2000. What is the next complaint?—The next complaint is transmitted by Captain Ellice, who sends a report of the survey on the “Braganza,” held at Hong Kong; he sent this on the 21st of June, 1847.
2001. What is the result of the survey?—“A copy was sent to the contractors, and the contractors stated, in reply, that they had transmitted orders, some time ago, to their agent at Bombay, to have this vessel docked on the first opportunity, and had reason to believe that this had been done. They also stated that their new steamships ‘Pekin,’ of 1,200 tons and 430-horse power, and ‘Pottinger,’ of 1,400 tons and 450-horse power, are now stationed on the line between Point de Galle and China, in performance of the mail contract service.”
2002. What is the next complaint?—“On the 2nd of October, Captain Ellice transmitted an extract of a letter from the Admiralty agent on board the ‘Pekin,’ reporting the unfitness of that vessel for the mail service.” This forms a part of Lieutenant Waghorn’s complaint, and is already before the Committee.
2003. What was the result of that; was the complaint decided to be well-founded or not?—I think not.
2004. Was Lieutenant Waghorn a passenger on board that vessel?—I put in his letter on the last occasion.
2005. Will you proceed to the next complaint?—“On the 2nd of June, 1848, the Postmaster-general transmitted an extract of a letter from the post-office agent at Suez, stating that the ‘Haddington’ was detained at that port, waiting for the arrival of cargo, until one o’clock A.M. on the 11th ultimo, although the mails were put on board at ten minutes past five o’clock on the previous morning; and, further, that some of the packages forming the cargo were of an unnecessarily cumbersome size.”
2006. What was the result of that?—The contractors were called upon to state whether they can account for this delay; and in reply they state that they are not aware of this delay, but will call upon the agent at Suez for explanation; that the mails being transmitted by land from Alexandria to Suez, there is seldom any variation in the time of their transit, whilst the passengers and baggage, at the period of low Nile (May and June), are frequently retarded in getting the steamers round the bends of the river; and they apprehend that the Admiralty must have been misinformed as to the size of the packages, the weight of which are, by their regulation, limited to under 100 lbs., four of such packages forming a camel load for the desert passage.
2007. Is there any thing further upon that complaint, because the Company seem to doubt the fact?—Nothing further appears upon the subject of the complaint.
2008. Is there any subsequent report from the Company?—No subsequent report from the Company appears to have been received.
2009. Is there any subsequent complaint?—“On the 3rd of October, 1848, another complaint is made: The Indian and Australian Mail Steam Packet Company complain that the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packet Company do not employ steam vessels of the size required by the contract, between Suez and Calcutta, and between Ceylon and Hong Kong, and offer to do the service at less expense.”