Sessional Papers
Sessional Papers are traditionally classified into three main divisions:
- bills (public and private);
- reports (of Commissioners and Committees); and
- accounts and papers.
Command Papers printed by order of the House of Commons, are often considered a separate category. Some early papers were not printed separately but were included in the Journal. (See section in this guide entitled Reports of Debates.)
Online indexing and abstracting of many Sessional Papers is available through the BOPCRIS.
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House of Commons
- U.K. Parliamentary Papers This link opens in a new windowComprehensive collection which includes all of the papers issued by the House of Commons between 1801-1900 in all formats. All of the papers are full-text searchable with hit-term highlighting, and accompanied by the bibliographic data and subject indexing from Peter Cockton’s Subject Catalogue to the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, 1801-1900 (Ref DA530 .C64 1988).
- State Papers Online This link opens in a new windowState Papers Online: Early Modern Government in Britain and Europe provides access to documents which cover two hundred years of British and European history, from the reign of Henry VIII to the end of the reign of Queen Anne. These collections provide insight into early modern British and European history, including diplomacy, politics, society, culture, law, religion, kingship and queenship, exploration, travel and trade, and the early empire and support research in early modern literature, Renaissance and Reformation studies, and Tudor and Stuart studies. Researchers can also explore Britain’s diplomatic relations and trade in Europe and with the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
House of Commons Sessional Papers of the Eighteenth Century, 715-1800.
-Facsimile ed., in 147 volumes edited by Sheila Lambert. For an overview and index, see her "Introduction and List, 1715-1760;" and "List, 1761-1800." These comprise the first two volumes of the set itself (J301 .K6 v.1-2). See also her earlier "List of House of Commons Sessional Papers, 1701-1750" (London: List and Index Society, 1968) (CD1042 .A2L56 v.1).
House of Lords
Sessional Papers, 1744-1805. LOCATION: Library Annex - Folio J301 .J62
-Reprint edition. Indexed by "Hansard’s Catalogue"(Folio J301 .K62 1953); the last volumes by "General Index, 1801-1884/5," 4 vols., accompanying the set.