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Title

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Series part of

Colonial Office fonds [textual record (chiefly microform), graphic material, architectural drawing]. [Great Britain] (R10976-0-4-E)

Date(s)

[1677]-1915

Place of creation

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent

20 microfilm reels : negative & positive.

Language of material

English

Scope and content

Colonial Office 880 was one of a series of prints begun in the 1860s consisting of various papers printed confidentially for the exclusive use of the officials of the Colonial Office. Acquired in its entirety, this class is available on microfilm reels B-3940 to B-3959. (Acquired also at an earlier period on microfilm, it is also available on microfilm reels B-1561 to B-1565, B-3196, B-3211 to B-3214 and B-3940 to B-3959.) The practice probably began not much earlier than 1826 when the prints consisted mainly of Cabinet memoranda. Later, the advantages of having important documents on a particular subject collected or printed became apparent to inexperienced or overworked officials. As a consequence, the production of prints began to increase, becoming in effect the modern "file" system of records keeping. In 1832, responsibility for supervising the preparation of the prints was entrusted to the Librarian. However, prior to 1867 as the volume of material increased, it was deemed necessary to create the office of Clerk for Parliamentary Papers responsible for the supervision of the publication of parliamentary prints. Parliamentary papers were of two kinds: Command Papers presented to Parliament by command of His Majesty and therefore placed before both Houses, and Sessional Papers, which were presented pursuant to an act of Parliament or in compliance with an address or order from either House. In both cases, the documents usually were printed first as confidential prints and then reprinted as Parliamentary papers. The series consists of despatches and other correspondence, reports of various Royal Commissions and other investigative bodies, minutes and memoranda by officials and consultants, maps, sketches, various statistics, copies of treaties and conventions, and other documents. The series includes prints relating to all British colonies in what constitutes modern Canada and covers such subjects as Clergy Reserves in Upper and Lower Canada, the introduction of responsible government, the surrender of Crown revenues in various colonies, the political situation prior to rebellion in both Upper and Lower Canada, extensive papers on fisheries in the Maritime Provinces, reciprocity negotiations with the United States, Canada and Newfoundland, French Shore adjustments in Newfoundland, the surrender of Hudson's Bay Company territories in the Canadian northwest, the Intercolonial Railway, Confederation, the Red River and North West disturbances, the finances and politics of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, land tenure in Prince Edward Island, the Treaty of Washington, the establishment of a Supreme Court and Court of Exchequer in Canada, the Canadian Pacific Railway, copyright laws in Canada, Alaskan boundary, and the North Atlantic coast fisheries arbitration at The Hague 1909-1910.

Conditions of access

Finding aid

Textual records Finding aid no. 90, British Records on Microfilm, lists the material on each reel of microfilm, B-3940 to B-3959. The information provided is very detailed and includes descriptions of the content and date of each print, e.g., Print XIX, 1839, John Beverley Robinson's opinion of Lord Durham's Report. MSS0090 90 (Electronic)

Textual records The Microfilm Shelf Lists provide a brief summary of the content of each microfilm reel. MSS2001 90 (Electronic)

Textual records Finding aid no. 645 provides the title of each print within the volumes, date, microfilm reel number and the former designation under CO 807. MSS0645 90 (Electronic)

Additional information

Subject heading

1. Great Britain. Colonial Office - Despatches, [1677]-1915.
2. Governmental investigations - Great Britain, [1677]-1915.
3. Great Britain - Foreign relations - Treaties, [1677]-1915.
4. Memorandums, [1677]-1915.
5. Maps, [1677]-1915.
6. Drawing, [1677-1915]
7. Great Britain - Officials and employees, [1677]-1915.

Source

Private

Other system control no.

MAINS23121

MIKAN no.

104538