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Array
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    [entityType] => ITEM
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            [contextId] => aims
            [description] => Array
                (
                    [0] => This series of despatches includes explanations of statutes and executives acts, instructions for the use of the powers conferred on the Governor, notifications of the confirmation or disallowance of acts of the local legislature, comments on social, economic and political developments in the colony, expressions of approval or disapproval of the Governor's actions, answers to questions asked by the Governor, and instructions as to the policies to be adopted on particular subjects.
                )

            [id] => 8604
            [idSort] => 8604
            [name] => Ordinary inwards despatches from the Secretary of State
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                    [priref] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => 17646
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                )

            [authenticityNote] => 

	1. This series description was compiled as part of a project to capture the finding aids created prior to 1987 into the GAIMS system.

	2. The series dates are derived from the dates of the record group holdings.

	3. Duplicate ordinary despatches from the Secretary of State dating from 1841-1854 are held at the Hocken Library in Dunedin.

	4. The first 105 items are volumes and the remainder are boxes of loose despatches
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                    [normalizedValue] => 1840-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                            [0] => approximate
                            [1] => yearOnly
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                    [normalizedValue] => 1943-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                            [0] => approximate
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                    [0] => Array
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                            [name] => Loose Papers
                            [type] => SeriesFormat
                        )

                    [1] => Array
                        (
                            [name] => Volumes
                            [type] => SeriesFormat
                        )

                )

            [history] => 

	Through these despatches, the Secretary of State for the Colonies directed and controlled the whole process of government in New Zealand until the grant of responsible government. The despatches include explanations of statutes and executives acts, instructions for the use of the powers conferred on the Governor, notifications of the confirmation or disallowance of acts of the local legislature, comments on social, economic and political developments in the colony, expressions of approval or disapproval of the Governor's actions, answers to questions asked by the Governor, and instructions as to the policies to be adopted on particular subjects. The numerous enclosures include acts, orders in council, royal warrants, correspondence with individuals, other departments and foreign powers. Many of these despatches have endorsed on them the comments of Ministers and local officials to whom they were referred by the Governor.

	

	From 9 December 1840 to 17 November 1886, the despatches are arranged chronologically according to the date of writing. Each ordinary despatch was numbered by the Secretary of State beginning at number 1 each year. These despatches are all entered in the registers in Record Group series G22, items 1-3 (series 16577). The Secretary of State also sent out various other communications including confidential and secret despatches; circular, parliamentary, library and separate despatches; and telegrams. These other despatches were listed in the registers in chronological order, although they were not given numbers and were generally filed in separate series (though not always).

	

	After 1887 the system changed and all communications (with a few exceptions) were numbered in one numerical system by Government House, both despatches of all kinds from the Secretary of State and correspondence from all other sources. However, the despatches were still filed in separate series. All of these communications were entered in registers in their numerical order (series 16577, items G22/4-11). Each entry showed the name of the writer, the date of writing, the type of communication and the subject matter. From 1887, despatches were arranged by the date received.

	

	The series in which each type of despatch was filed changed as follows:

	1. Confidential despatches: Unnumbered until 1887. Filed amongst the ordinary despatches - Record Group series G1 (series 8604) until 1872. From 1873 confidential despatches formed a separate series - Record Group series G2 (series 16558).

	

	2. Military despatches: Filed amongst the ordinary despatches until December 1842. From 31 December 1842 to November 1854, filed separately in Record Group series G3 (series 16559). The despatches were numbered and registered only from 1845-1846.

	

	3. Circular despatches were filed in a separate series - Record Group series G4 (series 16560) from 1841 until 1886. From 1887 to 1939 they were filed with the ordinary despatches in Record Group series G1 (series 8604) or miscellaneous despatches in Record Group series G13 (series 16569). For 1939-1940 despatches from the Secretary of State and from other Governors and British Representatives were filed together (including secret and confidential despatches) as part of Record Group series G1 (series 8604).

	

	4. Telegrams first appear around 1869 to 1870. They were numbered amongst the ordinary despatches and filed as part of Record Group series G1 (series 8604) until 1878. From 1879 a separate series of telegrams was kept - Record Group series G5 (series 16561).

	

	5. Confidential telegrams were filed with ordinary despatches until 1874. From 31 December 1874 to 1904 they were filed in a separate series - Record Group series G6 (series 16562).

	

	Schedules of ordinary despatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor for 1896-1940 are held in Record Group series G24 (series 16579).

	

	Please note:

	- Item G1/4 includes an envelope with despatch no. 38 (1842).

	- Item G1/13 includes some despatches to Grey as Governor of South Australia.

	Note - Categories of despatches

	The Secretary of State's despatches to the Governor were divided into the categories of ordinary, secret and confidential.  Ordinary despatches were normally shown to colonial ministers, while confidential despatches might not be shown to ministers according to the Governor's judgement. Secret despatches were to be seen by no one apart from the Governor unless express permission had been obtained previously from the Secretary of State.

	Every precaution was taken to hide the existence of confidential or secret despatches - their receipt was only to be acknowledged by the Governor in despatches also marked confidential or secret.
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                            [name] => Wellington repository
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                            [name] => Governor
                            [type] => controlled_by
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                                    [normalizedValue] => 1840-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                    [0] => 16577
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            [ricClassification] => NUMERICAL
            [ricClassificationDescription] => Annual single number file classification
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                            [name] => Inwards military despatches from the Secretary of State
                            [type] => preceding
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                                    [normalizedValue] => 1854-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                    [1] => Array
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                            [name] => Confidential inwards telegrams from the Secretary of State and others
                            [type] => succeeding
                            [hasBeginningDate] => Array
                                (
                                    [normalizedValue] => 1874-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                            [itemType] => Series
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                            [name] => Telegrams to and from the Secretary of State
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                                    [normalizedValue] => 1879-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                            [name] => Inwards military despatches from the Secretary of State
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                                    [normalizedValue] => 1842-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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                            [name] => Confidential despatches from the Secretary of State
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                                    [normalizedValue] => 1873-01-01T00:00:00.0Z
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            [seriesRestrictionReason] => 

	No restrictions
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