Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-05 00:00:00

MONTREAL AND THE OCEAN MAIL STEAMERS

We extract the following from the Quebec
Gazette. It is %yell worthy of perusal :

We have often cited the example of our neigh-
bout s ia Montreal, by way of provoking our fellow
citizens to like activity in maA2rs pertaleaing to
the interests of Q Lebec; cut as yet, we regret to
say that little fruit has resulted from our eff trts
Nevertheless, we inten I patiently to persevere, in
the hope that some day the right men may get into
the right places, and that the advantages which
nature has confeered upon us may be directed
with energy and skill to the prefit of our citizene.
Our readers will recollect that in a previous
number we published the correspondence that had
taken place between the Montreal Board of Tra le
and the proprietors of the Ocean Mail Steamers,
on, the subject of the claims of Montreal to be the
natural terminus for these vessels. Messrs. Edmon-
stone and Allan then told our grasping neighbours
that the harbour of Montreal, in its present state,
is not fit to acoommedate steimers such as com-
pose the ocean Company's existing line, much
less the larger ones they are now building ; and,
further, that with the best possible management,
in such a channel, not broader than two-thirds of her
length a larger vessel will always be Fable to take
a sheer and get ashore on one side or the other.
Undismayed by these and other fac's showing the
inadequacy of their harbour for the purpose alluded
to, the people of Montreal persist in their endea-
vours, and now we have the question narrowed
down to the proposition of submitting the decision
of the matter to three branch pilots, to be
mutually named by the Harbour Commissioners
and Messrs. Felmondstone and Allen—a proposi-
tion which, in all probability will be cheerfully
accepted. Fortunately for Quebec, in this case
natural advantages are all on her side. Montreal
editors may fuse, and fume, and sneer at Quebec
as much as they choose; they may advise the
waste of as much money as th,y plesse to scoop
out a channel—large vessels will continue to stick
in the ITill I in making their way up, and in spite
of the over-weening opinion entertained of her
great commercial IA tense, &c , Montreal will find
in the sequel that Q tebec really is the fist sea-
port in Canada. The following is Messrs Ed mon-
stone and Allan's letter to the Harbour Corn-
miesioners
Sir, —With reference to the paragraph in our letter,
dated 10ih instant, on the necessity of deepening the
Channel at Flat Island, we beg to explain to the Council,
that during last summx, when the water was at the lowest,
we had always to lighten the steamers and saiiing ships to
15 feet 3 inches before th y could pass the shallow water
at that place, or come into the harbour of Montreal.
At present the water is fully fifteen inches higher than
it was last summer, and all wastrels are obliged ,o be light
ed to 16 feet 9 inches, and can barely pass even at that
draft. A steam-ship of large size could not, therefore, pass
safely at more than 16 feet 6 inches ; and if the difference
of height in the water be deducted, the channel would no.
be available for any greater depth than last year, viz., 15
feet 3 inches. The testimony of every pilot and shipmaster
frequenting this harbour can be obtained to the truth of
these statements, if necessary.
The steamers we are now building will draw with their
boilers filled, and the coal remaining on board from the
Atlantic voyage, but without any cargo whatever, about
13 feet ; there would, there() e, be an available sinkage of
only 2 feet 3 inches for cargo to be brought up or taken
down on board.

This would carry but a small portion of the steamers
entire cargo, and the !ake dues alone on the vessel would
amount to more than the cost of sending that portion up
in lighten,.
We have every disposition, and even great anxiety, to
bring the steamers to Montreal, but a onld hardly be
justified in attempting to d) so, unless the river is deepened
to some extent. We would be almost certain to get them
aground, and perhaps, lose a trip now and then, thereby
incurring heavy penalties to the Government; and oven
should no such event o-cur, there would be little advan-
tage to auy party in bring'ng up the steam-ships nearly
empty.

But we will pledge ourselves specifi3.illy to the fallowing
arrangements, viz :

Tbt so soon as three b anch p lots actually in the
practice of piloting vessels on the river, to be named
mutually by the Harbour Cammissioners and ourselves,
shall certify in writing that the channel of the river and
the harbour of Montreal are available throughout to
bring and take down these steam-ships in safety when the
water is at the lowest sum•ner level, at a draft of eighteen
feet, we will always bring them up to this city and fir titer,
that the Harbour Commissioner withdraw their actions
against the steamers, for damage done to the whit -yes last
—Thus rat r otter cannot surety ha objected to by the
Harbour Commissioners, as their Engineer reports that by
the close f this season there will be a uniform depth of
water in the river and harbour available at the lowest
summer level for vessels drawing ten feet or one foot more
than we ask for.—We are, your obedient servants,
EDMONSTONN ALLAN & Co.,
Agents, Montreal 0. S. Company.
To T 0. Dismsa, Esq„ Secretary,
Montreal Board of Trade.

