[Lord Grey and ‘unsteady habits’ of immigrants to Mauritius (and West Indies), 1846.] Three printed items: Colonial Office circular dispatch; copy of dispatch to Governor of Mauritius; ‘Heads of an Ordinance for Promoting Immigration’ to Mauritius.

All three items are scarce, with no copies on OCLC WorldCat or COPAC. Both in good condition, lightly aged. Disbound from a volume and paginated in manuscript. ONE: Printed ‘Circular’, headed in manuscript ‘Immiration / W. Indies & Mauritius’, and dated from Downing Street, 23 October 1846. Paginated in manuscript 93. At foot of page (not in Grey’s hand): ‘/sd/ Grey’. Text reads: ‘Sir, / I have had under my consideration the evils which have been experienced in some of the West Indian Colonies, but more extensively, still, in the Island of Mauritius, from the unsteady habits of certain classes of Immigrants. I have addressed to the Governor of Mauritius a Dispatch, in which I have suggested the adoption of a system in respect to Coolie Immigrants, which appears to me to be calculated to meet these evils, and to be applicable also to the case of Coolie or any other Immigrants introduced into the West Indian Colonies, otherwise than at their own Cost. I transmit to you herewith a Copy of this Dispatch, and I request you to consider it as embodying the principles of regulation in this matter, which, if the Colonial Legislatures should be disposed to adopt, Her Majesty’s Government would be prepared to sanction.’ TWO: Printed copy of Grey’s dispatch ‘No. 38’ to Mauritius Governor ‘Lieut.-General / Sir W. M. Gomm, K.C.B. / &c. &c. &c.’ 6pp, 8vo. In small type. Paginated in type 1-6 and in manuscript 95-100. Among many other subjects, he discusses the ‘very remarkable organization of Village communities’ in India’, an ‘ancient institution’ to which the ‘people of India are strongly and justly attached’. THREE: Printed set of ‘Heads of an Ordinance for Promoting Immigration into the Island of Mauritius, and the Industry of Immigrants.’ 2pp, 8vo. No printed pagination; paginated in manuscript 101-102. Ten heads, in small print, the first being: ‘A Register to be made of all Immigrants who have been introduced into the Island at the Public Expense within five years, and such Register to be filled up from time to time with the names of newly-arrived Immigrants, and also with such other particulars as are hereby required to be recorded.’