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Title Entry-Books of Correspondence: Letters to the Colonial Office. New Zealand,1863-1875
Author Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton; Walcott, Stephen
Date 6 Feb 1863 - 1 May 1875
Document Type Correspondence; Legal Papers; Financial Papers
Reference CO 386/75
Library / Archive The National Archives
Collection Name Colonial Office: Land and Emigration Commission, etc.
Description Copies of out-letters concerning New Zealand. The correspondence is largely dedicated to the grant and sale of land, colonial legislation, the mining of guano on Starbuck Island, and migrant shipping. An index is included at the end of the volume.
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; Journey Conditions; Ships and Shipping Lines
Country (from) Great Britain; China; United States of America
Country (to) New Zealand
Places Otago, Canterbury, New Zealand; Starbuck Island
Ports Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand; Gravesend, England
Nationality English; Chinese; American; European; Asian
Ships England; Forfarshire; Glentoran
People Duke of Newcastle (Pelham-Clinton, Henry Pelham); Rogers, Frederick; Herbert, R G W; Elliot, Sir Thomas Frederick
Keywords land, legislation, legislature, land sale, land grant, crown lands, land claim, money, finance, passage money, agriculture, farming, mining, guano, Otago Association, emigration, army veteran, navy veteran
Language English
Copyright Crown Copyright documents © are reproduced by permission of The National Archives London, UK