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Title Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1881. Volume 2. Hong Kong, Straits, Australian and British Guiana Despatches
Date 3 Jan 1881 - 28 Feb 1882
Document Type Correspondence; Manuscript
Reference CO 384/133
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name War and Colonial Department and Colonial Office: Emigration Original Correspondence.
Description Despatches addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies regarding movement and settlement of labourers around the Colonies. The material includes correspondence regarding staff appointments, salaries, administration and financing, offering grants of lands to Indian labourers in lieu of return passages, arrival reports from surgeons of labourer emigrant ships and legislation regarding the regulation of migration around the Colonies.
Series Description This series contains correspondence relating to British settlement in North America and Australasia, and to Indian indentured labour in the West Indies. Until 1857 it consists of domestic letters alone. The series then ceases and is not resumed until 1872.
Biographical Note / History A Colonial Land and Emigration Commission was created in 1840 to undertake the duties of two earlier and overlapping authorities under the supervision of the secretary of state: the Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia and the Agent General for Emigration. In 1855 it became the Emigration Commission. The commission's powers were gradually given up to the larger colonies as they obtained self-government, and after 1873 it was responsible only for controlling the importation of Indian labour into sugar-producing colonies. It was abolished in 1878 and an Emigration Department was then set up in the Colonial Office. This department was merged with the General Department in 1894, and abolished altogether in 1896.
Theme(s) Permanent Settlement and Successive Generations; Remigration; Politics, Legislation and Governance; Remigration
Country (from) China; Sandwich Islands; India; Malaysia; Singapore; Fiji; British Guiana; St Helena; Mauritius
Country (to) Sandwich Islands; India; United States of America; Malaysia; Singapore; Fiji; Australia; British Guiana; St Helena; Mauritius
Places San Francisco, Hawaii, United States; Penang, Singapore; New South Wales, Australia; Demerara, Wakenaam, Essequibo, Berbice, British Guiana
Ports Calcutta, India; Hong Kong, China; Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana
Nationality Indian; Chinese; Malay; Polynesian; English; Irish
Ships North; Lightning; Ellora; Poonah; Berar; Newcastle; Plassy; Lassa; Solent; Malabar; Howrah; Boyne; Neva; Philosopher; Silhet; Tiber; Eider; Howard; Bengollyun; Surpreza; Ligeira; Alcedo; Novo Mathilde; Shannon
People Lord Kimberley (Wodehouse, John); Grant Duff, Monstuart Elphintstone; Kortright, Cornelius H; Piercy Austin, Charles; Loftus, Lord Augustus William Frederick Spencer
Keywords Occidental & Oriental Steam Ship Company, legislation, labour, labourers, education, land grant, return passage, remigration, religion, leper, journey conditions, health, sickness, crime, execution
Language English
Document(s) linked to Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1881. Volume 1. Mauritius Despatches
Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1881. Volume 3. Trinidad Despatches
Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1881. Volume 4. Jamaica, Windward and Leeward Islands and Miscellaneous Despatches
Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1881. Volume 5. Offices and Companies and Crown Agents
Emigration (and Coolie Immigration), 1881. Volume 6. Agents (Except Crown Agents), Individuals and Surgeons
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK