The Express.
London, England, 1856-04-03 00:00:00

(Stamped ld. Additional.) [TWOPENCE.

THE LOSS OF THE ROYAL
BERO.MAIL STEAMER
SCHOM

The following is a report of the meeting, stated in
yesterday's Espresa to have been held at Melbourne, in
connexios with the loss of the above vessel :
- Mr. Melville proposed the lost reselatiee. He said he
was one of the thfortunate pummoses by the Schonberg.
He had been Tailwind to attend, nod he bad accordingly
dose so, and beggedto repass** bet themithism. which was
&stollens: " Resolved—TlM the reemdmot alibi 'spurn, the
surgees, and damn of the finhembeeg was MaWnmaly,
Mesavelesue, and ty reankekand greedy WineneL" Ite might
say, in rellseesee to the negratlemaaly, and
Omaha esailaat of the aptain, that rirctrt. no
doubt of it ; but he mug add that there were some excep-
tions usompt the elbeene—elthotigh he thought it would be
better not thea to sped. Om. He had snared considerably
from the conduct of Omeaptain, foe vibes he started he had
2,0001. in his pocket, sal he had tbis smiy 11101.., and had
it net been that he owlet Os Wise Ma Shan Mariallal,
he should, beyoad all desk, have lowa Idelbeenne •
bit! Nerrie medially speed with the reed .!
usenet of all the 'Mats was bad, and be uniMelleil do
I 'peeper investigation would at once be initialed. (Miffie.)
He hoped that it would be M.
Mr. Yens said that after the retention whisli had loos
proposed he did expect that some imforotation we.M be
given—that rooms specifier charge would have bee. made to I
eantantiate the sweeping amnions it montaimod. He
ray that it was un-Begllah and softie to make lash damn
without bringing forward something to support them. As
far as they had gone, not one word of the us:lotion was
proved. He stood there net as the hied of Captain
Forbes, but IS a friend of fair play, and it would, in his
opinion, be a &agues to the meeting and in chairman to
peas this etiolation unless batter grounds for it were shown.
Mr. Melville should have cited some interne of the
tummy or immorality of Captain Forbes to support a
resolution col this nature, and until some such este were
brounit forward, he for one should hold up his hand against
the resolution.
Mr. Gothic would give one instance of the tyranny and
discoortamaness cif the captain, and that was tower& Mr.
Melville. The ciptain entered Mr. Melvillt's cable, and
the latter gentleness complained that he was kept short of
provisions—in fast, half starved, and that the previsions
were of a quality not fit for a dog. To this the captain r.-
plied that they were a set of dirty dogs and what they had
was good though. (Hisses )
Mr. Groove Jan. said that the partition separating the
first tad second intermediate classes had been removed in
spite of the petition to the contrary of the second clue pas-
angers, who, in consequence of its removal, suffered consi-
derable annoyance.
Mr. Carpenter mid that, as another matinee of the
Sparsely of the captain, he might state that be had taken
Ivo unfortunate Irishmen out of their berths in the night,
mad conked them in the wheal-house until four or five
e Week in the morning. He called them, at the same time,
w.— Irish crew and set of rebels," and said *ache
" *NM be down on them."
Mr. Stark said that another instant of tyranny on the
part of the certain wit when one of the passengers brought
ftward some pre visions to complain of their being short in
weight. The captain, instead of hearing him, ody told
him "to go forward to his table." The puseoger remon-
strated, and the captain shoved him violently (myriad, and
said, "Go down to your cabin, or I will kick you down."
Was that tyrannical conduct or sot ? (Hear.)
Mr. Stockdale said that he, too, could add something
to support the remittent:. That the conduct of the
months acid his officers had been immoral no one an
heard of the ship had the slightest doubt. Timm were
two "lady " passengers on hoard in the second cabin owe
of them beloagiag to his (Mr. Stothdeleh) meal, No. 8.
These koala were kept out of their cabins by the
Sartain and bit taken until very unseasonable hours.
The first occasion on which any dispute arose on the
matter Inv when one of these ladies was kept in the
septaha's eebin until one o'clock is the morning. The
mend lady preferred the daylight, for she came back at fin
la the inersteg, and then only In her night diem. Oh I"
sad" Shame.") The door of her tibia, however, was shut
against her, and she did not obtain entrance until • fall sc-
ot her a had been made. If this was the con-
Carer
those having under their charge the lives of handfed,
of pathogen, he would ask any one present if it was decent
se proper, or whether, if they bad a female, or even a male
✓elative, coming out to the colones, they would allow them
to ewe en board a ship with which Captain Forbes had
anything to do ? (Heir.) The mess to which he belonged,
is. 8, passed a resolution requesting the lady he had re
ffirrth to to withdrew, as there were other ladies in it, and
the result was that the next morning the captain came down,
la • bullying manner, blackguarding them, and threatenieg
them with irons; and when they attempted to justify their
esaduct, he replied that he would not believe the
word of any man at the tsble. (Shame.) Mr. Gotkin
spoke to him is very moderate terms, and was told
that if he said another word he should be put in
irons %titian. He wes, however, informed, in reply,
that if he dared to rimy out such a threat he would
on his arrival find the colony too hi tto hold him. Their
provisions were not of the quality, nor in the quantities,
they were led to expect, nor bad their contracts been ful-
filled. They were aware that by the act of parliament they
were allowed three quarts of huh water per diem, over sad
above that required for cooking. During the first part of
the voyage they had saver rtosived more than two quarts,
and latterly not more than • quart and half, hardly more
than enough to wash with. The quality of the water, which
was bad at first, bums afterwards better, sad soon after-
wards they got some filters. Further on la the psuage the
allowance of sagas wee stopped for nearly a woes and
whet they nuoustrated, instead of sugar they got noisome',
although not • word about molasses was said in the dinar,
male. They refused the molasses, and was then put on
half-rations of moist sugar, of a quality that he felt assured
no on. in that room would use. It was apparently the
sweepings of loaf and moist sugar, and was more dirt than
sayings. *lst. A umber of the pmesogers went to
the purser and maned him to change the sugar. He
said that he could cot do it, that the sugar had bus
given out by order of the *totals. He (Hr. Btockdale) said
that it was most ungentlemanly to offer them such
sugar as that. The purser said, "Do you call that bad
mart " The answer was " Yee ;" and he replied, "I'll
be —if I change it for you or anybody else." The mass.
as la which their meth were served up to them was more
MRS for a parcel of pig" than for humour bongs. Their
nib emmisitm were reduced by breakage until at length
they were compelled to eat soap, pudding, and meet off the
INN plate, sad to drink tea out of tins and tumblers. They
hod been obliged toast their pudding off their plate bottom
upward,— (laighter)—aud the tables were seldom washed,
and were so dirty that, divined with their appearance, ha
bad hequelatly est to sad washed them himself. (Chem and
larnetiter.)
Mr. Carpenter moved, as an amendment to the resolution,l
Me tannin of the words, " some of the officers."
Mr. Melville wended the ameadmour.
M.Litt.'s said that it was a scoriae' fan that the captain
of the eehereem kept a woman in the wend cabin, and
illaa moo lam tis the doctor. It was every day, all day,
✓eel la When he west to the doctor for sass =ni-
de, be ass Ildo Asa, signal; la his cabin.
A Peesseger—l have men her in On bed. It was on St.
el 's Day.
linkelson—Wbes the steamer came to their rescue,
nose of the peamagen were allowed to take any luggage
with them. It was with great difficulty that he took his
writing-desk. The captain, however came on board with
thew
one of t women la• small boat, and they bad • lot of
boxes, containing Dearly all, if not the whole, of her
Mr. Charles said that Min —had a similar indulgence
allowed to her. She wee the doctor's lady. liar luggage
was taken away with the mail bags.
The question was than put from the chair, and the
assesdokost declared to be serried.
_ _ _

