The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-19 00:00:00

leagues, would often, upon those fatal Wedinesdays,
upon those Wednesdays so fatal to the Liberal cause
and so pernicious to the last degree to the t reputation
of the Government, after speaking upoia one side
coolly go into the lobby upon the other, blow hot
and blow cold, and by necessity come t 3 grief re-
peatedly in consequence. Session after session the
ranks of the Ministerial supports have 'been visibly
and appreciably diminishing. Having' said which,
it becomes, of course, in a manner superfluous
to add that session after session ear: confronting
ranks of the Opposition have as -visibly and as
appreciably increasing. A single loss to the one
side, has, upon each occasion o course, been a
double gain to the other. A fact that was, at
any moment, open to demonstration, upon a
division of the whole House, supposing any
fitting opportunity for such, a division might have
occurred. The increasing disorganisation of the
Liberal Party within the walls of the House of Com-
mons has all this while been emulated by :a disor-
ganisation no less lamentable, no less glaring of its
kind outside the House,!among the great mass of
electors, wherever a chance has presented itself to
the Opposition for contesting any vacant seat until
then sacred to the vindication of tho interests of
Liberalism. A more signal illustration of what is
here referred to—this external disorganisation as
emulating the internal disorganisation of the great
Liberal Party in the House of Commons itself—
could not be adduced than has been presented to
view by the result of this recent election down at
Brighton. That result has been the distinct loss
to the Liberal party of a seat in the House, and, at
the same time, a positive gain to the Conservative
Opposition of two votes upon any very important
division, any division that is, upon which the fate
of the Ministry might happen to be dependent.
What was tolerably certain long since, therefore,
namely, that the small Liberal majority with which
four years ago Lord PALMERSTON and his col-
leagues undertook to carry on the labours of Go-
vernment, in this present House of Commons, has not
only dwindled away altogether, but has been trans-
formed on the contrary, by the loss of seat after seat,
into a small Conservative majority, hitherto held in
terrorem before Ministers by the astute leader and
the faithful whips of the Opposition—what
in this way was tolerably certain before, is now—by
every additional loss of a seat to the Liberals and
every additional gain thereby of two votes to the
Conservatives, rendered more and more mutter for
absolute certainty. The Opposition has meanwhile
waited so long that it appears to feel
as if it could afford to wait yet a little while longer
for the selection not simply of an opportunity, but
of the very best of all possible opportunities. And,
certainly, never has any Ministry—even Lord
JOHN'S, even Lord MELBOURNE'S (towards
the close of each)—played more wilfully
or more deliberately into the hands of their oppo-
nents. Ministers, indeed, would almost seem to be
bent—beyond everything else—upon testing the
powers of endurance, not of. the Opposition alone,
but of many of the more independent among their
own supporters.

We are glad to find that Mr. LAIRD'S Chain
Cables and Anchors Bill has passed the second
reading, and is ordered to be committed on Wednes-
day next. No time will therefore be lost in con-
verting this very useful and humane measure into
law, thereby diminishing the frightful loss of life
and property which annually takes place on our
shores. We have frequently called attention to this
matter, and have discussed the objects and merits
of the previous Bill very fully, since it has long
since become painfully evident that it was entirely

