Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-28 00:00:00

,
then suffered some injury to her machinery. The
immediate cause of the calamitous catastrophe by which
so many lives and so much property have been sacrificed,
is understood to have arisen from the necessity of -cutting
away one of the vessel's masts, which fell overboard.
Part of the rigging, it is supposed, fouled the screw,
and, rendering the ship totally unmanageable, she was
drifted on some sunken rocks.

This fine vessel was built of iron, under specification,
for Mr. Jonathan Grindrod, of this town, by Mr. Henry
Cram, of Queen's Ferry, near Chester. She was
originally intended for a sailing vessel ; but while in
course of construction, she was purchased by Messrs.
Gibbs, Bright, & Co. By these gentlemen she was
transformed into an auxiliary screw-steamer, under the
superintendence of Mr. J. H. Paterson, of Bristol.
She wAg 320 feet long,' and had a breadth of beam
amounting. to 41 feet 6 inches, and was 2,749 tons
register, with engines, made by Messrs Penn, of Green.
wich, of 300 horse power.
It may be remembered that tke Royal Charter...was*
first attempted to be launched on the 30th of July,
1855, The attempt was unsuccessful, but it was re-
newed with perfect success on the 31st of August in
that year. It is said she cost originally £90,000; her
estimated value, immediately prior to the wreck,. is
reported to have been £70,000, and she is understood to'
have- been insured to the extent of £BO,OOO. Besides
the gold.mentioned, her cargo included a large quantity
of wool. The details of insurance on the cargo are not
known. _ _ _

LIST or PASSENGERS.—We have been favoured with
the following list of cabin passengers on board of the
Royal Charter, from memory, by a passenger :—Mr.
Edwin Fowler, merchant, Melbourne ; Mr. John Mur-
ray, merchant, Melbourne; Captain Withers, of the
Virginia, lost on the Feejee Islands ; Mr., Mrs., and
Miss Murray, three children, and servant ; Mr. Walter
Nugent, Madame La Fargue, Messrs. Rufford, Welsh,•
Mellor, and Watson, Mrs. Woodruff; Mr. Robert Jen-
kins, wife, and six children ; Mrs. Nahmur, Consul's
wife; Mr. and Mrs. Fowler; Mr. and Mrs. DaWsand,
friend, from Tasmania ; Mrs. Tweedle ; Mrs. Grundy,
Sydney ; Mrs. M'George, Adelaide; Rev. Mr. Hodge,
from New 'Zealand, who had been presented with a
purse by 'the passengers ; Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Fenmell
and four children Mr. Hulton, Dr. Halch, Mr. Beans
(Sydney) Dr. children,
; Mr. Pelcher' M. P.,_ and
two thidren ; Messrs. Emery and S. J. Henry ;
Mr. and Mrs. Poore, Messrs. Carew Taylor, Molyneux,
Bethune, Moore (Sydney) ; Captain Taylor, to whom
had been presented money for a piece of plate ; Rogers,
enginter ' • Stephens, Ist officer; Corrie, 2nd officer
M‘Bean, 3rd officer; Crom, 4th officer; Foiter (apprth-
tic4).

St. 'PETER'S WARD.-MEETING OP MR.
JAMES HOLME'S FRIENDS.

Last night a meeting of the friends of Mr. James
Holme, the Conservative candidate for St. Peter's Ward,
was held in the Clarendon-rooms, South John-street;
Mr. Thomas. Branch in the chair. There was a crowded
attendance.