Mr. Nelda mend the secood resolution :—" Resolved,
That it is sellealy the genital impression of the puengen
by the flobesabeer, bat to the certain koowledge of many of
those ken sesenalle. d, that the loss of that fine ship can oily
be attributed to the gross negligence of the esptala.'
The vessel at the commencement of the voyage had
borne very rough weather, and had behaved well.
When the intelligence was brought to the meals that
the vowel was nearing the shore, why did he not come
up 2 No, he ledslired too much is his own pleasures to
are for the safety of his passengers. He did not wish to
say sag* whist the aerials, however, for they had been
at misses en board the ship, but he felt that the public at
large should be addled. When the cartels was made
awes, of the dangerous position of the ship be did measly
come up. and told the crew to pat the ship in stays. His
orders were obeyed, and ate of the officers told him soon
afterwards of the moditles of the vessel, and he replied,
" Let kw go to h—l, and tell me when she is on the beech."
If sash wen the words he used, was it not design rather
than uegllpsoe which east her mien ? It might be asked
why was he at wises, with the captain. It was because
he (Mr. Retitle) would not sanetion his immoral conduct.
He had. however, doee much to stress him. When the
mbls door was inked and the somas came down at half-

itfour is the surnisg, he had endeavouredfoaristheatal, to break the
of the door for her, bat filed in the attempt. (Great
lughter ) Hs had bees abused by the penes who had
the deer, aid he stated to the captain what had hap-
pened, sad be seamed raddled with the way is which he
acted. Whoa the uptake misinformed by the third dicer
that the ship was approashisg the thou, land had bees
sun at lust as hour, if not more. The capttiu, who was
is his cable, however, led Ma to get out of that, and not
be bathe:in him.
Yr. litrekdale filly roiscided with the roulades. He
woo of opinion that the conduct of the captain from the
outset had bees neklcee in the extreme. The first time he

