Murdoch to Merivale (Permanent Under-Secretary)

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 and 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.