£
242
Contract Packet " " "Emen"
Hong Kong. July 12th 1862.
I have the honour to inform you of the detention of the Contract Packet" "Even " in Hong Kong for 24 house After the Stipulated contract time
As the detention
g
"
the "Emen" and
postponement of the departure of the Mail
were
made without my knowledge of authority, and I was not even consulteich in the matter, I apprehend the proceeding to have been altogether irregular
On the
Evening of the 10 July Ireceived
"/
a communication from the Postmaster General of Hong Kong informing
me that the
departure of the Contract Packet "men" had been postponed for 24 hours with the Concurrence of this Excelency the
Excellency the Governor'
"
An official notice to that affect having bem made public throughout the Colony, I considered that I should best forward.
the
the interest of the public service by letting
the matter rest as announced and thus
lacitly sive my sanction; at the same time I felt that it was my duty to point
General
out the irregularity tooke Postmaster
and to elicit from him whore whose authorityy he was reason of
the detention
In reply to my
Acting
and the
letter Resende
me the copy of an address from several Merchants to his Excellency the Governor
of Hong Kong, with his Excellency's retrack thereon, but who he received it from he does not state, neither does he give one the information Irequire._
I beg
To Enclose
you
The
correspondence that has passed on the subject and trust that the course I have furtued will meet with your approval
4. G. E. Patey RM.
perintendent of Packets
Southampton
"I have"
by Hugo Bor Bernally
Commander Ken.
Naval Agent.