had cause to find fault with him was when they sighted ea
Iceberg in the Southern Otena, when the captain rail the
vessel so close that in his (Mr. Blockage's) opinion the keel
most have gone over a portion of it. Oa soother occasion,
on meeting with another vessel, he, without any sp'mfic
purpose, ten so close that he coned away the signal boat-
ards. (" Ob," aid " Shame.") He afterwards made a
joke of it. Previous to the vessel stranding he felt greatly
gamed, for the general impression amoupt the passengers
was that they were ia some danger, sad even the doctor
himself admitted that it manna that they sew. Attempts
were made to awaken the watch; sad he saw the trees even,
and informed the captain of it, when he came on the fore-
castle with his night glees la his hind. It was more than
ten minutes after that that any pnparatlon wss made to
"'boat ship," and the vessel, when she did strike, went ea
the reef in such a manner that it would be almost impos-
sible to get her off again.
Mr. Johnson, a mariner, said that if the anchor had been
ready to drop when the vessel missed stays she might have
been saved. The chats cable had been got up four or live
days before they made the land, but it was never bent, SOT
r wee the anchor rand. The ship might sadly have be=
mediae, she wised stays if the maw had been let go.
Mr. Wlllkwas said that when tie vowel struck he was on
the forenetle. He had bees there from ten o'clock, and
many of the pansegm had seen land a bead. He told a
saaa named Cavanagh to awoken the watch, who ware
asleep. Cavanagh (who was a pump? to Sydney) roared
oat that there was land shoed, and the first mate, who
heard him, at/ It anomaly &goad. He ogled out a neon&
time, and they then stopped him. He was so amylase&
that the ship would strike, that be ran down to some (geode
of his in the second cabin, and told them to put on their
clothes. He said that it was not his intentioa to go to bed,
and he advised them not to do so either. He said
that, in his opinion, the ship would be wilfully
run against the beach. This impression arose from
his want of confidence in the captain, and from his
proceedings on the previous evening. Bach was his impres-
sion then, and so it remained. The captain had ones
threatened to put him in iron bemuse he looked at him;
he had to other !IMMO for doing so. He did look at him
and was Dot afraid to look at him now, nor was he afraid to
state before him every word he had just uttered. He was
not a nautical men, sad knew nothing of navigation, but
he stated his ewn impressions freely, and was ready at any
time to reassert them, sod prove them, if that was cf any
use. (Cheers )
The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously.
Mr. Carpenter moved the third resolution: "That this
meeting tit of •,pinien that the contracts entered into between
James Balms end Co., of Liverpool, end the passengers by
the Schoenberg, have not been fulfilled." As to the provi-
sions they had received they were not fit for use. The pre-
served potatoes were tolerable, hut even they were non as
any man on shore would repudiate. As to the pork—
A Voice—They killed the pig. after they died. (Great
laughter.)
Mr. Carpenter—The salt pork was brought to table in
' mush a state as to be quit* disgusting, and even the captain's
special favourites in the second cabln could not touch it.
Mr. Conolly seconded the resolution.
Mr. Charles said that they were led to believe that they
' were to have a bath-room, bat how had that promise been
kept t The bah-room wee turned into a dungeon for a
madman. (A Voice: "What made him mad? ") He
verily believed that he was made mad by the cruel conduct
of the captain and his allege.
Mr. Whartoa said that he agreed with the resolution, for
they had a great rase to complain. Neither the proper
quantity or quality of provisions had been served oat to
them. For instance, they had four ducks and four knuckles
' of ham to men a number of the !mongers, and frequently
the provisions were in such &condition that several posses-
' gen left the saloon and went without dinner, which, how-
' ever,he could not afford to do. They often bad coup that stank
and meat that wee tainted. After the strong inducements
r which the Black Ball Line bad held out to them, end the way
in which they had been fulfilled, he felt trot nothing too
severe could be said against them. As to the provisions,
the water supplied was scarcely drinkable; the Hock and
' Moselle ran out, except a couple of dozen, which the tap-
; tan retained for his own use; and the sherry was so bed
that they had ones or tarns to and it back. As to the
meat, it was always "pork, pork, pork." They had, in
• short, an infamous steward, end a blackguard cook—two
' very great evils on bond &navel. (Hear, and laughter.)
Mr. Helios would add to what Mr. Whitton had said
that darner the latter pert of the voyage they bad been fed
1 on pork, although plenty of poultry remained. He valeta
also remark that the chief steward on board the Sctombern
1 was a men who tad been disgraced and dismissed fio n the
/ James Baines. . .

