The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-29 00:00:00

THE LATE COLLISION IN THE RIVER
ADJOURNED INQUEST.-YESTERDAY.

The inquest was resumed before the Deputy Coroner,
Mr. Statham, at ten o'clock, yesterday, in St. George's
Hall.

Before the examination of the witnesses commenced,
Mr, Rawle, on behalf of the jury, expressed a hope that,
as the enquiry had now lasted nine days, the gentlemen
engaged in the case would only call such evidence as
would bear directly upon the questions at issue before
the jury, and not protract the enquiry by calling wit-
ness after witness to prove the same point, or introduc-

ing testimony on questions wholly irrelevant.

declared that the jury were ready to -sit as long as ever
the hearing of important evidence miqht require, but
urged that their time should not be wasted on super-
fluous and unnecessary enquiries. Much of the evidence
he observed, had precisely the same character as that
produced in a certain famous case of burglary, where
one witness, having been called, who proved that he
saw the prisoner commit the crime ; twenty were called
by the defence to depose that they did not see him
do it.

Another juryman expressed a concurrence in the
remarks of Mr. Rawle.

The Coroner remarked that it must be evident to every
one, the main question was, whether the Mail was
properly lighted, and whether the Excelsior was properly
managed.

Sarriuel Ward, captain of the steamer Times was then
called, and deposed that on the night in question, he
left the Clarence Dock for Dublin about half-past
twelve o'clock. Saw the Mail when lie got into the
river. Saw the masthead light five minutes before he
came to the steamer, it was a very good light. Saw her
red light about two minutes after.
To Mr. Aspinall : Saw the Mail's light about a mile
_cr

To Mr. Raffles: Met no obstruction in mid-channel.
Did not find it necessary to go in close to the Cheshire
shore.

William Morris, master of the steam tug Lioness,
stated that on the morning in question, he was lying at
anchor off the magazines on the Cheshire shore. Came
on deck about half-past one o'clock. Saw two steamers
one coming up and the other going down. Toe one
coming up was north east by east from him, and about
300 or 400 yards away. Could see her three lights,
white, red, and green. They were pretty good lights.
That vessel was the Mail. The vessel coming down was
more eastward than the Mail. Both vessels were west—
ward of the mid-channel, and about a steamer's length
from each other when witness first saw them. There
was an American ship at anchor lying to the eastward
of them. Saw the collision. It took place in about a
minute after he first saw them.

Mr. Wilson Green, on: of the surve3ors to the Board
of Trade, deposed that he bad taken a measure-
ment of the Mail steamer, regarding the position
of her lights. The sidelights are distant about
48 feet from the ringlet-heads. The gunnel
rail runs on each side in a parallel line about 14 feet
from the lights, and then slightly diverges towards the
stem : at the point where the lights are, the distance
from gunnel to gunnel is 22 feet outside; the breadth
of the vessel is the same for 14 feet from that point.
The nearest stanchion to the lights is about 15 inches
on the starboard side, and 18 inches on the port
side. The port screen is about two feet two inches
before the lamp, and the starboard two feet. The dis-
tance from centre to centre of lights is 21 feet, and the
distance between the dead eye, measuring from the out-
side, is the same. The centre of the lamp above the
dead eyes is about six. inches; the dead eyes would not
interfere with the lamp. The gunnel at the stein is
about four inches higher than the gunnel at the lamp.
The vessel, when in dock, was drawing about five feet
forward and ten aft. If a person stood in a right posi-
tion, the lights could be seen close to him—if an observer,
on the lookout, standing in the right position on his
own vessel, could see at least one of the lights of the
Mail when quite close ; the lights could be seen simul-
taneously by a person in another vessel meeting them at
two miles distance ; they might be seen at any distance
from 200 yards to two miles, if the lights were properly
placed and properly construct-d. As a surveyor of the
Board of Trade, he would have classed these lights as
sufficient. The lights would be clear a point and a half,
and wholly open, clear of the stanchion.