useless to trust to the manufacturers to produce a
sterling article unless they were by law compellea
to do so. It, is only astonishing that legislation on
this subject should have ben so long delayed,
especially after it had been publicly ascertained
that about 80 per cent, of the cables actually tested
failed to stand the trial. Influenced possibly by
the public feeling on the matter, the opponents of
the measure have this year withdrawn from active
opposition, contenting themselves with making
disparaging comments. Mr. LAIRD in bringing it
forward observed that there was a slight alteration
from the bill of last year. The interference of the
Board of Trade is now limited to licensing com-
panies or persons, not being manufacturers, to erect
testing machines. It is satisfactory to find that
owing to the modifications in the present measure,
the Shipowners Association, who opposed the Bill
last year, now give it their warm support. We
have already hard that LLOYDS' committee are
strongly in its favour, as is the Peninsular and
Oriental Company, and most of the chambers of
commerce throughout the country, as well as nearly
the whole of the principal chain cable and anchor
manufacturers of the kingdom. Mr. LAIRD pointed
out that since nine out of ten of those who
used these articles were anxious for the
Bill, it was most incorrect to object to it
on the ground of interfering with trade. With
regard to the difficulty about the testing-houses, the
hon. member for Birkenhead said that the manu-
facture was chiefly carried on in certain localities
where iron and coal are cheap, and that testing
machines were already established in London,
Liverpool, Stafford, on the Clyde, and at other
places. The Bill, too, is not to come into effect
until July, 1565, so that there will be ample time
to erect any machinery that may be requisite. The
wreck returns of last year tell us that 93 vessels
were lost from the parting of cables, a fact which
would alone,, one would think, silence all opposition
to any remedial measure. Sir S. ELPHINSTONE,
who was formerly member of the Anchors and
Cable Committee, brought forward most valuable
evidence in support of it. Mr. LAIRD observed that
it had been proved that the difference between
danger and safety to a small ship of 350 tons burden
ilmountel to only £7 10a. ; while for a ship of
1,000 tons, costing £25,000, the difference was only
£35. If for these trifling sums vessels are to be
constantly imperilled, it ie, indeed, putting the old
adage into practice, of "spoiling the ship for a
ha'porth of tar." Sir J. ELPHINSTONE also said
" that the amount of tonnage wrecked, or seriously
damaged, in 1862, was 325,949 tons ; and putting
this at an average of £lO a ton, the yearly loss of
property was no less than £3,259,430, and this, too,
accompanied by the loss of nearly 1,000 lives out
of the 14,000 placed in jeopardy. Surely this
ought to be put an ens to." No one can have
studied the Wreck .Register without being
appalled at the number of vessels annually lost
round our shores, the greater proportion being of
course the small ill-found vessels that trade round
the coasts. The owners of these vessels are too
often indifferent to the loss of the ship, since an
compensates them, and men's
ample insurance fully
lives in some quarters appear, to go for nothing.
Mr. HASSARD mentioned a case within his own
magisterial experience in which some men had been
brought before him for deserting a vessel loading
ore upon a rock-boand coast. It was necessary
whenever there was a south wind te shosihpipeciaunipcpheodr
and be off, but so ingeniously was
that when they put out an anchor strong enough
to hold the ship the cable invariably gave way;
when they put out a cable of suitable resisting
powers the anchor never failed to come home.
Under these circumstances the magistrates dismissed

the complaint, but how many men have gone down
at sea from the same cause ? The Mercantile
Marine Association of Liverpool, a body consisting
principally of captains and mates of vessels, a class
who are certainly not given to a restless desire for
change or to theoretical innovations, have presented
a petition in favour of some legislation on this sub-
ject. The principal voice raised against Mr.
LAIRD'S bill was, as on former occasions, that of
Mr. LINDSAY, who, in a most illogical and contra-
dictory speech, denounced the measure both in
principle and practice. The testing, he said, was
no security against danger, because however highly
you tested a cable the pressure of the gale might be
so great as to break it. However strongly a ship
is built there is no certainty that she may not
spring a leak in some of her voyages, but she is not
for that reason ordinarily sent to sea with a
leak in her bottom. All manufactures might
go down to a very low ebb if this prin-
ciple were adopted. Bat Mr. LINDSAY'S
assertions are still more marvellous. He ap-
pears to think that cables and T anchors are
destined to rust out in the manufactory where they
are first made, and that it is perfectly impossible to
transport them from one place to another. He
complained that the bill would destroy the trade of
all the small makers, who could not afford the ex-
pense of testing machines, and would throw the
monopoly into the hands of a few large manufac-
turers in Staffordshire and Wales. At the same
time it would destroy the business of one of the
largest firms existing, Messrs. BROWN, LENNOX,
and Co., because their manufactory being in Wales
there would be no testing machines in their neigh-
bourhood, and 3,000 or 4,P00 workmen must, con-
sequently, be thrown out of employment. Alas for
Mr. LINDSAY'S argument ! Messrs. BROWN, LEN-
NOX, and Co. manufacture for the Admiralty,where
the testing is indispensable. They have also, it
seems, a testing machine of their own at Cardiff, and
another in London, where the mooring chains
which they supply to the Admiralty are tested
under the supervision of the Government, the
other chains being tested in the dockyard. A clause,
we think, might with advantage be introduced per-
mitting the establishment of a testing machine on
the premises of large firms, under Government in-
spection, the expense of the official being defrayed
by the firm. Also the method tried last year in
London, by means of which two or three men very
quickly tested long and heavy chain cables by
hydraulic pressure, is worth examination. All these
points can be examined into in committee, and we
earl only regret that any gentleman, more especially
a shipbuilder of Mr. LINDSAY'S standing, should
remain so obstinately hostile to a measure which is
so well calculated to promote the best interests of
trade as well as serving the more important end of
preserving life at sea from unnecessary risks.

