Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 59
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Governor
Despatches, circulars and cables from the
Secretary of State and the Under Secretary, and
copies of despatches to the Secretary of State
NRS 4512
1850 Despatches
NRS 4512,
[4/1334]
Box [4/1334] includes Despatch No.158 of 30 October 1850
(topnumbered as M9871): the Secretary of State advising the
Governor of the receipt of a letter from Arthur Hodgson, dated
Brisbane 29 May 1850, concerning the expediency of sending out
to Moreton Bay annually "an equal number of exiles & Free
Emigrants to the amount of Twelve hundred". Referring the
Governor to Despatch No.136 of 20 September 1850 on the
question of sending out convicts, Earl Grey states that it is open
for the inhabitants to petition for separation if the Legislature does
not meet their wishes upon this subject. A copy of Mr Hodgson's
letter is included.
Despatch No.158
NRS 4512,
[4/1336]
1851-52 Despatches
Box [4/1336] contains three despatches relating to the separation
of Moreton Bay or the Northern Districts Despatch No. 143 of 22 November 1851 (topnumbered as
M10443): the Secretary of State acknowledging receipt of the
Governor's despatch of 24 June 1851 (No.110), in which was
forwarded a letter from the Committee of the Association for the
Separation of the Northern Districts of New South Wales, with a
newspaper report of the proceedings of a meeting held at Brisbane
on 16 May.
Despatch No.143
Despatch No. 161 of 27 December 1851: the Secretary of State
acknowledging receipt of the Governor's despatch of 29 January
1851, No. 17, which enclosed a petition from the residents in the
districts lying northward of the 30th parallel of latitude in New
South Wales (praying for the immediate erection of Moreton Bay
and the surrounding districts into a separate colony, and also that
convicts might again be sent there) as well as a letter from the
Committee appointed at a public meeting held in Armidale on
30 December 1850 enclosing a resolution then adopted that this
district be included in the proposed new colony.
Despatch No.161
In Despatch No. 161 Earl Grey also refers to the Governor's
Despatch of 4 April 1851 (No.70), which enclosed a further
petition from other inhabitants of the Northern Districts also
praying for the division of the colony but protesting against the
revival of transportation in any form whatever.
I have been advised that the Petitions would be sufficient under
the terms of the act of Parliament to enable Her Majesty to
proceed at once, to exercize the power it has conferred upon
Her, by dividing the Colony. ... But upon considering the
reasons urged in favor of that measure by the Petitioners, &
those advanced in opposition to it, in the Minute of the
Executive Council, it has appeared to H. Ms Government that its
adoption ought at all events to be deferred. It is obvious that in
the present condition of the Northern districts with so small a
population, & so scanty a revenue, the establishment of a
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State Records Authority of New South Wales
