Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-16 00:00:00

'Thursday, February 16, 1

OFFICIAL INQUIRY INTO THE BURNING
OF THE SHIP ENDYMION.

An official inquiry into the origin of the fire which
• lately took place on board the American ship Endymion,
is the Mersey, was commenced yesterday, in the Crown
Court, St. George's-hall, before Mr. Raffles, stipendiary
magistrate. Mr. O'Dowd appeared on behalf of the
Board of Trade, Mr. Squarey for the American Consul,
and Mr. Bateson on behalf of Captain Hallet and the
consignees.
_ Mr. O'Down, addressing Mr. Raffles, said :—I have
received instructions to call upon you, to hold an official
inquiry, under the Bth chapter,of the Merchant Shipping
Act, into the circumstances of the destruction of the
ship -Endymion by fire.' But it has been intimated to
me by a professional friend, whom I have often had
the, honour to meet at similar inquiries, that he intends
to raise a preliminary objection, as to your jurisdiction,
alleging that there is no legal authority for an inquiry
of this kind into any other than a British vessel. Under
these circumstances, I shall postpone making any state-
ment in reference to the burning of this ship, till Mr.
Squarey has had an opportunity of making the objec-
Mr. SQUAUEY said he appeared for the Ainerican
Consul, and begged to state that it was from an want of
or courtesy that that gentleman did not attend,
but from principle, as he considered it would , be
derogatory to the United States: Mr. Sqnarey
_then
read the 432, 433, and 4'38 sections of the Bth chapter of
the Merchant Shipping Act, from which he argued that
if they gave the Board of Trade power to hold an
inquiry into the loss of an American ship near or on the
coasts of this country, it would have the some power to
hold.= investigation in the wreck of an American ship
on the coast of China. He begged to.call their attention
also to the 4th chapter of the Act to Amend and
Consolidate the Merchant Shipping Acts, 291st
section, which is intended to apply to foreign ships,
but then only' when they are carrying passengers
from one part of the United Kingdom to another, and
it has been decided over and over again that this
section does not apply to ships at sea. There was the
case of the Andrevv Foster and the Tuskarora, which
came in collision in 'St. Georg2s-channel. The former
went down, and the latter came in here. She was
arrested again and again for an amount far exceeding
that of the lost ship. Vice-Chancellor Wood decided
that foreign ships were not liable under this Act of
Parliament. The case came before the Lords Justices,
and the consequence, was, that they confirmed the de-
cision of Chancellor Wood. If American ships are not
to have the benefit of the shipping act, how can it be
that they are subjected to the exjnse of such an en-
quiry as this ? He considered it would be wrong to
hold that they 'are to be affected by it, where it
affects them prejudicially, as it would do in this case.
Re:did not know whether there was anyprovisionin the
American law for holding such inquiries—probably there
Ivas—then when the captain goes back he would be
liable to undergo a similar investigation, and to be put
to the same trouble and expense as he has been here.
Ile now tendered, on behalf of the American Consul,
an offer, that if the underwriters, or any other body,
would make an investigation, he would place every
• facility he-possibly could .in their Way, for it taking
Place, without prejudice to their rights as American
citizens. • \
Mr. BATESON said he appeared .on behalf of Captaiu
• Mallet, and 'would submit to the court two letters in
reference to the burning of the ship. One of them from
Thomas Court, Esq., seeretary to the Underwriters'
Association, to Captain: Mallet, and the other the
captain's reply.

MR. COURT'S LETTER.
"8111)—The.importance of ascertaining the origin of
the fire on board the Endymion, with a view to prevent
future conflagrations in this port, has induced the corn-
Ilittee for managing the affairs of the Liverpool Under-
writers' Association at the instance of ,Mr.. Graves,
!epresentcitive of the American underwriters,'to apply
to the Board of Trade to institute an inquiry into the
icause of the fire. lam now directed by the committee
to ask if, as captain of the 'Endymion, they may count
ti
Pc)n Your giving every• information and assistance to
the above inq iry. Tues. COURT, Sec.
To Capt. • allet, of. the Endymion.
•
•

EXTRACT FROM CAPT. MALLET'S REPLY.

