2015. What was the subject of that memorial or letter?--The merchants represented to Sir Francis Collier the serious inconvenience which they, “and, in particular, the Canton community, have suffered, and continue to suffer, by the frequent late arrival of the steamers conveying her Majesty’s mails. The delay seems to have arisen from the steamers being generally unable to keep the time contracted for by the Admiralty, for the performance of the several distances, as will be seen, we believe, by the reports sent home by the Admiralty agents, appointed to the several steamers. The time slowed is very ample, rendering it seldom necessary to exceed a speed of eight miles per hour; and had the steamers been the superior class of vessels contracted for by the Admiralty, and ‘keeping pace with the advanced state of science,’ no difficulty in performing the passages within the specified time ought ever to be experienced. An improvement has lately taken place in the class of boats, by the arrival of other steamers; but the system adopted, and particularly, of late, of overloading them, and to such an extent as to render it necessary to carry a large quantity of coal on deck, tends to perpetrate the evil, and to create even greater detention than before, while it greatly endangers the lives of her Majesty’s subjects, and the safety of her Majesty’s mails. It is our opinion, that on several occasions it may solely be attributed to unforeseen and fortunate circumstances that the steamers have been enabled to reach their destination. Considering the large sum given by her Majesty’s Government for the purpose of carrying the mails, and also that thereby the Peninsular and Oriental Company are enabled to have a monopoly of the traffic on this side of Egypt, we think the mercantile community have reason to expect that, at all events, the contract shall be faithfully adhered to, and that the steamers shall not be allowed to carry beyond a certain and safe amount of cargo;” and they request Sir Francis Collier to call the attention of the Lords of the Admiralty to the subject. 2016. Was that transmitted by Admiral Collier?--It was transmitted to the Admiralty by Admiral Collier. 2017. What was Sir Francis Collier’s remark or observation when he transmitted that memorial?--Sir Francis Collier’s letter does not appear to be in this correspondence, but I presume it can be produced. 2018. What was done in consequence of the transmission of that memorial?--“A letter appears to have been written on the 11th of April, 1849, by the Secretary of the Admiralty to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, enclosing a copy of the memorial which had been received from Sir Francis Collier, and the Company were acquainted that the Board of Admiralty trusted that they had already taken steps to prevent the recurrence of the delays complained of.”