From a period not long posterior to the new Establishment of the Secretariat in the 16th century, we can trace the institution of Departmental Boards in place of the old hereditary or patent officers and casual agents or accountants of the Plantagenet régime.

The Records of these Boards or Commissions do not differ materially in character from the correspondence and instruments of the Secretariat itself. They possess one distinctive feature, however, which may be briefly referred to here. The In-Letter received by these bodies is forthwith dealt with in accordance with an official routine which has been preserved down to modern times. That is to say, the Letter in question is noted in a Register, previous to being read and considered. It may then be referred for the Report of some expert or a Minute may be forthwith made indicating the proceedings to be taken upon it (Nos. 200—203). These proceedings are recorded in the several forms of the simple Out-Letter (No. 189) or the more formal and ceremonious Warrants (No. 206), Commissions (Nos. 207 and 209), Orders (No. 204) and Instructions (No. 205). It should of course be clearly understood that these Out-Letters and Instruments may be issued independently of any In-Letter, whilst it would be found that many other miscellaneous instruments (Nos. 210, 211) are preserved amongst the Departmental Records.