Tweet
For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
A lot of news on Brexit seeing as we're now only 1 year away from leaving the EU. Also continued fall our from the Russian nerve agent attack.
Tartan Day/Week around the world
On 9 March 1986, a 'Tartan Day' to promote Scottish heritage in Canada, was proposed at a meeting of the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. Jean Watson, President of Clan Lamont, petitioned provincial legislatures to recognize April 6 as Tartan Day. The first such proclamation was by Nova Scotia in April 1987; On December 19, 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans & Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution proclaiming April 6 as Tartan Day following the example of other Canadian provinces.
Meeting in 1997 in Sarasota Florida, The Scottish Coalition USA looked to see Tartan Day recognized in the USA as it was being observed in Canada. The Scottish Coalition USA comprises The American-Scottish Foundation, Scottish Heritage, USA, The Living Legacy of Scotland, Inc., The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals, Scottish American Military Society, Council of Scottish Clans and Association (COSCA)
In 1998, the efforts of the Scottish Coalition with the leading help of Trent Lott, saw the United States Senate Resolution adopt 6 April National Tartan Day. This lead in turn to the Congressional and then Presidential passing of the recognition of Tartan Day Observance on April 6 each year.
In Australia, wearing tartan on 1 July has been encouraged since 1989. The day has been promoted as International Tartan Day in Australia since 1996 and has been formally recognised by many states, but not at national level.
Canada
15.1% or 4.7 million Canadians claim Scottish descent. As stated above, Tartan Day in Canada originated with a proposal from the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia and has since been proclaimed by all the provincial legislatures. In 2007 Peter Stoffer introduced a Private member's bill for "An Act respecting a Tartan Day". Progress of the bill was interrupted by the 2008 election, but it has been resubmitted.
An annual 'Gathering of the Clans' will take place each 6 April or on the Sunday nearest to it on Parliament Hill in Ottawa at noon with pipes, drums and dancing hosted by the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, Canada's oldest civilian pipe band. The 2011 celebrations marked the first time that Tartan Day has been celebrated with Canada's official tartan having been named: the Maple Leaf.
Scotland
Angus Council, whose region includes Arbroath, established the first Tartan Day festival in Scotland on 6 April 2004, and has since joined other regional councils in attempting to develop its potential as a global celebration. In 2006 events were held in Arbroath, Aberdeen, Montrose, Kilmarnock, Stirling, Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Argentina
Argentina has around 100,000 people of Scottish descent, the largest such community outside the English-speaking world. The Tartan Day parade of Scottish porteños was inaugurated in Buenos Aires on 6 April 2006 and is organised every year by the Scottish Argentine Society. A symbolic key to the gate of Arbroath's Abbey is carried to mark the date in 1320 that inspired this celebration.
Australia
Three million Australians are either Scottish or of Scottish descent. International Tartan Day in Australia is celebrated on a local basis in most states on 1 July (or by some community organisations on the nearest Sunday), the anniversary of the Repeal Proclamation of 1782 annulling the Act of Proscription of 1747, which had made wearing tartan an offense punishable with up to seven years' transportation. According to Scottish House secretary Moyna Scotland, the tendency to disguise Scottish associations was mirrored in Australia: 'Scots did what they were told to do when they came to Australia assimilate and integrate and they almost disappeared, and consequently one aim of Tartan Day is to help Australians reconnect with their Scottish ancestry. A tartan revival started in 1822, and now many of the Australian States as well as the Commonwealth of Australia itself have their own tartans.
In 1989 the Scottish Australian Heritage Council began to encourage Australians to wear tartan on 1 July, when more than half a million Australians gather for a celebration of Scottish heritage, combining nostalgia with Australian citizenship ceremonies, and fund-raising for charitable causes such as drought assistance. Australians without a family tartan are invited to wear the Royal Stewart tartan or the military tartan of the Black Watch. Tartan articles worn on the day include hats, ties and socks. There are many pipe band associations in both Australia and New Zealand, some originating in disbanded Second World War army battalions, and almost 30 heritage events in Australia alone. Some clans, notably the McLeods of South Australia, come together in private events to honour their chief, recite Burns, consume haggis and take part in Highland dancing. A butcher in Maclean, New South Wales, 'the Scottish town in Australia', reportedly celebrates the day by selling haggisburgers.
Since 2001 the Scottish Australian Heritage Council and Australian branch of the Scottish National Party have petitioned Canberra for federal recognition of International Tartan Day to celebrate the Scottish contribution to Australian history, including the influence of Scottish radicalism on the trade union movement and the Labor Party, and Australia's allegedly 'egalitarian and meritocratic' society. In 2008 Linda Fabiani, the then Scottish culture minister, floated a proposal to expand the Australian event into an official Scotland Week as part of the Scottish government's international business strategy.
New Zealand
International Tartan Day is celebrated on a local basis on 1 July or on the nearest Sunday.
Galicia
In Galicia (Spain) It is celebrated on April 6, as indicated by the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. The event as in other Celtic nations has been moving to July 1, which in Galicia is taken as a reference on the first Saturday of the same month.
For years, it is frequent in Galicia to wear kilts or male skirts with tartan in events of Galician historical revivalism like the Festa Castrexa de Xunqueira de Ambía or the Lughnasad de Bretoña, and in folk festivals or of Celtic music like the Interceltic of Ortigueira, the Moaña Interceltic, the Festa da Carballeira de Zas, or the Celtic Pilgrimage of San Pipote de Bardaos among many others.
The Kilt Gallaecia in particular is equally dressed by hundreds of Galicians in the Diaspora around the world, from Switzerland to the United States, as an affirmation of the Celtic cultural identity of the country. Some collectives in the diaspora, such as the Banda de Gaitas Cidade de Bos Aires in Argentina, wear the Kilt Gallaecia on special occasions.
United States
There are an estimated 6 million people in the US who claim Scottish descent. Little was done to follow up the New York event in 1982. In 1998, a Coalition of Scottish Americans with the Support of Senator Trent Lott, successfully lobbied the Senate for the designation of 6 April as National Tartan Day "to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States". Senate Resolution 155, passed on 20 March 1998, referred to the predominance of Scots among the Founding Fathers and claimed that the American Declaration of Independence was "modelled on" the Declaration of Arbroath. While this link is plausible, it has not been definitively proven. This is just one opinion. There is a great bit of proof given in the book entitled Scottish Invention of America, Democracy and Human Rights and to some degree in the book entitled How the Scots Invented the Modern World. Thomas Jefferson's education was heavily influenced by Scottish thought.
Meeting in 1997 in Sarasota Florida, The Scottish Coalition USA looked to see Tartan Day recognized in the USA as it was being observed in Canada. The Scottish Coalition USA comprises The American-Scottish Foundation®, Scottish Heritage, USA, The Living Legacy of Scotland, Inc., The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals, Scottish American Military Society, Council of Scottish Clans and Association (COSCA)
In 1998, the efforts of the Scottish Coalition with the leading help of Trent Lott, saw the United States Senate Resolution adopt 6 April National Tartan Day. This lead in turn to the Congressional and then Presidential passing of the recognition of Tartan Day Observance on April 6 each year. The Scottish Coalition President Ms Duncan MacDonald (thr 2014) spearheaded a national platform for the Observance of Tartan Day in the US, through the development of a network of State representatives. Over 33 states are represented. Annually the Scottish Coaltion USA in conjunction with the National Capital Tartan Day Committee celebrates Tartan Day and its legacy.
With Tartan Day established in 1998 via Senate Resolution,in 2004, the National Capital Tartan Day Committee, in conjunction with The Scottish Coalition USA, led and successfully lobbied the US House of Representatives.
On 9 March 2005, the United States House of Representatives unanimously adopted House Resolution 41, which designates 6 April of each year as "National Tartan Day.” H.Res.41 Chief Sponsors were Congressmen Mike McIntyre from North Carolina and John Duncan from Tennessee, who are the founding co-chairs of the Friends of Scotland Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Four years later, a joint effort by the National Capital Tartan Day Committee and the American-Scottish Foundation promoted a campaign for a Presidential Proclamation, which resulted in thousands of letters and petition signers to the President of the United States. On 4 April 2008, President George W. Bush signed a Presidential Proclamation making April 6 National Tartan Day. Here is the content of the Presidential Proclamation:
2008 PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION
President George Bush today signed on April 4th 2008 a Presidential Proclamation making April 6th National Tartan Day! Proclamation signed by the President of the United States:
Americans of Scottish descent have made enduring contributions to our Nation with their hard work, faith, and values. On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life.
