The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-13 00:00:00

THE LEAD LINE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—Your paper of this date contains a letter
signed " Fair Play," purporting to reply to mine
of the 6th instant. The signature would have bees
more germain to the text, if the writer had pre*
fixed "Foul " to " Play," and for this reason :
letter is not a-reply to mine, but-a combination of
paraphrases and peDsonal allusions, both of which
are (so far as I am concerned) the antipodes of
truth. The last resource of an enemy. (in discus'
sion). is personalities, and this at once proves the
weakness of the-case, on the part'of the person,
resorting to it. Everyone knows the story of the
attorney, who folded up an immense quantity of
paper as a- brief for counsel, with which he sent 9'
handsome fee. The learned advocate, on opening
the ponderous fold, found the following instruct;
tions—" No case—abuse the opposite attorney.
So it is with the writer of the letter, with the
anomolons signature. He shrinks from the ques'
tion, and occupies half a column of your valuable
space with vague inuendoes, false assumptions,
and conclusions, upon which I can afford to waste,
no more time than by informing him that, should
he in future use such weapons, they will be quit:
pointless in reference to me, and must totally is",
to produce any effect on me—not even the usual
contempt will I bestow on such silly productions/
As to his wretched attempts to be witty, and to
be considered a " lino writer," with his coarse,
effort to provoke laughter at tho expense of
human life, let the reader judge. On these
points, and so far as I am personally concerned,
I shall not hereafter notice such, no matter whet
provocation I may receive. lam willing to discus!
this queston (should you kindly afford space for that
purpose) fairly and openly on its merits. withent
condescending to notice scurrility. The onil
portion, therefore, of his letter which I further
notice, is the third paragraph, in which he asks for
the order. He will find it below; but I suppose be,,
will claim a triumph by saying it is not "an order•
Well, " a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet." So here is the " order," and let him dell
it if he can.—l am, sir, yours, &c.,
9th February, 1857.
"Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
Marine Department, Nov. 25, 1855.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Lords of the Committee °,
the Privy Council for Trade to acknowledge the reoell,"(
of your letter of the 9th instant, relative to the neglect
ship-masters to use the lead, and stating that the Liver
pool Underwriters' Association are of opinion that a
important advantage would be gdineol were the board of
issue a notice to 'masters of vessels that such nefilee
i°
would be considered as misconduct. In. reply, I 11,
inform the Underwriters' Association that my lords st.a.'
directed their serious attention to the many cases of sull;
wreck which have recently been investigated under tof
provisions of the mercantile shipping act, 1854, in most
which, as they conceive the casualty might have us*:ng
avoided had the simple and obvious precaution of taill.th
soundings been adopted. My lords are impressed 01v,
the belief, that, from a desire to avoid trouble and delaia
or for other reasons, the proper use of the lead, eve
thick or foggy weather, or when upon a dangerous s°,.the
has been so habitually neglected in many branches 011ig
merchant service that masters appear no longer to IV
upon it as a necessary part of their duty. My lords gitlos
take this opportunity of expressing their decided 0P1" or
that such conduct cannot be justified by any custonlect
practice however prevalent, and the fact that this !leg oft
has:become common affords, in their lordships' opinion, „ig
strongest reason fat taking every possible means to eli„jia
it, and they believe that there would be great Pu'be
benefit and little indiiidual hardship in visiting with tilt
severest penalties persons who are found guilty of a, et:
so fatal in its consequences. My lords have no 0,,er0
from the term of your letter, that the Underva"ke;
Association will concur with them in the views they taslag
and they are glad to have this opportunity or expresras
these views, and of intimating in as public a mannehiels
possible, their intention to use all the means with w"e of
the law has entrusted them, to enforce the proper US our
the head on board merchant vessels.—l am, sir,
obedient servant, "F. H. FAO: co
"To the Secretary of the Liverpool Underwrib
Association."

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