The Sun.
London, England, 1825-04-20 00:00:00

MERCANTILE SHIPPING.

DEAL, .- Aran, 19.—Wind N.E.—.Severa! vessels have
passed through from the River without shelving any distin-
guishing signals.—No arrivals.
PORTSMOUTH, APRIL I9.—Wind W.--PLYmouTH,
A rim. B.—Wind variable.—FALmo trr H., APRIL IB.—Light
airs and variable.—No arrivals or sailings at either Port.
LlVEttPoor., APRIL 18.—Wind variable.—No arrivals.—
The Eliza and Mary, Stubb, from this Port for Alvarado, was.
lost the 19th of February near the Isle of Vuche (St. Domingo),
300 packages were saved, 225 of them dry.

The Margaret, M'Kenzie, of Scarborough, was run foul of
and sunk off Flamborough Head, on the 16th instant; by the
6ally of Lynn ; crew saved.

CAPTAIN PITCHER.

CORONER'S INQUEST ON TIIE BODY OF CAPT. PITCHUB,

OP THE EAST INDIA COMPANY'S SERVICE.
Yesterday evening all Inquest was held at the
Gun Tavern, Blackwall, on the body of Captain Pitcher, who
was drowned in boarding the Yorkshireman steam-vessel, off
Greenwich, or) the night of the 7th instant. A most respect-
able Jury were assembled, with Mr. UNWIN and Mr. STIR-
LING, the two Coroners.

Thomas Ribbons, waterman, deposed that he was hired by the
deceased on the night above-mentioned, to convey him and his
servant front the Isle of bogs to Greenwich ; when about two-
thirds across the river, he was hailed by a person on board a
steam-vessel proceeding up the river for a sculler ; the deceased
said- deponent might go alongside and make something extra by
landing a passenger or two ; he pulled his boa round and pro-
ceeded to board her abaft the paddles, the usual way, when he
called otit to stop the steam-vessel, but it was not attended to:
his boat struck against the side, and all three were precipitated
into the water. Ile considered that if the vessel had been stop-
ped in the regular way nothing would have occurred : she was
stopped immediately after the accident. Had been a waterman
28 years; was once upset in his boat about 20 years ago,.when
a woman was drowned.
0. Brooks is servant to Mr. Pitcher, senior, brother of the
deceased, and was in the wherry when the accident happened.
He confirmed fornier witness as to the permission of the de-
ceased having been, generously and without solicitation, given
to the waterman to board the vessel. Deceased observed to the
waterman he was proceeding too far a-head to board with
safety; lie thought the rapid progress of the vessel was eased
before they got to her; did not think the Waterman to blame,
but was totally ignorant of the management of boats or steam-
vessels. A light was on board the packet : after being in
the water for what he considered to be ten or fifteen minutes,
he was saved by the boy in the boat a-stern. After the acci-
dent, every exertion was made to save.their lives by the people
on board.

John Curling, Waterman, of Greenwich, was near the vessel
at the time of the accident, which was about a quarter to eleven
o'clock on the night of Thursday, the 7th inst.. lie put off his
boat on the call of " Sculler." Smith, from on board the steam
Wessel, told him to come alongside; deponent-said:he would, if
he stopped her; did not perceive whether the paddles were in
motion,
crushbttt the;
lie heard a voice,
vesselwasproceel iwn„hrirch proved.apidi;s b c
shortly after
ai,tah
heard i
Pitcher's, say, " For God's sake come to me ;" he saw no one,
but 'inquired, " Where are you ?" The deceased, in a faint
voice, said, " Here." He then saw his head above water, and
rowed towards him, but before he reached the spot, he perceiv-
ed deceased to sink ; he was about 12 or 13 boats' length erunt
the steam vessel when he first heard Smith direct ihe engineer
to ease the pross.
Thomas Griffith, ilot, was a passenger on board the steam
vessel at the time Of the accident, which he thought occurred in
some degree from the waterman, Ribbons, being too far a-head
of the steam vessel; he saw the wherry_strike in the_ fore part of
the paddles ; confirmed former witnesses as to the vessel not
being stopped until after the accident, and also as to the exer-
tions made on board to save the lives of the persons in the water,
in lowering the boat. When he came on hoard at Orfordness
with otherpilots, the greatest attention was evinced by the Cap-
tain in stopping the vessel. At the time of the accident the
Captain was not on deck, but the pilot, Smith, had charge of
the vessel, who came on board l'or that purpose at Blacktivall.
Robert Steel, pilot, confirmed the last witness's testimony.
John Cusic (a boy aged 15 years) was apprenticed, to Smith,
.and in the boat a-stern at the time of the accident :he heard a
crash, anti immediately saw three persons pass him in the water.
He loosened instantly the headfast of the boat, and succeeded
in saving Ribbons, the waterman, and then Brooks, the servant.
He searched for the deceased, but could see nothing of him
afterwards. He was about 20 boat's length from the vessel when
he saved them.
The CORONER here commended in strong terms the conduct
of this witness, and hoped that some gentleman would recom-
mend him as a fit subject for reward to that invaluable charity,
the Royal Humane Society.
Richard Watson was the passenger who wished to land at
Greenwich ; being a cripple, he requisted Smith to stop the
vessel, or he would not be able to get into the boat. He (Smith)
then gave directions to ease her. He went abaft to get his lug-
gage, when he heard a crash, and saw three. persons in the
water : did not hear Smith call out to stop the vessel.
William Wilson, another pilot, and passenger, corroborated
the former evidence.

