The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-04 00:00:00

COPY No. 2

Town-Hall, Liverpool, Nov. 3, 1853.
have neither time nor inclination to enter
into a correspondence on the subject to which your
note refers.

When I have vacated the position which I now
hold, I shall be quite prepared, in the Council-
Chamber, to answer any questions you. may be
pleased to put, and to vindicate any opinions
which I have ever uttered. -

I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
SAMUEL HOLME

Robertson Gladstone, Esq.

[Copy No. 3.]

Sin,—l have received your note of this day's
date. In it you inform me, that you have neither
time nor inclination to enter into a correspondence
on the subject to which my communication refers ;
but that when you have vacated the position you
hold, you will be quite prepared, in the Council-
Room, to answer any questions, or to vindicate
any opinions you may have uttered,
Permit me to remark that, inasmuch as neither
time nor inclination were wanting, on your part, to
make a statement, which I contend is an unfounded
one, it appears to me not' only yOut duty, but an
act' of justice towards the individual to whom th

,atement refers, that you should, whenever called
upon, be prepared to verify it at all sacrifices,

either of time or convenience. You have no

text for attempting to shelter yourself—you have
no fair grounds on which to procrastinate, until a
season more convenient should arrive. A plain
answer is required to a plain question ; and, as
tie party concerned, I cannot recognize any right
or authority you may claim to defer answering, for
a comparatively indefinite period, that which ought
now to receive a prompt and decisive reply.
But since silence is the course you have marked
out for yourself, it will be for me to appeal to a
competent tribunal—the public—who, I cannot
doubt, will be able to form a correct judgment
between us, and to determine whether the only
and proper inference to be drawn from your con-
duct, is, or is not, that you have made a statement
which you have no means of substantiating.
Before I conclude, I will endeavour, though
somewhat hurriedly, to redeem the promise I made
in my first communication, that I would take an
opportunity of pointing out another error you had
fallen into, as well as direct attention to the irrele-
vancy of your observations, in so far as they relate
to the real and main point at issue.
In the
.course of your remarks at the council
meeting on Monday last, you said that, when I was
Mayor of Liverpool, I had assisted in laying the
foundation stone of the Collegiate Institution, and
on that occasion had invited you to a dinner at
the Town Hall. You are mistaken ; I was not
Mayor of LiVerpool when the foundation , stone
was laid, but I was so when that institution was
opened ; and inasmuch as one of my brothers was
specially invited to take a part in the ceremony, I
did give a dinner at the Town Hall, and I would
have done just the same thing for the Mechanics'
Institution.

But the case is altogether foreign to the point I
brought before the notice of the council. What
took place, in respect to the Collegiate Institution,
was within the precincts of the borough, where, if any-
thing was said or done that was wrong, it would of
necessity be at once known, and a remedy be
speedily applied ; but, the objection I raised, re-
ferred solely to your travelling beyond the precincts
of the borough-4o your visit to the Mayor of
London, without the knowledge or sanction of the
council, and where and when, you, in the capacity
of Mayor of Liverpool (and it was to be presumed,
as representing the views of the council), did dis-
cuss the subject of Education, in what form or
manner is immaterial, thus establishing a prece-
dent which, I believe, to be dangerous to the best
interests of the corporation, and opposed to the
rights, independence, and freedom of the members
of the Town-Council.

I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,
ROBERTSON GLADSTONI
Samuel Holme, Esq., Mayor, &c., Town-Hall.

Union-court, 3rd Nov., 1853

LAUNCH OF THE." OTTAWA."

Yesterday, shortly before one o'clock, the splendid new
screw steam-ship, Ottawa, was launched from the building
yard of Mr. John Laird, Dingle. This splendid vessel is in-
tended for one of the line of the Canadian Steam Navigation
Company's line of screw-steamers, to trade between Liverpool,
Quebec and Montreal, during the summer months, whilst the
navigation of the St. Lawrence is open; under contract with
her majesty's provincial government of Canada, and also in
winter in conjunction with the great railway companies of
Canada, via Portland. The Ottawa is beautifully modelled,
her lines being remarkably fine, and her entire proportions
combining capacity and elegance. She is 240 feet in length,
with depth and beam in proportion, estimated measurement,
1,200 tons, and burthen upwards of 1,500 tons. She is to
be fitted by Messrs. Fawcett and Preston, with engines of the
most approved construction, about 300 horse-power ; which will
be considerably exceeded in working, judging from the beauty of
model, fineness of lines, and the skill of her builder, the
Ottawa promises to be one of the fastest screw-steamers that
has yet crossed the Atlantic.

Mr. Laird is also building for the same Company three
other very large screw steamers, to be named the Ontario,
Erie, and Huron (atter the great Canadian lakes), each of
which will be upwards of 2,000 tons burthen, and of proportion-
ate power. It is expected the Ontario will be launched in a
few months, and it is the intention of the Company to com-
plete as early as possible this magnificent fleet of screw steam-
ers, which we learn will be under the direction of Messrs. M.
Kean, M. Larty, and R. Lamont. A. very large company
was in attendance to witness the launch, and the noble vessel,
on the triggers being drawn, glided majestically into what is
become her future element, amidst the discharge of cannon, and
the cheers of the parties assembled. We perceive that Mr.
Laird is building in the same yard titre,: new steamers for the
African Steam Company, also a new steamer to be called the
Bahiana, for the Brazilian Steam Company. All those
vessels are fast drawing towards completion.