The reeolutio• was then put and carried.
Mr. Stockdal• moved the fourth rte.lation—" That a de-
putation be appointed to wait on his excellency the officer
administering the government, praying that an inverdw
tint be held into the circumstances attending the Ices of tke
Schoenberg, and the property of the passengers."
Mr. Xenon seconded this neolution, which was carried
unanimously.
Mr. Miller moved—. That • vote of thanks be given to
Captain Doran, cf the steam ship the Queen, for his ready
exertions tee rescue the passengers; cad also to tt a paswegers
on board for their readiness to submit to incocventenee, to
enable the passengers of the Schonberg to be for overdid to
Melbourne."
This was seconded by Mr. Adam, and carried.
Dr. Milton gloved a vote of thanks to the passengers of
the Schonberg who had taken the necessary stays to bring
this matter fully before the public.
Mr. M'Ciregor seconded this resolution, which was sap-
ported by Mr. Potter, and also carried.
A deputation we. then appointed ; and a vote of thanks
to the chairman terminated the promedings.

THE BALLnT IN VICTORIA.

At a meeting of the executive committee of the
Society for Pramoting the Adoption of the Ballot, held at
the ogicee an Tuesday last, the Bev. N. Berea ITT in the
chair,
Mr. WHITIIIOIIIT proposed , and Mr. PROOT seconded,
the followiag resolution., which ware Ltllltiitimnitly circled:
1. That this committee have heard with great autistic-
tion of the resolution come to by the Legislative Council of
Victoria in favour of adopting the vote by ballot at elections
for members of the colcnial legislature.
" 2. That the committee regard this resolution of the
colonial legislature of Viotoris as apio if that the vote by
ballot will ultimately f • adapted wherever representative
institutions are established.
" 3. That as the Corrupt Practices Prevention Act will
expire with the present session of pietism, et, and as ex-
perieuee shows that that act has not efficted the purposes
for which it was pissed, it will Woose the duty of the legis-
lature to take mare effectual prowations against the evils
of bribery, and especially t f intimidation and coercion at
elections rand' this committee trust that ber Majesty's
ministers and the Rouse of Commons will Ullow the Siam-
pie of the legislature of Victoria, and agree to the adoption
of the vote by ballet at elections for members of vehement,
as the only mesas to secure complete purity and freedom at
election, and prevent the representation of the country
from lapsing into the state in which it was before the Reform
Bill."

SAINT CROSS HOSPITAL.
—Weniderstand that in consequence of the late
judgment of the Lords Jgatiore not going to the length of
deeming the thisterefilp of the above hospital to be an
emilerisatirel besefier (although it is designate and recog-
nised as being one in it), a notice has been served on Kr.
Freres, the solicitor to the Attentrj-Genenl is Charity
snits, that it is the interstitial of the Rev. H. Holloway (under
the injunction which gives him the right of doing so in any
court) to try the following five issues, as tented by Mr. Boa-
duly, the eminent counsel in the great Gorham cm, by a
jury in the Court of Rsoltequer or in the Ecciesiutical
Court:
1. Whether the mastership er guardianship of the Hones
or Hospital of Bt. Crow is an eeclesiastVal bent fish, or
prone:awn with tan, or ctherwthe ?
2. Whether the mastership or goardianship of the said
House or Hospital cf St. Crew, with the Rectory of Bt.
Faith united, is an ecclesiastical benefice, or promotion with
ours, or otherwise ?
3. Whether Lord Guilford has been lawfully or mythi-
cally instituted and inducted into the said essersl benefices
or promotions, or either of them, and ever was. or is, the
lawful incumbent of the use, or either of them ?
4. Whether the chureiwsrdens of the perish of St. Faith
aforesaid can lawfully Premise their office within the church
or chapel of the said Wm or Hospital of St. Crass, and
the church-yard or ebspel.yard, chisrehlards or elppel-
lards thereof, or adjoining thereto ?
6. Whether the parishioners of the psri.h of St. Faith
aro entitled to us the said church or chapel for timing
Divine Service and the administration of Sacraments, sad
all other rites of the established church therein, as their
parish church cr chapel, and the said ober& lard or chape-
-1 yard, church-yards or ehapellards, or either of them, for
burial?

HORTICULTURAL BOCIZTY OF LONDON.—At s
special general meeting of this sissisty held this week is
argent-street, Sir P. Egerton, X P., is the chair, on tba
station of Earl Gray, seconded by Mr Ev.tyn Deities's,
M.P., it was resolved ansniecnlyt—ulhat the council be
enthurised to terminals the tenancy of the Gerdes at Chis-
wick as soon as the leas* will permit, sod that the property
thereto be sold, ashes such a sun as the council may re-
quire for nuslatalaing the garden sha'l bats been subscribed
beton the Ist of May."