•
"As an individual, I would be most happy to give every
information,. and to facilitate the inquiry into the origin
of the fire, but I am advised that the Board of Trade
have no jurisdiction in regard to American ships, and I
apprehend that it may be inexpedient, as a matter of
to admit in this case their right to direct such
Nine.llo_q
uirY• At the same time, if the Underwriters or
r
'ayes desire to obtain any information it is in my
laver • to give respecting the occurrence, I shall be most
PPYo t
uaine. meet them at such place and time as they may

Mr. O'Down, in reply to Mr. Squarer, contenaed.
=that to arrive at a speedy settlement of the question as
1° jurisdiction, it was necessary to take the whole scope
ofthe
act, and he was sure, if the authorised represent-
ofi the American Government were present, they
would at once be satisfied that the inquiry was under-
taken not only with good intentions, but would be
'tecompanied.with the best results. He relied Upon the
-word 4, any”in. the act, and there was nothing in any
•61 those decisions mentioned by Mr. Squarey which in
the least affected this inquiry. And so far from guar-
long with any of the decisions mentioned, he was sur-
Prised that any one should go into the Court of Ad-
miralty to determine such a dispute as that of a
collision between a foreign and a British. ship. It
Would, indeed, be carrying matters with a high hand
if our Government were to prescribe to foreign
vessels how they should pass each other. Ile had only
one other remark to make. The Board of Trade had
not committed themselves to this in an incautious man-
ner, for it was at the very earnest request of the agent
for the American Underwriters that this inquiry was
begun.
• Mr. RAFFIA'S thought it would be as well for him
•merely to report the circumstances to the Board of
,Tradc, stating the objection which had been taken, and
*the meantime postpone-the inquiry.
The inquiry was accordingly adjourned till Tuesday,
the 28th instant.

THE COST OF JOHN BROWN'S FORAY.—A; bill has
~ueen passed ty the Virginia Legislature, appropriating
9160,000 to pay the expenses accruing from the Harper's
erry affair.
REGISTRATION OF VOTERS.—The bill brought in by
Monckton-Milnes and Mr. Baines hai the following
for its chief _ provision :—" The barrister or banisters
appointed to revise the lists of any county shall make a
circuit and hold open courts for such revision at each
of the places which now are; or hereafter 'may be
appointed as, palling places for such county, and at
y other as,
within the said county which -he or
they shall think:expedient, at convenient times between
the 16th day of September inclusive and "tile last
day of October inclusive, in the then current year, and
shall ten days at the least before_ the holding of, the
'first court' of revision give notice to the clerk of the
Peace of the several times and places at which the
said courts will be holden, and of the parishes or
townships, or parts of parishes or townships, lists of
and for which will be revised on each day. of the
holding of the said courts, and of the barrister by
and before whom each such list or any part thereof will
be so revised ; and the said clerk of the peace shall
forthwith cause public notice thereof to be given by
advertisement in one or more of the newspapers eircu-
lating within the said county, and shall cause a sufficient
number of copies of the said notice to be written or
printed, and g'hall deliver or send a copy thereof to the
overseers of every 'parish or township, and require them
to publish the sai.i copy of the said notice,' and to
attend at the court. or courts therein: appointed for the
revision of the list of votes relating to their said parish
or township, and the said overseers sliall forthwith pub..
811 the said copy a the said notice accordingly.

800.

THE LANCASHIRE REFORMERS' UNION.

MR. -BRIGHT,' M.P., ON THE BUDGET
AND THE TREATY.