Scotland and the United States have long shared ties of family and friendship, and many of our country's most cherished customs and ideals first grew to maturity on Scotland's soil. The Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence signed in 1320, embodied the Scots' strong dedication to liberty, and the Scots brought that tradition of freedom with them to the New World. Sons and daughters of many Scottish clans were among the first immigrants to settle in America, and their determination and optimism helped build our Nation's character. Several of our Founding Fathers were of Scottish descent, as have been many Presidents and Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Many Scottish Americans, such as Andrew Carnegie, were great philanthropists, founding and supporting numerous scientific, educational, and civic institutions. From the evocative sounds of the bagpipes to the great sport of golf, the Scots have also left an indelible mark on American culture.
National Tartan Day is an opportunity to celebrate all Americans who claim Scottish ancestry, and we are especially grateful for the service in our Armed Forces of Scottish Americans who have answered the call to protect our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 6, 2008, as National Tartan Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by celebrating the continued friendship between the people of Scotland and the United States and by recognizing the contributions of Scottish Americans to our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
The leading celebrations of Tartan Day take place in New York and Washington DC - with celebrations taking place now in leading cities throughout the USA
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL TARTAN DAY COMMITTEE - WASHINGTON DC
In addition to the above celebrations, the Washington, DC and Baltimore Scottish-American Societies hold Tartan Day Celebrations. The Tartan Day Celebrations which have also included Conferences and Panel discussions are organized by the National Captial Tartan Day Committee. These celebrations include a Congressional Reception hosted by Congressman McIntyre and Congressman Duncan and organized by the National Capital Tartan Day Committee, There has also been a Tartan Day Festival in Alexandria, Virginia, and various social and educational programs in the first two weeks in April.
THE NATIONAL TARTAN DAY NEW YORK COMMITTEE - Organizers of the NEW YORK TARTAN DAY PARADE :
After the U.S. Senate officially recognized Tartan Day in 1998, Alan Bain, Chairman of the American Scottish Foundation, was tasked by The Scottish Coalition USA to organize a Tartan Day celebration for New York City and in 1998 the first Tartan Day Parade, consisting of two pipe bands and a small but spirited group of Scottish Americans, including Grand Marshal, Cliff Robertson, walked on a sidewalk from the British Consulate to the United Nations.
The first permitted parade was in 1999 in Central Park. Since then it has flourished to include many bands and thousands of participants, including clan members and individual marchers.
In 2002, as part of the Tartan Day celebrations the Parade was brought to 6th Avenue for the first time. The Parade attracted a record number of pipe bands from all over the World and was led by Sir Sean Connery and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The Tunes of Glory Parade organised by Magnus Orr and Thomas Grotrian in 2002 included 8,250 pipers and drummers march through the streets of New York led by Sir Sean Connery and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They were the centerpiece of the event where thousands of Americans celebrated their links to Scotland. One of Scotland's national treasures, William Wallace's sword, left Scotland for the first time in 700 years and was flown to New York for the Tartan Week celebrations of 2005.
With the New York Tartan Day Parade growing the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756, New York Caledonian Club 1856, , and The American-Scottish Foundation,. came together to form the National Tartan Day New York Committee. Since 2002 the Committee has grown to include members from Clan Campbell.and most recently Carnegie Hall.
The NTDNYC, which has 501(c)3 status, is charged with maintaining and perpetuating the New York Tartan Day Parade and overseeing events of the week.
In 2018 the New York Tartan Day Parade will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of National Tartan Day. All details surrounding the event are on the Parade website. www.nyctartanweek.org
TARTAN DAY CELEBRATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE US:
Outside New York City, one of the largest Tartan Day celebrations in the United States takes place each year on the weekend closest to 6 April on the banks of the Missouri river in St. Charles, Missouri. The Missouri Tartan Day Festival began in April 2000, after successful lobbying at the State Capitol in Jefferson City, members of the St Andrew and Celtic Societies of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield, Missouri, gathered on the steps of the State Capitol in Jefferson City to receive the first proclamation of Tartan Day in Missouri.
On the west coast, one of the oldest and largest festivals is held each year in San Diego's Balboa Park, founded in 2003 by some of San Diego's Scottish organisations and involving participants from throughout Southern California. The event in Balboa Park is now under new management and is being run by the House of Scotland International Cottage also of Balboa Park. Tartan Day celebrations are held by St Andrew's Societies throughout the United States.
Note: I borrowed this from Wikipedia. We also have an old page on the site for Tartan Day at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/tartnday.htm
And so do look out for any Tartan Day celebrations in your local area.
Here is the video introduction to this newsletter...
Scottish News from this weeks newspapers
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish.
The euro area’s deepening political divide
Two European elections in Germany on 24 September 2017 and Italy on 4 March 2018 warn that the peoples of Europe are drifting apart.
Read more at:
https://voxeu.org/article/euro-area-...litical-divide
The decades-long quest to end drought (and feed millions) by taking the salt out of seawater
"The world isn’t short of water, it’s just in the wrong place, and too salty," says Charlie Paton
Read more at:
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/charl...lia-somaliland
Canada's most beautifully built city
Quebec
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/2012...lly-built-city
Future fuel quest take a step forward
A team of Scottish-based scientists has developed a new technique for creating hydrogen fuel.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-43534972
Tesco veteran to head Walmart's Jet.com as U.S. grocery wars flare
A grocery industry veteran who led U.K. retailer Tesco Plc’s online operation was named president of Walmart’s Jet.com e-commerce business
Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-wa...KBN1H21BX?il=0
I might add here that over 16 years ago I was ordering my groceries online in Scotland and had them delivered to my home. Today in Canada I still can't do that.
The promise of Africa’s free trade area
Africa is on the verge of the largest free trade agreement since the WTO was founded
Read more at:
https://capx.co/the-promise-of-africas-free-trade-area/
Theresa May praises allies as action against Russia continues
Western allies have targeted Russia with the biggest co-ordinated expulsion of diplomats in history in a joint response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politi...nues-1-4713265
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s speech at the Leave Means Leave event
Brexit One Year To Go. (Rees-Mogg is thought to be a strong contender to take over from the PM)
Read more at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...reece-mogg.htm
Does Justin Trudeau apologise too much?
Why is Trudeau Canada's most apologetic leader?
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43560817
Australian High Commissioner delivers valedictory speech at Policy Exchange
Policy Exchange was delighted to host the keynote valedictory speech of Hon Alexander Downer as High Commissioner of Australia.
Read more at:
https://policyexchange.org.uk/pxeven...ner-in-london/
With a year to go until Brexit, we are closer to a deal than ever before
Brexit Secretary, David Davis said, With a year to go, I want to reflect on what we have achieved so far, and on the incredible opportunities that are coming over the horizon".
Read more at:
https://brexitcentral.com/year-go-br...ser-deal-ever/
Forget the Remainers who refuse to surrender, the great prize is ahead of us
An article by Matthew Elliott.
Read more at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f...f-us-cb67dzb0z
Alexander Graham Bell descendants hit back after tax official queries inventor's legacy
Canadian tax adjudicator said ‘I am not a fan of his claim to fame’ during dispute over tax on Bell’s sprawling estate in Nova Scotia
Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...anada-telepone
Electric Canadian
Transactions of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers
I discovered a lot of volumes of these transaction which are very detailed and note that they are very popular downloads so assume civil engineers are enjoying the details given in these transactions.
I've added the 1931 volume and will add others each week. You can view these at
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rial/index.htm
Some of the topics discussed include Air Transportation, Arc Welding in Steel Fabrication, Artificial Refrigeration, Canadian National Exhibition, Concrete on Steep Slopes Without Forms, Corrosion of Metals, Obituries, Stringing Tensions for Transmission Lines and Cables, Telegraph—-Yesterday and To-day, Water Supply and Sewage Treatment, etc.
Dent's Canadian History Readers
Edited by D. J. Dickie. These books are intended for young readers.
Sometimes history can be tough going so I've found that many adults can actually get a lot of good information from these children's history books so hope you enjoy them.
These book are in 8 volumes...
