A HISTORY OF THE State Paper Office; WITH A VIEW OF THE DOCUMENTS BY F. S. THOMAS, SECRETARY OF THE PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. BIBL "Unsunned Treasures lie in the State Paper Office."-I. D'ISRAELI. LONDON: JOHN PETHERAM, 94, HIGH HOLBORN. MDCCC XLIX. CONTENTS. Page. View of the Contents of the Office; viz. Correspondence respecting the Colonies and Foreign Correspondence of the Office of Trade and Plan- THE History of the STATE PAPER OFFICE, here presented in an amended form, was first included in a Work intituled "Notes of Materials for the History of Public Departments," privately printed by the Author. The tokens of approbation with which the production has been favoured have encouraged him to submit this part to the Public, with additions, uniformly with his History of the Exchequer and Treasury*, both being portions of the Design which he has contemplated, of furnishing information respecting Public Departments and their Records and Documents. Rolls House, January 1849. * “ The Ancient Exchequer of England; the Treasury; and Origin of the present Management of the Exchequer and Treasury of Ireland." London, 1848. THE STATE As the documents in the State Paper Office do not commence generally until the time of King Henry the Eighth (although a small number of instruments of earlier date. are found to have been deposited there), a few observations relating to antecedent periods seem to be necessary before commencing the immediate history of the department, for the purpose of guiding the inquirer to the repositories where the earlier documents are to be sought. Under the Anglo-Norman Dynasty the affairs of State in England were managed by the King's Council, in which the Chancellor officiated, and where he exercised such of the functions of a Secretary of State as those early times demanded, and he had an office to prepare the Public Instruments, in the nature of a Public Office, and not at first a Court of Justice; to him was entrusted the supervision of all Letters, Charters, and other Public Documents which required to be authenticated, and the most formal and solemn manner of authenticating State Documents was by the King's Seal, which the Chancellor had had the custody of, probably from the earliest times of Seals being used. The organization of Chancery rapidly expanded, and in respect of State Documents we find that it became the duty of the Prothonotary of Chancery to write, pass under the Great Seal, and enrol Commissions, Treaties, Leagues, Ratifications, and other Instruments which passed between the Sovereign of this country and other Sovereigns and States; also Commissions, Powers, and Orders to Ambassadors, Patents to Consuls, Diplomas, Declarations, and Grants of Honor and Additions of Coats of Arms to all persons being Foreigners, Pardons of Outlawry, &c. |