PETITION

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. The present item was enclosed in a letter from Serjeant Shee (the future Sir William Shee), offered separately, sent from the House of Commons on 17 February 1854, in which he writes: ‘I enclose Mr. Cobdens own handwriting to send to the Papers -’. Attached to a corner at the head of the first page of the present item is a cutting from the Morning Herald newspaper, 18 February 1854, reproducing the details in the manuscript.

1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. He writes that he has 'received the memorial to the Postmaster General, which you have done me the honor to transmit for the joint transmission of Mr Ross & myself'. He will arrange with Ross to have the memorial 'presented on the earliest possible opportunity'.

2pp., cr.8vo (30 x 18.5cm). In fair condition, aged and worn, with slight damage to one corner, resulting in loss of one word of text. 62 lines of text, with deletions and emendations, and the thirteen lines of the conclusion largely rewritten. Headed: 'To the Right Honorable | the Earl of [sic] Bathurst | His Majestys Principal Secretary of State for the Colonial & War Department, | &c &c &c | the Memorial of Major General Charles Viscount Grant de Vaux | Shewest [sic]'.

1p., foolscap 8vo. In good conditiion, on lightly-aged paper, with ancient price on blank reverse. The printed text reads: 'Whereas, the Lives of Mothers are daily sacrificed by the action of ignorant persons, who can at present undertake the duties of a Midwife without let or hindrance, although this calling requires careful training and guarantees of efficiency: | The Midwives' Institute has been constituted to deal effectively with this matter by procuring the introduction and passing of an Act, which the British Medical Journal states is the only remedy against the existing evils.

The two items are uniform in layout, on folio bifoliums, with the text covering the whole of the recto of the first leaf, and the details printed lengthwise on the reverse of the second. Both in good condition, and folded into the customary packets. An early example of nimbyism, rather rich coming from a banker. The petition begins: 'In the House of Lords.

Folio, 2 pp, paginated 241 and 242. Text clear and complete. On worn and aged paper, with closed tears, and repair to the margins. Circular red stamp of the Mansion House (the official resident of the Lord Mayor of London) at head of first page. The item had been folded into a package, docketed in pencil 'A', and in pen 'H.M | No. 1', and has manuscript marking to the margins.

12mo, 3 pp. Good. Folded twice and with the blank verso of the second leaf of the bifolium a little grubby. A formal letter in the third person, declining to present a petition to the House of Lords, on the grounds that 'The Duke has no relation whatever with [Honiton]'. The date, and the words 'Mr Aberdein', 'Honiton', ', which he retains' and 'Robert Aberdein Esq' are in Wellington's hand.

4 pages, 8vo. Pagination: [1] 2-3 [4]. A frail survival: paper grubby, discoloured and dogeared, with a few closed tears and some fraying to extremities, but the text clear and legible. A space at the beginning of the document for the insertion of the petitioner's name in manuscript has been left blank. Begins: 'The Petition of and all other Owners of Land subject to Mortgages, and other pecuniary payments charged on it before its depreciation in consequence of the return to the present Gold Currency, by which the value of every denomination of Money is so much increased'.