Volume 1 - All About Canada for Little Folks
Volume 2 - All About Indians
Volume 3 - How Canada was Found
Volume 4 - The Long Trail
Volume 5 - When Canada was Young
Volume 6 - In Pioneer Days
Volume 7 - The Canadian West
Volume 8 - How Canada Grew Up
You can read these 8 volumes at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...oryreaders.htm
Wilderness Survival and Outdoor Education
By Matt Ball (2001)
You can read this article at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/pion...wilderness.htm
Fourth Report of the Bureau of Archives for the Province of Ontario
By Alexander Fraser (1904) (pdf)
There are a lot of interesting Proclamations in this edition which you can read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...portarch04.pdf
Conrad Black
The Anti- Trump Effort Backfires
http://www.conradmblack.com/1379/the...fort-backfires
Our legal system is failing us every bit as badly as journalism is
http://www.conradmblack.com/1380/our...y-bit-as-badly
Electric Scotland
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Got in the April section 1 issue which you can read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
War, The Liberator and Other Pieces
By E. A. Mackintosh, M.C. Lt. Seaforth Highlanders (51st Division) with a Memoir (1917)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/mackintosh.htm
John Redwood's Diary
My speech during the debate on the economy. This article starts towards the middle of his page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...ohnredwood.htm
Clan Wallace Society - Worldwide
Got in their Winter 2018 issue in which are some of the best accounts I've read on the Clan Parade at the Edinburgh Tattoo.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...lace/index.htm
New Zealand Settlers and Soldiers
Or A War in Taranaki; being Incidents in the Life of a Settler by the Rev. Thomas Gilbert (1861) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ndSettlers.pdf
The City of Auckland, 1840-1920
Preceded by A Maori History of the Auckland Isthmus by George Graham and a Foreword by J. H. Gunson, C.M.G., C.B.E. Mayor of Auckland by John Barr, Chief Librarian (1922) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ofAuckland.pdf
Index to Genealogies, Birthbriefs and Funeral Escutcheons
Recorded in the Lyon Office by Francis J. Grant, W.S. Rothesay Herland and Lyon Clerk (1908) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/book...dlyonindex.pdf
Scots Diaspora in England
Got in three articles from Duncan Sim who has done interesting research in this area.
There is a growing interest in the Scottish diaspora, with the Scottish Government keen to develop links with Scots elsewhere. The closest diaspora is in England but appears relatively weak, with Scottish identity declining in strength. Using qualitative interviews, we explore the nature of the Scottish diaspora in England, seeking to explain why it appears less strong than diasporas overseas, for example in North America. We conclude that fewer Scots are migrating to England and that the children of migrant Scots are more likely to adopt an English identity. The diaspora is not, therefore, being ‘refreshed’ and is declining.
You can read his articles at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/england/sim.htm
Commonwealth of Australia
Historical Records of Australia published in 1914 in 19 volumes. Intending to put up 1 volume s week until complete.
I will say that I've read the first two volumes and they are very readable and informative. I contemplated adding all 19 volumes but thought I might be better to add just one volume a week as I expect no-one will be able to read more than a volume a week.
You can get to this page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...mmonwealth.htm
The Story
I found the Preface to the above publication to be that interesting that I decided to make it the story for this week. In my view it demonstrates the difficulties researchers have when looking for old papers and then interpreting them for publication.
Commonwealth of Australia - Preface
The history of Australia has yet to be written. When the story is unfolded clothed with all the innate vitality and secret force of the life and times of the various epochs; when the actors are brought vividly before one, unvarnished with the sycophancy or the petty malice of the moment; when the events are thrown forcefully on the stage, depicting the life history of a continent’s civilisation stripped of all trivialities and irrelevancies; then will a drama be unfolded to fascinate a whole world of readers, a drama of peaceful evolution from a small community of a little over one thousand souls, dominated by autocratic power, to a nation of the people, in embryo, forcefully combating all the mighty problems that have been created by the civilisation of the nineteenth century.
By the facts and examples of their lives, the actors in this drama will be found to elaborate and substantiate for the benefit of all, who wish to learn, the vital necessity of acquiring in due proportion the main factors, which lead to brilliancy and success in life. These are the possession of adequate intellect and education, the development of constructive and analytical powers, the maintenance of sufficient ballast and stamina in the unceasing battle whether in adversity or in success, together with the inherent power to seize and grasp opportunity when it arrives. To the combination of these factors in varying proportions, it is possible to trace the successes and failures of the men of the past. In a way also, the examples drawn from the lives of these men will be unique amongst the histories of the world. In Australia, there has never been the actual stimulus of the clash of armed forces, of the possibility of great, perhaps world-wide, renown, of the association and competition of kindred spirits, and of other external incentives to action, which are prevalent in the world’s centres of population. Deeds of heroism, evolutionary changes, new procedures and mental processes have been initiated, and enacted in all walks of life from the subconscious element of the human brain with little external provocation.
In order to appreciate this with its fullest import, it is quite unnecessary to wander in the by-paths of history. A studied observance of the life and times of each epoch is all that is requisite to unfold the story and to revel in the true romance of life. An accurate knowledge of the history of one’s own country can in no way be relegated to the province of the bookworm or the litterateur; a delving in the past is by no means a hobby or a pastime of little practical use. Properly undertaken, it should be the mainstay of secondary education, the backbone of those studies to which the youth of the country may trust for support and guidance in the daily routine and work of life.
How often the wish is expressed by men of fifty years of age to re-live the foregoing twenty years of their lives, retaining at the same time the experience they have gained during that period! This qualified desire is only the tacit admission that they have found the value of the teaching obtained in the great university of life, and that the preceptors of their youth had failed in equipping them with the armament of experience to be acquired from the triumphs and failures of their predecessors in similar walks of life. From an accurate knowledge and an intimate study of the causes and effects of any previous series of events, associated with an intuitive perception of the probable conduct in the case of the student himself in similar circumstances, a mental and moral training would be acquired at an earlier age than otherwise, which would enable one to combat the problems of life with a feeling of greater security and greater confidence.
The study of the life and times of the past in one’s own country is certainly the royal road to the acquisition of such means of defence and offence in the battle of life. The study of similar data in other countries is of vast importance, but mainly as correcting or as adding to the first conclusions drawn from the story of one’s own country; for in other lands, conditions alter, reactions differ, in accordance mainly with the temperament of the nation, the conditions of government and the climate of the country.
Although this study is surely a subject of vast import in the life of a nation, yet does the story of Australia present almost a virgin field for research. Civilisation in Australia is not too young to have lacked the time in which to have created a whole host of precedents for successes and failures in all branches of human activity. Even in the nation’s youth, there has been opportunity for public discussions, political procedures and economic changes to be repeated in recurring cycles. Varying only in minor details, similar arguments, similar opposition, similar mistakes and similar results have been repeated again and again, until in some cases a series of papers with names and dates expunged might be read by a student, and it would be almost impossible for him to allocate them to the proper epoch to which they refer, so inevitable is the recurrence of the subject-matter in human energy. Not only in matters of great moment but also in those of minor importance are similar recurrences apparent in history; until it almost appears that the dominant motive in the master minds of each epoch has been identical. Pages might be written of the historical parallels in Australia (including both mistakes and successes) of such problems as advances to settlers, fixation of wages and of hours of labour, hospital accommodation, banking, women’s suffrage, increased cost of living and others innumerable, these few being noted not as representative of the whole, but purely as chance selections from subjects inclusive of the whole range of human activity.
Books have been written and stories have been told, purporting to treat of epochs or of the whole of Australian history; but it is impossible to exalt one into the unique position of a truthful and unbiassed exposition of facts, nor has anyone more than attempted to touch on a critical analysis of the life and times. For more than one hundred years, the early story of Australia has been spoken of with bated breath, as though the details of it could not be tolerated in the limelight of public criticism. In the words of Captain Collins, published in 1798, “an odium was, from the first, illiberally thrown upon the settlement; and the word ‘Botany Bay’ became a term of reproach that was indiscriminately cast on every one who resided in New South Wales. But let the reproach light on those who have used it as such.” A feeling somewhat akin to this has influenced authors for more than a century, and facts, which in themselves form only a meagre portion of the life story, have been magnified until they are regarded as a huge skeleton in the nation’s cupboard.
From the earliest printed chronicles, those of Tench, Phillip-, White, Hunter and Collins (in order of historical priority), down to those of modern times, including those of intermediate date, such as the histories of Wentworth, Lang, Flanagan, and Bennett, not one can be accepted as a final authority. Each and every one exhibits errors, not only in points of judgment and criticism, but in points of fact; and these seem almost inconceivable when viewed in the light of modern research. Errors have occurred also in many official tables, as for example, the table of succession of the Governors in New South Wales, which is inaccurate in respect to some dates and some ranks of the administrators.
The corruptions which occur in the printed histories may be traced to various causes.
Pre-eminent amongst these in the histories of intermediate and more recent date is the acceptance of a statement by a single early author without comparison of the statements of his contemporaries on the same subject. In this way a superstructure of history has been built on an insecure foundation and the reliability of the subsequent conclusions naturally falls short of what is necessary.
