Indorsed-7 July, 1743. Additional Instruction for George Thomas, Esqr, Deputy Governor of Pensilvania, to lay before his Majesty what may be necessary for the Security of that Province. Sir, RICHD. PETERS TO THOMAS COOKSON-DIGGES, 1743. Mr. Diggs has an irregular Piece of Land at Conewago, by a Maryland Survey, and applies for such a Quantity all round it, as may bring it within Straight Lines, but upon such Terms as I am not at liberty to grant a Warrant, however, you may, at his Request, survey for the use of the honourable Proprietaries, so much as he shall shew you, the price to be left to the Proprietaries, to whom I shall write by the next Conveyance. I am, Sir, Philad', Your humble Servant, RICHARD PETERS. 18 July, 1743. Directed-To Thomas Cookson, Esq', at Lancaster. Sir, ADMIRALTY TO JUDGE HAMILTON, IMPRESSMENTS, 1743. Admty Office, 19th August, 1743. My Lords Comm" of the Admiralty, having had frequent Complaints made to them by the Commanders of His Majts Ships and Vessels in America, that they are often interrupted in their endeavours to procure Seamen to make up their Complements, in order the better to enable them to execute their Lordships' Instructions for protecting the Trade of the Colonies they attend on, and Annoying the Enemy, and it appearing to their Lordships that the obstructions the Captains meet with from the Inhabitants in America, and Masters of Merchant Ships trading there, is chiefly grounded upon an Opinion prevailing among them, that the American Act, made in the Reign of Queen Ann, prohibiting the Pressing in America, is stil in Force. I am commanded by their Lordships to send you the inclosed Opinions of Sir Edward Northey, his late Majts Attorney General, and of Sir Dudley Ryder, Attorney, and Sir John Strange, Solicitor General, by which you will plainly see that the American Act, on which the Inhabitants and Masters of Merchant Ships lay so much Stress, expired at the end of the late French War. Their Lordships hope that when these Opinions come to be better known in the Colonies, and that the People there are sensible that His Majts Ships want Men for no other use than to protect their Trade and Settlements, and guard them from their Enemies, there will not be any more such Disputes raised, and obstructions given to the necessary work of Manning them, and their Lordships recommend it to you to settle Men's Minds on this point, as you see occasion, and to give all necessary Assistance to his Majesty's Officers. Exd, I am, Sir, Your most humble Servant, THO. CORBETT. Andrew Hamilton, Esq, Judge, V. A., Pensilvania. Indorsed-19 August, 1743, Letter from Thomas Corbett, Esq, to Andrew Hamilton, Esq, enclosing the Opinions of several eminent Lawyers, relating to the American Act for pressing of Seamen. OPINION OF ATTORNEYS GENERAL ON AMERICAN ACT, 1743. Copy of the Opinion of the late Sir Edward Northey, his Majt Attorney General, in relation to the American Act dated the 10 Febry, 1715-16. I am of Opinion the whole American Act was intended, & appears to have been intended only for the War. EDWARD NORTHEY. Copy of the joint Opinion of Sir Dudley Ryder, Attorney, & Sir John Strange, Solicitor General in relation to the American Act, dated the 17th July, 1740. We have perused the several Clauses in the American Act, & by comparing the several Clauses together, It seems to Us that the Act is not now in force, but expired at the end of the War. D. RYDER, J. STRANGE. ADMIRALTY TO GOV. THOMAS ON IMPRESSMENTS, 1743. May it please Your Excellencys: The Difficulty of keeping His Majesty's Ships of War, that are employed in America, sufficiently manned to perform the Services they are sent on, is in its self great, from the unavoidable Causes of Death and Desertion, the latter of which is grown familiar among the Seamen, either for the sake of high Wages given by the Mer See annexed opinions. chants, or from their own natural Levity. But the Obstructions given by the People of those Colonys to the usual Methods of pressing made use of by the Captains of His Majesty's Ships, to recruit their Complements, have of late been so violent, & carried on with such Instances of Contempt of Government, & such personal ill Treatment of the Captains, that we think it incumbent on us humbly to lay before your Ex'cys, in the annexed Paper, Copys of the Complaints we have received from the said Captains on that Head, within little more than the Space of a Year past, whereby your Ex'cys will perceive, that some of the said Captains have been mobbed, others emprisoned, & afterwards held to exorbitant Bail, & are now under Prosecutions carried on by Combination, & by joint Subscription towards the expense. The chief Reason we can find for such Opposition is a Belief prevailing among the People there, that the American act made in ye War of Queen Anne, which forbid pressing in America, is still in Force. We have sent to the respective Governors & Judges of Vice Admiralty in all the Colonys, the Opinion of Sr Edward Northey, & of the present Attorney General, & of Sr John Strange, all agreeing that the said American Act expired with the War, in which it was made, Copys of which Opinions, & of the Letters accompanying the same, to the Governors & Judges of the Vice Admiralty, are annexed. In the Press-Warrants, which we give to the Captains