ds,

In obedience to His Majesty's Order in Council, dated June 14th, 1771,
we have taken into consideration, the humble Petition of James
Macdonald, Merchant in Porterie in the Isle of Sky and Normand Macdonald
of Slate in the said Island for themselves and on behalf of Hugh
Macdonald, Edmund Macqueen, John Belton and Alexander Macqueen of Slate
the Reverend Mr William Macqueen and Alexander Macdonald of the said
Isle of Sky and County of Inverness, setting forth that the Petitioners
having had in view to form a Settlement to themselves and their Families
in His Majesty's 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
His 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. Whereupon We beg leave to report to your Lordships,

That the emigration of inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland to the
American Colonies is a circumstance which in our 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 hath of late years prevailed renders it an object well
deserving the serious attention of government.

Upon the ground of this opinion We have thought it necessary in Cases
where we 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 We can on no account recommend to your Lordships to advise
His 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 into America, with their
Families and Dependants in a large Body and which therefore holds out a
Plan that we think, instead of meriting the Encouragement, ought rather
to receive the discountenance of government.

We are My Lords &c.
Hillsborough
Ed: Eliot
John Roberts
Wm Fitzherbert."[202]

"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 th