On Tuesday afternoon a meeting of the Council
of the Lancashire Reformers' Union was held in a
committee-room of the Free-trade Hall, Manche•-•
ter. Mr. George Wilson occupied the chair;
and amongst those present Were Mr. T. Bazley,
M.P., Mr. Bright, M.P., and other leading Ra-
dicals.
The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said
that meeting of the Council of the Lancashire
Reformers' Union had been called with the view
of asking their support in bringing before the
people, in some way or other, the Budget.
Mr. James Heywood was then called upon to
move a vote of thanks to Mr. Cobden and others.
They must all consider that day, he said, .aprond
one. Many of those who were preserit would
remember the *hard, up-hill work they had in
advocating the doctrines of free-trade. (Hear.)
Hr. Hugh Mason, Mayor of Ashton, was called
upon to second the resolution.
The resolution was carried unanimoitsly.
Mr. Henry Ashworth then rose to propose the
second 'resolution, which was to the effect that '
the Budget is welcomed by this meeting with
great pleasure.
Alderman P. Rylands, of. Warrington, seconded
the resolution. -

Mr. Pope felt pained to think that it Was pro;
bable that the great, influence of the Chancellor
of the Excheqvcr, and the blinding:effect of his
genius, would be exercised in extending still
further the system of granting ticenses, without
control from the excise, for_the sale of beer.

Alderman Harvey heartily concurred.
Mr: Robinson said Many there 'knew him, •and
they would know that he was Rot likely' to be a
renegade to free-trade principles. As far as the
free-trnde part of the budget 'went, he had notza.
word to find fault with. He objected, howeVer,
to the. proposal. in the budget with reference to
the'rem-oviun•' of gOodi under bond. At present:,
goods might he removed from London to Liverpool
or Dublin without any chargC except the bond
dues. But it was now proposed by the Chancellor,
to charge 4d.Tor every cwt oftea removed, andfid.
for. every cwt. of coffee, irrespective of any duties of
customs or chargeq,payable by law. This -would,
not only affect the inland bonding question, but
every place except places' of 'first import. There
Were, perhaps, six or eight places in the kingdom
into which goods
,qf certain class could'be
ported direct ; but
_there were some sixty or,
seventy other places which have to be supplied by.
the ,goods being sent .under bond. He objected.,
to•the budget, so far as the proposal to which he,
had alluded went.
• Mr. Dyer Considered the budget as an exceed-
ingly dexterous.and.ingeniously concocted bolus,
disagreeable in itself; but wrapped up with some
very ct'siralile sweets to make them swallow it.
Mr. John Platt,'Of Oldham, 'moved a resohitien
to the . effect: That ,this meeting requests the
friends of free-trade to petition Parliament in
favour of the French commercial treaty."
Mr. Robert,Stewart seconded 'the resolution.
Mr. Bright said-4 don't suppose that this
measure, because it is great, or because in its
greatness it is mainly good, will therefore easily
pass the, House of Commons. 1 have:beenthere
for the last fortnight whilst this scheme has 'been
maturing, and when rumours have been floating
about, and conversations many I have heard about
that celebrated, treaty; .lout I ,am,
,sorry to say
that I have heard as much against it there, pro-
bably, as for it--2-some saying that the treaty was
not a free-trade . measure at all-; some that we
were giving all sorts, of things to France ;.:some
'that we were losing revenue ; some that it was
merely a submission to a man- in great power in
another country., of whom we were afraid—(a
laugh); and all these things have been said; and
'really, in fact, the treaty has been received
with great coldness' amongst 'those classes:from
whom our representatives are chiefly chosen.
Mr: T. 'Bazley, M.P., in answer to loud calls,
lorieflyaddressed the meeting.
Dr. Watts proposed that a memorial be pre-
pared for presentation to the mayor, requesting
'him to call a city meeting: in, favour of the free=:
-trade measure§'of the 'Midget.
Mr. W. Horsfall 'seconded the resolution,
which was carried...
A vote of thanks to Mr, Wilson for presiding
was .carried, and the proceedings terminated.