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Colonial Office minutes regarding
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2 October
Mr Vernon Smith I confess I know not how anything can be done for the inhabitants of Pitcairns Island. It is impossible to establish an independent Gov' or Colony there, nor do I know how the Island could with any propriety be annexed to the Gov'. of New South Wales, which has no sort of connection with it. Yet if neither of these measures be practicable, we are I believe at the end of all our resources. [James Stephen]
Oct 4 Capt Eliott seems to have done as [much] as he could and I suppose he [might] be told so but we can do no more. [Robert Vernon-Smith]
6 The utmost we could do, beyond what has been done [would] be to furnish the inhabitants with some arms for their own protection (suggest this to the Admiralty, in case another Man of War [goes] there — 50 cutlasses, & a few muskets [should] be sufficient. [Lord John Russell]
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Notes.
Pagination of the original autograph has been maintained. Captain Russell Elliott (later Admiral) was commander of H.M.S. Fly who visited Pitcairn's Island in November 1838. His action there instituted the first formal government on the island. Lord John Russell was Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (30 August 1839 – 30 August 1841). Robert Vernon-Smith, Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies (1839 to 1841). Sir James Stephen (3 January 1789 – 14 September 1859) was the British Undersecretary of State for the Colonies from 1836 to 1847. He made an important contribution to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. [Wikipedia] |
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Source.
Document no. 63. Oct 2, 1839. "Colonial Office minutes regarding Captain Eliott's report." Pages 1258 to 1259.
This transription was made from the collection of documents at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Dec 16, 2024.
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