Of the first five chronicles, two, the Voyage of Governor Phillip and the Historical Journal of Hunter, were semi-official in character, and the compiler had access to the despatches and journals which had been transmitted from the settlement; but unfortunately both of these are unreliable in many respects, and especially the first edition of Phillip’s Voyage. The first account published was Tench’s Narrative, which appeared in April, 1789, and was followed by Phillip’s Voyage (first edition) on 1st May following. The material for both these volumes had been received per the store-ship Borrowdale in the previous March, so the publications were of necessity hurried. White’s Journal, Hunter’s Journal, and Collins’ Account first appeared in the years 1790,. 1793, and 1798 respectively. These five volumes, and the subsequent editions of them, collectively give a good general account of the transactions during the early years of the settlement; but when the student desires finality on minor points many difficulties are encountered, and when he searches for the underlying motive of many official acts he finds a barren field.
With regard to the minor points confusion occurs from many causes. Statements of fact are made which are clearly impossible, returns of convicts or of settlers are made some of which are manifestly incorrect, nautical and legal times are quoted in the same volume without commentary, and proper names are misprinted or misquoted indiscriminately.
In the search for the motives underlying the official life, the student finds little or no information. Surgeon White gives no medical data, Captain-Lieutenant Tench, in his Complete Account, omits to give the story of the troubles with the marines and of his arrest by orders of Major Ross, and Captain Collins passes by virtually unnoticed the quarrels in which Major Ross was involved, the abolition of the civil power by Major Grose, the gradual intrusion of the military into the general life of the settlement, and the legal difficulties with which he himself had to contend. No record is given of these and many other problems; and it almost appears that the facts, of which each individual author was most cognizant, were deliberately suppressed either from official or personal reticence. In consequence if an historian had to draw his material from these works alone, the clue required for the solution of such problems as the liquor traffic or the Bligh insurrection, would remain unknown.
Subsequent authors have built on these volumes, and have added mistakes of their own. A few of these may be noted. Lang and Wentworth have presented a partisan view of most problems, and in addition Lang makes such errors as neglecting to distinguish between currency and sterling in quoting sums of money. Flanagan in his history records speeches of Captain Cook and Phillip which are clearly fictitious. Heaton’s Dictionary of Dates is compiled from insufficient material, and in many cases reliance is placed on irresponsible newspaper references.
These examples are quoted merely to illustrate the dangers and pitfalls which await the unwary student. In consequence of these faults the exact student of Australian history has no work of reference on which he can place implicit reliance.
History in its truest form can be founded only on a careful and studied examination of the actual records themselves. Fortunately for the history of the continent of Australia, the major portion of the official records are still extant, and the actual state papers giving the documentary life and actions of each and every epoch may be examined and digested. With proper and careful grouping, these papers have not yet become too voluminous to make the task prohibitive to the modern man, involved in a busy and strenuous career, of making a careful study of such as relate to any subject in which he is immediately interested. One reservation, however, must be thoroughly appreciated by the student in his examination, namely, that the official papers are only the outward and visible expression of the inward and secret feeling of the public men of the times, the things which were really vital and essential being sometimes almost lost in matters irrelevant thereto, the passing necessities of the moment.
The Library Committee of the Commonwealth Parliament has undertaken the collection and the publication of copies of all the Australian official papers, which can be obtained. It has been decided to commence the issue of the records with the papers, dated in 1788, the year of the foundation of the settlement at Port Jackson; and therefore many of the papers, which have been already published by the Government of New South Wales, will be republished. This course has been rendered necessary owing to many grave errors which have been found to occur in the seven volumes of the Historical Records of New South Wales already issued.
These errors may be traced to certain definite causes. One of these was the method adopted for the collection and compilation of the papers. The major proportion of the documents were printed from copies made in England; and those volumes which have been issued are the product of the selection of one man and of the editing of a second, but before the editor received them they had passed the ordeal of the censorship, and consequent deletion of portions, by a third. No matter how diligent, brilliant or careful, any one of the trio might be, the collective labour of three brains working under such conditions, and one, the censor’s, most certainly not working with the same large objective in view, must sooner or later fall far short of the accuracy, completeness and precision, which are required in history. This has occurred and serious omissions of important papers have been made.
The omissions were due to four causes :—
(1) The action of the censor, which was unavoidable;
(2) The neglect to make a proper search prior to publication for the documents that were extant. It is stated in a preface re-printed in each of the seven volumes that all the original papers, which could be found in New South Wales of a date prior to the year 1800, consisted of ten papers and one volume, whereas reasonable inquiry would have disclosed the existence of many hundreds;
(3) Editorial omissions, that is to say, the omission of known papers as unimportant. It is only by the careful examination and assimilation of all statements, however divergent in substance, with reference to any one period that the fundamental basis of truth may be conceived in its true proportions. No matter how omniscient an editor may be, it is impossible to foretell the consequences of and to give the correct value to any human act, and some minor act of human energy may often be the prelude to a series of consequences little dreamt of at the time of the initial action. Such omissions have led also to the distortion of the perspective of a period, when the population was small and scattered, in cases where a romantic character has been glorified by the inclusion of all references to him, and in the same period the papers with reference to another, whose life story did not possess the same fascination, have been excluded;
(4) The fourth cause of omission is one which must occur in most collections of records. This is unavoidable in nature, for documents, of which the existence has been unknown, or of which the destruction has been considered certain, will from time to time be found hidden in the most unlikely places. Fortunately, however, for Australian history, this factor of error can with care be reduced to almost vanishing point.
The papers, omitted from volumes Ib to Vli and belonging to the period 1788-1811, would alone fill about six large volumes.
Apart from the faults due to omissions, there are numerous errors due to distortions and mutilations.
Distortion has been caused by the change of the original text to suit the convenience of the compositor or to make the text more in accordance with the modern usages of grammar, by the making or the saving of a paragraph. In the early despatches, this was a matter of no importance, but after the administration of Governor Hunter, it became customary to refer to a particular paragraph by number. The result is that the student, all unaware of the procedure that has been adopted, is unable to follow the references in such cases where paragraphs have been made or saved, for a despatch, which in the original contained, for example, sixteen paragraphs, might in the published text contain twelve or nineteen if it was an extreme case.
Mutilation has occurred both in the despatches and enclosures. In the despatches, there has been minor mutilation^ in the publication of a small portion of a despatch, or major mutilation in the conversion of a single despatch into two separate despatches of different dates. The dates and the names of the authors and recipients of the despatches have been corrupted also.
In the case of the enclosures mutilation has occurred in various ways, which are best explained by the examination of a few examples given in the footnote.
In consequence of these various faults, papers, which were destined to be the final authority of the historical student, lay themselves open in their very appearance and form to grave doubts and stringent criticism which are banal factors in all accurate research.
The Library Committee has decided further to issue the records in seven distinct groups or series, maintaining a strict chronological order in each series or its sub-section. By the adoption of this method, the papers, which were originated in any sphere of activity or which refer to the growth of settlement in any one of the States which now form the Commonwealth of Australia, will fall naturally together. This grouping will make the papers more readily available to the student. The different series are :—
Series I.—The despatches of the Governors to and from England.
Series II.—Papers belonging to the general administration in sub-sections.
Series III.—Papers which refer to settlements in the different States.
Series IV.—Legal papers.
Series V.—Exploration papers.
Series VI.—Scientific papers.
Series VII.—Ecclesiastical, naval, and military papers.
The first series containing the despatches of the Governors will form the papers from which the backbone of history will be made. Until the introduction of responsible governments, the Governors being in charge of Crown colonies transmitted full and detailed reports on all matters of major or minor importance to the authorities in England. The early Governors all forwarded general despatches giving detailed reports on many subjects, but about the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century the practice was adopted of confining each despatch to a separate subject. Duplicates and triplicates of all public despatches were forwarded, and these were made in long-hand either by the Governor himself, by his secretary, or by a convict clerk. In the writing of these, many minor variations occurred in the text and even in the dates, and where these are of importance attention will be drawn to them. Many of the despatches were accompanied by enclosures. Prior to the administration of Governor King, a register of these enclosures was not kept; and when they were received, some of the enclosures were not filed with the despatches, and it is now impossible to tell in some cases which were the enclosures, for instance, Lord Grenville’s despatch, dated 19th February, 1791, was accompanied by twenty-two enclosures, of which only seven can be defined.
I have to acknowledge my great indebtedness to Professor G. Arnold Wood for reading my proofs and for many valuable suggestions made thereon, which have been incorporated.
A series of notes is added at the conclusion of the text in each volume.
May, 1914. FREDK. WATSON.
And that's it for this week and hope you have a great weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
A lot of news on Brexit seeing as we're now only 1 year away from leaving the EU. Also continued fall our from the Russian nerve agent attack.
Tartan Day/Week around the world
On 9 March 1986, a 'Tartan Day' to promote Scottish heritage in Canada, was proposed at a meeting of the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. Jean Watson, President of Clan Lamont, petitioned provincial legislatures to recognize April 6 as Tartan Day. The first such proclamation was by Nova Scotia in April 1987; On December 19, 1991, in response to action initiated by the Clans & Scottish Societies of Canada, the Ontario Legislature passed a resolution proclaiming April 6 as Tartan Day following the example of other Canadian provinces.
