BRITISH GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS INTRODUCTION The publications of the British government are many and varied, and, fortunately for researchers, they are also well indexed and therefore relatively easy to use. Like the documents of other governments, however, British publications are often omitted from standard bibliographic tools, and familiarity with their unique reference aids is a necessity for successful research. This guide is designed to provide an introduction to the Woodruff Library's collection of British documents and to discuss some of the more important reference works which provide access to it. It should be noted that British official publications are listed in the main card catalog and, after 1975, on DOBIS. The card catalog also notes by means of an orange card those documents which are shelved in the Documents Department. In addition, references to recent Parliamentary Papers (from October 1990 to the present) can be found by searching the British Parliamentary Papers Index on CD-ROM. This privately published electronic product indexes Sessional Papers, Command Papers, and debates for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. A brochure detailing the use of this product is available. Originally published 1975 Revised 1992 f For more information or further assistance on this topic, please contact: Jennifer McMullen, Documents Department, Woodruff Library, Emory University (404) 727-0131 Bitnet: libjem@emuvm1 Internet: libjem@emuvm1.cc.emory.edu GENERAL INFORMATION GENERAL GUIDES: Several excellent general guides exist for British official publications. All discuss the publishing pattern of the British government and the special problems encountered in working with official documents. Doc.Ref. Rodgers, Frank. A Guide to British Government Publications. New York, Z2009 The H. W. Wilson Company, 1980. 750p. R62 This is the most comprehensive guide to British documents in general. Rodgers gives excellent detailed information about government agencies and the publications that they issue. Some relevant historical information on the agencies is included as well. The thorough index makes information easy to find and to use. Doc.Ref. Pemberton, John E. British Official Publications. New York, Pergamon, Z2009 [1971]. 315p. P45 Another comprehensive general guide, Pemberton is particularly good for detail on historical sources. Excellent background information on British Parliamentary government and current publishing practices is also provided. The extensive index makes Pemberton yet another easy can complete general guide, second only to Rodgers. Doc.Ref. Richard, Stephen. Directory of British Official Publications: A Guide to Z2009 Sources. 2nd ed. London, Mansell Publishing Limited, 1984. R54 431p. 1984 This is the second edition of a very useful directory to British government agencies, research councils, nationalized industries, and advisory bodies. It includes addresses, phone numbers, and information on the publications of each of these organizations. The organization index is very useful in providing easy access to the desired information. THE STATIONERY OFFICE Her (or His) Majesty's Stationery Office was originally created to provide stationery and writing equipment to the Sovereign and Parliament and has grown into the business of publishing government books and periodicals. An interesting history of the H.M.S.O. can be discovered in Her Majesty's Stationery Office: The Story of the First 200 Years, 1786-1986 by Hugh Barty-King (Doc.Ref. Z232/G85B37/1986). This volume describes the evolution of the H.M.S.O.'s duties over the years and how it functions today. Prior to this century, most British publications were produced by Parliament and are listed in catalogs and indexes devoted to their particular time periods (see pages 9-10). In the twentieth century, however, most British documents have been listed and indexed in H.M.S.O. catalogs. Those that are not indexed by the H.M.S.O. have recently been picked up by a private publishing source. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Stationery Office. Catalogue of Government Publications. Z2009 1920-date. London, Stationery Office, 1920-date. G822 Library has: 1920-date (1920-35, 1936-50 reprinted by Chadwyck-Healey; Annual Catalogues of British Government Publications, 1920-1935, ... 