Folios 236-237. Minute of a meeting of the Council. Present the Lord President, the...

Folios 236-237. Minute of a meeting of the Council. Present the Lord President, the Earl of Sandwich, the Earl of Hillsborough, Lord North, the Earl of Rochford and Sir Edward Hawke [First Lord of the Admiralty]. 'Read Lord Harcourt's letter of 12 December [?] and my answer of the 21 which was approved to send a small fleet to Gibraltar and another to Jamaica objected to as the present state of our fleet didn't allow as yet to send any ships away without leaving our own coast exposed to be insulted. That marines be put on board as soon as regular troops can be ready to supply their places at Chatham Portsmouth and Plymouth. That the Surveyor of the Navy be directed to give a report in writing when the last 15 ships will be ready to receive men. To direct the regulating captains to apply to the selling aldermen to back the warranty. Agreed to send a messenger to recall Mr Harris and for him to give notice to all merchants in the Spanish ports to retire, and to declare to the Republic of Genoa that the [?] to put [?forces] in possession of the Gulf of Spezia will be looked upon by us as an actual hostility on their part.