The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-26 00:00:00

TO THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD MAYOR.

My Lord,—For many years back, whilst in Scot-
land, I advocated for the fishermen there to procure
decked smacks, instead of open boats, to prosecute the
fisheries with, believing that decked vessels have the
advantage of being safer, more comfortable, and better
calculated as nurseries for the training of youth to be
able seamen than what open boats are. My mind has
alto been a good deal employed suggesting measures
for the better regulating fish markets, &c. Whatever
sea-port town or village I may have been in, where
decked fishing vessels were, I invariably made
it my duty to pay them a visit, and have a converse
either with their officers or crew relative to their
proceedings and success at sea. In this way I ulti-
mately became acquainted with their habits and
customs.

A few days since I went to Billingsgate fish-
market, to aee how the smacks lay there. I was
very much disappointed at the scene I witnessed. It
appearel to me confused and irregular, beyond any-
thing I had ever before seen.

Having made some inquiries for the cause, it soon
became apparent. The principal reason for confusion
is,—blocking the smacks out from the dock that is
now being filled up for the purpose of enlarging
the market.

Your Lordship will comprehend the scene that is
now going on there almost every day, from the fol-
lowing description, as I saw it :
There were upwards of 40 smacks (large and small)
laving abreast of the market. The space abreast of the
dock where a row of piles are placed renders this
position so unhandy for landing the cargoes from
smacks, that they all get crowded together abreast of
the only landing place there is, which is very narrow.
The consequence the smacks stretch far out in the
river, offering obstruction to barges passing up and
down, besides giving the fishermen much extra labour,
and causing delay bt fore they can get their fish on
shoe. When there happens to be from 15 to 20
smacks lying abreast of each other the vessels that are
inside—their decks, bulwarks, and rigging becomes
a regular gangway to all passers to and fro to the
vessels that are outermost, much to the disagreeable-
ness of having their decks loaded with mud and filth
from peoples' feet, besides the extra wear and tear
their decks and ropes sustain.

My Lord, having long interested myself in fa-
vour of decked-smack fishermen, and hearing their
complaints in this case, in consequence of the small
space now allotted for their vessels to lay whilst un-
loading—and hearing some of their suggestions, if
they could obtain permission (until the improve-
ments now being made on Billingsgate are com-
pleted) for a few of their smacks to lay alongside of
tne Custom-House Pier, it would greatly facilitate
their operations whilst carrying on business, as well
for the general public benefit as their own—is the
reason I have thus taken the liberty in submitting
the subject for your Lordship's perusal, being certain
that ought done by your Lordship to favour the
fishermen in this respect would be by them highly
esteemed and gratefully felt.
At the upper part of the Custom-House Pier a
temporary office stood (about 80 or 100 feet long)
whilst the new Coal Exchange was being built. I
believe if they had a space of that distance parti-
tiened off to prevent inconvenience to the Customs'
Establishment, it would be about as much as they
would require.
My Lord, I have the honour to be, your Lordship's
most obedient, and humble servant,

11. DEMPSTER.
14, Cannon row, Westminster, Dec. 22, 1849.
P.S. Since the above letter was written, the fol-
lowing important observations have been made :
Where the smacks lay off Billingsgate there are not a
sufficiency of mooring buoys where the smacks' bows
and stern ropes can be fastened, so that they may lay
'quare (or end on) with the tide. The most of their
ropes are fastened to the shore, consequently they lay
partly athwart the tide, bringing a strain upon every
yarn of their ropes, until they sometimes break,
starting timber heads and bolts, causing the vessels
to leak. From the ropes being fastened on shore, the
vessels' bows and sterns incline inward ; and when a
strong ebb tide runs, should there happen to be any
small craft innermost lying betwixt the larger-sized
smacks, or lying against the wharf, the pressure of
the number of vessels outside is so great as to prevent
the small craft from falling with the tide, and they
are sometimes hung like a fender without touching
the ground, when the tide has receded—it requires
str.,ng sides to bear this. The masters of smacks
say that whilst lying alongside of Billingsgate their
minds are ever on the rack from fear of something or
other giving way. H. D.

TUE " REPORTER" ALMANACK.—This, the first
number of the Reporter Almanack, is devoted to
supplying all the information that can be required or
obtained relating to life and fire assurance, provident,
benevolent, charitable, friendly, and benefit institu-
tions and societies, savings' banks, and building and
freehold land and investment societies. It is edited
by the editor of the Reporter, a periodical which has
long since been considered as the authority on all
these matters, and the proprietor of which, therefore,
enjoys facilities for obtaining accurate information on
these topics which are not within the reach of every
person, and accordingly we find the Reporter Almanack
replete with information on these subjects, which may
be sought for in vain elsewhere. It contains a list
of all the assurance companies, all the building and
freehold land societies, and all the savings' banks in
the kingdom, with a list of their officers, and an account
of all the laws that affect them, a list of all the
charitable and benevolent societies in the metropolis,
and a succinct account of the laws affecting friendly
societies; in addition to which we have a calendar, a
Court, Parliamentary, law, and banking register;
the rules of the Po,t•office, list of mails, &c., cor-
rected up to the present date ; a table of County
Court fees, and, in short, all the general information
that can be sought for in an almanack. The Reporter
Almanack is one of the most complete ever presented
to the public, is neatly got up, well indexed, easy
of reference, and will no doubt have an enormous
sale.

FATAL ACCIDENT.—An accident of a painful
nature occurred a few days ago at Messrs. Bass and
Co.'s brewery, Burton-upon-Trent, by which a man in
the prime of life came to an awful death. The decease d
William Upton, an engineer in the establishment, about
ten o'clock in the evening, was in the act of fixing a
belt upon a drum, when his apron caught in some wheel,
and immediately lifted him from the ground, and took
him among the machinery, tearing his body to pieces.
An inquest was held on the following day, when evidence
to the above tffect was adduced, and after due considera-
tion a verdict of " Accidental Dew h " was /Outlet).—
‘Birmingham Mercury.