Laird Brothers to her Majesty’s Treasury.
Sir: We have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, stating that it is the intention of her Majesty’s government to keep up and renew, ad interim, the insurances of the El Tousson and El Monnassir, at the cost of the public, provided we will agree to repay the cost of such insurances, in the event of the property in the vessel being hereafter adjudged to us, according to the result of the proceedings which may be taken for the purpose of deciding on the validity of the seizures.
In reply, we beg respectfully to submit to you that the condition we are asked to agree to is not reasonable.
For, not only do the vessels incur marine risk by being exposed in the estuary of the Mersey, which risk would not have arisen if the vessels had remained in the docks, but the time has expired during which they would have been in our possession at all.
If they had remained in dock no marine insurance would have been necessary, and if they had not been seized, they would ere this have been delivered to the purchasers.
Under these circumstances we respectfully submit that the vessels should be insured, and kept insured, at the public cost, without any such condition being imposed on us.
We beg to inform you that another policy against fire for £20,500 expires on the 24th instant.
We are, sir, your obedient servants,
The Secretary to the Treasury.
P. S.—Since writing the above, we find that two further policies against fire—one for £14,000, and another for £5,000—also expire on the 24th instant.
LAIRD BROTHERS.