of His Majesty's Ships in America, they are strictly required not to distress either the Merchant Ships, or the Privateers, Copy of which Warrant is annexed, & the Captains inform, that it is their usual way, to take only one Man out of five or six, & if they have any Spanish Prisoners, they allow them one for each Englishman so prest, to assist in navigating the Merchant Ship home to England. The Governors of the Colonys, appear indeed, to show a Disposition, to help the Captains of His Majesty's Ships to get Men, when they apply to them, but whether that Disposition be real, or whether they want Authority, the Captains find little or no Help from them to procure Seamen, nor even to protect them from the Rage and Insults of the People. The Consideration therefore of the many ill Consequences, that may attend His Majesty's Service, if the Captains of the Men of War, are liable to be thrown into Jail, abroad in the Plantations, by any disaffected Persons, at a time perhaps, that they are going on some Expedition, or Service of Importance against the Enemy, & always, while they are in the Execution of their Orders, to protect the Colonys & their Trade; That such ignominious Usage exposes their Commission to Contempt, & makes them less able to maintain their Command on board His Majesty's Ships with Honour & Discipline, & also, that while the Opinion remains of the American Act being in Force, it will be impossible for his Majesty's Ships to re cruit the Deficiency of their Complements, are our Reasons for humbly laying this matter before your Exc'ys, to whom it is humbly submitted. WINCHILSEA, GEO. LEE. Admiralty Office, 26th Sept, 1743. To their Excys, the Lords Justices. Indorsed-Copy of the Representation of the Lords of the Admiralty to their Exc'ys, the Lords Justices. 26th Sept", 1743. ORDER RESPECTING PRESS WARRANTS, 1743. Copy of an Order from the Lords Com" of the Admiralty, to the several Captains of His Majesty's Ships in America: Whereas, You will herewith receive Press Warrants, to enable You to raise Men for keeping up as much as possible the complement of the Ship under Your Command. You are hereby required and directed, to put the same in Execution for that purpose, as there shall be occasion. But as it is not meant, that the Trade of His Majesty's Subjects in America, or Ships provided with Letters of Marque, to Cruize against the Enemy, should be distressed thereby, but only that such prudent Use be made of the said Press Warrants, as may enable You to procure Men to make up your Complement, when proper Opportunities offer of it. You are to take great Care, that no Indiscreet or Unreasonable Use be made of them, and never to molest the Chief Officers, such as the Master, Mate, Boatswain or Carpenter, or any Seaman found on board, with protections granted by Us, pursuant to Act of Parliament. Given under our hands, &c. Indorsed-Copy of an Order to the Captains of His Majty's Ships in the West Indies. In the Lords of the Admty, of Sept 26th, 1743. ANDREW STONE TO GOV. THOMAS, IMPRESSMENTS, 1743. Whitehall, Oct 1st, 1743. Sir, I am commanded by their Excellencies, the Lords Justices, to transmit to You, herewith, a Representation from the Lords Commiss of the Admiralty, Setting forth the Obstructions given by the Inhabitants of His Majesty's Colonies & Plantations in America, to the Captains of His Majesty's Ships of War, in procuring Men to recruit the Complements of Their Ships, and in retaking such Sailors as have deserted from them, and Complaining particularly, That Several of the said Captains had been insulted by the Populace, and forced to release such Men as They had impressed, and even Deserters from Their own Ships, and that other Captains had been imprisoned, or forced to give exorbitant Bail upon Actions brought against Them for impressing Seamen, Which Proceedings their Lords represent to be occasioned by a Notion prevailing in those Parts, That the Act of Parliament, which passed in the Reign of the late Queen Anne, (and which is commonly called The American Act, by which the Impressing Men for the Sea Service in America was prohibited) is still in Force; Whereas, You will see by the Copys annexed to the said Representations of the Opinions signed by Sr Edward Northey, Attorney General to His late Majesty, and by Sr Dudley Ryder, His Majesty's Attorney General, and Sr John Strange, late Solicitor General, That the said Act is not now in Force. And I am therefore commanded to signify to You, Their Excellencies Directions, That You should exert Your utmost Authority in preventing, for the future, such Riots and Disorders, as are complained of by the said Representation, And That you should assist the Commanders of His Majesty's Ships in procuring Seamen, to make up Their Complements whenever They shall make Application to You for that Purpose, as also in retaking Deserters from the said Ships. I am, Sir, Your most obedient Depty Governor of Pensilvania. COPY OF INDIAN DEED FOR NEW JERSEY LANDS, 1743-4. THIS INDENTURE, made the twenty first Day of February, One Thousand seven hundred and forty three, Between Weshevankun, Jehokemun, Gooteleeke, and Capt John, of the One part, and Talaw Nemun of the other part, Witnesseth, That the said Weshevanakun, Jehokemun, Gooteleke, and Captain John, hath given and granted, |