The memoranda in these volumes contain the Governor's comments made in referring to his Ministers Secretary of State's despatches or other correspondence, or the views which he felt called upon to state on any other subject. There is therefore a great variety in the matters dealt with, and the series constitutes a valuable set of dispassionate comments on most of the issues of importance to the Governments of the day. In some cases the communications are addressed to individual Ministers (and sometimes judges), but for the

most part they were for the Governor's advisers generally, as the members of Cabinet. Subjects include: defence, posts and telegraphs, natural resources and economic conditions, agriculture, intercolonial trade and customs, exhibitions, railways, judicial and administrative matters, parliamentary and constitutional questions, prison discipline, convict affairs. The first volume is severely water-damaged and none has any index or any other means of reference. Until 1883 the original memoranda and associated papers will be found in the correspondence records of the Chief Secretary's Record Group, and after

that date in those of the Premier's Department. The last volume (September, 1877-January, 1880), a press copy book, contains the memoranda to which reference is made in the second volume, as well as copies of letters corresponding to the inward letters of GO19, 39, 48 and 49.

These records are part of the holdings of the Tasmanian Archives