To Mr. Aspinall : He had passed lights on board this
vessel, of the same position, for the Board of Trade, three
or four years ago. The screens were not long enough,
and he would not pass them as they now were. Was
not prepared to say that near at hand the lamp would
show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of
ten points of the compass—that is to say, from right
ahead to two points ahaft the beam. He would pass
them as they are now. because if he refused to do so, he
would stop nearly all the steamers leaving the port. A
person within 200 yards would probably not see the two
lights simultaneously, unless be were elevated above the
bow of the Mail ; but he might see the radiance of the
lights. A person on board an ordinary ferry boat or
tugboat would not see these lights at all within 200
yards, coming stein on ; the screens alone would pre-
vent it. _ _

To Mr. Blair : Has seen the Excelsior, and thinks
there is more impediment to her lights being yen a-head
than to those of the Mail. The fore topmast backstays
almost cross the lamp. Her lower dead eyes are without
the lamp, and her upper dead eyes within. The lanyards
of the hackstay cross the light to a width of about the
thickness of an arm.

To Mr. Bremner : Made the observation, on seeing
the Excelsior's lights, that if the Mail's were bad, the
Excelsior's were worse. If witness saw a vessel star-
boarding its helm, when coming stem on to his vessel,
he would endeavour to stop, and if he could clear her by
also starboarding, he would do s'o, but only very peculiar
circumstances could warrant him in thus doing what
would be decidedly a violation of the rule. Would only
be justified in doing so if he saw that a collision was
otherwise unavoidable. It would in any case be a very
dangerous departure from the rule.

BOROUGH SESSIONS

Mr. George Barber, Government Surveyor, examined:
Is one of the Assistant Shipwright Surveyors to the
Board of Trade at the port of Liverpool. Surveyed the
Excelsior for the board on the 19th of July, so that a
new certificate might be granted to her after the acci-
dent. Observed the lights. Had them placed in the
p,sition in which they were placed when at sea, and also
the screens. Saw them in the day time. Certified them
as sufficient lights to the Board of Traci 3. Has seen the
Mail steamer. Had been on board of her on the after.
noon of the day of the collision. Did not see her lights,
but saw the position in which her side lights would be.
On the 25th inst., measured the position of the lamps
with respect to their distance from the stem, and also
the position of the lights athwart-ships. Considered the
position as regarded the length from the stern of the
vessel to be good, but considered they were not far enough
aft from the middle line of the vessel. The screens were
short, only two feet in length from where the lamp
would be. Considered that the stanchions and rigging
prevented the side lights from being seen clearly and
distinctly. The light would be about from six to eight
inches along the rail. Saw nothing to prevent the Excel-
sior's lights being clearly seen.

(BEFORE O.'HENI)ERSON, ESQ., THE RECORDER.)

These sessions were resumed yesterday morning at ten
o'clock, when the following prisoners were placed upon
their trial, and received the undermentioned sentences for
using the knife or other weapon, by which the parties
attacked were more or less injured :—Elizabeth Jackson,
aged 32, twelve months' imprisonment for malicious'y
wounding Michael Pover ; Mary M'Kew twelve months,
Ann Mullen fourteen months, Harriet Ledson ten months,
Mary Cameron sixteen months, John Boardman nine
months, and John Graham six months, Julia M'Dermott
eleven months, James Thompson, nine months, William
James Tassett eleven months. imprisonment for cutting
and wounding.