1936-50 on spine); Indexes: 1941-45, 1951-55, 1961-65, 1936-70 (reprinted by Chadwyck-Healey). H.M.S.O.'s official catalog has been issued under a variety of names but is currently known as the Catalogue of Government Publications. The basic volume is published annually and is supplemented by the Monthly Catalogue. Arrangement of both catalogs is by issuing department with Parliament heading the list. Indexes appear monthly, annually, and in five year cumulations. Doc.Ref. Catalogue of British Official Publications Not Published by HMSO. Z2009 Cambridge, Chadwyck-Healey, 1980-date. C37 Library has: 1980-date. Many government publications are not released and indexed by H.M.S.O., but in 1980 Chadwyck-Healey, a private publishing company, began to publish a catalog to complement the Catalogue of Government Publications. Arrangement of this catalog is also by issuing agency, and an index at the end of each bimonthly and annual issue includes subjects and authors. Titles located through this series should be searched for on DOBIS as Emory does not receive the corresponding microfiche series. Another source to check when looking for a particular British government publication is the HMSO Books in Print microfiche series, which is kept at the Documents Reference Desk. The information here is arranged alphabetically by title and includes such information as ISBN and price. As noted above, any titles listed here should be searched for on DOBIS. PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS GUIDES: Parliamentary publications are those documents utilized and produced by the Parliament in the conduct of its daily business. Typically, such publications include bills, reports of committees and commissions, miscellaneous documents and the record of Parliamentary proceedings and debate. Although all of the general guides to British documents discuss Parliamentary publications in detail, there also exist several guides which are limited to such documents. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Stationery Office. The British Parliament. 12th ed. JN550 London, Stationery Office, 1984. 70p. 1984/G73 This brief pamphlet from H.M.S.O. gives detailed descriptions of the composition and the procedures of Parliament, especially in regard to legislation and committees as well as the political party system. This is a very good introductory publication for those researchers who are unfamiliar with the workings of Parliament. Doc.Ref. Questions in the House of Commons. London, Public Information Office, KD4354 1979. 17p. A3 1979 The tradition of Question Time is an important one in Parliamen- tary debates, and this small pamphlet gives detailed information about the practice of questioning Cabinet ministers in the House of Commons. This book may provide some insight to those researchers who are interested in exploring Parliamentary debates. Doc.Ref. Bond, Maurice F. Guide to the Records of Parliament. London, H.M.S.O., CD1063 1971. 352p. B63 Doc.Ref. Bond, Maurice F. The Records of Parliament, a Guide for Genealogists and CD1043 Local Historians. Canterbury, Phillimore, 1964. 54p. G7 While Bond, who was Clerk of the Record in the House of Lords, devoted most of his efforts to discussing Parliamentary manuscripts preserved under his care at the House of Lords Record Office, his explanation of Parliamentary publications is clear and helpful. The first title, Guide to the Records, is the more extensive and may require familiarity with the subject matter before use. Doc.Ref. Ford, Percy and Grace Ford. A Guide to Parliamentary Papers: What They Z2009 Are; How to Find Them; How to Use Them. Oxford, Blackwell, F67 1955. 79p. This book is a standard guide to Parliamentary publications which can be used by both the beginner and the more advanced student. For more detailed historical guides to Parliament, particularly for certain periods of English history, check DOBIS for titles located in the general collection. LIBRARY HOLDINGS: Parliamentary publications form the backbone of the Woodruff Library's collection of British documents. Some of the Library's major holdings include: Parliamentary Proceedings: Parliamentary "proceedings" refer to the record of Parliamentary action rather than the record of Parliamentary debate. Parliamentary proceedings have been recorded in the following: Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. Rotuli Parliamentorum; ut et Petitiones, et J301 Placita in Parliamento. London, 1771-83. 6 vols. and index. H12 Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. Rolls of Parliament, to Supply the Deficiencies J301 in the Journals of the House of Lords. London, 1771. H13 The Rotuli Parliamentorum are the extant records of Parliament from 1278-1503. Ordered to be printed in 1767, the basic six-volume set (the supplementary volume was issued in 1771) contains most of the available manuscript rolls of the early Parliaments as well as some of the petitions to Parliament which have been preserved at the Public Record Office. The excellent, comprehensive index to the collection was published in 1832. Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Journals of the House of J301 Commons. V. 1 to date. 1547- . (except 1584-1601) London. K3 Library has: v. 1-155 (v. 35-37, 1774/76-1777/80; v. 51- 155, 1795/96-1900 in microprint 11); v. 214, 1958 to date. Indexes: v. 1-7, 10-26, 35-45, 46-55, 206-215. Begun in 1547 by John Seymour, Clerk of the House of Commons, the Journals are the permanent, official record of Parliament. In addition to their use as an authority for procedure within the House of Commons, the Journals provide a rich source of historical information, much of which is unavailable elsewhere. Each volume of the Journals contains its own index, and a series of General Indexes which cover several sessions is also available. Because of the many idiosyncrasies in indexing, changes in content, and unusual seventeenth-century narrative style of the Journals (somewhat modified in 1969), researchers who plan extended use should first consult David Menhennet's House of Commons Library Document No. 7: The Journal of the House of Commons, A Bibliographic and Historical Guide (London, H.M.S.O., 1971, Doc.Ref. JN673/M45). Menhennet is also useful for identifying non-official accounts of Parliamentary activity for the period 1584-1601 when the official Journals are missing. Parliamentary Debates: While the eighteenth-century House of Commons Journals often summarized selected Parliamentary debates, fuller and now verbatim accounts of the spoken proceedings are available in the titles listed below. In addition, an extensive annotated bibliography of sources for Parliamentary debate is found in House of Commons Library Document No. 2: A Bibliography of Parliamentary Debates of Great Britain (London, H.M.S.O., 1956, Doc.Ref.Z2009/G7). Docs. The Parliamentary History of England from the Earliest Period to the Year J301 1803, From Which Last Mentioned Epoch It Is Continued Down- H5 wards in the Work Entitled OHansardOs Parliamentary Debates.O v. 1-36, 1066-1803. London, Hansard, 1806-1820. Begun by William Cobbett and completed by J. Wright and T. C. Hansard, this thirty-six volume work is the best single source for Parliamentary debate for the period covered. Cobbett, as the collection is popularly called, was compiled from a number of sources, both official (Journal of the House of Commons) and non-official (assorted diaries, etc.). However, while extensive, Cobbett is not always definitive and authorities have claimed that it occasionally excludes significant source material. Researchers may therefore want to check a number of Cobbett's original sources (listed in his Preface) which are available in the Library. The arrangement of Cobbett is chronological. Unfortunately, however, a planned index was not completed, and thus the reader must have a clear idea of the time period of events or rely on each volume's fairly detailed Table of Contents. Here the "Index of the Names of Several Speakers" and the breakdown of contents by category (e.g. "King's Messages" or "King's Speeches") is particularly helpful. Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. The Parliamentary Debates (Authorized Edition) J301 v. 1-41, 1803-1820; new series, v. 1-25, 1820-1830; ser. 3, v.1-356, H22 1830-1891; ser. 4, v. 1-199, 1892-1908. London, Wyman. Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Parliamentary Debates J301 (Hansard) Official Report. v. 1- , 1909- . London, H.M.S.O. K22 Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. The Parliamentary Debates J301 (Hansard) Official Report. v. 1- , 1909- . London, H.M.S.O. J22 Hansard's, the popular and now official name for the reports of Parliamentary debate, was actually begun by William Cobbett who began publishing an account of Parliamentary discussion in his Political Register in 1803. In 1811, however, Cobbett sold his interest in the venture to Thomas Curson Hansard and the reporting of Parliamentary debate remained in the hands of the Hansard family until 1889. Hansard's was at first little more than the piecing together of reports on Parliamentary activity taken from the press. Gradually, however, more accuracy in reporting developed, and in 1909 Hansard's was taken over by the Stationery Office and a staff was hired to provide a full, official transcript of debate. Also in 1909, the debates of the House of Lords, which had previously been published only in summary form with those of the Commons, began to be reported and published separately. Currently, the Woodruff Library receives the final bound edition of both the House of Lords and the House of Commons debates. Each volume has an index of speakers and subjects, and, from 1830 on, each session is indexed either at the end of the last volume of the session or in an additional volume. Since Hansard's is numbered by columns and not by pages, the index references may seem confusing at first. Another potential problem for researchers is that the pages for the oral debate and the pages for the answers to written questions are numbered separately, but the index lists a "w" after items indexed for the written answer section. House of Commons Sessional Papers: The British House of Commons Sessional Papers form one of the richest collections of government publications in existence. Consisting of Bills, Reports of Committees and Commissions, and Accounts and Papers, the Sessional Papers cover a wide range of political, historical, and economic information important not only to students of British history but, because of Britain's role in world affairs, to students of world history as well. Included in the Sessional Papers are the so-called Command Papers, papers non-Parliamentary in origin but presented to Parliament "By Command of Her (His) Majesty." Usually such documents deal with issues likely to be the subject of legislation. Very often they will include government "White" or position papers and significant Royal Commission reports. Also found in the Command Papers is the British Treaty Series containing the text of treaties, agreements and notes exchanged between Britain and various foreign powers. Although the Library possesses a small number of duplicate Command Papers in hard copy and microfilm (all listed in the main card catalog and possibly on DOBIS) the bulk of Emory's collection of House of Commons Sessional Papers is available in microformat: Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. British Sessional Papers. Microprint House of Commons. New York, Readex Microprint Corporation, 8 1943-1980. Library has: 1731-1979. Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. British Sessional Papers. Microfiche House of Commons. New York, Readex Microfiche Corporation, 684 1980- . Library has: 1979/80 to date. The Sessional Papers have been issued annually as a separate series by the House of Commons since the nineteenth century. Commons Papers issued in the eighteenth century and earlier are also available, although somewhat more difficult to locate. Prior to 1801, many of these Papers were printed in the House of Commons Journal. In addition there exist three official collections of eighteenth-century Commons Papers: Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Reports from J301 Committees of the House of Commons Reprinted by Order of the K55 House. [1715-1803] London, 1803-1806. 16 vol. Often referred to as the "First Series," this collection contains committee reports not found in the House of Commons Journal as well as many which are not contained in other eighteenth-century Sessional Paper collections. The set has its own comprehensive one-volume index which was later expanded, with some loss of detail, into Hansard's Catalogue and Breviate of Parliamentary Papers, 1696-1834 (see p. 9). Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. British Sessional Papers. Microprint House of Commons. New York, Readex Microprint Corporation, 8 1943-?. First four parts, covering 1734-1800. The first part of the Readex Microprint edition of the Sessional Papers is commonly referred to as the Abbott Collection or the "Second Series." This collection was compiled at the request of Charles Abbott, Speaker of the House, and covers the time period of 1734 to 1800. Unfortunately, coverage of the early years within this series is rather scarce. Docs. Lambert, Sheila, ed. House of Commons Sessional Papers of the Eighteenth J301 Century. Wilmington, Delaware, Scholarly Resources Inc., 1975. K625 145 vol. plus two index volumes. 1975 The most recent and by far the most comprehensive collection of eighteenth-century Sessional Papers, Lambert covers the period of 1715 to 1800. The Subject Index in List (Index) Volume 2 indicates the year of the document as well as its type (i.e. accounts and papers, bills, or reports) and its number within that year. Other Lists in the two supplementary volumes will indicate the location of the document in the Lambert collection as well as the location of the document in other collections (such as Abbott or the First Series). Sessional Papers of both Houses of Parliament for the period 1531-1714 are listed and often fully transcribed in the various calendars of manuscripts of the House of Lords published by the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. A briefly annotated list of these calendars is found in Maurice F. Bond's The Records of Parliament, A Guide for Genealogists and Local Historians (see p. 5). Bond's list has been marked to indicate Emory's holdings. For the period 1509-1648, Sessional Papers for the House of Lords can also be found in the following collection: Microfilm Great Britain. Parliament. House of Lords. The Main Papers of the House 1743 of Lords. Brighton, Harvester Microform Publications, 1983- . 6 pts. on 118 reels. This microform collection provides access to a majority of documents listed in various calendars of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, including petitions, drafts of Acts, and other papers. Each reel begins with introductory information indicating the contents of each reel and the location in the Royal Commission's calendars of the appropriate list of documents. (The calendars of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts are located in the Documents Center under the call number DA25/M1.) This series covers the period from 1509 to 1648 and includes some interesting documents from the Cromwellian era. Sessional Papers Catalogs and Indexes: Numerous general and special indexes exist for the British House of Commons Sessional Papers. Most give full information on each document included in the series and supply the year, volume, and page where it can be found. Sessional Indexes for the microprint Sessional Papers are prepared by the House of Commons Library and are included in the last volume of Papers for each session. For the years 1980 to the present, no index is included with the microfiche collection, but the Catalogue of Government Publications gives a comprehensive annual list of Sessional Papers for each session. In addition, the following printed catalogs and indexes are available in the Documents Department: Docs. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Manual for the British Microprint House of Commons Sessional Papers, ed. Edgar L. Erickson. New 8 York, Readex Microprint Corporation, 1943, 19p. Manual This brief manual explains the editorial principles followed in the microprinting of the House of Commons Sessional Papers. Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Hansard's Catalogue and J301 Breviate of Parliamentary Papers, 1696-1834. 1834. Reprint Oxford, M3 Blackwell, 1953. 220p. 1953a This volume is a reprint of Hansard's original work which abstracted and indexed papers of the House of Commons as well as those communicated to the Commons by the House of Lords from 1696 to 1834. A selected list of additional House of Lords Papers has been added to the reprint. Doc.Ref. Lambert, Sheila, ed. List of Commons Sessional Papers, 1701-1750. List CD1042 and Index Society Series, Volume 1. London, Swift, 1968. A2L51 This index lists all known surviving House of Commons Sessional Papers printed in the first half of the eighteenth century and where they may be located. Doc.Ref. Checklist of British Parliamentary Papers in the Irish University Press 1000 Z2019 Volume Series, 1801-1899. Shannon, Irish University Press, 1972. I73 218p. Although based on a subject compilation of Sessional Papers not found in the Emory collection, the Checklist is an excellent selective list and index of Papers printed in the nineteenth century. Original references are given and these can be used to locate documents in the Readex Microprint Collection. The Documents Department has also obtained the "Colonies" series from this list, and this series is located in the Documents Center under the call number JV33/G7I7. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Index to the J301 Accounts and Papers, Reports of Commissioners, Estimates, &c., &c. M3 Printed by Order of the House of Commons, or Presented by 1801-1852 Command: 1801-1852. London, H.M.S.O., 1938. 1080p. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Index to Reports J301 of Select Committees. Printed by Order of the House of Commons: M3 ` 1801-1852. London, 1854. 412p. 1801-1852a Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Index to the Bills. J301 Printed by Order of the House of Commons: 1801-1852. London, M3 1853. 486p. 1801-1852b Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Alphabetical J301 Index to the Bills, Reports, Estimates, Accounts, and Papers Presented M3 by Command, 1852-1899. London, Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1909. 1852-1899 3 vol. The four titles listed above are all cumulations of Sessional Indexes compiled by the House of Commons Library for the periods covered. Indexing is by broad subject headings with cross references provided. Doc.Ref. Ford, Percy and Grace Ford. Select List of British Parliamentary Papers, J301 1833-1899. Oxford, Blackwell, 1953. 165p. M3/1953b This small volume lists and indexes Parliamentary Papers dealing with social, economic, and constitutional issues and questions of law and administration. Papers dealing with foreign policy, ecclesiastical affairs, and other subjects listed in the Introduction have been excluded. Doc.Ref. Cockton, Peter. Subject Catalogue of the House of Commons Parliamentary Z2019 Papers 1801-1900. Cambridge, Chadwyck-Healey, 1988. 5 vol. C63 This series is a novel addition to other Sessional Paper indexes due to its unique subject arrangement. Cockton has divided the Papers into nineteen broad subject groups from the central government to foreign relations, and each subject "chapter" is subdivided into more precise categories. Each volume begins with an excellent introduction to the use of this series, and a comprehensive index is found as an appendix to volume 5. Twentieth Century: Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Index to the J301 Bills, Reports, and Papers Printed by Order of the House of Commons M3 and to the Reports and Papers Presented by Command, 1900 to 1948- 1900-1949 49. London, H.M.S.O., 1960. 893p. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. General Alphabetical J301 Index to the Bills, Reports, and Papers Printed by Order of the House M3 of Commons and to the Reports and Papers Presented by Command, 1963 1950 to 1958-59. London, H.M.S.O., 1963. 479p. The two titles listed above are again cumulations of the Sessional Indexes for the periods covered. Indexing is generally by subject, although the General Alphabetical Index , 1950 to 1958-59 contains a select list of committee chairmen and personal authors as well. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Stationery Office. Quarterly List of Parliamentary Z2009 Publications. 