About this Item
Tuesday, January 3, 1843 issue with a manuscript annotation from a seed collector. Articles include: the establishment of Tahiti as a French protectorate, "The Conduct of the Judges" (on the Van Diemen's Land Supreme Court), and a retrospective of the past year in the colony. With a manuscript annotation in the top margin of the front page, "the box being too large for the seeds, we send a few papers - send some to us". This intriguing note implies a trade in seeds, from Tasmania to the UK and vice versa. The Tahiti article includes the Proclamation of Protection of Tahiti by the French, between Queen Pomare and Admiral Du Petit Thouars, which the Admiral, acting independently of the French government, had extracted after threatening to attack. The proclamation is followed by a letter from "the British Residents of Tahiti" to Du Petit Thouars offering, without irony, "thanks for the provisional acceptance of the demand of Queen Pomare for the protection of his Majesty the King of the French . We are happy that an end is now put to the disorder and mal-practices that have hitherto characterised this port . Signed, Thirty Residents". (p4, col. 5). The British were in fact angry that Du Petit Thouars had forced Queen Pomare to sign; she had independently written to Queen Victoria, asking that the islands be placed under British protection, a request Victoria had had to reject in order not to worsen relations with France. Australian content includes the front page article on a case considered by the Van Diemen's Land court, the oldest Supreme Court of Australia. With a lengthy analysis of Judge Montague's bias against Sidney Stephen, who was a barrister who came to Hobart Town in 1838, where his brother Alfred Stephen was Attorney General. Alfred Stephen was involved in a dispute with Justice Montague; Sidney was dragged in, and his professional integrity was soon under attack by Judge Montague. Sidney was disbarred, left Van Diemen's Land, gained a provisional admission to the bar in Victoria, and ultimately moved to New Zealand for the duration of his legal career. 4 and 1/2 cols. in length, with an additional 2 column article "The Judges and Mr. Stephen" on the following page. An additional article on Van Diemen's Land's preceding year: "Van Diemen's Land alone appears to have stood still, or retrograded during the last year." (p2 col. 1), with specific details on the cost and idleness of convicts ([the colonists'] "country doomed to all the evils of a gaol"), government expenditures, the inferior flour and meat being imported, the poor maintenance of roads & bridges, and the failures of the Probation System (3 columns). Newspaper approx. 17.5 x 22", 4pp, 39 column inches. Vol. XI, No. 30. A couple of sml. marginal closed tears, sml. separation at fold o/w very good condition. Seller Inventory # 21542
Contact seller
Report this item
Bibliographic Details
Title: Seed trade between Van Diemen's Land and the...
Publisher: Gilbert Robertson, Hobart Town, Van Diemen's Land
Publication Date: 1843
Condition: Very good condition
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