STREET NUISANCES

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Sir,—Your; subscribers may possibly be aware that a
large gas-lamp has just been erected at the top of Mount-
pleasant, which seems destined to be a nuisance rather
than a boon to the public. During the last two Sundays,
about three o'clock, a crowd of persons has gathered round
the aforesaid lamp, to listen to the incoherent harangue of
an itim rant preacher. Yesterday, the crowd, composed
of nursemaids, boys, and other idlers, probably amounted
to two hundred persons, who were addressed in a peculiar
strain by a party whose principal talent seemed to lie in
the power of his lungs. Open air preaching seems a
favourite amusement in this town, especially in the
vicinity of the Custom-house. Whether such exhibitions,
unseemly as they are, are lawful or not, is a point to he
decided by the police authorities ; but surely the quieter
districts of the town are not to be converted into the noisy
gathering places for religious enthusiasts. The town of
Liverpool supports a large body of police, and I conceive
it to be the duty of the authorities of that force to prevent
the repetition of such a scene as the new lamp of Mount-
pleasant witnessed yesterday. The inhabitants of the
neighbourhood are singularly passive and easy-going not
to remonstrate at the invasion of their Sunday quiet. The
police have power to stop organ-grinding, and surely their
power extends over such religious orators, who, not con-
tent with waking the echoes, collect a large crowd round
them to the obstruction of the thoroughfare, and most
assuredly to the annoyance of all quiet people. The
insertion of these remarks in your widely circulated jour-
nal may probably induce the authorities to exercise their
power of interference, and put an end to such gatherings
for the future.—l am, sir, yours &c. QUIETUDE.
Liverpool, July 2S, 1856.

DR. LIVINGSTON, THE AFRICAN

TRAVELLER

The following letters, received at the Admiralty,
make known the latest intelligence received of Dr.
Livingston

By Mr. Blair : Went to see the Mail under government
directions, but had no special order to do so. The
general instructions from the Poard of Trade, are to go on
board any steamer at any time. Never went on board the
Mail before the collision. Previous to going on board of
the Mail had put himself, by order of the Board, in
officlal communication with the agents for the Excelsior;
it was not at their request that he examined the lights
of the Mail ; the vessel was in the graving dock at the
time, close to the wall, and could not attempt by experi-
ment at what point a-head the lights would be seen.
Has been site months assistant•surveyor to the Board.
By Mr. Aspinall : Came here from Woolwich dock-
yard, on this appointment; only the mast-head light of
the Mail would be seen to a vessel coming stem on ; her
lights were constructed but not placed as required by
the act ; would not, as a surveyor, pass the Mail's lights
as they are; should not consider it consistent with his
duty to do so.

TO a Juror : Does not agree with Mr. Greene, that if
he were to act strictly according to the law, scarcely a
steamer sailing from Liverpool would be allowed to
leave the port ; at a mile distance, in a straight line,
the three lights of the Mail would be partially seen ;
could not see the s'anchion at a mile's distance.
Mr. Thomas Stezzeker, dock master of the Clarence
and Trafalgar docks, examined : Has known the Mail
steamer four years from March last ; has often seen ir r
coming in and going out at night time ; has frequently
observed her lights; they were as good as in other screw
boat ; they were quite sufficient to be seen if in good
order.

" Castor, Simon's Bay, May 26, 1856.

" Sir,—ln reference to my letter to you of the 10th of
January last, No. 10, reporting for the information of the
Lords' Commissioners of the Admiralty that Commander
Nolloth, of her Majesty's ship Frolic, had not succeeded in
gaining any intelligence of the African traveller, Dr. Liv-
ingston, during his late visit to Quillimaine. I have now
the honour to acquaint you that her Majesty's brig Dart,
which arrived here yesterday, having been ordered to
call at Quillimaine to make further enquiries, has suc-
ceeded in ascertaining that this gentleman reached Tette,
.the furthest inland station of the Portuguese in Eastern
Africa, on the 2nd of March last, in good health, and I
enclose copy of a letter, dated the 3rd of March, from
Tette, from Dr. Livingston, addressed to the comman-
der of any English vessel of war at Quillimaine, for-
warding s)me scientific papers for her Majesty's astro.
nomer at the Cape, whi, h were received on the 4th
instant by the officer in command of the Dart when at
that port. On the death of Mr. M'Clune, Mr. Warr,
master's assistant, the only remaining executive officer
besides the gunner, being very ill of fever, and not
acquainted with the exact orders under which the Mr.
M'Clune had been acting, and being ignorant, therefore,
of the discretionary orders which I had given to that
officer in regard to waiting for Dr. Livingston, and know-
ing that the Dart had been already delayed seven weeks
longer than under ordinary circumstances would have
been justifiable, did net prolong his stay so long as he
might have done, which is much to be regretted, as Dr.
Livingston was so near at hand.—l have, &e.
" H. D. TROTTER, Commodore.
" The Secretary of the Admiralty."