1897-1921. London, Stationery Office, 1898-1922. G822 Library has: 1920-1921 (reprinted by Chadwyck-Healey; Annual Catalogues of British Government Publications, 1920-1925 on spine). Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Stationery Office. Catalogue of Government Publications. Z2009 1922-date. London, Stationery Office, 1923-date. G822 Library has: 1922-date (1922-35, 1936-50 reprinted by Chadwyck-Healey; Annual Catalogues of British Government Publications, 1920-1935, ...1936-1950 on spine); Indexes: 1941-45, 1951-55, 1961-65, 1936-70 (reprinted by Chadwyck-Healey). Both titles list and index Parliamentary publications of the British government. The Catalogue of Government Publications includes non-Parliamentary documents as well and supercedes Monthly Catalogue. Indexes to the various H.M.S.O. catalogs must be used in conjunction with the Sessional Indexes on microprint to locate Parliamentary publications in the Readex microprint collection of Sessional Papers up to 1979. After 1979, the microfiche collection is easy to search. Doc.Ref. Ford, Percy and Grace Ford. A Breviate of Parliamentary Papers, 1900- J301 1916; The Foundation of the Welfare State. Oxford, Blackwell, C 1957. 470p. 1900-1916 Doc.Ref. Ford, Percy and Grace Ford. A Breviate of Parliamentary Papers, 1917- J301 1939. Oxford, Blackwell, 1951. 571p. C 1917-1939 Doc.Ref. Ford, Percy and Grace Ford. A Breviate of Parliamentary Papers, 1940- J301 1954; War and Reconstruction. Oxford, Blackwell, 1961. 515p. C 1940-1954 All of the Ford Breviates abstract as well as index a select list of British Parliamentary Papers dealing with social, economic, and constitutional issues together with matters of law and administration. Arrangement is by broad topic. Specialized Indexes: Chairmen and Authors Doc.Ref. Richard, Stephen. British Government Publications: Index to Chairmen of Z2009 Committees and Commissions of Inquiry. London, Library Associa- R535 tion Publishing Limited, 1982. 3 vols. Library has: vol. 1 (1800-1899), vol. 2 (1900-1940), vol. 3 (1941-1978). Richard's series is an alphabetical list of the names of committee and commission chairmen, broken down into the periods listed above. It refers to various sources, most of which are found in the Sessional Papers although some are not included in this collection. Unfortunately, this work halts in 1978, a few years before the Catalogue of Government Publications added its own chairman index (see following). Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Stationery Office. Committee Reports Published by HMSO Z2009 Indexed by Chairman (a periodic supplement to the Catalogue of G83 Government Publications). London, H.M.S.O., 1984- . This addition to the annual Catalogue of Government Publications indexes committee reports by chairman name and is published as a separate supplement. Unfortunately, as it began publication in 1984, there is a gap in the indexing for committee chairmen. For the years 1978 through 1984, try searching the Catalogue general index for personal name. Command Papers Doc.Ref. Di Roma, Edward. A Numerical Finding List of British Command Papers Z2009 Published 1833-1961/62. New York, New York Public Library, D5 1967. 148p. Doc.Ref. McBride, Elizabeth. British Command Papers: A Numerical Finding List, Z2009 1962/63-1976/77. Atlanta, Emory University, 1982. 35p. B76 1982 Command Papers have been numbered consecutively in five series beginning in 1833. Since the numbers do not correspond to the sessions in which the Command Papers were presented, however, it has often been difficult to locate a particular Command Paper in the Sessional Papers when only its number is known. Di Roma's book solves this problem for the period 1833-1962 and McBride's pamphlet continues the solution, both giving year, volume and page of each Command Paper within the Sessional Collection. Foreign Affairs Doc.Ref. Temperley, Harold and Lillian M. Penson. A Century of Diplomatic Blue Z2009 Books, 1814-1914. Cambridge, University Press, 1938. 600p. T4 Doc.Ref. Vogel, Robert. A Breviate of British Diplomatic Blue Books, 1919-1939. Z2009 Montreal, McGill University Press, 1963. 474p. V6 Sessional Papers are often called "Blue Books" because of their official blue binding. Both Temperley and Vogel deal exclusively with Blue Books in the area of foreign affairs. Each is well-indexed and contains useful notes on the publication practices of the various governments in power. Doc.Ref. Parry, Clive. An Index of British Treaties, 1101-1968. London, H.M.S.O., JX636 1970. 3 vol. 1892 Index Parry provides a comprehensive index to British treaties which 1101-1968 includes not only the contents of the Treaty Series of the Sessional Papers but also numerous other sources which are listed in the Preface. (This list of works indexed has been annotated to indicate Emory's holdings.) Arrangement is chronological and a country/subject index is provided. JX120 Parry, Clive. The Consolidated Treaty Series. Dobbs Ferry, New York, P35 Oceana Publications, Inc., 1969- . 