The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-28 00:00:00

JOHN BBOGDEN.

ORIGINAL GOLD GRAIN MANUFACTORY,
RIMUITWITIPXIT, 00VENTGARDEN.

JOHN BROGDIENII GOLD CHAINS.

JOHN BROGDENS GOLD GL &RD 0 RAINS.

JOHN BROGDEN'S G OLD ALEMII2 CHAINS.

JOHNEROGDZN'S GOLD BROW 11 CHAIN S.

TURTLE, TURTLE, TURTLE.
Ctear. Thick tad Invalid TURTLIE POUFS always ready,
at ST. JAHRFSHALL. 1.19K/IT4ITB.RIT, PICCADULLY.
WM. DONALD, Proprietor.

LONDON must have a SUPPER and MUSIC
BOON to? Gestierata.—ltemember, we watt tor yea st
..117•118." attar the Theetreh

the ei:preois.

TO COIUILELTONDICITIS.
Aveellsosates Intended toe The lzpreet Laudon Zeman
r. seast be at the Mee. 10, Bouverleatreek Twe
eCk ea the day ol pahlioatton.

.1114Y1LARLIT.

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larren awl Clouplon ; Ads Caveactla.—•ll,oTHlß BAIL
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IN TNN 71•YKALNIT.—An• A EBB IN TIM MILL

PRINCTSFS.

Toil WORM gaff LOIZLNOI.—After which IT IS
'SUM TOO UTZ TO MIND. NUNS. Vining, G. Melville,
M. Mead, D. Ming. b. Oellown, W. VOliers, J. G. Mon, 6. Mar.
mix and IL Osihnin ; Wain L. Yuen and K. Rodger&

LYCEUM.

Tins Emu. % TER lIIITSVILIOUS STRANGE:IL Yr. EL
Widdlcomb.—TEZ NASTIER OF RAVENSWOOD. Nam
lathier, Jordan. Veda, Rsams, Widdiecoth, ntspatriek Zvi ;
Madura Tomsk Iwortq Immo, C. Loderoq.

BRITANWIA.

Tam mina, THi CASISAL WAD.—lirs. Howard Paid.
...NIL John King, COZWSID of the London. --Johnny Day,
the Champion Walker. —The Grand PANTOMIMIC. Mn. S. Lae.
M. and Madame Stertsenbach.—And Maar, Ling of Gymemsia.

inentwATEß. AT LONDON-WM&

TO DAY-7--1047a1i7. ii. 2ii.::::.ifiTirn;c;43. Ik. 4.
11)0416)&84W —. Yundag. 2k. an......Alkinkses, 2 Mk&

LONDON. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 28.

THE Report of the Official Inquiry conoernh

the loss of the London steamship adds little or
nothing to what was previously known of that
calamity from the vague and desultory statement&
of the survivors. The public have waited for this
Report with more than ordinary anxiety, in the
hope of discovering • plain and trustworthy ver-
sion of a story overdone with conjectures and
contradictions, if not of obtaining some authoritative
suggestions towards preventing similar disasters in
future. Without casting any blame on the
acuteness and discretion of the magistrate and the
nautical assessors, we must confess the result of
this protracted inquiry leaves the case as nearly as
possible where it was before the Court commenced

its sittings. The document which is published this
morning is a tolerably succinct account of all the
facts which were already known from the surviving
passengers, and of certain opinions which were
advanced in the course of the inquiry by profes-
sional witnesses and experts.
The tonnage, measurements, steam power of the
unfortunate ship, the names of her owners, the
quantity and stowage of her cargo, were
all furnished to the Court, and are stated in the
Report. A full and detailed account of her passage
from Gravesend to Plymouth, and from Plymouth
to the place where she went down, is given also,
and out of the man of desultory and often irrele-
vant talk which occupied so many days in hearing,
the magistratelhee very properly consigned two-
thirds to thelwaate-paper basket, and of the remaining
third which is produced, much might have been
omitted without missing a single fact or suggestion
of importance. One object of such official Inves-
tigations, as explained by the Assessors, that of
judging the conduct of officers in charge, was in
this sad instance removed beyond the ken of
any court by the death of Captain MARTIN and
his chief officer at their posts of duty. It is con-
soling to believe that the ship was not lost
through negligence, incapacity, or imprudence.
Captain ?demur had earned by long and faithful
service the confidence of his employers and of pas-
sengers, and the only question that could well
have arisen as to his personal qualifications was of
the application of his long experience in command
of sailing ships to the management of steam-
ships. The Report says nothing of the conduct
of the crew, and we may, therefore, trust that
it was as good all that of the officers and pawn-
gem. It would have been more satisfactory, how-
ever, if some unpleasant rumours on this point had
been set at rest. It is only too easy to imagine
that crews which are shipped at the last moment,
as the ship is hailing out of dock, and are made up
almost anyhow, may contain more than a safe
proportion of trash. On the other hand, it may
be supposed that Captain MARTIN had plenty of
time to get his crew into working order, and to
know what they were made of, when he sailed
from Plymouth.
According to the Report, the London left Ply-
mouth with a rising weather-glass, and the Govern-
ment Emigration officer at that port certifies that
the weather was very favourable for her depar-
ture, and that neither with regard to the stowage
of coals on deck, nor the alleged deep•loading of
the ship, was there anything to interfere with the
navigation of the ship or the comfort of the pas-
sengers. We cannot quite escape a doubt whether
"the practice usual in merchant ships" with re-
gard to stowage and loading is not as loose and as
questionable as it is with regard to going to sea
with royal masts on end and topgallant yards
across, which the Emigration officer notices
and condemns, but appears unable to alter.
There is, we fear, no denying that laxity amounting
almost to recklessness is the rule rather than the
exception of the merchant service, and detracts
very seriously from its character and efficiency.
Owners are content if their ships make quick par
sages and bring large cargoes, and since the tradi-
tional feeling of the merchant service is as much
opposed as possible to the restraints and regulations

of a man-Of-war, and recklessness is an inherent
national quality of all English sailors in the rough,
some objectionable practices are obstinately che-
rished. In the case of the London, it seems pro-
bable enough that all the tophamper which it was
even more dangerous to send down in a gale than
to leave aloft to be carried away, was not the
least among the incidental causes of her loss, and
that the tardy attempts to secure them on deck
may have only served to increase the risk of
injury to the ship. The evidence of the offi-
cial surveyors and other experts examined
by the Court of Inquiry as to the construction and
fittings of the London was, on the whole, decidedly
in favour of her perfect seaworthiness. It was
urged that the proportion of her length to bar
breadth was not greater than that of other ocean
steamers, and of the most successful and poweiful
transport. in her MAJESTY'S service. Nevertheless,