Captain Dearl, of the Royal William steamer, deposed
to having met the Mail repeatedly at sea at night, Her
mast-head light was very good, but meeting her stem on
her bow lights were both Obscured.
Henry Goss, pier master of the Clarence clock, was
examined on behalf of the Mail, after which, the
inquest was again adjourned to ten o'clock this
morning.

" Tette, March 3.

Lord John Russell has left town to join Lady John
usiell and family at Antwerp, whenc: the noble lord and
14(1Y purpose going to Switzerland and ultimately to Italy.
)ilialrdship has broken up his domestic establishment, and,
as before mew ioned, contemplates a stay of some duration
abroad.

" Sir,—You vigil confer a favour if, in the event of your
ship going to the Cape, you take charge of the accompa-
nying packet of letters for Mr. M•Lear, the Astronomer
Royal there. Should you have no intention of proceeding
thither soon, be so kind as to give directions that it may
go by the first safe conveyance.
"I arrived here—the furthest inland station of the
Portuguese in E isteru Africa—yesterday morning, hav-
ing come across the c.intinent from Angola ; am in good
health, but pretty tired out, from marching for some
time past over a very rough, stony country. Our cattle
were all killed by the fly, called isetso,' and, not posses-
sing any goods to buy a cance, we had to rough it. A
few days' rest will set me all to rights again, and I shall
then leave for Quillimaine.
" The Portuguese here are very kind—indeed, I have
found them so every where ; and if I could be sure of my
family receiving early intelligence of my welfare, I would
rest a short time in peace.
" Hoping you will excuse the liberty I have presumed
to take in thus addressing you, I have, &c.,

"DAVID LIVINGSTON.'

Tug CLERIL Or THE PARLIAMENTS.—The select com-
mittee anplinted by the Lords on the subject of the otlice
of the Clerk of Parliaments, recommend to the house that a
retiring allowance of 01.500 per annum should be granted
to the Earl of Devon, to commence from the sth of January,
1856, and be paid quarterly out of tthe Fee Fund of the
House of Lords.

THE NORTHERN TIMES.--LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER

At the Exeter assizes, held before Mr. Baron Martin
on Friday, George Mawson, a private in the 13th Light
Dragoons, recently lying at Exeter, was charged with
shooting at Corporal Frazer, of the same regiment, with
intent to murder him. Mr. Coleridge prosecuted ; and
Mr. Carter defended the prisoner. On the Bth of May
the prosecutor was going round the stables, when he
heard a shot, and on turning round the prisoner had his
carbine in his hand. Smoke was issuing from the
carbine. The prisoner said to the prosecutor, " That's
for you," at the same moment attempting to strike
prosecutor with his carbine. On examination, one
round of ball cartridge was missing from his pouch.
The jury found the prisoner guilty of shooting, with
intent to do grievous bodily harm ; but as the prosecutor
appeared to have been on terms of improper intimacy
with prisoner's wife, and, on the latter remonstrating,
having threatened to "drill him well," his Lordship, in
passing sentence, said it was not to be tolerated that
superiors in regiments should tyrannise over inferiors
because they would not allow adulterous acts to be com-
mitted with their wives. He thought the facts should
be represe, ted to the officers of the regiment. The
prisoner, however, was not justified in taking the course
he had, as there were other remedies open to him. He
should, however, only require him to enter into his
recognisances to appear and answer to the chaflge in case
he committed any violent act in future.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGES OF PERJURY

