2193. Do you think that if they had selected the owners of the steamer “India,” they would have selected people more competent to perform the contract?--To perform the China line; and I may state as the reason, that we gave them a distinct account of the number of ships at work there; the expense of the ships, and also a description of the seas; and the very letter which I wrote to them, as to the necessity of having a peculiar kind of vessel for the China seas, has turned out perfectly true; and the protest, of which we heard at the last meeting of the Committee, was in consequence of that. The letter sent in to the Admiralty stated that the Calcutta Company were in a better position to do that local service than the Peninsular and Oriental Company, who have so many interests to look after. 2194. The reason you did not compete with the Peninsular and Oriental Company between Suez and Calcutta, was the impression that you had that there was a determination at the Board of Admiralty to favour them. Did you make any attempt to compete with them between Ceylon and Hong Kong?--As to Suez and Calcutta contract, it is like asking a man who has his hands tied behind his back, to swim; as to Ceylon and Hong Kong contract, the answer is plain enough on record, that we sent a tender and got no answer. 2195. Am I right in understanding you to say, that you abstained from competing with regard to the service between Suez and Calcutta, because you thought the Peninsular and Oriental Company too strong for you?--That was one reason expressed by many persons; but if you ask my reason for not competing, it was this: when I proposed to tender, the “Precursor” party were in possession of the “Precursor,” but in the interim the Peninsular and Oriental Company very advantageously obtained possession of the “Precursor,” and we had no large vessels, and it was of no use tendering without them. 2196. The reasons for not tendering for the contract between Suez and Calcutta were two-fold; first, because there was favouritism at the Admiralty, and secondly, you had not the means of making the tender?--If the tenders were reasonable, I ought to have had the means, because we ought to have been allowed to build vessels; when they had bought the “Precursor,” we were not in so good a position as we had been in before. 2197. If it was an object with the Government to make the contract immediately, you would not be in a condition to make a tender?--There was no necessity for a new contract; there was no necessity for any change then, but it was got up by the Peninsular and Oriental Company, by political agitation. 2198. I understand you to say, that if there was to be a contract immediately, you were not in a condition to tender for it, as far as regards Suez and Calcutta?--I was in a position to tender for it, if reasonable tenders had been allowed.