GOVERNMENT

See Westland's entry in the Oxford DNB. Finlay was, as the Marquis of Crewe told the House of Lords in 1912, ‘a distinguished Indian official’, responsible for, as the Statist stated in 1914, ‘the details of the financial administration of the Empire of India. The magnitude and complexity of the financial transactions of the Government of India need not be enlarged on.’ He entered the Indian Civil Service in 1875, was made a Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1896, and a Member the Governor-General’s Council in 1902.

See the entries for Bevin and Ross in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice for postage. Addressed to ‘Sir David Ross, K.B.E., LL.D.’ and signed ‘Ernest Bevin’. Begins: ‘Dear Sir David, / In connection with my general plans I wish as soon as possible to make definite proposals concerning the Fair Wages Clause.’ He understands that ‘discussions between the T.U.C.

See the entries for Bevin and Ross in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once for postage. Addressed to ‘The Vice Chancellor, / Oxford University’. The two lines of Bevin’s autograph valediction ascending and converging at the same time: ‘Yours sincerely / Ernest Bevin’. He was glad to receive Ross’s letter ‘about the visit of the Greek Regent to this country’. He feels sure that ‘the Regent will wish to accept an invitation to visit Oxford’. He gives tentative dates for his stay, undertaking to ‘have a day at least set aside for this purpose’.

2pp, 12mo. On the rectos of the two leaves of a bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded twice. Begins: ‘Dear Mrs Ross. / We had the pleasure of having your daughter for tea yesterday & I hasten to tell you our pleasure in making her acquaintance. She is indeed charming & intelligent & bright; I am sure she will make the most of her stay here.

Balogh’s entry in the Oxford DNB notes his ‘flamboyant mind and considerable moral courage’. The recipient Philip Dosse was proprietor of Hansom Books, publisher of a stable of seven arts magazines including Books and Bookmen and Films and Filming. See ‘Death of a Bookman’ by the novelist Sally Emerson (editor of ‘Books and Bookmen’ at the time of Dosse’s suicide), in Standpoint magazine, October 2018. The collection is in good condition, lightly aged and worn.

Eleven documents, all foolscap, possibly relating to property. The tax stamps carried by nine of the items, and presence on the two others of a Rajasthan State stamp suggest that they date from the early years of Indian independence. Nine are bifoliums, each with punch-holed large blue oval design of the ‘Court Fee Stamp / Jaipur Government / Four Annas’ taking up much of the upper part of the recto of the first page. These documents are also blind stamped, upside down on the reverse of the second leaf, with an oval ‘Four Annas’ stamp of the ‘Jeypoor Treasury’.

Scarce. xx + 123pp, 8vo. With erratum slip following prelims. Internally good and tight, on slightly-discoloured brittle paper, with one leaf among the prelims with small grease stain in margin; in heavily worn half-calf binding, with loosening boards. The introduction begins, p.ix: ‘The present volume comprises ten of the Charters which were granted to our early American Colonies.

3pp, 12mo. On bifolium with mourning border. In good condition, lightly aged. Folded once. Rough pencil floorplan on verso of second leaf. Twenty-eight lines of neatly-written text. Signed ‘Agnes Macdonell.’ She has seen Mrs Blair’s name ‘in the list of subscribers to the Government Benevolent Institution’, and writes a line ‘to beg, if you have not already given your vote and kindly interest to any Candidate - to do this in favour of the poor lady whose card I enclose’ (not present).

See Nicolas Barker’s obituary of Bondy in the Independent, 27 June 1993. The obituary of the recipient Andrew Block (1892-1987) in ‘The Private Library’ was subtitled ‘the doyen of booksellers’; his business was established in 1911. An evocative piece of booktrade and London local government ephemera. 2pp, 8vo. Printed on a leaf of shiny art paper. Worn and creased; folded twice. On one side ‘L. W.

See Fisher’s entry in the Oxford DNB. Earlier in 1915 he had joined the Asquith government as Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board, and he would retain this post until June of 1917, when Lloyd George would promote him to the cabinet as President of the Local Government Board. The recipient Willoughby Hyett Dickinson (1859-1943), later an influential proponent of the League of Nations, began his career as a Liberal MP. He was knighted in 1918, and elevated to the peerage as Baron Dickinson of Painswick in 1930, the same year in which he joined the Labour Party.