231 vol. plus indexes. Library has: vol. 1-231; Indexes: Part 1, vol. 1-5; Part 2, vol. 1-2; Part 3, vol. 1-5. This series of treaties covers the period from 1648 and the beginning of modern nation-states to 1920, the year in which the League of Nations Treaty Series (also located in Documents) begins. Treaties are listed chronologically, and the first part of the index contains a general chronological index that follows this organization. Parry also gives other cites for treaties that can be found in alternative sources such as Command Papers or Bevans (a United States government publication). Royal Commission Reports Doc.Ref. Cole, Arthur Harrison. A Finding-List of British Royal Commission Reports: Z2009 1860 to 1935. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1935. 66p. C64 Royal Commissions are often set up to investigate a certain topic and to report its findings to the Sovereign. Arranged by broad subject area, this checklist is useful for identifying the existence of commission reports for the period covered. Note is made of those reports which are included in the Sessional Papers. Serials Doc.Ref. Rodgers, Frank. Serial Publications in the British Parliamentary Papers, 1900- Z2009 1968; A Bibliography. Chicago, American Library Association, R63 1971. 146p. Rodgers's purpose is to list all serials which have appeared in the Sessional Papers, to explain their publishing history, and to give details of any non-Parliamentary publication of the titles which has occurred. Arrangement is by issuing agency and a combined subject and agency index is included. Rodgers supercedes an earlier guide to serials in the Sessional Papers, Guide to the Serial and Periodical Publications in Great Britain. Parliament. Sessional Papers. 1914-1933, compiled by Ruby Lane Taylor (Doc.Ref. Z2009/T3). NON-PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS Non-Parliamentary publications are usually defined as those documents generated by the various government agencies for non-Parliamentary use. It is often difficult, however, to distinguish between those publications which were produced by Parliament and those which were not. This has been particularly true since 1921 when many titles were switched between the two categories, generally in the direction of non-Parliamentary publications. CATALOGS AND INDEXES In addition to being indexed in the Stationery Office's general catalogs or in Chadwyck-Healey's catalog (see p. 3), non-Parliamentary publications in print, as well as some important out-of-print titles, are included in a series of Sectional Lists published by the Stationery Office. There are usually about forty Sectional Lists available, each of which normally covers the publications of a particular government agency. The Lists are revised frequently and new titles as well as revisions are noted in the Catalogue of Government Publications. The Library's main card catalog (but not DOBIS, the online catalog) indicates which Sectional Lists are available at Emory. Finally, two titles previously mentioned (see above), Arthur Cole's A Finding List of British Royal Commission Reports: 1860 to 1935 and Frank Rodgers's Serial Publications in the British Parliamentary Papers, 1900-1968, A Bibliography also list non-Parliamentary publications falling within the scope of their subject areas. LIBRARY HOLDINGS The Woodruff Library has a steadily growing collection of non-Parliamentary publications. Following is a list of some major titles: DA630 Great Britain. Central Office of Information. Britain; An Official A183 Handbook. London, 1949/50- . Library has: 1949/50-1950/51; 1954-1956; 1958 to date. Intended primarily for the overseas reader, Britain; An Official Handbook offers basic factual and statistical information about the United Kingdom. Each volume contains a bibliography for further reading and a detailed index. The latest volume is shelved in the general Reference department. Doc.Ref. Great Britain. Central Statistical Office. Guide to Official Statistics. HA37 London, H.M.S.O., 1990. 191p. G5816 1990 Arranged by sixteen broad subject areas such as transport and economics, this volume gives the titles of various statistical sources with detailed statistics. It also lists series titles and particular one-time titles such as White Papers. HA1122 Great Britain. Central Statistical Office. Annual Abstract of Statistics. A3 London, 1840/53- . Library has: vol. 81, 1936; vol. 89, 1952; vol. 94, 1957; vol. 96- , 1959 to date. The British Annual Abstract of Statistics is a compendium of statistical data on a wide variety of subjects for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Like the Statistical Abstract of the United States to which it may be compared, the scope of the Annual Abstract varies slightly from year to year, but all major subjects (i.e. population, vital statistics, education, economics) are always included. Also like Statistical Abstract, the Annual Abstract contains references to sources of statistics and a detailed subject index. The latest volume of the series is shelved in the Reference Department. Doc.Ref. Mitchell, B. R. British Historical Statistics. Cambridge, Cambridge HA1134 University Press, 1988. 