1153. Do not they make reports to the Admiralty through the officers conducting the packet service at Southampton?—Certainly.
1154. Would not any breach of contract come immediately to the knowledge of the Admiralty, through the report of the Admiralty agent?—Certainly.
1155. Therefore the absence of any such report is direct proof that the contract has not been broken, provided the Admiralty agent does his duty?—Certainly.
Complaints made to the Admiralty against the Company.
1974. At your last examination you carried down a statement of any complaints, or in the absence of any complaints, to a certain date, with respect to the performance of the contracts of which we were then inquiring, of the vessels of the Oriental Company; have you furnished yourself since with any further particulars upon that subject?—This is a précis of the correspondence respecting complaints of the manner in which the contract mail service in the Indian and China Seas has been performed.
1975. At what date does that précis commence?—The 23rd of August, 1846.
1976. Does that précis come down to the present time?—It does.
1977. Who is responsible for that being a correct statement of what has taken place?—Mr. Worth, the head of the packet department.
1978. Have you sufficiently examined that précis to be able to give to the Committee a statement of the number of complaints which are contained in it?—I should say there were three or four complaints; I have read it through.
1979. Were any of those complaints on examination found to be just?—I think the last complaint is at present undergoing investigation.