Meeting in 1997 in Sarasota Florida, The Scottish Coalition USA looked to see Tartan Day recognized in the USA as it was being observed in Canada. The Scottish Coalition USA comprises The American-Scottish Foundation, Scottish Heritage, USA, The Living Legacy of Scotland, Inc., The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals, Scottish American Military Society, Council of Scottish Clans and Association (COSCA)
In 1998, the efforts of the Scottish Coalition with the leading help of Trent Lott, saw the United States Senate Resolution adopt 6 April National Tartan Day. This lead in turn to the Congressional and then Presidential passing of the recognition of Tartan Day Observance on April 6 each year.
In Australia, wearing tartan on 1 July has been encouraged since 1989. The day has been promoted as International Tartan Day in Australia since 1996 and has been formally recognised by many states, but not at national level.
Canada
15.1% or 4.7 million Canadians claim Scottish descent. As stated above, Tartan Day in Canada originated with a proposal from the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia and has since been proclaimed by all the provincial legislatures. In 2007 Peter Stoffer introduced a Private member's bill for "An Act respecting a Tartan Day". Progress of the bill was interrupted by the 2008 election, but it has been resubmitted.
An annual 'Gathering of the Clans' will take place each 6 April or on the Sunday nearest to it on Parliament Hill in Ottawa at noon with pipes, drums and dancing hosted by the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band, Canada's oldest civilian pipe band. The 2011 celebrations marked the first time that Tartan Day has been celebrated with Canada's official tartan having been named: the Maple Leaf.
Scotland
Angus Council, whose region includes Arbroath, established the first Tartan Day festival in Scotland on 6 April 2004, and has since joined other regional councils in attempting to develop its potential as a global celebration. In 2006 events were held in Arbroath, Aberdeen, Montrose, Kilmarnock, Stirling, Perth, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Argentina
Argentina has around 100,000 people of Scottish descent, the largest such community outside the English-speaking world. The Tartan Day parade of Scottish porteños was inaugurated in Buenos Aires on 6 April 2006 and is organised every year by the Scottish Argentine Society. A symbolic key to the gate of Arbroath's Abbey is carried to mark the date in 1320 that inspired this celebration.
Australia
Three million Australians are either Scottish or of Scottish descent. International Tartan Day in Australia is celebrated on a local basis in most states on 1 July (or by some community organisations on the nearest Sunday), the anniversary of the Repeal Proclamation of 1782 annulling the Act of Proscription of 1747, which had made wearing tartan an offense punishable with up to seven years' transportation. According to Scottish House secretary Moyna Scotland, the tendency to disguise Scottish associations was mirrored in Australia: 'Scots did what they were told to do when they came to Australia assimilate and integrate and they almost disappeared, and consequently one aim of Tartan Day is to help Australians reconnect with their Scottish ancestry. A tartan revival started in 1822, and now many of the Australian States as well as the Commonwealth of Australia itself have their own tartans.
In 1989 the Scottish Australian Heritage Council began to encourage Australians to wear tartan on 1 July, when more than half a million Australians gather for a celebration of Scottish heritage, combining nostalgia with Australian citizenship ceremonies, and fund-raising for charitable causes such as drought assistance. Australians without a family tartan are invited to wear the Royal Stewart tartan or the military tartan of the Black Watch. Tartan articles worn on the day include hats, ties and socks. There are many pipe band associations in both Australia and New Zealand, some originating in disbanded Second World War army battalions, and almost 30 heritage events in Australia alone. Some clans, notably the McLeods of South Australia, come together in private events to honour their chief, recite Burns, consume haggis and take part in Highland dancing. A butcher in Maclean, New South Wales, 'the Scottish town in Australia', reportedly celebrates the day by selling haggisburgers.
Since 2001 the Scottish Australian Heritage Council and Australian branch of the Scottish National Party have petitioned Canberra for federal recognition of International Tartan Day to celebrate the Scottish contribution to Australian history, including the influence of Scottish radicalism on the trade union movement and the Labor Party, and Australia's allegedly 'egalitarian and meritocratic' society. In 2008 Linda Fabiani, the then Scottish culture minister, floated a proposal to expand the Australian event into an official Scotland Week as part of the Scottish government's international business strategy.
New Zealand
International Tartan Day is celebrated on a local basis on 1 July or on the nearest Sunday.
Galicia
In Galicia (Spain) It is celebrated on April 6, as indicated by the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. The event as in other Celtic nations has been moving to July 1, which in Galicia is taken as a reference on the first Saturday of the same month.
For years, it is frequent in Galicia to wear kilts or male skirts with tartan in events of Galician historical revivalism like the Festa Castrexa de Xunqueira de Ambía or the Lughnasad de Bretoña, and in folk festivals or of Celtic music like the Interceltic of Ortigueira, the Moaña Interceltic, the Festa da Carballeira de Zas, or the Celtic Pilgrimage of San Pipote de Bardaos among many others.
The Kilt Gallaecia in particular is equally dressed by hundreds of Galicians in the Diaspora around the world, from Switzerland to the United States, as an affirmation of the Celtic cultural identity of the country. Some collectives in the diaspora, such as the Banda de Gaitas Cidade de Bos Aires in Argentina, wear the Kilt Gallaecia on special occasions.
United States
There are an estimated 6 million people in the US who claim Scottish descent. Little was done to follow up the New York event in 1982. In 1998, a Coalition of Scottish Americans with the Support of Senator Trent Lott, successfully lobbied the Senate for the designation of 6 April as National Tartan Day "to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States". Senate Resolution 155, passed on 20 March 1998, referred to the predominance of Scots among the Founding Fathers and claimed that the American Declaration of Independence was "modelled on" the Declaration of Arbroath. While this link is plausible, it has not been definitively proven. This is just one opinion. There is a great bit of proof given in the book entitled Scottish Invention of America, Democracy and Human Rights and to some degree in the book entitled How the Scots Invented the Modern World. Thomas Jefferson's education was heavily influenced by Scottish thought.
Meeting in 1997 in Sarasota Florida, The Scottish Coalition USA looked to see Tartan Day recognized in the USA as it was being observed in Canada. The Scottish Coalition USA comprises The American-Scottish Foundation®, Scottish Heritage, USA, The Living Legacy of Scotland, Inc., The Association of Scottish Games and Festivals, Scottish American Military Society, Council of Scottish Clans and Association (COSCA)
In 1998, the efforts of the Scottish Coalition with the leading help of Trent Lott, saw the United States Senate Resolution adopt 6 April National Tartan Day. This lead in turn to the Congressional and then Presidential passing of the recognition of Tartan Day Observance on April 6 each year. The Scottish Coalition President Ms Duncan MacDonald (thr 2014) spearheaded a national platform for the Observance of Tartan Day in the US, through the development of a network of State representatives. Over 33 states are represented. Annually the Scottish Coaltion USA in conjunction with the National Capital Tartan Day Committee celebrates Tartan Day and its legacy.
With Tartan Day established in 1998 via Senate Resolution,in 2004, the National Capital Tartan Day Committee, in conjunction with The Scottish Coalition USA, led and successfully lobbied the US House of Representatives.
On 9 March 2005, the United States House of Representatives unanimously adopted House Resolution 41, which designates 6 April of each year as "National Tartan Day.” H.Res.41 Chief Sponsors were Congressmen Mike McIntyre from North Carolina and John Duncan from Tennessee, who are the founding co-chairs of the Friends of Scotland Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Four years later, a joint effort by the National Capital Tartan Day Committee and the American-Scottish Foundation promoted a campaign for a Presidential Proclamation, which resulted in thousands of letters and petition signers to the President of the United States. On 4 April 2008, President George W. Bush signed a Presidential Proclamation making April 6 National Tartan Day. Here is the content of the Presidential Proclamation:
2008 PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION
President George Bush today signed on April 4th 2008 a Presidential Proclamation making April 6th National Tartan Day! Proclamation signed by the President of the United States:
Americans of Scottish descent have made enduring contributions to our Nation with their hard work, faith, and values. On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life.
Scotland and the United States have long shared ties of family and friendship, and many of our country's most cherished customs and ideals first grew to maturity on Scotland's soil. The Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence signed in 1320, embodied the Scots' strong dedication to liberty, and the Scots brought that tradition of freedom with them to the New World. Sons and daughters of many Scottish clans were among the first immigrants to settle in America, and their determination and optimism helped build our Nation's character. Several of our Founding Fathers were of Scottish descent, as have been many Presidents and Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Many Scottish Americans, such as Andrew Carnegie, were great philanthropists, founding and supporting numerous scientific, educational, and civic institutions. From the evocative sounds of the bagpipes to the great sport of golf, the Scots have also left an indelible mark on American culture.