On Friday last, at the Norwi,th assizes, two somewhat
extraordinary cross-indictments for perjury, wising out
of an application by a girl, named Maria Vassar, for an
order of affiliation upon Charles Coe, came on before
Lord Campbell. The first case called on was that of
the Queen v. Charles Coe." Mr. Charles Cooper
appeared for the prosecntian ; Mr. Prendergast and Mr.
Evans were counsel for the defendant, Charles Coe. The
defendant, who is aged 26, is the son of a respectable
farmer living at Terrington, St. Cletnent's, and Maria
Vassar, a girl of 18, is the daughter of parents in humble
circumstances in the same village, situate about 41 miles
from Lynn. Having been delivered of a bastard child
in the union, Maria Vassar charged the defendant,
Charles Coe, with being the father, and swore before
the magistrates that site saw the defendant at Lynn
on the 31st of July last, when he told her he
would drive her home if she would call for him
at the Rummer Inn ; that she missed him and walked
home, and met him afterwards in the village, when they
walked about together all the evening till past eleven.
At that hour Coe took her to the house of Mrs. King,
who lived near her father's, and knocking them up,
made an arrangement for her board and lodging there,
on the plea of her having been turned out by her
father. The Kings having assented to this, they went
to bed again, leaving the girl and Coe in the kitchen,
where intercourse took place which led to the birth of
the child in question. After this she said Coe visited
her at Mrs. King's four or five nights every week for
several months. In order to corroborate this tale,
Mrs. King was called, but to the surprise of
every one present, that person distinctly contra-
dicted the whole story of the girl in so far as Coe
was concerned, whose interference and visits she
totally repudiated, asserting that the girl had come
alone, and was admitted on the ground that she had
been kicked out by her father, on his discovering that
she was in the familyway by a man named Wright.
Upon this the order was about to be refused, when the
defendant, unfortunately for himself, offered himself as
a witness, and swore that he never had any connexion
with the girl, and had never walked ten yards with her
in his life. Upon this the magistrates not only refused
the order, but directed the girl to be prosecuted for
perjury. This sudden and unexpected result of the
enquiry, created a great deal of talk in Terrington, and
in a short time three or four you' hs came forward and
stated that they had seen Coe walking in the fields and
about the village during the night in question ; and two
girls also stated that they had seen them "sating on
the parson's wall," he having his arm round her
waist. Upon this a second application was made by the
girl to the magistrates, who thereupon reversed their
former decision, for they adjudged Coe to be the
father of the girl's child, and ordered him to be prose-
cuted for the perjury on the first application. Against
this adjudicatiou Coe appealed, and called, in addition
to John King and his wife, the midwife of the union,
who proved that the child was a full-grown nine months'
child, whereas it had been only born seven months
and a half after the Ist of August, and a man named
Dick Rietaby, who swore that he it was who was
walking on that night with Maria Vassar, and that he
was not surprised when she tfld him she was in the family
way by him. This hint he swore induced him to enlist
into the 11th Hussars, while a spirit of truthfulness and
fair play to Coe induced him to come forward when
lie heard she had fathered her child on that person.
The effect of all the contradictory evidence was that the
bench was equally divided, and the appeal was adjourned
in order that the result of the two indictments might be
ascertained. On the present occasion the charge against
Coe was supported by Maria Vassar, who adhered to her
original story, adding thereto that on one evening she
and Coe were discovered by two girls in a situation which
left no doubt of their criminal intimacy, and denying
most resolutely that she had ever walked with Dick
Rickaby on the evening of the Ist of August, or had ever
had anything to do with him. She was corroborated by
the two girls, who were now called for the first time, and
also by the girls and young men who had supported her
evidence on the second application and at the sessions.
For the defendant, on the other hand, his sister was called
to prove an alibi on the night of the Ist of August, and
Mr. and Mrs. King repeated their former testimony, as
did the midwife and Dick Rickaby, who appeared in his
uniform, and said, " he stood in those clothes on account
of Maria Vassar." In addition to these witnesses a girl,
who was also confined in the union with Maria Vassar,
swore that she was advised by that young lady to swear
her child to a rich father, as she was going to do, rather
than to a poor fellow who could not support it. The
Chief Justice having summed up the whole case to the
jury, they returned a verdict of " Guilty," and the defend-
ant was thereupon sentenced to two years imprisonment,
with hard labour.