886p. M58 Although not technically a non-Parliamentary publication in the sense that it is published within the British government, this work is an excellent historical source of statistics. Mitchell arranges the data by broad subject areas which cover large ranges of years. Each chapter begins with a list of tables contained in the chapter as well as other introductory information on the subject. For each table, the original source of data is listed at the beginning of the table. JX103 Great Britain. Foreign Office. British and Foreign State Papers. vol. 1, A3 1812/14- . London. Library has: vol. 1-38, 77-81, 83-86, 88-136, 138-170. Indexes: vol. 21, 80, 93, 115, 138, 165, 170. A major publication of the Foreign Office, British and Foreign State Papers includes not only charters, agreements, and protocols which can also be found in the Treaty Series of the Command Papers, but also to many major public documents relating to the foreign affairs of Britain, other countries, and international bodies. The series begins with all documents which were considered operative in 1815 regardless of their original date of issue. Indexes are generally included in each volume and cumulative indexes appear as separate volumes within the set. DA588 Great Britain. Foreign Office. Documents on British Foreign Policy, 1919- A18 1939. vol. 1- . London, H.M.S.O., 1946-. Library has: Ser. 1, vol. 1-27; Ser. 1A, vol. 1-7; Ser. 2, vol. 1-21; Ser. 3, vol. 1-10. This important historical series, which continues to expand, contains documents drawn from the Foreign Office archives relating to British foreign policy between 1919 and 1939. The collection begins immediately after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and concludes with the outbreak of World War II, and contains a useful section of Chapter Summaries. To date, only Series 3 covering the period March 1938 through September 1939 has been completed and indexed. DA588 Great Britain. Foreign Office. Documents on British Policy Overseas. vol. D63 1- . London, H.M.S.O., 1984- . Library has: Ser. 1, vol. 1-6; Ser. 2, vol. 1-4; plus corresponding microfiche for each volume. No comprehensive index yet This series, like the previous one, is an ongoing collection of documents from the archives of the Foreign Office. This particular collection details British foreign policy during the period 1945 to 1955. Each volume has a detailed Table of Contents listing the various correspondence and meeting records contained within and also notes by means of boldface type the insertion of documents on the supplementary microfiche. Some documents have additional citations to locations in the Command Papers, Hansard's, or some of the non-Parliamentary publications listed here. In addition to the titles listed above, the Library is continuing its run of a number of major statistical series which were part of the British Sessional Papers but were switched in 1921 to non-Parliamentary status. The following titles, arranged by broad subject area, will be available in the Microform Center. A checklist indicating the location of earlier years of these series within the Sessional Papers will also be available in the Microform Center. Demographic: Registrar-General's Statistical Review of England and Wales, 1921-1965. Economic: Agriculture Agricultural Statistics. Report on the Acreage and Production of Crops and Number of Live Stock in England and Wales, 1921-1939. Agricultural Statistics. United Kingdom, 1939-1966. Mineral The Mineral Industry of the British Commonwealth and Foreign Countries Statistical Summary (Production, Imports and Exports), 1921-1944. The Mineral Industry of the British Commonwealth and Foreign Countries, 1938-54. Statistical Summary of the Mineral Industry. World Production, Exports and Imports, 1950-1966. Annual Report of the Secretary of Mines. . .and the Annual Report of HM Chief Inspector of Mines, 1921-1938. Reports of HM Chief Inspector of Mines, 1939-1953. Report of HM Chief Inspector of Mines and Quarries (under the Mines and Quarries Act), 1954-1965. National Coal Board Reports: Annual Report and Statement of Account, 1946-1965. Production Final Report of the Census of Production of the United Kingdom, 1907-1964. Railway Returns of the Capital Traffic, Receipts of Working Expenditure of the Railway Companies of Great Britain, 1921-1938. British Transport Commission: Annual Report, Statement of Accounts and Statistics, 1948-1962. Foreign Trade: Annual Statement of the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom with Commonwealth Countries and Foreign Countries (title varies), 1921-1965. Finally, the Census of Great Britain for the 1960 decennial census period forms part of the Western European Census Reports microfiche project available in the Microforms Center (Microfiche 66). For further information on this project, see "Microforms in the Robert W. Woodruff Library for Advanced Studies" kept in the Microforms Center. Contributed by Jackie C. Shane, Emory Univ.