Murdoch to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)
Emigration Office
21 February 1859
Sir,
I have to acknowledge your letter of instant (received the 15th) with the copy of a letter from Mr Cadell a Passenger on board the "Sea Nymph" bound to British Columbia, complaining of the state of that Vessel and the manner in which the Passengers had been treated.
2. On receiving your letter I directed Captain Dean, the Emigration Officer of the Port of London, to enquire into the case andManuscript imageand I now transmit a copy of his Report. It will be seen that the "Sea Nymph" did not come under the Passengers Act, and we had, therefore, no legal power to interfere with her. But it is satisfactory to observe that the complaints of the Passengers had been attended to by the Owners of the Vessel, that a new Master had been appointed, and that the Vessel when she got to sea was in a proper state and the Passengers comfortable.
I have etc.
T.W.C. Murdoch
Minutes by CO staff
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Mr Merivale
As the Sea Nymph, & Mr Cadell I conclude in her, have sailed it is scarcely necessary to pursue this correspondence.
Put by, in case of future reference being needed.
ABd 22 Feb
HM F 22
I think that this may be put by.
TFE 23 Feby
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I only doubt whether anything will put a stop to Mr Cadells letters. He seems really to have nothing to do but to write. Put by.
C Feb 24
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
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James R. Dean, Emigration Officer, Port of London, to S. Walcott, Emigration Commissioner, 17 February 1859, concerning the adverse state of the Sea Nymph and measures taken to correct it.
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Fry and Davison to Dean, 17 February 1859, concerning replacement of the Master and subsequent "all well on board."
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C. Besant, Patent Ships and Building Yard, 17 February 1859, advising that matters had been put right with both passengers and ship.
Murdoch, Thomas William Clinton to Merivale, Herman 21 February 1859, CO 60:5, no. 2013, 497. The Colonial Despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871, Edition 2.0, ed. James Hendrickson and the Colonial Despatches project. Victoria, B.C.: University of Victoria. https://bcgenesis.uvic.ca/B595LN04.html.

Last modified: 2020-03-30 13:22:16 -0700 (Mon, 30 Mar 2020) (SVN revision: 4193)