An extraordinary letter, rubbing the nose of a pro-Asquith Liberal in the muck on the eve of his leader Lloyd George’s landslide Coalition victory in the 1918 ‘Coupon Election’. Guest, who was Winston Churchill’s cousin, is described in his entry in the Oxford DNB as a ‘highly controversial’ figure who ‘knew where all the bodies were buried’, a useful attribute for someone who served as the Coalition Chief Whip from 1917 to 1921. The recipient Willoughby Hyett Dickinson (1859-1943), later an influential proponent of the League of Nations, began his career a Liberal MP.

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to ‘Dear Sir Reginald’. After sympathizing with him on his indisposition he writes: ‘I always felt that you really had more advanced views on politics than most of the Generals in the British Army, and what you say in your letter does not surprise me therefore in the least.’ He ends with regards to Lady Hart and the Harts’ daughter. Autograph postscript: ‘Ps. Ps. forgive type written letter.’

Nine items, all in good condition. All of the letters are signed 'Anthony', and four of them (two autograph and two typed) are each 1p, 8vo. The other letter, in autograph, is 1p, 16mo. With four items of material relating to Hostage Action Worldwide. The first letter (11 May 1989) accompanies 'our first reply to our first 350 donors – we're hoping to build rapidly now'. He reports that 'The Archbishop of Canterbury has this week responded positively to us and appointed a man, John Lyttle to our Advisory Council.

The nine items are in good condition, lightly aged and worn. They derive from the papers of Sir Richard Harington of Ridlington, and reflect his dual position as a leading member of the Standing Council of the Baronetage, and a member of the Home Office Committee, which was set up to consider and report whether any, and if so what, steps should be taken to safeguard the status of the holders of Baronetcies, and to prevent the assumption of the title Baronet by persons who have no right thereto'.

A significant document, being the first government instruction manual for the completing of accounts folllowing the great changes ushered in by the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. 30pp., 8vo. Stitched and unbound. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with vertical closed tear to foot of first leaf. Embossed seal on red paper of the Poor Law Commission of England and Wales on front page, together with red 'Office Copy' stamp. The word 'Brixworth' has been added in manuscript on the first page, with 'Old or Wold' above it.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Docketed in manuscript above text of letter. The typed portion reads: 'Dame Adelaide Anderson presents her compliments and is very glad to receive the card of invitation to the Lecture by Laurence Binyon LL.D. on Persian Painting, to which she looks forward to [sic] on Wednesday, 19th November, at 8.30 p.m.' Autograph addition: 'Her address is now as above (not as hitherton, 21 Allen House, Allen Street, Kensington)'.

The four items in their original wraps. All four in fair condition, on lightly-aged and ruckled paper, with slight evidence of damp. One: 'Report on the Survey and Settlement Operations in Assam for the Year ending the 30th September 1930'. Shillong: Printed at the Assam Government Press, 1931. 7 +18 + [2]pp., foolscap 8vo. By 'L. C. Thuillier, Lt.-Colonel, I.A., Director of Surveys, Assam', 'W. L. Scott, Director of Land Records, Assam' and 'C. K. Rhodes, Secretary to the Government of Assam, Revenue Department'. Stamp of the Bala Theological College on front wrap.

The collection is of great interest, providing a mass of information regarding the Victorian building trade. The owner of the volume, W. H. Dudley, would appear to be a War Office official, and, as described at the end of this entry, it contains manuscript details of two contracts. The ten printed schedules - totalling [34 + 17 + 14 + 10 + 12 + 13 + 12 + 10 + 16 + 11 =] 149 pp., folio - are uniform in design and format, bound together in a contemporary half-binding, with brown leather spine and corners, and marbled boards. All ten are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn binding.

The passing, in June 1830, of a parliamentary 'Act for taking an Account of the Population of Great Britain, and of the Increase or Diminution thereof'(see Item 14) directed that the overseers of the poor should 'take an Account of the Number of Persons found within each Parish and Place'. This measure was seen by the Whig government (and in particular by Lord John Russell) as providing vital information preparatory to the passing of the Parliamentary Reform Bill.

