BLAND, William

New South Wales Political Papers from 1838 to 1843. By William Bland. [Contemporary morocco label to front board]

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James Tegg (and others), 1838- Sydney, 1843. Ten pamphlets bound in one, interleaved with blanks throughout, signed by the author on the first title-page; an excellent volume in contemporary crimson roan, neatly gilt, label to front board reading 'New South Wales. Political Papers from 1838 to 1843. By William Bland.', a little rubbed but fine. A fine and scarce volume of ten rare pamphlets by William Bland, assembled by the author for presentation. The distinctive roan binding would have been commissioned by Bland himself; it is characteristic of his personally assembled volumes and matches several others that we have seen over the years. Bland made a habit of presenting such volumes, usually to figures of influence (his presentation copy to Louis de Freycinet of his edition of the Hume and Hovell journal was also originally interleaved like this: Australian Book Auctions, Davidson Sale II, 268). In this case although we cannot identify the dedicatee ('Mrs Patty with kindest regards from the Author W.B.') the volume has been in the private ownership of an "old" Sydney family for many generations.

In any case since Bland typically made such presentations to advance his cause one suspects that the recipient was someone with a strong interest in Australian politics and law as it includes all seven pamphlets that Bland wrote for the Australian Patriotic Association, the organisation which was successful in petitioning for representative government in the colony (Ferguson 2920-4, 3145, 3554). The APA was formed in 1835, and Bland was one of its chief proponents, a position which bought him into conflict with the rival "Petition Committee" of the Macarthur family.

As suggested by the label on the front board the volume includes all of Bland's political papers published between 1838 and 1843, since it also contains three other rare pamphlets from this era: the Objections to the Project of his Excellency Sir George Gipps... 1841. (Tegg, 1842; Ferguson, 3364); the Expenditure of the Land-Fund of New South Wales in the Colony, and Principally on Public Works; as a means of promoting and supporting Immigration. (D.L. Welch, 1842; Ferguson, 3365); and New South Wales. Examination of Mr. James Macarthur's Work "New South Wales, its Present State and Future Prospects." (Abraham Cohen, 1838; Ferguson, 2447). As Ferguson notes, of the handful of copies of this last work he was able to examine, all but one finished abruptly on page 80, as here. The work was apparently first distributed in parts, and then collected as a pamphlet of 80 pp. An additional leaf containing two notices described by Ferguson in some copies is not present here.
Ferguson, 2447; 2920-4; 3145; 3364-5; 3554.

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• 订书号：: 811_930

• 书商: Hordern House (AUSTRALIA)