It is however possible that this Commodore's position may have been assigned to the late Solicitor-General by Darling who was informed by a despatch dated the 16th Sep 184 with reference to the General question of precedence, that the determination of precedence in some cases was placed a good deal in his hands, and that the Law Officers of the Crown saw no objection to the principle on which he proposed to proceed.
Before deciding this question, the Government does not propose to make any change in the present arrangement. Sir Charles Fitzgerald will still act as Commander-in-Chief during the commission of Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy.
The present Committee have considered the circumstances of the matter. Not being aware of the claim that in India the second station is in favour of Hong Kong. His Lordship purposes to abide by the arrangement which the senior presidency of the Committee has been fixed. The Commander-in-Chief being next after the Chief Justice, and it was decided that he should be treated as irregular.
A reply to the despatch was sent to his Lordship, stating that he would not propose to make any change during the Commission of the present Commander-in-Chief.
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