Item #80653 Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841. South Australia.
Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841
Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841
Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841
Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841
Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841

Reports from the Select Committee on South Australia; together with the Minutes of Evidence, Appendix, and Index. [Comprising the] First Report ... 9th March 1841 [and the] Second Report ... 10th March 1841

London, 'Communicated by the Commons to the Lords', and 'Ordered to be printed 21st June 1841'.

Foolscap folio, [ii], 8 (last blank) pages [First Report], and xl, 272, x, 358 (appendix), 58 (index) pages plus 4 large folding hand-coloured maps (including 3 by John Arrowsmith - see below) [Second Report].

Relatively modern half calf and cloth (by Morrell of London), retaining both front and rear original printed blue wrappers; leather very slightly rubbed at the extremities, with a light tidemark to the foot of the spine; front wrapper very slightly marked; minor offsetting to the maps, with an expert repair to a very short tear near the stub of the last one; essentially a fine uncut copy (it is difficult to imagine a better one turning up).

Great Britain and Ireland Parliamentary Paper 174 of 1841 (the House of Lords issue, Ferguson 3221 [with minor pagination errors]: see also Ferguson 3218 and 3219). 'This Report contains very complete information regarding the Colony from its foundation [in 1836] to 1841' (Ferguson 3219, referring to the Second Report). Wakefield's self-supporting system of colonization, administered by the South Australian Colonization Commission, failed and the commission was dissolved in January 1840. 'The new board of three salaried commissioners slowly became aware that the colony's funds in London were rapidly dwindling. After months of inexcusable procrastination they had no choice but to throw the colony on the mercies of the Colonial Office. Nevertheless the blame of their own shortcomings and extravagance was placed squarely on [Governor] Gawler for his irregularities, "reckless" expenditure and alleged grave errors of judgment.' The imperial parliament accepted the select committee's recommendations and took control of the colony's affairs. Although the select committee had refused to condemn Gawler and reported that 'even his severest critics had suggested no way in which Gawler's expenditure might have been significantly reduced', he was abandoned as the scapegoat and after his recall in May 1841, he was never again to find public employment ('Australian Dictionary of Biography').

The maps are:

(1) Plan of the District of Adelaide, shewing the application of the Running Survey to that locality (Water Sections coloured) (approximately 500 × 600 mm);

(2) The District of Adelaide, South Australia; As divided into Country Sections. From the Trigonometrical Surveys of Colonel Light ... (500 × 600 mm);

(3) The Maritime Portion of South Australia, from Capn. Flinders and the more recent Surveys made by the Survr. Genl. of the Colonies (620 × 500 mm); and

(4) Map shewing the Special Survey in South Australia, to the Eastward of the Gulf of St Vincent (515 × 600 mm). From the notable collection of Rodney Davidson, with his bookplate on the front pastedown.

Item #80653

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