(copy.)
Office of the Board of Trade, Montreal,
19th Oct , 1857.
Gentlemen,—l am directed to Ilan mledge the receipt
of your letter of date 141 instant, sad to inform you that
a copy has been submitted to the Harbour Commissioners
for their consideration. On receipt of tk,ir reply, the
Connell will communicate with you.--I ha- e the honour
to be, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
(Signed) JOHN G. DINNING, secretary.
To Messrs. Edmonstone, Allan, and Co., Agents
Montreal Ocean Steam ships.
Montreal, Oct. 14, 1857.

Tau GREAT EASTERN ANCHOR. —The anchor for the
Great Eastern broke on Mond,y, at Woolwich Dock
yard, duri,g the process of testing. It gave way at a
stra'n of 94 um

The man who had his eye upon a bargain has had it
replaced in his head; the worn in who barst i to tears has
been hooped ; and the man wha mad 6 an impression on the
heart of a coquette has taken out a patent for stone cutting.
It appears that during the month of Oe'ober the
number of wrecks reported was 247. For the month of
January the nLmher was 285 ; in February, 205 ; in
March, 209 ; in April, 163 ; in May, 92 ; in June, 122 ;
in July, 82 ; in August, 139 ; and in SeptenOn, 122,
making a total during the present year of I,672.—Shipping
Gazette.

Sir Godfrey Kneller, for once in his life, tu,ned the
laugh ag4inst P. p-. Pope, in hint: r, said, if Sir Godfrey
had been consulted in the creation of the worl 1, it would
have been made more pa: f, ct than it is ; upon which the
painter, looUng at the dirollu'ive person , f his fiend,
said, " There are s me little things in it I thia I cJuld
not have mended."

At an investigation hell befora the Local Marine
Board or London on the 22 d n't., charges of drunkenness
were pref.r,el by Duncan Danber, o vner of the
I.a4y M'Donald, aglinst John M D )nald, the chief
mate thereat, whi e at Voreton Bav, Cochin, Ceylon,
find since his arrival in London. The charges having
ben fa ly proved, the Board of Trade has directed that
his cer'ifieate of service, No. 72,366, be suspended for six
months.

Mr. tiY lli m T. Shaw, of Shavvbrook, Longford, was
s!-:o)ting a few dais ap, accompanied by a young man
named Trimble. The latter passed over a di,ch and
thr.ugh a hedge, Mr. Shaw following ; not wishing in
any way to eadarz-r his comrade, he turned the muzzle
to himself and pushed the butt-end of the gun through
the hedge ; being at full cock, the trigger caught in a
twig,, and discharged the whole contents of the gun into
Lis breast and lunge, which caused his almost instantaneous
death.

PECULMITIES OF IDlOTS.—ldiots have often oddities of
faculty and accomplishment beyond the reach of the sine.
One twirls a barn-dolr key on hie thorn with a sow-hoof
hung to it by a leathern string ; and twirling it sl—and
only whde he twirls it—ho can tell you how many verses
there are in every chapter of the Bible. A second cia
crow you as 'twere any cock, so clear and true. lie fetches
challenge and defiance from every farm-yard within earshot
row d. A third can blow aay given tune oa a cowhorn,
a::121 never seem to draw b-eath. A fourth has a sprig of
rue here and minfthere, laid in at every peuitential psalm
sung at every execution in seven shires round for the
last forty yearn.—Aird's Old Bachelor.

The Philadelphia Sun says A rather funny inciden`
took place in front of one of our banks during the run of
Friday last. In the crowd of anxious holders of checks,
notes, &c., was a plida-looking individual, with something
under his arm. The people la his neighbourhood seemed
to think that he bEli a large bundle of promises to pay, and
of coursa each man was interested in keeping him out until
every one had got the shiners. A. last the man with the
bindle exclaimed is a loud voice, ' Leok here, gentlemen,
if you only knew that I had ten thousand Collars in gold
under my arm, for your use, instead of keeping me out you
would push me in.' The way he went into the bank Flier
that was illustrative of the truth that not only ' money
mikes tat) mare ga,' bit the mau also,"