II. RELATIONS OF THE BOARD OF TRADE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF ADMINISTRATION

The Privy Council and its Committees

By its commission the Board was not empowered to issue important executive orders on its own authority, but was directed to make representations to the king or to the king in council ; and the final action appeared as an Order in Council. That fact raises the impor­tant question of the relation of the Board to the Privy Council. As first organized, the former was con­sidered a committee of the latter body and is still so considered by the officials of the Privy Council office. All of the chief officers of state were members of the Council and ex officiis members of the Board. 158 In addition to this two or more of the active working members of the Board were sworn to the Privy Coun­cil and frequently attended its meetings. 159 During the reigns of William and Anne the ordinary repre­sentations of the Board were disposed of by the Coun­cil very much as were reports from its other commit­tees, and orders issued on the strength of such repre­sentations do not show the action of any intermediate committee.

158 See the copy of the commission of the Board of Trade in New York Colonial Documents, vol. iv. Cf. Board of Trade Miscellanies, 12, pp. 439-453-

159 See the Privy Council Register for these reigns.