no doubt the matter was thus planned on purpofe to defeat all enquiry. Lord North faid, the papers could not be got ready which La. Nat. Mr. Stanley had proved; and as to Mr. Merry's being out of the way, he had been gone to Milford above ten days, and another person who had been ordered to attend was gone to York. He admitted, he faid, that Merry had abufed his powers. Mr. Burke faid, that by the excufe made for Merry's ab- Mr. Burke, fence, it was a fure fign he had not incurred the leaft difpleasure of the treasury by what he had formerly done, and that he was now at Milford buying cattle for government; and another perfon, it was confeffed, was gone to York; no man knew why, unless to avoid being examined. [On the 22d of May the remainder of the papers were prefented; but not to divide the fubject, we shall infert them here. There was no debate upon them.] Copy of a Warrant from the Lords Commiffioners of his Majesty's Whitehall, Treafury-Chambers. AFTER our hearty commendations: Whereas the lords commiffioners of the admiralty have reprefented unto us, that the commiffioners for victualling the navy, in pursuance of the orders they were under to contract for forty thousand gallons of rum, have agreed with Mr. Richard Shaw, of Bristol, for the faid quantity, but that being bonded in warehouses there, he cannot deliver it to them; and the faid lords commiffioners have defired, that orders may be given for the permitting the faid quantity of rum to be removed from Bristol into his Majefty's victualling ftores in the port of London, free of duty, and to be kept under the keys of the excife and cuftoms, until his Majefty's fervice requires it to be iffued: We, upon confideration of the premises, do hereby direct direct you to give the neceffary orders to your officers accordingly; and for fo doing, this shall be your warrant. To our very loving friends the Commiffioners of his Majefty's Cuftoms. NORTH. GEO. ONSLOW. C. W. CORNWALL. 40,000 gallons of rum, to be removed from Bristol to London, duty free. Copy of a Warrant from the Lords Commiffioners of his Majefty's Treafury, dated the 11th of January, 1776. Whitehall, Treafury-Chambers. AFTER our hearty commendations: Whereas the lords commiffioners of the admiralty have represented unto us, that they have ordered the commiffioners for victualling the navy to purchase two hundred thousand gallons of rum to be delivered into his Majefty's victualling ftores in the port of London; and the faid lords commiffioners have defired, that orders may be given for permitting the faid quantity of rum to be delivered into the faid victualling ftores accordingly, free of duty, and to be kept under the keys of the excife and cuftoms, until his Majefty's fervice may require the fame being iffued: We, upon confideration of the premises, do hereby direct you to give the neceffary orders to your officers accordingly; and for fo doing, this fhall be your warrant. NORTH. GEO. ONSLOW. C. W. CORNWALL. To our very loving friends the Commiffioners of his Majefty's Customs. 200,0000 gallons of rum, to be delivered in the port of London, duty free. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Jackson to Mr. Stanley, dated the 12th of January, 1776. SIR, Admiralty-Office. AN act of Parliament having paffed this feffion, to prohi bit all trade and intercourfe with the feveral colonies of North America therein named, during the continuance of the present rebellion within thofe colonies, in a clause, page 217, of which act it is declared, that nothing therein contained fhall extend, or be continued to extend, to the fhips and veffels there described, whofe mafters fhall produce a licence from any lords commiffioners of the admiralty for the purposes there specified, my lords directed Mr. Seddon, their folicitor, to confider and propofe to them the form of the licence which it may be proper for them to give, under the above circumftances; and he having tranfmitted to their lordships fuch a form of a licence as he apprehends will correfpond with the intent of the act, I fend you, by their direction, a copy of the faid licence, for the information of the commiffioners of the cuftoms, and am to defire they will please to acquaint their lordships what may be the best and moft concife mode by which to govern themfelves, concerning the particulars to be inferted in fuch licences, I am, Sir, Your moft humble fervant, (Signed) GEO. JACKSON, D. S. By bis Majefly's Commiffioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of Great-Britain, &c. BY virtue, and in pursuance of an act of Parliament, made and paffed in the 16th year of his prefent Majefty King George the Third, [intituled, "An act to prohibit all trade and intercoarse with the colonies of New Hampshire, Maffachufetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jerfey, Penfylvania, the three lower counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, during the continuance of the prefent rebellion within the faid counties refpectively, for repealing an act made in the 14th year of the reign of his prefent Majefty, to difcontinue the landing and difcharging lading, or fhipping of goods, wares, and merchandize, at the town, and within the harbour, of Boston, in the province of Maffachufetts