June 2. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



417 



LGNDim. SATURDAY, JUNE 2. 1855. 



A BIBLIOGaiAPHICAl. BLUE-BOOK. 



The recognised characteristics of a blne-hooh 

 are enormity of bulk, and sameness of subject ; 

 but there is no rule without its exceptions. I 

 have now before me a blue-book which is both 

 convenient as to size, and infinitely varied in its 

 contents. 



To obviate a host of guesses, with scarcely a 

 chance of success, it shall at once be said that 

 the volume in question is a catalogue of the blue- 

 books and other sessional papers of the House of 

 Commons. It is thus entitled : 



" List of parliamentary/ papers, from session 1836 to ses- 

 sion 1852-3 inclusive, with the prices affixed; and an alplia- 

 betical list. 1854." 8vo. pp. 194 + 32 + 50=276. Price 

 2s. Gd. 



The non-political reader may here interpose the 

 query, What is a blue-book ? I must therefore 

 attempt a definition of the terra. A blue-book is 

 a document printed by order of the House of 

 Commons, or presented thereto by royal or other 

 command, and of such thickness as to require a 

 cover — which being always blue, gives the docu- 

 ment its equivocal designation. It is chiefly ap- 

 plied to Repu7is with minutes of the evidence ; 

 and, as many must remember, has sometimes been 

 used jeeri7igly. 



Another query may perhaps be made, Is blue- 

 book a cant word ? I reserve my opinion on that 

 nice philological point; affirming only with Swift, 

 as a hint to orators and writers of every class, 

 that the multiplication of cant words is " the most 

 ruinous corruption in any language." 



On a novel subject a touch of circumlocution 

 may be pardonable, and with this apology for the 

 above queries and remarks, I proceed to the des- 

 patch of business. 



The first publication of a parliamentary paper 

 took place in 1641, and the first committee for the 

 purpose was appointed in 1642. I give the reso- 

 lution as a curiosity : 



" Die Sabbati. 4 Junii. 1642. 



"Sir Walter Erl, sir Peter Wentworth, sir Samuel 

 Rolle, master Arthur Goodwyn, master Pury, master 

 Noble. 



" This committee, or any three of them, are appointed 

 to consider of the best way of putting the publike orders 

 and votes of the House in execution, and of divulging, 

 dispersing, and publishing the said orders and votes, and 

 also the declarations of the House, through the kingdom, 

 and of the well and true printing of them: and have 

 power to imploy messengers, as they shall see occasion, 

 and to make them allowances, and to sit, when and where 

 they T^lease."— Hen. Elsiuge, Cler. Pari. B. Com. 



The papers must have been printed in vast 

 numbers, as they were placed in the hands of 



every constable, headborough, or tithlngman, to 

 be read to the inhabitants of each town or parish ! 



The first collection of such papers, whence I 

 take the above resolution, was published in 1643. 

 It is entitled An exact, collection of oil remon- 

 strances, declarations, votes, orders, etc. It con- 

 tains about 400 papers, with a table of contents ; 

 and is a very important volume. 



From that date the publication of parliamentary 

 papers appears to have been continued, under 

 various modifications, till the year 1834. 



In 1635 the House resolved that the parlia- 

 mentary papers " should be rendered accessible 

 to the public by purchase," and in 1836 a com- 

 mittee was appointed to assist Mr. Speaker in 

 such matters. Arrangements were made accord- 

 ingly, and from that time lists have been printed 

 for each session. For these statements I rely on 

 the Report ol \S^7 . 



The volume above described is a reprint of 

 those lists. It is in three sections. The first 

 section gives the titles of the papers printed by 

 order ; the second, of the papers presented ; and 

 the third is called An alphabetical list. 



I shall give the number of the papers of each 

 session in a tabular form, and afterwards attempt 

 to convey some idea of their nature and variety. 



Sessional Papers. 



The exact number of papers is 13,776 ; but, as 

 there are some groups of reports relative to local 

 acts, we may call it 14,000. 



Now comes the task. How shall I describe the 

 contents of a volume which Indicates 14,000 sub- 

 jects ? I must give two or three items to each 

 letter of the alphabet, and leave the discovery of 

 the rest to the purchaser of the volume. Here 

 follows my limited specimen : 



Acts of parliament — Army estimates — Assurance com- 

 panies — Bank of England — Baths and wash-houses — 