The CRICIRMAN said—Gentlemen, I believe about this
period nine years ago I had the honour to fill the chair
on an 'occasion somewhat similar to the present. I
remember well presiding here 'at that time, at a meeting
of Mr. nolme's friends; on that, occasion when we, in St.
Peter's Ward, did ourselves the 'honour 'to return Mr.
Helmet° the Council by a Ivery 'large majority of the
ward. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, we have never had reason,
for one moment, -to feel dissatigfied with the selection we
made on that occasion, and I helieve we may venture to
say that there is no gentleman in-the Common Council
of Liverpool who has rendered greater services than our
excellent representative, Mr. James Holme (cheeri).
Gentlemen, I trust that, on -the 'present occasion, we
shill return Mr. Holm-at-the head of the poll, by afar
greater majority than we did on 'that occasion (hear,
'hear, and cheers). I cannot for one moment suppose
that the electors of 'St. Peter's Ward can forget the
services that their trepreseiltative has conferred upon
them (hear, hear). for 'one, must confess that
Ido not think that "where a gentleman has served you
the length of time 'that Mr. Holme has served you—
:nearly nine years—it is a very:gracious task to endeavour
'Ao rem-we that gentleman from the position that he so
veyorthily fills (hear, hear). believe some reinarks have
-been made to tlieeitfeet thatlfr. Holm has been drag-
ged before you on this occasion. I must contradict
that assertion in /6-to. (Ap•Pl'ause.) A smallish meet-
ing of the friends of Mr. Holme and of the electors of
this ward was called in my office, some ten or twelve
days ago, and upon that occasion we thought it right to
pass a vote of thanks to Mr. ilolme for his services up to
the present period, arid accompanying that vote of thanks
we sent to Mr. Holme a letter, requesting him to do us
; the honour to suffer us to. put him in nomination again
for the ward. I don't knowwhat is meant by "dragged,"
as these gentlemen use it. If he was " dragged," it was
by a silken chain. -.I sent 'the letter to Ireland, and I
got a reply to the letter by the earliest possible means,
and in that letter he said, I shall be happy to complywith your request, and' leave myself entirely in your
hande," If that can •be-construed into dragging, I don't
, know what the meaning of " dragging" is, nor do I think
4 that is a very elegant or elassicalword to apply to a gen-
tleman like lir...James Holme. (Cheers.) We, too, are
charged with _going here and there, and I don't know
where besides, to look 'for a candidate to supply the va-
cancy. I must give to that a flat contradiction ; and I
believe no gentleman• would have been asked to repre-
sent this ward -without. something having been said to me
about it. I de-say, without fear of contradiction, that
no gentleman was asked 'to take the place Of James
Holme, either 'before or-Since we asked that gentleman
to come forward again. It is not possible that we could
do such a dishonourable or disgraceful act as that.
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, 'I hope and trust that on the
Ist of November we .shall place our excellent friend,
Mr. Holme, at the top of the poll; and that my own'
friend, Mr. Beloe—for he is an excellent 'friend of
mine, and a friend for whom I have a high esteem and,
regard ; but I do 'hope that on that occasion you will
place Mr. Beloe below the name of Mr. James Holme.
(Loud cheers.)
Mr. JAMES Haman, who was received with prolonged
',cheering, said he would at the commencement give a few
'reasons for appearing 'before them as a candidate. Some
Mime ago he was lisited with a serious sickness of u
-sudden character. Following the advice of his medical
!men, he promised them that in some measure he would
-slot take such an active part in public matters. But it
having now pleased God to restore him, and having
received a requisition whilst 'in Ireland, again asking him
to become their representative, he without any hesitation
consented to do so. It was not for him at an earlier
period to thrust himself before them. But as soon as
the requisition reached him he reterned his reply. Now,
he was likewise told that there would be no opposition
to Mr. Beloe unless he again offered himself. Although
the.question of a member of the Council was not a ques-
tion of politics, they all 'knew he had been identified
, with certain party, and he should be sorry as long as
health and strength permitted him to forsake that
party, (Applause.) He confessed that, chiefly through
11l health, during the last twelve months he had
absented himself to some extent from the Council ;
but surely, after the services he had devoted to them,
they would not quarrel with him for having taken
a little relaxation ; and though his votes did not appear
so often as that of some gentlemen whose names
appeared before them in the public prints, he appealed
to any of the parties at the Town-hall whether he had
not been sent for and consulted many a time when his
name did not appear. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Holme then
briefly expressed his interest in street improvements ;
but was of opinion that the "working-man" of the pre-
sent day was made too much of a clap-trap. It served
a political purpose; but he wished the parties who made
such professions would put these professions into
practice. He concluded by expressing his thanks for
the manner in which he had been received, and hoped,
if they again elected him, he would not be charged with
having neglected any of his public duties. (Applause.)
The CHAIRMAN read the following letter from Mr.
Tobin ;

LIVERPOOL October 27, 1859.
DEAn regret exceedingly that I cannot attend the
meeting of Mr. James Holme's friends to-night. I would
gladly have taken part in the proceedings, for I do not hesitate
to say that there is not any man in the Council who is listened
to with more attention than he is, or one who brings a greater
amount of practical good sense to bear upon any question
which may be under consideration.
Zealous in promoting every measure which can advance the
Prosperity of the town, his sound practical knowledge enables
him well to discriminate between those measures which will
prove of the greatest advantage to the public, with the least
possible cost, and those which would entail a burden on the
community which they might net be able or willing to bear.
To pretend, as his opponent does, that Mr. Holme is in-
eligible to a seat in the Town Council because he is a member
of the Dock Board is, to my mind, a doctrine most dangerous and
unsound, and that man is no well-wisher to Liverpool who
would endeavour to raise between their two great estates a
spirit of antagonism. The interests of the two are closely
identified, and caa be best promoted by that friendly feeling