National Tartan Day is an opportunity to celebrate all Americans who claim Scottish ancestry, and we are especially grateful for the service in our Armed Forces of Scottish Americans who have answered the call to protect our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 6, 2008, as National Tartan Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by celebrating the continued friendship between the people of Scotland and the United States and by recognizing the contributions of Scottish Americans to our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH
The leading celebrations of Tartan Day take place in New York and Washington DC - with celebrations taking place now in leading cities throughout the USA
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL TARTAN DAY COMMITTEE - WASHINGTON DC
In addition to the above celebrations, the Washington, DC and Baltimore Scottish-American Societies hold Tartan Day Celebrations. The Tartan Day Celebrations which have also included Conferences and Panel discussions are organized by the National Captial Tartan Day Committee. These celebrations include a Congressional Reception hosted by Congressman McIntyre and Congressman Duncan and organized by the National Capital Tartan Day Committee, There has also been a Tartan Day Festival in Alexandria, Virginia, and various social and educational programs in the first two weeks in April.
THE NATIONAL TARTAN DAY NEW YORK COMMITTEE - Organizers of the NEW YORK TARTAN DAY PARADE :
After the U.S. Senate officially recognized Tartan Day in 1998, Alan Bain, Chairman of the American Scottish Foundation, was tasked by The Scottish Coalition USA to organize a Tartan Day celebration for New York City and in 1998 the first Tartan Day Parade, consisting of two pipe bands and a small but spirited group of Scottish Americans, including Grand Marshal, Cliff Robertson, walked on a sidewalk from the British Consulate to the United Nations.
The first permitted parade was in 1999 in Central Park. Since then it has flourished to include many bands and thousands of participants, including clan members and individual marchers.
In 2002, as part of the Tartan Day celebrations the Parade was brought to 6th Avenue for the first time. The Parade attracted a record number of pipe bands from all over the World and was led by Sir Sean Connery and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The Tunes of Glory Parade organised by Magnus Orr and Thomas Grotrian in 2002 included 8,250 pipers and drummers march through the streets of New York led by Sir Sean Connery and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They were the centerpiece of the event where thousands of Americans celebrated their links to Scotland. One of Scotland's national treasures, William Wallace's sword, left Scotland for the first time in 700 years and was flown to New York for the Tartan Week celebrations of 2005.
With the New York Tartan Day Parade growing the Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 1756, New York Caledonian Club 1856, , and The American-Scottish Foundation,. came together to form the National Tartan Day New York Committee. Since 2002 the Committee has grown to include members from Clan Campbell.and most recently Carnegie Hall.
The NTDNYC, which has 501(c)3 status, is charged with maintaining and perpetuating the New York Tartan Day Parade and overseeing events of the week.
In 2018 the New York Tartan Day Parade will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of National Tartan Day. All details surrounding the event are on the Parade website. www.nyctartanweek.org
TARTAN DAY CELEBRATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS TAKE PLACE THROUGHOUT THE US:
Outside New York City, one of the largest Tartan Day celebrations in the United States takes place each year on the weekend closest to 6 April on the banks of the Missouri river in St. Charles, Missouri. The Missouri Tartan Day Festival began in April 2000, after successful lobbying at the State Capitol in Jefferson City, members of the St Andrew and Celtic Societies of St. Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, and Springfield, Missouri, gathered on the steps of the State Capitol in Jefferson City to receive the first proclamation of Tartan Day in Missouri.
On the west coast, one of the oldest and largest festivals is held each year in San Diego's Balboa Park, founded in 2003 by some of San Diego's Scottish organisations and involving participants from throughout Southern California. The event in Balboa Park is now under new management and is being run by the House of Scotland International Cottage also of Balboa Park. Tartan Day celebrations are held by St Andrew's Societies throughout the United States.
Note: I borrowed this from Wikipedia. We also have an old page on the site for Tartan Day at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/tartnday.htm
And so do look out for any Tartan Day celebrations in your local area.
Here is the video introduction to this newsletter...
Note that this is a selection and more can be read in our ScotNews feed on our index page where we list news from the past 1-2 weeks. I am partly doing this to build an archive of modern news from and about Scotland as all the newsletters are archived and also indexed on Google and other search engines. I might also add that in newspapers such as the Guardian, Scotsman, Courier, etc. you will find many comments which can be just as interesting as the news story itself and of course you can also add your own comments if you wish.
The euro area’s deepening political divide
Two European elections in Germany on 24 September 2017 and Italy on 4 March 2018 warn that the peoples of Europe are drifting apart.
Read more at:
https://voxeu.org/article/euro-area-...litical-divide
The decades-long quest to end drought (and feed millions) by taking the salt out of seawater
"The world isn’t short of water, it’s just in the wrong place, and too salty," says Charlie Paton
Read more at:
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/charl...lia-somaliland
Canada's most beautifully built city
Quebec
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/2012...lly-built-city
Future fuel quest take a step forward
A team of Scottish-based scientists has developed a new technique for creating hydrogen fuel.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-43534972
Tesco veteran to head Walmart's Jet.com as U.S. grocery wars flare
A grocery industry veteran who led U.K. retailer Tesco Plc’s online operation was named president of Walmart’s Jet.com e-commerce business
Read more at:
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-wa...KBN1H21BX?il=0
I might add here that over 16 years ago I was ordering my groceries online in Scotland and had them delivered to my home. Today in Canada I still can't do that.
The promise of Africa’s free trade area
Africa is on the verge of the largest free trade agreement since the WTO was founded
Read more at:
https://capx.co/the-promise-of-africas-free-trade-area/
Theresa May praises allies as action against Russia continues
Western allies have targeted Russia with the biggest co-ordinated expulsion of diplomats in history in a joint response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack.
Read more at:
https://www.scotsman.com/news/politi...nues-1-4713265
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s speech at the Leave Means Leave event
Brexit One Year To Go. (Rees-Mogg is thought to be a strong contender to take over from the PM)
Read more at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...reece-mogg.htm
Does Justin Trudeau apologise too much?
Why is Trudeau Canada's most apologetic leader?
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43560817
Australian High Commissioner delivers valedictory speech at Policy Exchange
Policy Exchange was delighted to host the keynote valedictory speech of Hon Alexander Downer as High Commissioner of Australia.
Read more at:
https://policyexchange.org.uk/pxeven...ner-in-london/
With a year to go until Brexit, we are closer to a deal than ever before
Brexit Secretary, David Davis said, With a year to go, I want to reflect on what we have achieved so far, and on the incredible opportunities that are coming over the horizon".
Read more at:
https://brexitcentral.com/year-go-br...ser-deal-ever/
Forget the Remainers who refuse to surrender, the great prize is ahead of us
An article by Matthew Elliott.
Read more at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f...f-us-cb67dzb0z
Alexander Graham Bell descendants hit back after tax official queries inventor's legacy
Canadian tax adjudicator said ‘I am not a fan of his claim to fame’ during dispute over tax on Bell’s sprawling estate in Nova Scotia
Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...anada-telepone
Electric Canadian
Transactions of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers
I discovered a lot of volumes of these transaction which are very detailed and note that they are very popular downloads so assume civil engineers are enjoying the details given in these transactions.
I've added the 1931 volume and will add others each week. You can view these at
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...rial/index.htm
Some of the topics discussed include Air Transportation, Arc Welding in Steel Fabrication, Artificial Refrigeration, Canadian National Exhibition, Concrete on Steep Slopes Without Forms, Corrosion of Metals, Obituries, Stringing Tensions for Transmission Lines and Cables, Telegraph—-Yesterday and To-day, Water Supply and Sewage Treatment, etc.
Dent's Canadian History Readers
Edited by D. J. Dickie. These books are intended for young readers.
Sometimes history can be tough going so I've found that many adults can actually get a lot of good information from these children's history books so hope you enjoy them.
These book are in 8 volumes...