Mr. Evans, who appeared with Mr, Power for the
prosecution against Maria Vassar, then intimated his
intention to withdraw from that charge, and a verdict of
" Not Guilty ' was taken accordingly.

RACE HORSE DUTY.— It appears from a return issued on
Saturday that the amount of duty collected on race horses,
in each of the last fire years, ended the sth day of April,
was as follows : —1852, £4,452 ; 1353, 44,865 ; 1854,
£4,483 ; 1855, £4,868 ; 1856, £5,451.
GENERAL BEATSON.—Lord Panmure has caused a letter
to be written to (funeral Beitson, acquitting him of any
intention of disobeying lawfdl orders in handing over his
force to General Vivian, although the preliminary enquiry
showed there was some ground for questioning his readiness
to do so.

THE MUTINY AT NENAGII.—The trial of the militiamen
for the sanguinary riot at Nenagh is fixed for this day. Mr.
Justice Moore, in addressing the grand jury, briefly alluded
to the subject. The town of Nenagh is filled with military,
and regular patrols are kept up. It is considered very
doubtful whether the crown will be able to get a conviction
in the case.

SON OF THE POET BURNS.—Lieutenant-Colonel James
Glancairn Burns, son of the immortal Scottish bard, spent
two or three days last week in Sunderland, and was the
guest of the Rev. Mr. Skipsey, in John-street. During his
stay he had an opportunity of inspecting two unpublished
letters of his father, of a very interesting character, the
owner of which was greatly gratified by his testimony to
their undoubted genuineness. After dining with a small
party of the admirers of the poet, on Saturday, the gallant
officer took his departure via the Newcastle steam-boat for
London.

NEW ROUTE TO IRELAND.—The new route established by
the Great Western and South Wales Railway Companies,
between Paddington and the South of Ireland via Milford
and Waterford, is now completed, and opens on the 2nd of
August, thus realising the priject made twelve ye ire since,
which led to the fo,mation of the competing route by the
Chester and Holyhead line. The Great Western's second
route from Paddington via the Iron D;stricts and North
Wales to Chester, and thence via Birkenhead or Holyhead
to Ireland, is to receive numerous facilities from the Ist of
next month,

TIM EXr'LOSION IN TILE CYAIMER COLLIERY—A public
meeting has been held at Newbridge, near the locality of
the fearful explosion in the Cynarner Colliery, Glamorgan-
shire, on Tuesday week, to talca measures to alleviate the
distress of the miners. It appears that the total number of
deaths is 44, and that 35 wives have been made widows,
and 92 children left fatherless. Mr. George Insole, the
owner of the colliery, contributed the noble sum of £5OO,
and Mr. Edward Vaughan (the new candidate for the
county), and Messrs. Powell and Co., of Newport, £lOO
each. The engineers and drivers on the Taff-vale Railway
contribute a day's pay, and the subscription announced at
the close of the meeting amounted to £1,200. A similar
meeting is to be held at Cardiff.

VACANCIES IN PARLIAMENT.—In consequence of the
Right Hon. Edward :strutt being called to the Upper House,
a vacancy has occurred in the representation of the borough
of Nottingham. Accordingly on Friday evening a meeting
of the liberal interest took place in the Exchange Hall.
Several gentlemen were named as proper persons to become
candidates ; but amongst the most likely are Mr. Riviogton
Mills, and Mr. Charles Paget, of Ruddington, near Notting-
ham On Saturday morning the writ authorising the election
was received by the sheriff, end proclaimed. The election
will take place to-morrow. Mr. Paget has declined coming
for ward, and Mr. Mills has issued an address. Sir George
Tyler having intimated his intention not again to offer him.
self for Glamorganshire, Mr. Edwards Vaughan, of Rheola,
has issued an address to the electors as a candidate at
the next election. Mr. Vaughan declares himself a con-
servative.