Lord Hennessy has characterised the subject of these items, the Northcote-Trevelyan Report of 1854, as 'the greatest single governing gift of the nineteenth to the twentieth century: a politically disinterested and permanent Civil Service with core values of integrity, propriety, objectivity and appointment on merit, able to transfer its loyalty and expertise from one elected government to the next'.

Pamphlet, [68]pp., not paginated, count includes title (first page present), disbound, grubby, minor ink stains on title (and inked ticks for some of the entries), other staining, first three leaves detached, ow fair. One copy only recorded on COPAC/WorldCat, at BL.

1p., 4to. In good condtion, lightly aged and worn, folded twice horizontally. 26 lines of text, beginning: 'The Agent General of New South Wales hereby directs the attention of Holders of the New South Wales £3 1/2 % Loan, due to be repaid 1st September, 1918, to the following terms of Conversion which are offered by the New South Wales Government, viz: -'. No other copy traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or on Copac.

IDENTITY CARD: Bifolium. 12 x 8 cm. Printed in black and grey on outer covers and in black over green inside. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn. Cover headed 'IDENTITY CARD' with 'WORLD CITIZEN' in a variety of scripts around a circular logo of human figure. Internal statement: 'This card certifies that the holder is registered as a world-citizen. He will try to recognise his responsibilities as a member of the World Community.' Korn is 'No 12030'. Filled-in in ink for Michael Korn of 62 Aberdare Gardens, Hampstead, London.

26pp., 8vo. In good condition, lightly-aged, no wraps, disbound. One copy on COPAC, at the BL, and two copies on OCLC WorldCat.

1p., folio. In good condition, lightly aged and creased. Duplicated typescript. Headed 'Urgent. | MEMORANDUM.' and 'Town Councils. | Councils of Metropolitan Boroughs. | Corporation of the City of London. | Urban and Rural District Councils.' The twenty-eight line text begins: 'All fruit stones including date stones and hard nut shells are immediately required for an urgent war purpose.

2pp., folio. Bifolium. In small type. Containing two copies of a printed circular by McIlquham, on Cheltenham Rural District Council letterhead, dated 14 September 1906. In good condition, lightly aged and worn. The memorandum is divided into five sections, and begins by putting the Council's position that 'Motor Cars travelling at high speed in dry weather along the unwatered roads of country districts occasion an intolerable dust nuisance to other users of the highway, and seriously prejudice the comfort and even the health of the inhabitants of road-side dwellings'.

Both items in fair condition, lightly aged and creased, and each with three punch holes to spine. No. 1: 27pp., 12mo. With illustrations and diagrams in text. In two parts: 'Progressive Field Training for Stretcher-bearers' and 'Purposeful Physical Training for Stretcher-bearers'. No.2: ii + 65pp., 12mo. With three 'figures' in text. Divided into six chapters (including 'The Army Dental Corps in the field' and 'Evacuation and methods of estimation of casualties') and appendix. Scarce: the only copy traced, either on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat, in the Imperial War Museum collection.

6pp., 12mo. Pamphlet. In fair condition, on lightly aged paper with vertical fold. Headings: Pay [with table giving 'rates of pay [...] applicable to medical officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps']; Issue of Pay and Allowances; Rations, Accommodation, etc.; Allowances in respect of family. Marginal headings: Banking facilities; Disposal of pay; Advance of pay; Issue of allowances; Instructions to agents and paymasters; Joining certificate; Outfit allowance. Scarce: no copy in the Wellcome Library, or on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

Full title: 'Memorandum for the Guidance of Officers commanding Units and of Officers in medical charge of effective Troops in areas or units, regarding the procedure to be followed in connection with admission to Hospitals, etc., and the care of Sick treated under unit arrangements.' 22pp., 12mo. Stapled pamphlet. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

iii + 109pp., 12mo. In green printed wraps. In good condition, lightly-aged. Stapled addendum titled 'Amendment No. 3.' (5pp., 12mo) loosely inserted. Main headings: Amounts; Sources; Metal Solvency in Water; Hardness of Water; Brackish Waters; Bitter Aperient Waters; Examination of Water Supplies; Purification of Water; Water Vehicles, Water Points and Distribution; Poisoning of Water by the Enemy; Water Supplies Contaminated with Schistosome Cercariae.