Volume 1 - All About Canada for Little Folks
Volume 2 - All About Indians
Volume 3 - How Canada was Found
Volume 4 - The Long Trail
Volume 5 - When Canada was Young
Volume 6 - In Pioneer Days
Volume 7 - The Canadian West
Volume 8 - How Canada Grew Up
You can read these 8 volumes at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...oryreaders.htm
Wilderness Survival and Outdoor Education
By Matt Ball (2001)
You can read this article at: http://www.electriccanadian.com/pion...wilderness.htm
Fourth Report of the Bureau of Archives for the Province of Ontario
By Alexander Fraser (1904) (pdf)
There are a lot of interesting Proclamations in this edition which you can read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...portarch04.pdf
Conrad Black
The Anti- Trump Effort Backfires
http://www.conradmblack.com/1379/the...fort-backfires
Our legal system is failing us every bit as badly as journalism is
http://www.conradmblack.com/1380/our...y-bit-as-badly
Electric Scotland
Beth's Newfangled Family Tree
Got in the April section 1 issue which you can read at: http://www.electricscotland.com/bnft/index.htm
War, The Liberator and Other Pieces
By E. A. Mackintosh, M.C. Lt. Seaforth Highlanders (51st Division) with a Memoir (1917)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/poetry/mackintosh.htm
John Redwood's Diary
My speech during the debate on the economy. This article starts towards the middle of his page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/inde...ohnredwood.htm
Clan Wallace Society - Worldwide
Got in their Winter 2018 issue in which are some of the best accounts I've read on the Clan Parade at the Edinburgh Tattoo.
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...lace/index.htm
New Zealand Settlers and Soldiers
Or A War in Taranaki; being Incidents in the Life of a Settler by the Rev. Thomas Gilbert (1861) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ndSettlers.pdf
The City of Auckland, 1840-1920
Preceded by A Maori History of the Auckland Isthmus by George Graham and a Foreword by J. H. Gunson, C.M.G., C.B.E. Mayor of Auckland by John Barr, Chief Librarian (1922) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...ofAuckland.pdf
Index to Genealogies, Birthbriefs and Funeral Escutcheons
Recorded in the Lyon Office by Francis J. Grant, W.S. Rothesay Herland and Lyon Clerk (1908) (pdf)
You can read this at: http://www.electricscotland.com/book...dlyonindex.pdf
Scots Diaspora in England
Got in three articles from Duncan Sim who has done interesting research in this area.
There is a growing interest in the Scottish diaspora, with the Scottish Government keen to develop links with Scots elsewhere. The closest diaspora is in England but appears relatively weak, with Scottish identity declining in strength. Using qualitative interviews, we explore the nature of the Scottish diaspora in England, seeking to explain why it appears less strong than diasporas overseas, for example in North America. We conclude that fewer Scots are migrating to England and that the children of migrant Scots are more likely to adopt an English identity. The diaspora is not, therefore, being ‘refreshed’ and is declining.
You can read his articles at: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/england/sim.htm
Commonwealth of Australia
Historical Records of Australia published in 1914 in 19 volumes. Intending to put up 1 volume s week until complete.
I will say that I've read the first two volumes and they are very readable and informative. I contemplated adding all 19 volumes but thought I might be better to add just one volume a week as I expect no-one will be able to read more than a volume a week.
You can get to this page at: http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...mmonwealth.htm
The Story
I found the Preface to the above publication to be that interesting that I decided to make it the story for this week. In my view it demonstrates the difficulties researchers have when looking for old papers and then interpreting them for publication.
Commonwealth of Australia - Preface
The history of Australia has yet to be written. When the story is unfolded clothed with all the innate vitality and secret force of the life and times of the various epochs; when the actors are brought vividly before one, unvarnished with the sycophancy or the petty malice of the moment; when the events are thrown forcefully on the stage, depicting the life history of a continent’s civilisation stripped of all trivialities and irrelevancies; then will a drama be unfolded to fascinate a whole world of readers, a drama of peaceful evolution from a small community of a little over one thousand souls, dominated by autocratic power, to a nation of the people, in embryo, forcefully combating all the mighty problems that have been created by the civilisation of the nineteenth century.
By the facts and examples of their lives, the actors in this drama will be found to elaborate and substantiate for the benefit of all, who wish to learn, the vital necessity of acquiring in due proportion the main factors, which lead to brilliancy and success in life. These are the possession of adequate intellect and education, the development of constructive and analytical powers, the maintenance of sufficient ballast and stamina in the unceasing battle whether in adversity or in success, together with the inherent power to seize and grasp opportunity when it arrives. To the combination of these factors in varying proportions, it is possible to trace the successes and failures of the men of the past. In a way also, the examples drawn from the lives of these men will be unique amongst the histories of the world. In Australia, there has never been the actual stimulus of the clash of armed forces, of the possibility of great, perhaps world-wide, renown, of the association and competition of kindred spirits, and of other external incentives to action, which are prevalent in the world’s centres of population. Deeds of heroism, evolutionary changes, new procedures and mental processes have been initiated, and enacted in all walks of life from the subconscious element of the human brain with little external provocation.
In order to appreciate this with its fullest import, it is quite unnecessary to wander in the by-paths of history. A studied observance of the life and times of each epoch is all that is requisite to unfold the story and to revel in the true romance of life. An accurate knowledge of the history of one’s own country can in no way be relegated to the province of the bookworm or the litterateur; a delving in the past is by no means a hobby or a pastime of little practical use. Properly undertaken, it should be the mainstay of secondary education, the backbone of those studies to which the youth of the country may trust for support and guidance in the daily routine and work of life.
How often the wish is expressed by men of fifty years of age to re-live the foregoing twenty years of their lives, retaining at the same time the experience they have gained during that period! This qualified desire is only the tacit admission that they have found the value of the teaching obtained in the great university of life, and that the preceptors of their youth had failed in equipping them with the armament of experience to be acquired from the triumphs and failures of their predecessors in similar walks of life. From an accurate knowledge and an intimate study of the causes and effects of any previous series of events, associated with an intuitive perception of the probable conduct in the case of the student himself in similar circumstances, a mental and moral training would be acquired at an earlier age than otherwise, which would enable one to combat the problems of life with a feeling of greater security and greater confidence.
The study of the life and times of the past in one’s own country is certainly the royal road to the acquisition of such means of defence and offence in the battle of life. The study of similar data in other countries is of vast importance, but mainly as correcting or as adding to the first conclusions drawn from the story of one’s own country; for in other lands, conditions alter, reactions differ, in accordance mainly with the temperament of the nation, the conditions of government and the climate of the country.
Although this study is surely a subject of vast import in the life of a nation, yet does the story of Australia present almost a virgin field for research. Civilisation in Australia is not too young to have lacked the time in which to have created a whole host of precedents for successes and failures in all branches of human activity. Even in the nation’s youth, there has been opportunity for public discussions, political procedures and economic changes to be repeated in recurring cycles. Varying only in minor details, similar arguments, similar opposition, similar mistakes and similar results have been repeated again and again, until in some cases a series of papers with names and dates expunged might be read by a student, and it would be almost impossible for him to allocate them to the proper epoch to which they refer, so inevitable is the recurrence of the subject-matter in human energy. Not only in matters of great moment but also in those of minor importance are similar recurrences apparent in history; until it almost appears that the dominant motive in the master minds of each epoch has been identical. Pages might be written of the historical parallels in Australia (including both mistakes and successes) of such problems as advances to settlers, fixation of wages and of hours of labour, hospital accommodation, banking, women’s suffrage, increased cost of living and others innumerable, these few being noted not as representative of the whole, but purely as chance selections from subjects inclusive of the whole range of human activity.
Books have been written and stories have been told, purporting to treat of epochs or of the whole of Australian history; but it is impossible to exalt one into the unique position of a truthful and unbiassed exposition of facts, nor has anyone more than attempted to touch on a critical analysis of the life and times. For more than one hundred years, the early story of Australia has been spoken of with bated breath, as though the details of it could not be tolerated in the limelight of public criticism. In the words of Captain Collins, published in 1798, “an odium was, from the first, illiberally thrown upon the settlement; and the word ‘Botany Bay’ became a term of reproach that was indiscriminately cast on every one who resided in New South Wales. But let the reproach light on those who have used it as such.” A feeling somewhat akin to this has influenced authors for more than a century, and facts, which in themselves form only a meagre portion of the life story, have been magnified until they are regarded as a huge skeleton in the nation’s cupboard.
From the earliest printed chronicles, those of Tench, Phillip-, White, Hunter and Collins (in order of historical priority), down to those of modern times, including those of intermediate date, such as the histories of Wentworth, Lang, Flanagan, and Bennett, not one can be accepted as a final authority. Each and every one exhibits errors, not only in points of judgment and criticism, but in points of fact; and these seem almost inconceivable when viewed in the light of modern research. Errors have occurred also in many official tables, as for example, the table of succession of the Governors in New South Wales, which is inaccurate in respect to some dates and some ranks of the administrators.
The corruptions which occur in the printed histories may be traced to various causes.
Pre-eminent amongst these in the histories of intermediate and more recent date is the acceptance of a statement by a single early author without comparison of the statements of his contemporaries on the same subject. In this way a superstructure of history has been built on an insecure foundation and the reliability of the subsequent conclusions naturally falls short of what is necessary.