At a time when the serious attention of Parlia-
ment is invoked to determine on the respective
merits of the various lines of railway with which it
is proposed to intersect the metropolis, and when,
despite the depreciation of railway stock generally,
a new railway mania seems to have sprung up, it
behoves us to consider seriously whether sufficient
protection is afforded to railway travellers by the
enactments of the Board of Trade. We desire that
all commercial undertakings in this country may
be unrestrained and unfettered by Legislative
restrictions as far as possible, with due regard to
the safety and general interests of the public, but
it must be borne in mind that great privileges have
been conferred upon railway companies, and in re-
turn for such privileges the public has a right to
demand that proper precautions be adopted fur
their safety and convenience. There exists in
many districts of the metropolis a kind of panic.
Thousands of houses have been doomed by several
conclaves, which only await the sanction of Parlia-
ment to commence their work of demolition. It may
be said by the supporters of the new schemes that
the many will reap advantages for the inconve-
niences of the few. These advantages will lose
much of their charms if stringent measures are not
taken to ensure, as far as possible, safety to the
travellers. The practice of ensuring one's life before
starting upon a railway excursion is a prudent
one, and the success of the company which
provides a pecuniary redress for railway ac-
cidents shows that the public • appreciate its
advantages. But is it not the duty of the
Board of Trade to render it compulsory on all rail-
way companies to take all necessary precautions to
prevent accidents, Last week a serious accident
took place on the Maldon and Whitby branch of
the North-Eastern Railway, which resulted in the
deaths of two individuals and the serious injury
of many others, The last passenger train for Mal-
don " travelled safely as far as the bank top in
Gothland. There the engine was detached, and the
train, as is usual, was hooked on to a break van,
to which a rope of wire is attached, and was pushed
over the bank on to the incline in the usual way.
The trains are lowered by a stationary engine at
the top, and last night all was considered to be in
proper working order. When probably about 150
yards on the descent the rope suddenly broke, and
the train was left to its career down nearly a mile
of incline, of which the gradient is 1 in 14. At
this part of the incline the line curves sharply to
the right, crossing the Elderbeck. The train passed
the bridge in safety, but a few yards further on left
the rails and rolled over. Assistance was promptly
obtained from Whitby, and the victims and the rest
of the passengers forwarded to that town. This is
not the first accident which has occurred on this
incline, and the North-Eastern Company has lately
obtained a deviation act, and the new line is fast
approaching completion, when we believe that this
portion of the line will be abandoned." Such a
proceeding is highly creditable to the company, but
the very fact of their incurring the expense of
constructing a new line for this portion of the route
proves at once that they are aware of the dangers
to which passing trains are subjected, to say
nothing of the expense and delay which are en-
tailed by the nse of a stationary engine. Under
these circumstances, we consider that they have
been remiss in not providing their trains with self-
acting breaks affixed to all the carriages or wag-
gons. The van to which the train was attached was
provided with two breaks, we are informed, but
these, owing to the frozen and slippery state of the
rails, were powerless to check the velocity of the
train. We do not draw attention to this case be-
cause we consider that the North Eastern Railway
Company were more negligent in this instance than
railway companies generally are. Thousands of
trains had passed up and down the incline with
safety, and there was no reason to believe that the
one in question would fare worse than its predeces-
sors. The pitcher goes a hundred times to the well,
but at last it is broken, and the misfortune is set
down to accident. A human life cannot be replaced,
and therefore the accident should be guarded
against as far as possible. The breaking of the
wire rope may have been caused by the frost, but
if the carriages had been provided with self-acting
breaks the worst inconvenience that would have been
experienced would have been a short delay. Years
ago a patent was taken out for a simple contrivance
to prevent accidents in the mining districts by the
breaking of the chain by which the cages are drawn
up the shafts, a powerful clamp is fixed to the top