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Title Registers of Correspondence, Orders, Statistics, etc., and Miscellaneous, The Colonial Gazette, 1840
Author Lord Sydenham (Poulett Thomson, Charles); Lord Durham (Lambton, John George); Lord Howick (Grey, Henry); Earl Russell (Russell, Lord John); Lord Palmerston (Temple, Lord Henry John)
Date 1840
Document Type Periodical
Reference CO 386/191
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc.
Description A weekly, non-partisan periodical published at the office of the 'Spectator', intended for a colonial readership. The periodical encompasses news from Britain, its Empire, Europe and the United States, reviews of books on colonial subjects, analytical pieces, and letters from readers. The main focus of the periodical reflects its motto of "Ships, Colonies and Commerce", concentrating upon matters such as legislative developments in Britain and its colonies, business/market news, shipping and armed conflict. Canadian affairs, colonial finances, the colonisation of New Zealand, anti-slavery efforts, indentured labour, the Republic of Texas, transportation, the war with China, "responsible government", migrant numbers and the administration of the Colonial Office receive a great deal of attention.
Series Description This series contains original correspondence, entry books and registers of the Agent General for Emigration, the South Australian Commissioners and the Land and Emigration Commission. Amongst the miscellaneous contents are registers of births and deaths of emigrants at sea 1854-1869, lists of ships chartered 1847-1875, registers of surgeons appointed 1854-1894, and volumes of The Colonial Gazette 1838-1842.
Biographical Note / History A Colonial Land and Emigration Commission was created in 1840 to undertake the duties of two earlier and overlapping authorities which were both under the supervision of the Secretary of State. These were the Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia, established under an Act of 1834, and the Agent General for Emigration, appointed in 1837. The new commission dealt with grants of land, the outward movement of settlers, the administration of the Passengers' Acts of 1855 and 1863 and, from 1846 to 1859, the scrutiny of colonial legislation. In 1855 it became the Emigration Commission. In 1873 the administration of the Passengers' Acts was transferred to the Board of Trade. The commission's powers were gradually given up to the larger colonies as they obtained self-government, and after 1873 its only duties were the control of the importation of Indian indentured labour into sugar-producing colonies and it was abolished in 1878.
Theme(s) Politics, Legislation and Governance; Ships and Shipping Lines; Religion, Ethnic Identity and Community Relations; Motives for Emigration
Places New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Canada; Mexico; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Texas, United States; New Zealand; Cape of Good Hope; China; India; Mauritius; France; Brazil; Trinidad; Tobago; Sierra Leone; New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Australia; St Vincent; Jamaica; St Lucia; Demerara, British Guiana; Falkland Islands; Barbados; Sri Lanka; Malta; Mauritius; Antigua
Ports Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia; Liverpool, London, England; Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, India; Guangzhou, China; Rio di Janeiro, Brazil
Keywords land sale, land claim, journalism, press, legislation, judiciary, politics, religion, morality, crime, shipping, trade, diplomacy, assisted emigration, war, sugar, slavery, army veteran, emigration, navy veteran, transportation, assisted emigration, administration, separatism, opium, agriculture, farming, labour, labourer, legislature, crime, parliament, army, publishing, sugar, coolie, bounty emigration, indentured labour, surgeon, apprenticeship, Christianity, tax, indigenous people, New Zealand Company, communication, postal service, mining, banking, railway, town planning, health and sickness, surveying, advertisement, missionaries, finance, money, transportation, army, militia, surveying, Liberated Africans, Protestantism, industry, East India Company, remigration, administration, missionaries
Language English
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK