The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-29 00:00:00

THE ROYAL CHARTER.

A CONSIDERABLE sensation was created in Liverpool on
Saturday afternoon, by an intimation posted in the Under-
writers' Room, as follows :—" Plymouth, Jan. 26.—The Royal
Charter, from Liverpool to Australia, has put in here, a little
leaky in the upper works, from straining. Defects unimport-
ant : appears over-laden. Passengers, crew, and cargo all
right." Royal Charter, (s.s,) Liverpool, at Plymouth, for
Australia, all well ; put in on account of heavy westerly
gales."
Yesterday morning, the following letter, which had been re-
ceivedby Mr. Court, Secretary to the Association of Underwriters,
from Dr. Scoresby, was made public. From this it is evi-
dent that the gallant ship has encountered exceedingly severe
weather ; and that, notwithstanding the serious trial to which
she was put, her qualities as a sea-going craft are of the
highestorder; that she sustained the buffettings of an unusually
tempestuous sea, and still retains the confidence of her able
commander, Captain Boyce, of his crew, and passengers. The
following is Dr. Scoresby's interesting letter on the sub-
ject :

" Royal Charter, Plymouth Sound, Jan. 26, 1856.
SlE,—The putting back of this splendid ship is a circum-
stance which will necessarily produce surprise, and, perhaps,
unfair comment. I think it my duty, therefore, as one of the
passengers, and not an unobservant one, to report through the
medium of the Liverpool press, the principal circumstances
leading to and rendering, according to my personal judgment,
our return both judicious and essential.
"The question of putting back was brought to an issue by
very heavy weather, encountered off the Bay,of Biscay, and
the condition of the passengers in the 'tween decks. To two
circumstances, as it seems to me, the inconveniences and evils
requiring our return, are clearly traceable, namely :-Ist.
Some strange inadvertency or neglect about the ' waterways'
and gunwale, with other smaller matters about the main
deck, by reason of which, as soon as the sea sprays began to
fly on board, the water poured down into the berths of the
third and second class passengers in extraordinary quanti-
ties; and this, having no means of escaping, accumulated and
washed about, to the great suffering and damage of the occu-
pants of the berths.
"Secondly. The circumstances of the ship having inad-
vertently been far too heavily loaded. From prudential mo-
tives, in respect to the ship's proper stability under canvas,
several hundreds of tons of ballast were distributed along the
bottom of the hold, a full cargo, at the time, I understood not
being at all expected. Too late, with reference to the time of
sailing, for the removal 'of what was now a dead weight and
encumbrance, cargo flowed in till the ship was full-. The,con-
sequence was most unfortunate, the ship being sunk deeper
in the water by two or three feet than her proper tine of flota-
tion. The good qualities expected from so fine 'a model in
naval architecture were overwhelmed, and the ordinary ma-
nageableness vastly injured. This latter inadvertency neces-
sarily rendered the ship wet on the main deck, and so became
the cause of supply for the leakage there ; and whilst ruining
the ship's proper qualities for nautical evolutions, occasioned
the screw, even when raised up to its place above the ordinary
level of the water, to be continually dipping, and thus inter-
fering, by the position of its opaque blades, with the action of
the rudder in steering.
"To my mind there appears no doubt, that, if the dead-
weight,-especially that which is at the two extremities of the
ship, shotild be removed, and the defects about the gunwales
made:good, that all the important difficulties and evils would
be removed; and I can see no reason'why the Royal Charter
shoUld .not fully regain the reputation which, prospectively,
had been attained. And, in support,of this conviction, I may
add, that her buoyancy and action as a ' sea-boat, was most
admirable I may say splendid, rising above the formidable
disadvantage of her deep loading, even in heavy weather, with
high cross seas, we encountered .of the Bay of Biscay ; for
Whilst her motions were singulariy easy, she neither leaked
below nor ever shipped a oval
-"I will just add, that painful and onerous as the step taken
by Captain Boyce was, in putting'lack to this port, I am per-
fectly satisfied that a due regard for the health and safety-of
'the passengers, independent of tther considerations, rendered
'this important decision imperative—an opinion, I believe,
which is concurred in by all -the passengers on board. 'F‘ven
-the avoidance of the wear and tear of a westerly gales%ill
blowing heavily, and which has already sent in here a 'fine
clipper ship with loss of spars, might well repay for the loss
of time in putting back.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" ILLIAM SCORESBY.

"Thomas Court, Esq.,
Underwriters' Rooms, Liverpool."
In addition to Dr. Scoresby's letter, we have also received
the following extracts from the log of the ship, which fully
testify to the terrific nature of the storm which the Royal
Charter encountered-7.—
Sailed 18th.-8 o'clock, passed lighthouse under steam
and tide with us ; off Point Lynas at 2.30, p.m.; at 'Holyhead
at 6, p.m., strong tide against us ; at 6k set fore mid aft can-
vass, at 7 and 8 knots, wind south, course S.W. by 'W
19th.—Stormy breezes from S.W., heavy sea rolling in from
Westward; at 9, a.m., Tuskar, bore N.W., wind: changed to
W. ; Continued beating down channel under all sail, -ship
working admirably.
20th.—Off Cork, thick-weather, wind W.N.W, course S.W.
by W. • at noon wind ; at 1, p.m., hove up screw, and
ran under canvass only `122 knots ; at midnight•-wind hauled
to W.N.W. with heavy gales ; put ship under close‘reefed
topsail, very heavy sea,-ship behaving very well; under three
close-reefed topsail, and- foresail out, screw up.
2lst. Gale increasing,-and sea worse ; wind hauled to S.W.
Wore ship and stood to.W.N.W., keep on same tack till next
morning—much water, coming on deck—ship going four to
five knots being able to carry sail from size of ship and
having lower topsail
.yards fitted as they are—when most
ships must have laid to.
22nd.—Gale continued terrific, and wind. changed to
W.N.W. ; wore ship and stood to N.W. Ship -behaving very
well, but storm so .violent that great quantities of water came
on deck—four to.five knots.
23rd, five a.m.—Wind changed to W.S.W., heavy cross
seas and blowing terrifically—four p.m., wore ship to N.W.
and sea breaking over ship, and continuing -to that night
—going through water four to five knots.
24th, wind N.W., six a.m.—Gale and sea as bad as before.
Gale continued with every appearance of -bad weather; at
eight a.m. wore ship—connected screw, and bore up for
Plymouth.
25th.—Wind and weather the same; running 131 knots.
26th.—Arrived at Plymouth, at three, a.m.
" Star of Peace"put in 25th, maintopmast,-&c.,c,arried away.

ON Wednesday, theJlev. Dr. Raffles delivered a lecture on
" Rome" to a highly respectable audience in Salem Chapel,
Burnley.
THE NEW CHURCH SOCIETY'S SOIREE will be held this
evening, in the Concert-hall, Lord Nslson-street, Jas. Harvey,
Esq., in the chair.
GOMPERTE'S PANORAMA will continue on view, at the
Queen's-hall, Bold-streeti-all this week. Yesterday, the pro-
prietor, with great liberality, admitted the children connected
with the Blue Coat Hospital to enjoy the display.
" THE LIVERPOOL INSTITUTE AND SCHOOL -OF ART" is
the new name agreed upon for the Liverpool Mechanics'
Institution, should the subscribers at the next annual meeting
confirm the resolution of the directors.
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—Mr. Hackett's new ora-
torio, " The Passage of the Red Sea," was produced, on Wed-
nesday last, at St. George's Hall, before a numerous audience.
Mr. Best presided at the organ, and the leading -vocal parts
were sustained by Madame Weiss and Mr. Thomas.
THE MURDER IN TORTETII-PARE.—The man, John Fer-
guson, who murdered Sarah Drummond in Prince William-
street, Toxteth-park, yesterday week, as detailed in our last
publication, was on Tuesday committed for trial under a war-
rant from the coroner, on the. charge of " Wilful Murder."
DEATH OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF -"AVER-
•BOOL.—The Rev. Dr. Browne, appointed by the Pope Roman
Catholic Bishop at Liverpool, expired' suddenly, at his Tesi-
deuce, Catherine-street, on Friday morning. Dr. Goss is to
be-the new bishop. The solemn office of the dead, prcesegte
cadavere, was recited at St. Nicholas's, Copperas-hill, last
evening.
IVIA.I)AME CONSTANTINI'S CONCERT, which takes placelhis
evening, in St. George's Hall, under the patronage of T. E.
Horsfali, Esq., M.P., and C. J. Ewart, Esq., M.P., will be-a
treat, presenting, as it does, numerous features of novelty and
interest. Among these will be the recitative and scerra,
"Upon,the Doomed City," from Tully's new cantata, on the
taking,of Sebastopol.
THE SARDINIAN.—The Royal Mail.clipper ship "-Sardi-
nian," Captain Sheridan, which left Liverpool for Melbourne
on Tuesday last, has, as we learn, been compelled to put into
the port of Troon, in the Clyde, on the Ayrshire coast. After
her departure she had a strong favourable breeze, and was
.running .at the rate of fourteen miles an hour, when, about
two p.m., of Thursday, th 6 wind chopped round in a southerly
direction, and increased to a hurricane. The canvas being
blown to ribbons, and several spars carried away, the captain
bore up and reached Troon at midday on Friday. The crew
and passengers. are all well. 'The ship behaved most nobly,
and proved herself a splendid sea boat ; and Captain Sheridan
and his officers and crew displayed great skill, coolness, and
activity, under the trying circumstances. This fine vessel
sustained no iniury,of any kind beyond the loss of-canvass to
a small extent, which was set at the time the gale caught her.
She has since been refitted, and was to leave Troon this mor-
ning at six o'clock, in prosecution of her voyage to the anti-
podes.
IMPUDENT ROBBERX.—Three young men, named William
Joving, Joseph Reynolds, and John Armstrong were charged
at the Police-court, yesterday, with having, on Satur-
day night, robbed Mr. Meredith Roberts, a gentleman re-
siding in Hope-place. From the evidence it appeared that the
prisoners, who are well known to the police as dissolute cha-
racters, and who are a pest to -the neighbourhood, were lurking
about the corner of Murray-street and Marble-street, when
the prosecutor, who was slightly elated with liquor, went into
a public-house in that place, kept by a man named Jones, and
he was immediately followed by the prisoners. They called
for three glasses of ale, which were supplied. The conductor
of the public-house asked them for payment, when one of
them said, the "old gentleman" would pay, meaning the
prosecutor. On being asked, Mr. Roberts said he did not
mind, and pulled out his purse to do so. Immediately on his
taking out his purse, Joving seized him by the wrist, and
twisted the purse out of his hand. The other prisoner, Arm-
strong, then called out, " sling out." In answer to this,
Joving put his hand behind him and gave the purse to Arm-
strong. The conductor, likewise named Jones, seized the two,
and called for assistance, when Smith, a police-constable, came
and secured them, along with the purse, which was found to
contain £4. The prisoner Reynolds did not interfere in the
robbery. He was accordingly discharged. The other two
were committed for trial.
AUDACIOUS ATTEMPT AT ROBBERY AND MURDER: On
Thursday morning, about ten o'clock, a most daring attempt
at robbery and murder was made in the shop of Mr. Durandu,
bullion dealer. At the time mentioned Mr. William Hughes,
clerk with Mr. Durandu, left the shop in the charge of a lad
named Stoddart, the errand boy, while he went for the cash-
box, which had been deposited for safety, as was usual, in Mr.
Hornby's, a few doors oft. Immediately on Hughes leaving,
two young men, brothers, named William and Henry Eyre,
entered the shop, knocked down the boy Stoddart; and placed
him behind the counter, threatening to murder him if he spoke
or stirred. They then placed themselves behind the door, in
waiting for Hughes, whom they assailed with a poker and a life-
preserver, striking him over the head with such violence as to
cut him severely, and to knock him down. He still struggled
and called out " Murder," which brought hint assistance, and
the ruffians were secured. So desperate was their assault
upon Hughes, that both the poker and the life preserver were
broken. He was taken to the Northern Hospital, where his
wounds were dressed ; and he is now, we understand, recover-
ing. The two robbers were taken before the Police-court, and
remanded to Thursday. They are the sons of a man who, in
August last, was sentenced to six years' penal servitude for
appropriating a bank post bill for £5OO, which he found in
the street, to his own use, by forging the name of the party
to whom it was addressed.