APPENDIX B

ON COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

(Compiled from the Calendar of State Papers (Colonial Series), Vol. III. of Documents relating to Colonial History of New York, and the Colonial Office List.)

ON COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

Although the subject of the early administration of the Colonies. is dealt with in the text, it may be convenient to summarise certain conclusions here.

1. The first Virginia Charter appears to contemplate a separate Privy Council for colonial affairs.

2. With the failure of such a scheme the Privy Council was the natural authority to deal with colonial business.

3. The Privy Council would naturally act by committees, and so the transition is easy to the Commission (appointed April 28, 1634), to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Lord Keeper, the Lord High Treasurer and some other officers of State, "for making laws and orders for the government of English colonies, &c. &c."

4. The names of the Special Commissioners appointed by Parliament in 1643 to deal with colonial matters should be noted. Lord Pembroke and Montgomery. John Pym.

5. At the Restoration a new Council of Trade and Plantations was instituted, which was intended to be, to some extent, representative of trade interests.

6. This Council of Trade and Plantations continued till the end of 1674, when its commission was revoked and its business transferred to a committee of the Privy Council, consisting of the Lord Treasurer, the Privy Seal, and seventeen other members. [Note that John Locke was secretary of the Council of Trade and Plantations from Oct. 1673 till its dissolution.]

1

7. In May 1696 a new system was introduced by the institution of the new Board of Trade. The first Board consisted, in addition to certain officers of State, of the Earl of Bridgewater, the Earl of Tankerville, Sir P. Meadows, W. Blaythwayte, J. Pollexfen, J. Locke, A. Hill and J. Methuen. George Dunk, Earl of Halifax, was President of the Board from 1748 to 1761. Lord Shelburne was President for some months in 1763, and Lord Hillsborough from Sept. 1763 to 1772. The Board was finally suppressed by Burke's Act along with the American Secretary of State. 8. Under the Stuarts, although there were two Secretaries of State, there does not appear to have been a regular allocation of the work connected with the Colonies to one of them. Under James I., Sir Robert Cecil, Sir R. Winwood, Sir Robert Naunton and Sir G. Calvert1 were among the Secretaries of State. Under Charles I. we find Sir Dudley Carleton and Francis, Lord Cottington. In the reign of Charles II. Sir H. Bennett was Secretary of State between 1663 and 1674, Sir J. Williamson between 1674 and 1678, and Lord Sunderland between 1678 and 1681.

9. The following is a list of the Secretaries of State for the Southern Department, which dealt with the Colonies, from the beginning of the eighteenth century till the creation in 1768 of a separate secretaryship for the American Department.

1702-Lord Nottingham.

1704-Robert Harley.

1707-H. Boyle.

1710-H. St John.

1714—Lord Townsend.

1717-J. Addison.

1718-T. Craggs.

1721-Lord Carteret.

1724-Duke of Newcastle.

1748-Duke of Bedford.

1752-Lord Holdernesse.

1754-Sir J. Robinson.

1755-H. Fox.

Dec. 1756-W. Pitt (resigned April 1757).

Reappointed June 1757-W. Pitt.

1761-Lord Egremont.

1 Afterwards Lord Baltimore.