2138. Am I to understand that you make two complaints: first, that there was no opportunity for tendering; and, secondly, that the price was too high?--Yes. 2139. Were you during the period, from the beginning, in 1844, to the time at which the contract was finally signed, in constant communication with the Admiralty?--I used to go to the Contract Packet Office, which was the only place I could go to; I could get no answer to my letter. 2140. Did it come before the Board?--It appears not; Mr. Sidney Herbert told me that he had never heard of it. 2141. On the 8th of August Mr. Sidney Herbert told you it was open to you to send in any contract that you wished?--Yes. 2142. Did you send in a contract, offering to do the service with efficient vessels for £60,000?--No; I gave this proof that it could be done; but I made no tender for it, because I had no vessel for it. 2143. Your opinion was, that £60,000 was an adequate price, and that the public in general, and you in particular, ought to have an opportunity of making a tender; did you tender to do the service at that price?--In reply to that question I may state, that early in December the representative of the “Precursor,” Sir George Larpent, and myself, waited upon the President of the Board of Control, and asked him to take care that our interests should be considered, and we received an assurance that they should be considered; and in the scheme for the mails it is particularly stated that those two vessels were ready, and it was suggested that they should take alternately the mails with the other two vessels. 2144. I ask you whether you did or did not offer to do the service for £60,000?--I can hardly say whether you can call it an offer, but I submitted a scheme by which it was shown that it could be done for £60,000; contracts were not advertised for, and therefore we were not in a position to send in contracts. 2145. You placed in the hands of Mr. Crofton Croker a lithographic statement, from which you considered the inference might be drawn that £60,000 would be sufficient for that service?--Yes. 2146. Was that statement anonymous, or was it guaranteed by any name?--It was guaranteed by my own name; and the same thing was stated in the plan submitted to Government; and that plan has, every bit of it, been carried out since.