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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Order of the Privy Council of Great Britain concerning a petition from James McDonald and Normand McDonald
Great Britain. Privy Council
June 19, 1772
Volume 09, Pages 303-304

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[B. P. R. O. No. Carolina. B. T. Vol. 17.]

At the Court of St James's
the 19th day of June 1772.
Present
The King's most Excellent Majesty in Council.

Whereas there was this day read at the Board a Report from the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of Council for plantation affairs Dated the 17th of this Instant in the words following viz,

Your Majesty having been pleased by your order in Council of the 14th June 1771, to referr to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations the humble petition of James Macdonald Merchant of Portrie in the Isle of Sky and Norman Macdonald of Slate in the said Island for themselves and on behalf of Hugh Macdonald Edmund Macqueen John Betton and Alexander Macqueen of Slate and Reverend Mr Wm Macqueen and Alexander Macdonald of the said Isle of the Sky and County of Inverness setting forth that the petitioners have had in view to form a settlement to themselves and their families in your Majesties Province of North Carolina have for some time been making Dispositions for that purpose by engaging servants and disposing of their Effects in this Country and being now ready to embark and carry their said intention into execution the petitioners humbly pray that your Majesty will be pleased to grant them Forty thousand Acres of Land in the said Province upon the Terms and Conditions it hath been usual to grant such Lands. The said Lords Commissioners have reported to this Committee “that the emigration of the Inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland to the American Colonies is a circumstance which in their opinion cannot fail to lessen the strength and security and to prejudice the landed Interest and manufactures of these Kingdoms and the great extent to which this emigration has of late years prevailed renders it an object well deserving the serious attention of Government that upon the Ground of this opinion they have thought it necessary in cases where they have recommended Grants of Land in America to be made to persons of substance and ability in this Kingdom to propose amongst other conditions that they should be settled by foreign protestants and therefore the said Lords Commissioners can on no account recommend to this Committee to advise

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your Majesty to comply with the prayer of a petition founded on a resolution taken by a number of considerable persons to abandon their settlements in this Kingdom and to pass over to America with their Families and Dependants in a large body and which therefore holds out a plan that they think instead of meeting the encouragement ought rather to receive the discouragement of Government. The Lords of the Committee this day took the said Representation and petition into consideration and concurring in opinion with the said Lord Commissioners for Trade and Plantations do agree humbly to report as their opinion to your Majesty that the said Petition of the said James and Norman Macdonald ought to be dismissed.

His Majesty taking the said Report into consideration was pleased with the advise of his Privy Council to approve thereof and to order as it is hereby ordered that the said Petition of the said James and Norman Macdonald be and it is hereby dismissed this board.