Correspondence, Original - Secretary of State: Correspondence from 'miscellaneous...

CO 318/134

1838

Correspondence, Original - Secretary of State: Correspondence from 'miscellaneous offices' (Government departments and other organisations) on matters relating to the West Indies. Correspondents and subjects are as follows:

• Anti Slavery Society (requests copies of certain papers, requests copy of slavery bill now in progress, remarks on intentions of the Society, memorial respecting certain proposed alterations in Act to amend the Abolition Act, requests copy of despatch covering amended Abolition Act, sends draft of an Act to amend 'an error of considerable importance' which has crept into the Abolition Act, objection to certain points in the Emancipation Act, requests interview to present memorial respecting certain laws, appointment of a committee to examine previous legislation, states that Mr Allen will explain the circumstances of the case, Messrs Beldam and Matthews decline to examine laws);
• Negro Emancipation Committee (future prospects and condition of the emancipated slaves, resolution of meeting of a committee on legislation etc);
• Anti Slavery Meeting, Exeter Hall (petition of delegates for the 'immediate and unconditional freedom of the negro population of the British colonies');
• Provincial Anti Slavery Societies (Liverpool: resolutions for abolition of apprenticeship, Derby: resolutions for abolition of apprenticeship, Birmingham: states that some of the colonies are inclined to perpetuate slavery by means of police and vagrancy laws, Ladies of Tunbridge Wells: memorial);
• Wesleyan Missionary Society (marriage bill, copy of circular to their ministers relating to the termination of the apprenticeship scheme, requests interview to discuss draft marriage bill prepared by them, hopes marriage bill will be brought in during this session);
• Colonial Bank (currency, letter to Chancellor of Exchequer concerning currency, sends 20 copies of supply charter to be sent to each of the governors of the West Indian colonies);
• Compensation Commissioners (states that return of awards on uncontested claims has been sent to the Treasury and that awards on litigated claims will soon be ready, further returns sent to Treasury, continuance of Slave Registry Department, state of business of the Commission, period of completing their duties depends on the diligence of interested parties, further on the completion of their work, [in addition the commissioners sent certificates and lists of claims regularly during the course of the year but these appear to have been sent to the Treasury in the original and only the covering letters are in this volume].
• West India Committee (petition concurring in resistance to any measure abridging the apprenticeship scheme, resolution of committee on currency, copy of letter on currency matters sent to Board of Trade, proposed packet arrangements);
• Slave Registry (three applications for office funds);
• Customs House, Falmouth (reports forwarding a box);
• West India Relief Commissioners (statement of appropriation of funds);
• General Post Office (reports that despatches of 2 September arrived too late for the packet);
• Thames Police Office (can discover no schooner like the Mary Ann as described by Mr Palmer);
• Poor Law Commissioners (will attend to communication, papers respecting the West Indies have not yet been considered).

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

International

Trade and commerce

Marriage and divorce

Religions

Caribbean

Policing

Slavery

Poverty

Communications