Bay. And alfo two acts, made in the laft feffion of Parliament, for reftraining the trade and commerce of the Colonies, in the faid acts refpectively mentioned. And to enable any perfon or perfons, appointed and authorized by his Majefty to grant pardons, to iffue proclamations, in the cafes and for the purposes therein mentioned."] We whose hands and feals are hereunto fet, three of the commiffioners for executing the office of lord high admiral of Great-Britain for the time now being, do hereby licence, authorize, and permit, A. B. mafter of the fhip [brig, floop, &c. as the cafe may be] or veffel, called of the burthen tons, to proceed and fail with his faid ship [brig, &c.] or veffel, and cargo, confifting of of in and on a voyage from the port of London [or other port, as the cafe may be] to and not elsewhere; and there to unload and deliver the cargo above fpecified, and to return from thence with his faid hip and veffel to fome port in Great-Britain or Ireland. Pro VOL. IV. L vided vided nevertheless, that this prefent licence shall subfist, and be in force, from the day of the date hereof, until the day of and no longer Given under our hands and feals, this 1776. day To all Flag-Officers, Captains, Commanders, and other commiffioned Officers in his Majefty's pay: and alfo to all others whom thefe prefents fhall or may concern. Note. If any goods, wares, or merchandize, other than ftores, and provifions for his Majefty's use, or provifions for the use of the inhabitants of any town or place garrifoned and poffeffed by his Majefty's troops, fhall be found on board any licensed fhip; or if the cargoes fhall not correfpond with the particulars fpecified in the bodies of the refpective licences (the neceffary ftores for the fhip's ufe, and the baggage of the paffengers, only excepted) in either of thefe cafes the faid goods, wares, &c. fhall be forfeited, seized, and profecuted, as the faid act directs. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Jackson to Mr. Stanley, dated the 15th of January, 1776. SIR, Admiralty-Office. I am commanded by my lords commiffioners of the admiralty to acquaint you, that feveral applications being now made for licences for fhips to clear out for North America, their lordships therefore will be glad to be favoured with an answer to what is mentioned in my letter of the 12th inft. refpecting fuch licences. I am, Sir, Mr. Stanley. Your moft humble fervant, (Signed) GEO. JACKSON, D. S. Copy of a Letter from Mr. Stanley to Mr. Jackson, fignifying what the Commiffioners apprehend will be the best and most concife mode concerning the particulars to be inferted in the Licences, prepared in confequence of the Act prohibiting all trade, Si. with the American Colonies, dated 17th of January, 1776. Cuftom-Houfe, London. SIR, I HAVE laid before the board your letter of the 12th inftant, tranfmitting the form of a licence which has been prepared by Mr. Seddon, in confequence of the act paffed this feffion, prohibiting all trade and intercourfe with the American colonies therein named, and fignifying their lordfhips' defire that this board will acquaint them what may be the the best and moft concife mode concerning the particulars to be inferted in fuch licences. I am directed to acquaint you, that the commiffioners apprehend the particulars of the ftores and goods can only be furnished by the navy board, or fuch other publick offices as from time to time may have occafion to fhip goods or ftores for his Majefty's fervice, or by fuch private perfons as may be under contract with government, or be employed for that purpofe; and that when the licences fhall be completed and iffued, the board will give the ftricteft injunctions to their officers for the immediate entering and clearing of the fhips and goods, that his Majefty's fervice may not be impeded. I am, &c. Geo. Jackson, Efq. (Signed) EDW. STANLEY. Mr. Robinfon inclofes Copies of Forms and Licences to be granted by the Board of Admiralty to Ships and Veffels trading to Ame= rica, under the Exceptions of the last Act of Parliament, dated the 24th of January, 1775. GENTLEMEN, Treasury-Chambers. I AM commanded by my lords commiffioners of his Majefty's treasury to tranfinit to you the inclosed forms of licences, to be granted by the board of admiralty to fhips and veffels trading to America, under the exceptions in the act of the prefent feffion of Parliament, in order that you may guide yourselves accordingly. I am, Gentlemen, Your moft humble fervant, JOHN ROBINSON. Commiffioners of the Customs. By the Commiffioners for executing the Office of Lord High Ada miral of Great-Britain and Ireland, &c. IN pursuance of an act paffed in the prefent feffion of Parliament, entitled, "An act to prohibit all trade and intercourse with the feveral Colonies therein mentioned," we do hereby authorize, licenfe, and permit, mafter of the burthen of to proceed with the faid fhip and cargo, confifting of the particulars specified in the schedule annexed, from the port of of the ship to the port of there to unload and deliver the faid cargo, and to return from thence with his faid fhip to GreatBritain or Ireland. This licence to fubfift and be in force from the day of the date hereof, until her return as afore L2 faid.. |