Papers of Sir John Malcolm relating to his term as MP for Launceston, Indian affairs,...

The volume chiefly comprises copies of letters from Malcolm relating to the period when he returned to England in 1831 and later that year became Tory Member of Parliament for the 'rotten borough' of Launceston, supporting his friend the Duke of Wellington in opposition to the (Whig) Reform Bill. The correspondence covers a variety of subjects, notably:. The Reform Bill and the constituency of Launceston. Malcolm's hostile views on 'this Revolutionary Bill' (folio 57) and his fears for the constitution, the country's future and control of the Indian Empire are expounded on numerous occasions; Indian affairs, including administrative matters and reforms introduced by Malcolm, rumours concerning the circumstances of the death of Lieutenant-General Thomas Sidney Beckwith, Chief of the Bombay Army, January 1831 (folio 43), the cases of (officer?) Burnwall and of Captain Hawkins, and relations with the Court of Directors (East India Company); Recommendations for promotion, testimonials, character references and letters of introduction by Malcolm; Question of the Irish Poor laws, Irish peasantry and labouring classes, and its comparison by Malcolm with their English counterparts (folios 69-79); Family matters and Malcolm's personal health; Malcolm's purchase of Warfield Hall [Berkshire] (folios 123 and 184); Correspondents are listed here below in alphabetical order by surname of correspondent followed by the date and corresponding folios. (First names, ranks or positions are included only where stated in the volume). Some of the correspondence is of a private or personal nature. G Anderson (Secretary, Bombay), 22 January 1832 (ff 179-181). P Auber, 6 August 1831 (f 55). Lady Baggat, October 1831 (ff 110-112). Lady [Sidney] Beckwith, 18 July 1831 (f 43). Lord William Bentinck, 27 March 1831 (Malcolm writes about arrangements for the Residency at the Persian Court, recommending a 'Resident of the Second Class' on an appropriate salary and sending persons of a higher rank in emergencies only as an Envoy Extraordinary) (ff 11-13). Sir John Beresford, August 1831 (ff 53-55). Captain Betham, 25 March 1831 (f 9). Messrs Briggs & Co at Alexandria, October 1831 (f 114). Alexander [Campbell], 15 April 1831 (ff 17-21). Sir Robert Campbell, 28 March 1831-22 January 1832 (ff 15, 59-63, 114, 159-161, 163-166, 175-179). Major Carnac, 24 August 1831 (f 79). Robert Clive, MP, 19 January 1832 (ff 171-173). J Cockburn, 26 March-4 December 1831 (includes copy of a letter from Sir John W Lubbock to Malcolm, 25 March 1831 enclosed with Malcolm's letter to Cockburn 26 March) (ff 7-9, 33, 139). Henry Currie, 21 October 1831 (ff 117). Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick, 7 December 1831 (ff 149-150). Lord Gosford, 13 December 1831 (ff 155). Right Honourable Charles Grant, India Board, 23 March and 24 September 1831 (including a Memorandum by Malcolm on the services of Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick) (ff 5, 7-9, 97-104). Captain Samuel Hawkins, 1 and 22 October 1831 (f 104-106). Lord Howden, 20 November 1831 (f 137). Sir James Kent, 17 December 1831 (f 157). Bishop of Landaff [Llandaff], 21 December 1831 (f 161). J K Lethbridge, 13 to 30 July 1831 (ff 37, 45-49). Sir John Lubbock, 15 October 1831 (f 112). Charles Malcolm, 28 April-7 December 1831 (ff 19-21 see The Life and Correspondence of Major-General Sir John Malcolm, GCB...by John William Kaye, Volume II p 563, ff 57-59, 93-94, 141-147). Gilbert [Malcolm], 28 April and 21 August 1831 (ff 21-3, 69-79). Miss Manning, 19 December 1831 (ff 159, 167-169). James Melville, 27 and 28 March 1831 (ff 13-17). P Melville, 29 August 1831 (ff 81-82). Sir George Murray, 19 August 1831 (ff 65-69). John Murray, 17 January 1832 (f 171). Charles Norris (Chief Secretary, Bombay) 12 September 1831 and 22 January 1832, includes 'List of presents to the Pasha of Egypt and his Officers' (see Kaye, II, p 558, cited above) and 'Memorandum relative to Prints, &c., brought by mistake from Bombay', both enclosed in Malcolm's Letter to Norris of 12 September 1831 (ff 86-93, 182-184). Duchess of Northumberland, 29 November and 13 December 1832 (include Malcolm's journal of a journey from Alnwick to London, enclosed in his letter to the Duchess of Northumberland, 29 November 1831) (ff 121-135). Lord Palmerston, 23 March 1831 (f 5). Charles Pasley, 25 March 1831 (ff 23-33). Sir Lionel Smith, 22 July 1831 (f 49). Lord Fitzroy Somerset, 18 June and 16 September 1831 (ff 33-35, 95). Major Stewart, 12 September 1831 (including Persian affairs, notably the death of MacDonald and the Residencies at Bushire and Shiraz) (ff 82-86). Thomas Telford, 24 August 1831 (f 81). Lieutenant Webb (Indian Navy), 10 December 1831 (ff 151-153). Duke of Wellington, 14 October (printed in Kaye, II, p 570, cited above) and 6 December 1831 (ff 106-108, 139-140). Thomas Williamson (Territorial Secretary, Bombay), 7 December 1831 and 23 January 1832 (ff 147-149, 184-187). There is also a copy of a letter from John King Lethbridge to Malcolm, 16 July 1831, concerning Launson's [Launceston] population and parishes in 1821. (This does not appear to be enclosed or linked to another letter in the volume) (ff 43-45).

The letters are bound in chronological order from the front of the volume to the rear of the volume, 23 March 1831-24 January 1832. Each page is interleaved with a blank page of blotting paper.

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