Of the first five chronicles, two, the Voyage of Governor Phillip and the Historical Journal of Hunter, were semi-official in character, and the compiler had access to the despatches and journals which had been transmitted from the settlement; but unfortunately both of these are unreliable in many respects, and especially the first edition of Phillip’s Voyage. The first account published was Tench’s Narrative, which appeared in April, 1789, and was followed by Phillip’s Voyage (first edition) on 1st May following. The material for both these volumes had been received per the store-ship Borrowdale in the previous March, so the publications were of necessity hurried. White’s Journal, Hunter’s Journal, and Collins’ Account first appeared in the years 1790,. 1793, and 1798 respectively. These five volumes, and the subsequent editions of them, collectively give a good general account of the transactions during the early years of the settlement; but when the student desires finality on minor points many difficulties are encountered, and when he searches for the underlying motive of many official acts he finds a barren field.
With regard to the minor points confusion occurs from many causes. Statements of fact are made which are clearly impossible, returns of convicts or of settlers are made some of which are manifestly incorrect, nautical and legal times are quoted in the same volume without commentary, and proper names are misprinted or misquoted indiscriminately.
In the search for the motives underlying the official life, the student finds little or no information. Surgeon White gives no medical data, Captain-Lieutenant Tench, in his Complete Account, omits to give the story of the troubles with the marines and of his arrest by orders of Major Ross, and Captain Collins passes by virtually unnoticed the quarrels in which Major Ross was involved, the abolition of the civil power by Major Grose, the gradual intrusion of the military into the general life of the settlement, and the legal difficulties with which he himself had to contend. No record is given of these and many other problems; and it almost appears that the facts, of which each individual author was most cognizant, were deliberately suppressed either from official or personal reticence. In consequence if an historian had to draw his material from these works alone, the clue required for the solution of such problems as the liquor traffic or the Bligh insurrection, would remain unknown.
Subsequent authors have built on these volumes, and have added mistakes of their own. A few of these may be noted. Lang and Wentworth have presented a partisan view of most problems, and in addition Lang makes such errors as neglecting to distinguish between currency and sterling in quoting sums of money. Flanagan in his history records speeches of Captain Cook and Phillip which are clearly fictitious. Heaton’s Dictionary of Dates is compiled from insufficient material, and in many cases reliance is placed on irresponsible newspaper references.
These examples are quoted merely to illustrate the dangers and pitfalls which await the unwary student. In consequence of these faults the exact student of Australian history has no work of reference on which he can place implicit reliance.
History in its truest form can be founded only on a careful and studied examination of the actual records themselves. Fortunately for the history of the continent of Australia, the major portion of the official records are still extant, and the actual state papers giving the documentary life and actions of each and every epoch may be examined and digested. With proper and careful grouping, these papers have not yet become too voluminous to make the task prohibitive to the modern man, involved in a busy and strenuous career, of making a careful study of such as relate to any subject in which he is immediately interested. One reservation, however, must be thoroughly appreciated by the student in his examination, namely, that the official papers are only the outward and visible expression of the inward and secret feeling of the public men of the times, the things which were really vital and essential being sometimes almost lost in matters irrelevant thereto, the passing necessities of the moment.
The Library Committee of the Commonwealth Parliament has undertaken the collection and the publication of copies of all the Australian official papers, which can be obtained. It has been decided to commence the issue of the records with the papers, dated in 1788, the year of the foundation of the settlement at Port Jackson; and therefore many of the papers, which have been already published by the Government of New South Wales, will be republished. This course has been rendered necessary owing to many grave errors which have been found to occur in the seven volumes of the Historical Records of New South Wales already issued.
These errors may be traced to certain definite causes. One of these was the method adopted for the collection and compilation of the papers. The major proportion of the documents were printed from copies made in England; and those volumes which have been issued are the product of the selection of one man and of the editing of a second, but before the editor received them they had passed the ordeal of the censorship, and consequent deletion of portions, by a third. No matter how diligent, brilliant or careful, any one of the trio might be, the collective labour of three brains working under such conditions, and one, the censor’s, most certainly not working with the same large objective in view, must sooner or later fall far short of the accuracy, completeness and precision, which are required in history. This has occurred and serious omissions of important papers have been made.
The omissions were due to four causes :—
(1) The action of the censor, which was unavoidable;
(2) The neglect to make a proper search prior to publication for the documents that were extant. It is stated in a preface re-printed in each of the seven volumes that all the original papers, which could be found in New South Wales of a date prior to the year 1800, consisted of ten papers and one volume, whereas reasonable inquiry would have disclosed the existence of many hundreds;
(3) Editorial omissions, that is to say, the omission of known papers as unimportant. It is only by the careful examination and assimilation of all statements, however divergent in substance, with reference to any one period that the fundamental basis of truth may be conceived in its true proportions. No matter how omniscient an editor may be, it is impossible to foretell the consequences of and to give the correct value to any human act, and some minor act of human energy may often be the prelude to a series of consequences little dreamt of at the time of the initial action. Such omissions have led also to the distortion of the perspective of a period, when the population was small and scattered, in cases where a romantic character has been glorified by the inclusion of all references to him, and in the same period the papers with reference to another, whose life story did not possess the same fascination, have been excluded;
(4) The fourth cause of omission is one which must occur in most collections of records. This is unavoidable in nature, for documents, of which the existence has been unknown, or of which the destruction has been considered certain, will from time to time be found hidden in the most unlikely places. Fortunately, however, for Australian history, this factor of error can with care be reduced to almost vanishing point.
The papers, omitted from volumes Ib to Vli and belonging to the period 1788-1811, would alone fill about six large volumes.
Apart from the faults due to omissions, there are numerous errors due to distortions and mutilations.
Distortion has been caused by the change of the original text to suit the convenience of the compositor or to make the text more in accordance with the modern usages of grammar, by the making or the saving of a paragraph. In the early despatches, this was a matter of no importance, but after the administration of Governor Hunter, it became customary to refer to a particular paragraph by number. The result is that the student, all unaware of the procedure that has been adopted, is unable to follow the references in such cases where paragraphs have been made or saved, for a despatch, which in the original contained, for example, sixteen paragraphs, might in the published text contain twelve or nineteen if it was an extreme case.
Mutilation has occurred both in the despatches and enclosures. In the despatches, there has been minor mutilation^ in the publication of a small portion of a despatch, or major mutilation in the conversion of a single despatch into two separate despatches of different dates. The dates and the names of the authors and recipients of the despatches have been corrupted also.
In the case of the enclosures mutilation has occurred in various ways, which are best explained by the examination of a few examples given in the footnote.
In consequence of these various faults, papers, which were destined to be the final authority of the historical student, lay themselves open in their very appearance and form to grave doubts and stringent criticism which are banal factors in all accurate research.
The Library Committee has decided further to issue the records in seven distinct groups or series, maintaining a strict chronological order in each series or its sub-section. By the adoption of this method, the papers, which were originated in any sphere of activity or which refer to the growth of settlement in any one of the States which now form the Commonwealth of Australia, will fall naturally together. This grouping will make the papers more readily available to the student. The different series are :—
Series I.—The despatches of the Governors to and from England.
Series II.—Papers belonging to the general administration in sub-sections.
Series III.—Papers which refer to settlements in the different States.
Series IV.—Legal papers.
Series V.—Exploration papers.
Series VI.—Scientific papers.
Series VII.—Ecclesiastical, naval, and military papers.
The first series containing the despatches of the Governors will form the papers from which the backbone of history will be made. Until the introduction of responsible governments, the Governors being in charge of Crown colonies transmitted full and detailed reports on all matters of major or minor importance to the authorities in England. The early Governors all forwarded general despatches giving detailed reports on many subjects, but about the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century the practice was adopted of confining each despatch to a separate subject. Duplicates and triplicates of all public despatches were forwarded, and these were made in long-hand either by the Governor himself, by his secretary, or by a convict clerk. In the writing of these, many minor variations occurred in the text and even in the dates, and where these are of importance attention will be drawn to them. Many of the despatches were accompanied by enclosures. Prior to the administration of Governor King, a register of these enclosures was not kept; and when they were received, some of the enclosures were not filed with the despatches, and it is now impossible to tell in some cases which were the enclosures, for instance, Lord Grenville’s despatch, dated 19th February, 1791, was accompanied by twenty-two enclosures, of which only seven can be defined.
I have to acknowledge my great indebtedness to Professor G. Arnold Wood for reading my proofs and for many valuable suggestions made thereon, which have been incorporated.
A series of notes is added at the conclusion of the text in each volume.
May, 1914. FREDK. WATSON.
And that's it for this week and hope you have a great weekend.
Alastair
Comment