twice to the Mayor, were refused, and his answer was, that he would call a Court when he pleased. When Captain Hamilton was Mayor, this present Mayor, and Captain Jackson, and myself, were three of the twelve that sent a letter (by virtue of the aforesaid act of Court,) to the Mayor, and he granted us a Court; and yet the same man, that required the observance of that good and necessary act, now commits a violation on it. Will your honor be pleased to take notice of this, and lay out some help for it? The reason I judge for not calling a Court at this time is, that there is a vacant place of a burgess; for the Mayor and Mr. Tate coming to me, (when I was unable to stir out,) to consider of a fit person to be elected, I found by them, that they were for one of two men that lives ten miles from Coleraine; that is, young Richard Adams, son to Alderman Adams of Killrea, whose elder brother is already a Burgess, and both young men living in their father's house, who is a tenant of Mr. William Jackson; the other person is Charles Church, a tenant also of Mr. Jackson's, who also receives his rents in Mercers' proportion, and is seneschal of his Courts; also, truly this seemed to me, to be a design of putting the whole power and vote of the Corporation into Mr. Jackson's hands; for there is already three of his uncles in the Corporation, and himself and two of his tenants that are all Aldermen, and but himself that is on the spot; there is also five Burgesses his tenants; one of them is seneschal in Clothworkers' proportion, the Mayor and his son are his near kinsmen, the town clerk, whom we are now contesting with for the Court leet fines, opposeth us for his own interest, and Mr. Tate is as firm for Mr. Jackson's interest, as any uncle he has, so that if the present Mayor or any other person whom Mr. Jackson should set up to be Mayor, should commit the highest misdemeanor, and though our Charter directs the removal of the Mayor upon a misdemeanor done, I know not which way we should accomplish that, by reason that there is but four Aldermen in the town, and the Mayor; and such a thing could not be effected without a court of Aldermen, which is seven. When the Mayor and Mr. Tate named two men to me, (to take a Burgess out of,) that lived ten miles distance, I told them, that our charter directed to choose Burgesses out of the inhabitants of the town, and I desired the Mayor to name any man he pleased, living in the town, and I would vote with him, but that I could not agree to any other choice than a townsman. This is the reason, truly, that the Mayor and I have divided; for, for several years past, till this very time, the Mayor and I went hand in hand." 15th September.-An address from the Corporation of Londonderry to the Queen, was transmitted to the Society, and presented by them. It was made a standing order, that no leases should be renewed, until within three years of their expiration; and for the due observance thereof, it was ordered, that this resolution should be annually read, at the first Society after every new election. 25th September.-It was ordered, that the Duke of Shrewsbury should be congratulated and invited on his pointment as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. ap 18th September.-Violent and tumultuous proceedings took place at the Common Council in the Corporation of Coleraine, at which time, the sword and mace were forcibly seized. The Society reprehended these proceedings. Great quantities of the Society's timber were stolen out of the woods, and sunk in Lough Neagh; some of the pieces, measuring from 30 to 40 feet long, already squared, were recovered from the bottom of the Lough by means of an engine. 6th October.-In consequence of the dissensions in the Corporation of Coleraine, the matter was brought before the Council Board of Dublin, and a representation was made to the Lord Lieutenant on the subject, by the Society. 20th October.-The Mayor of Coleraine was served with an order from the Privy Council of Ireland, to appear and answer complaints preferred against the Corporation; in consequence of which, a letter was sent from that Corporation to the Society, requesting their speedy interposition with the Government of Ireland, on their behalf, against the complainants, two of the Aldermen, and others; upon which, the Secretary was directed to search for precedents of what had been done on former similar occasions, to support their rights. The matter was afterwards heard before the Privy Council, who determined in favour of the Corporation, (30th October) on whose behalf the Society had interfered. 31st October.-The faction at Coleraine threatened to bring the Mayor before the House of Commons. The Society were extremely anxious to compose their differences, and wrote on the subject to various distinguished personages to assist them in their endeavours; amongst others, they wrote to the Lord Lieutenant. 18th December.-A letter was received by the Society from the Lord Lieutenant, wherein he expressed himself ready to take the first opportunity of employing his best offices to contribute to the peace and quiet of their Corporations, and promote the interest of their Plantations. 21st January.-A case was stated for the opinion of the Attorney General and Common Serjeant, which, with the opinions thereon, is entered in the Letter Book of the Society, relative to the Corporation of Coleraine. 1st February. The Committee made a full and explicit report relative to the preservation of timber, and the future growth thereof, anticipating great detriment to the Society's fishings, and the welfare of the Plantation, unless the same were preserved; and stated, that forasmuch as the said Society did conceive, and were advised, that by reason they had parted with their interest in the proportions, passed away and conveyed by them, they had not power either to prevent the waste and destruction of the young woods, growing on the lands belonging to each of the twelve Companies, or to call the persons to account for such waste committed, nor to plant on the said Companies' lands, or enforce the due execution of the act made for planting timber; and in regard that the interest and advantage which each Company would have and receive, by and out of the profits of the fishery, would be lessened and diminished in proportion to the loss and damage happening to the said fishery, for want of timber to supply the same with casks for packing the fish taken therein, as well as the Companies' tenants would suffer for want of timber for their necessary buildings and reparations. The Society therefore earnestly recommended the several matters mentioned in their statement, to the consideration of each Company, that they might provide such timely and suitable remedies, as in their discretions might seem fit and expedient. The statement was accordingly sent to each of the Companies, except the Haberdashers, who had sold their interest. Thomas Neville applied to the Society for a remuneration for making a coloured map of the perches of Londonderry, with the boundaries, agreeing with the Society's leases. 23d March. The Society directed a letter to be written to their general agent, Mr. Tomkins, to acquaint all the Society's tenants and freeholders in Londonderry who have a right to vote, that they do expect that they will forbear to engage themselves to any persons on account of the election, until the Society's mind shall be further made known to them. Few leases were at this time granted by the Society for a longer term than forty-one years, or lives certain. 29th April, 1714.-Great depredations were committed in the woods; a thousand pounds' worth of timber was represented as having been embezzled away. Disputes still existing in the Corporation of Coleraine, amongst their members, and informations having been laid against each other respecting their corporate rights, the Society thought it right to consult counsel thereon. The Haberdashers' Company having given an indemnification to the Society, they granted a power of attorney to enter and distrain, in the name of the Society, to the said Company or their assigns, on the manor of Freemore, for the arrears of quit-rent due to the Company from Sir Marcus Beresford, the said letter of attorney having been approved by the Common Serjeant. 24th May. The Committee were ordered to examine into the grounds and reasons of the allowance of £90. 10s. annually to the Corporation of Londonderry. - 10th June. The Corporation of Londonderry proposed to keep a copy of Neville's map of the city and perches for their own use. 27th July. The Vintners' and Clothworkers' Companies sent an answer by their respective officers to the Society, to express their thanks for the statements sent them relative to the preservation of the growing timber; and acquainted the Society, that those Companies were ready and willing to enter into any measures, which should be thought most advisable by the Society, for the preservation of the said woods, on their respective proportions, and that each of those Companies had appointed a Committee to attend upon and confer with the Society on the subject. The Society appointed a Committee to meet them, and directed their members belonging to the other of the twelve Companies, to communicate these occurrences to their Companies. The Committee returned their report respecting the allowance of £90. 10s. annually, to the Corporation of Londonderry, in which they faithfully detailed all the circumstances of that transaction. The Society received a letter from the Corporation of Londonderry, stating, that they had adjusted the boundaries described in the map made by Thomas Neville, in pursuance |