E
}
serious attention of the Directors of the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company has been called to the matter with the view of some decided steps being taken to put an
and to the system.
The Directors at once expressed themselves anxious to do all in their power to prevent any infringement of the laws, and they forwarded instructions to their Superintendent at Hongkong to enquire into the representations which
had been made by Mr Mitchell. They have now received their Superintendent's report, and it appears that, in one instance only, have they been able to bring home
a case to one of their officers and that this officer died before his
misconduct came to their knowledge.
105
To guard, however, against the repetition of such an occurrence a general notice was at once issued by the Company's Superintendent that such an act would be immediately followed by the suspension of the person in fault, who could thereupon be sent to England to be dealt with by the Directors.
Enclosed is a copy of the Company's letter in which it is stated that when
the question was referred by Mr Mitchell to the Governor of Hongkong, the Company Superintendent waited on His Excellency for the purpose of receiving any commands which he might think fit to give, but that after due consideration His Excellency
was pleased to say that everything possible had already been done in support of the provisions of
the