Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-14 00:00:00

THE DUBLIN ➢METROPOLITAN POLICE.

Mr. Grogan gave notice that he would on an early day in Fabruary
move for an inquiry into the management of the Dublin Metropolitan
Police. _ .

JOINT-STOCK BANKS.

Mr. Headlam gave notice that ha would on the llt'i of February
move for leave to bring in his b:llon the subj set of Jolnt•Stock Banks.

CORPORATION OF LONDON"

Sir G. Grey gave notice that he would ou Thursday, the 4th of
February, bring in a bill for the better regulation of the Corporation
of Londin.

THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT.
Mr. Wyld asked the First Lord of, the Treasury if it was the
ntention of her Majesty's Ministers, to propose any alteration in the
present government of India.
Sir G. Grey said it had already been intimated by his hon. friend
(Lord Palmerston),that the government would state their views on
this subject immediately after the re-assembling of parliament, and
that until then he would prefer not making any further statement on
the matter.

71111 STRAM-SHIT AUSTRIA.
Colonel Sykes, in moving for a copy of the reports of the Fast India
Company's Surveyors upon the screw steam-ship Austria, upol which
she was engaged for the conveyance of troops to India, together Ns ith
a copy of the ship's register, said that he did so for the purpose of
removing the misapprehensions which exi3ted in respect to thi
steamer. She was a vessel of 2,335 tons, ald had been surveyed and
reported on by the East India Company's surveyors, who were men
of very high repute as engineers. She had a British register, her
owner was a naturalised. British subject, and the surveyors had
reported her to be in an effective state. Well, the vessel went to

Cork,— and thence with the 94th regiment on her way to India.
Unfortunately she, in the Bay of B'scay, entoun'erel a severe storm,
the sea struck her decks and broke down her bulwarks, and com-
pelled her to put back to Plymouth for repairs, her engines being still
unharmed. Having been repaired, she again put to sea, and again
experienced the storm, and unfortunately in the middle of it the
main pin in one of the engines gave way ; the piston descended to the
bottom of the cylinder, and struck the shaft of the screw, in come-
quene3 of which the ship became helpless, and had to be towd back
to Plymouth. This was the history ot the affair. It had been stated
that the East India Company had demanded that an upper deck
shonld be added to the vessel, in order to afford increased accommo-
dation to the troops, but this was not the case. On the contrary, it
was the proposition of the owne s that suchilan addition should be
made, and the surveyors of the East India Company opposed it, and
said it should not be carried out. The papers for which he now
moved would put the Hoase in possession of •all the facts.
Sir W. Frazer did not profess to be an authority in ship-building ;

but he had gone on board the Austria the day after her first return
to Plymouth, and he would tell the house what he had there observed.
(Hear, hear.) In the first place it at once appeared manifest to Lim
that she was not at all such a vessel as should have been employed
to convey troops. There was hardly a door or panel in the shit,
that had not been partly destroyed ; she had no bulwarks, and the
light iron railing that had been substituted for bulwarks had been
washed away. (Hear, hear.) Fouriout of the six boats originally 1/4
belonging to the ship had been washed away, and altogether she
seemed nearly as bad a wreck as she could be. (Hear, hear.) Cne of
the men of the 94th had bean washed overboard, and the wonder to
him (Sir W. Frazer) was that others had not teen. (Hear, hear.)
The hon. and gallant colonel had stated the vessel's tonnage, but had
not stated her number of men, which was certainly much below that
which a ship of such register ought to carry Toe number of seamen
on board her was 18, and the number of men employed ireithe
engine room, including engineers and stokers, was 22 ; and out of the
entire number, the 18 and 22 put toge:her, only three could speak
the Fnglisb. language. (Hear, hear.) The captain appeared to him
to be a very intelligeat man, and from all accounts seemel to have
acted in the most gallant manner, and with the greatest intrepidity.
(Hear, hear.) He (Sir W. Frazer) heard that for 48 hours he had
not left the deck, and that it was owing to him and the chief en-
gineer the vessel was savei. (Hear, hear.) There was a story in
c'rculation in Plymouth to the effect that during the storm the
greater number of the men employed in the engine-room were for
giving up, declaring that there was no use in working, as the vessel
must go ; but that the first engineer, an Englishman, procured his
pistols, and exclaimed that he would blow the brains out of the first
man who should attempt to go up the ladder. (Hear, hear.) The
report further stated that if he had not done so, the vessel would
inevitably have been lost. (Hear.)
Mr Hudson wished to know from the First Lord of the Admiralty
whether he, in his official capacity, had had any knowledge of the
facts just detailed by the hon. baronet. (Hear, hear.)
Sir C. Wood said that the vessel had been taken up by the East
India Company, and the Admiralty had no knowledge whatever of
vessels so taken up. (Laughter.) 113 had not heard the facts
referred to till they were stated to the house by the hon. baronet who
had jest addressed them.
The motion was then agreed to.
ADMISSION OF B IRON ROTHSCHILD.

Mr. T. Duncombe gave notice that he would, on Tuesday, the
9th February, move his resolution respecting Baron Rothschild.
(Cheers.)
LIGHTHOUSE AT GODREVZ, IN ST. IVE'S BAY.
Mr. A. Smith moved for certain returns connected with this light-
house.
Mr. Lowe sa'd that, in order to prove a case which he wished to
establish, the hon. member only moved for a portion of the documents
relating to this lighthouse. Fault was found with the Board of Trade
for .anct,oning the erection of a lighthouse on G:drev.: Point,
instead o" on a certain shoal near it; but, in arriving at the con-
clusion which they had adopted, they had -acted on the advice of
eminent engineers ; besides which, the exp-nse of the lighthouse
which they had sa•_ctioned would be only £B,OOO, while one on the
other proposed sit. would cost .-c 50,000. He had no objection to
produce all the papers if the hon. gentleman would be sitisfied pith
that.
The motion, as amended on the suggestion of Mr. Lowe, was then
agrotel to.