Correspondence, Original - Secretary of State: Letters from 'offices' (Government...

CO 318/158

1843

Correspondence, Original - Secretary of State: Letters from 'offices' (Government departments and other organisations) and individuals on matters relating to the West Indies. Includes correspondence from the superintendents of liberated Africans. Correspondents and subjects are as follows: Offices:

• House of Commons (request for return of number of immigrants into the West Indies from 1 August 1834 and the public expenditure for immigration; request for details of the appropriation of £52,850 voted in 1842 for the salaries and allowances of stipendiary justices, requests return of income, expenditure and debt for the West Indian colonies and Mauritius);
• Admiralty (reply to memorial of Glasgow West India Association concerning West Indian steam packets, letter from Lieutenant Bellairs attached to the contract mail steam packet Clyde complaining of lack of lights in the West Indies);
• Privy Council Office (master and servant ordinance modified in reference to emigration from North American continent, extension of certain provisions of master and servant ordinance to all the colonies so far as it relates to condemned slaves, order empowering Crown colonies to amend existing laws relating to masters and servants, vagrancy and lands);
• Foreign Office (nomination of British consuls at New York, Baltimore, Charleston and New Orleans to act as emigration agents under the recent Order in Council, appointment of commander of the Romney to be superintendent of liberated Africans, appointment of Portuguese representatives to the Mixed Commission Courts at the Cape and Jamaica, no answer received from the British minister at Washington with regard to the emigration of 'free coloured persons' from the United States to the West Indies, forwards slave trade Parliamentary papers [not in item], treaty with the Republic of Texas for the suppression of the African slave trade [Texas was not a member of the United States until 1845], forwards copy of despatch from the British minister at Washington relating to the emigration of agricultural labourers from among the 'free coloured' population of the US, promotion of emigration from the US, slave trade treaty with Portugal, slave trade treaty with Mexico, slave trade treaty with Chile, slave trade treaty signed by Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia and Russia has not yet been ratified by France and France cannot therefore be considered a party to the treaty [with enclosures in French], disposal of slaves found on Texan vessels captured on the coast of Brazil under the treaty with Texas, emigration from the US not encouraged by the federal Government, instructions to commissioners in Suriname concerning 'negroes' held in slavery there [with printed copies of relevant correspondence]);
• Home Office (forwards Mr Bethune's reports on colonial Acts);
• Treasury (issue of £150 per annum to officer commanding the Romney allowed, irregularities in accounts of expenditure for liberated Africans rendered by collectors of customs, encloses statement of 31 December 1842 showing the balances of the slave compensation fund remaining to the credit of each of the West Indian colonies [with copy of 'An Act to make further provision for facilitating and completing the distribution and payment of compensation for slaves upon the abolition of slavery, 4 Vic, Cap XVIII], further on irregularities in accounts of the expenditure for liberated Africans, allowance to Mr Turnbull while at Bahamas, Mr Turnbull's salary for quarter ending 30 September last will be paid, forwards new plan for packet service for opinion, new plan of steamer routes [with printed copies of proposals], Parliamentary return of sum voted in 1842 for stipendiary magistrates cannot be made out this year, alteration of mail route, sends tables of new route);
• Customs House, Falmouth (receipts for boxes [two letters]);
• West India Association of Glasgow (memorial asking that Liverpool may be the port for the steam packets instead of Falmouth or Southampton);
• Inspector General's Office, Custom House, London (forwards sugar return for 1841 and states that return for 1842 will be prepared);
• General Post Office (the Tay to be despatched to the West Indies, arrangements in case of mail days falling on Sundays).

• John Bolton (enquires after William Edge);
• Patrick Carey (enquiry concerning the estate of Laurance Newton);
• Cox & Company (requests certificates to support payment of governors' salaries [three letters];
• Patrick Cruikshank (general state of the West Indies and relief which should be afforded);
• Christopher Good (sends letter from John Davy on the treatment of 'black' soldiers on board English vessels on arrival at Cuba [not in item, returned to Good);
• James Gibson (death of his son at Cuba);
• M Hynes (asks after property left by his uncle);
• Reverend Thomas Humphreys (enquires about fate of Mr Elcocks who went some years ago to the West Indies);
• J G J Johnston (enquires about a Mr Johnston who held an appointment in the West Indies thirty years ago);
• John Lawford Kingston (seeks an appointment);
• John McSwiney (application for appointment as special magistrate);
• C Herbert Ogg (enquiry about Patrick Timon);
• Thomas Ross (asks if his uncle is dead);
• Robinson & Girvin (import duties on salted or cured meat);
• William Lydane (asks if there is a British consul at Santa Cruz);
• J Stikeman (asks permission to obtain pods of the cacao or chocolate nut with a view to introducing them into India);
• Sophia Tomlinson (enquiry about property of Henry Corbishley);
• E Taylor (money owed for the education of the daughter of a stipendiary magistrate);
• T W Wilson (offers to procure a correct map of Cuba);
• George Warren (enquiry re fate of Thomas Salesbury).

• Joseph J Crawford, British consul general at Cuba (reports that Lieutenant McClure, commander of HMS Romney, has taken on the duties of superintendent but that the captain general of Cuba will not recognise the office);
• Lieutenant Robert McClure (acknowledges receipt of his commission and states that Mr Turnbull has not left the records of the superintendency, reports his interview with the captain general and forwards copy of letter from captain general to the British consul concerning his appointment, reports again that Mr Turnbull has not sent the records, asks to be supplied with Parliamentary papers relating to the slave trade);
• Mr Turnbull (his salary [two letters], he will send all the records he has).

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

Shipping

Government finances

International

Labour

Trade and commerce

Asia

Migration

Treaties and alliances

Caribbean

Europe and Russia

Maps and plans

Pay and pensions

Slavery

Race relations

Debt

Food and drink

Navy

Poverty

Official publications

Americas