Reported On This Day 280 years ago (March 24 1739): MPs consider plan to create an American colony, Georgia

From the Belfast News Letter of March 13 1738. This is in fact equivalent to March 24 1739 in the modern calendar, because there was an 11-day time lag between the two calendars, and because the new year then did not begin until late March.
The Belfast News Letter of March 13 1738 (which is March 24 1739 in the modern calendar)The Belfast News Letter of March 13 1738 (which is March 24 1739 in the modern calendar)
The Belfast News Letter of March 13 1738 (which is March 24 1739 in the modern calendar)

An Abstract of the VOTES of the House of COMMONS in ENGLAND. Lunae 26 die Februarii 1738.

A PETITION of the Trustees for establishing the Colony of Georgia in America, was presented to the House, and read;

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setting forth, that His Majesty, by his Royal Charter bearing Date the 9th Day of June, 1732, granted to the Petitioners and their Successors for ever, seven undivided Parts of all those Lands, Countries and Territories, in that Part of South Carolina in America, which lies from the most Northern Stream of the Savanna River, all along the Sea Coast to the Southward unto the most Southern Stream of the Alatamaha River, and Westward from the Heads of the said Rivers in direct Lines to the South Seas, with the Islands in the Sea lying opposite to the Eastern Coast of the said Lands, within twenty Leagues of the same; all which his Majesty thereby made, erected and created one independent and separate Province, by the Name of Georgia;

that John Lord Carteret (the Proprietor of the other undivided eighth Part of the said Lands, Countries and Territories, which his Majesty granted to the Petitioners) by Indenture bearing the Date the 28th Day of February, 1732, granted and released all his Right and Property in the undivided eighth Part of Georgia, in the same Manner to the Petitioners and their Successors for ever;

and that the Province of Georgia was granted to the Petitioners in Trust for settling and establishing a regular Colony in the Southern Frontiers of Carolina, and not for any Benefit or Profit whatsoever to the Petitioners; and that by divers Sums of Money granted by Parliament for this Purpose, and by voluntary Contributions, the Petitioners have been enabled to send at several times poor British Subjects, and Foreign persecuted and other Protestants, to settle in Georgia, who, as well as others that went thither at their own Expence, have erected Houses and cultivated Lands in several Parts of the Province, and particularly in the Northern and Southern Parts thereof;

and whereas in a Letter from Monsr. Geraldino (then Agent for the King of Spain) to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, bearing Date the 21st of September, 1736, (a Copy whereof was sent to the Petitioners by Command of her late Majesty when Guardian of the Kingdom, for the Petitoners Answer thereto) it is asserted, that the Colony of Georgia, being to the Southward of the Colony of Carolina, is without Dispute on the Territories of the King his Master, and whereas by a Convention between Great Britain and Spain concluded at the Pardo the 14th of January last, N.S. it is agreed, that the Regulation of the Limits of Florida and Carolina should be committed to Plenipoteniaries to confer and finally regulate the respective Pretensions of the two Crowns, according to the Treaties therein mentioned;

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that therefore the Petitioners, in Discharge of that great Trust, which his Majesty has been graciously please to repose in them, and being fully satisfied of the undoubted Right of Title of the Crown of Great Britain to the said Province of Georgia, think it their indsipensable Duty to lay this State of their Case before this House, and to implore their Protection in behalf of this part of the Dominions of the Crown of Great Britain in America

This Evening the Right Hon. the Lord Viscount Massereene, is to be married to Miss Daniel, Daughter to the Rev, Dr. Daniel, Dean of Downe, a young Lady of most exquisite Beauty, fine Accomplishments, and a Fortune of 20,000l. [4m in today’s money]

Just Imported, And Sold by James Clark, Merchant in Belfast, A Cargo of exceeding good Scotch Herrings, which he will sell at a reasonable Rate.

STOLEN or straid from off the Lands of Riverstowne, in the County of Corke, on Tuesday Night, the twentieth of this Instant February, two Geldings, the Property of the Rev Dean BROWNE;

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the one a Sorrel, with Silver Hairs all over his Body, one of his hind Legs fired, switch tail’d, and his Ears fox’d, about fifteen Hands and a half high, Saddle back’d, and thick shoulder’d.

If stolen, whoever secures said Horses and Thief, so as he may be brought to Justice, shall have five Guineas Reward paid him by me, to Riverstowne aforesaid, whoever brings them to me, to Riverstowne aforesaid, or to Mr. Thomas Browne, Merchant in Corke, shall have one Guinea Reward, or to Charles Macartney, Esq; Collector of Belfast, who will pay the above Rewards.

Corke, Feb. 23d. 1738-9. JEMMET BROWNE

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