Smith, the pilot of the steam-vessel, was here called in, and
after being cautioned by the Coroner from answering any ques-
tion which might criminate himself; related a few circumstances
in extenuation of his conduct, but which rather tended, in the
minds of the Jury, to criminate himself, so far as proving that
the vessel under his direction was proceeding at an unusual and
improper rate, and such as to render the approach of a boat ex-
tremely hazardous.
.111 r. 1-IortLER, jun. who attended professionally on behalf of
the General Steam Navigation Company, here observed that he
held the affidavits of persons belonging to the Yorkshireman
steam-packet, who would not return until Thursday, which he
considered highly important to refute certain points in the evi-
dence which tended to the prejudice of the owners, and there-
fore urged an adjournment.
One of the Jury observed, that Ise considered the evidence of
Griffiths, a disinterested party, sufficiently conclusive for the
Jury to come to a verdict.
The CORONER gummed up the evidence, and after consult-
ing for about half an hour, returned a verdict at half-past- nine
o'clock of " Accidental Death," but imposed " a deodand -of
one hundred and fifty pounds upon the steam vessel, on account
of the negligence of the person who had the charge of her."

CORN EXCHANGE, Amur. 20.
The arrivals of Wheat and Barley this week are small, but
there is a very large quantity of Oats fresh up. Prime Wheat
is very scarce, and such obtains rather more money ; there is
not much doing in other qualities. narley is getting scarce,
and rather dearer. Beans also meet a free The Oat
trade remains very dull, and Monday's prices can hardly be
obtained for this article. The Flour trade is rather brisker.
AZRIVALS.—EngIish Wheat, 2,3oo—Barley, 500—Oats,.
6,4oo—lrish Wheat, 750—Barley, 280—Oats, 24,003 qrs.
Flour, 5,700 sacks.

SUICIDE.-The wife of Mr. Brand, .a respect-,
able tradesman, residing in Coleman-street, city,
this morning committed suicide by suspending
herself with a handkerchief ,to the bed-post.
The servant on entering the room to call her to
breakfast, first, discovered, her.: She was imtne-
diately cut down, and-surgical assi.stance obtain-
ed, but without avail, _From certain eccentricities
in her manner, .the neighbours have, for some
time past, thought her to be affected in her mind,

lIIE LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY
urnin g tipers , _Apri l ciO, 1825.

[TUE T /NES.]
t I;ave re::eived the French journals of ca-
ta;dr.y. They contain the important fact which
we stated in our paper of yesterday, that the
ameadment of Count Roy, on the Law of In-
fleinOav, had been rejected in the Chamber of
Peers, by a majority of 27 ; or, as the votes stood,
by'l‘.27 to 100. This point is of the greater con-
'
equence as the fate, not only of the project be-
fore the Chamber, but that of the law on the
renter, and even the destiny of M. de Villele's
Administration, rested upon it. M. Roy's. pro-
positioti was, to substitute au annuity of 37 mil-
I:ons and a half of rente, arising from a 5 per
cem. fund of 750 millions, for an annuity of 30
n.illions of rente, arising from a capital of 1,000
o.itlions at 3 per cent. In proposing this larger
income to the emigrants, M. Roy thought that he
could induce them to oppose the Minister by the
temptation of self-interest, while, if he defeated
M. de Viliele on this ground, he might calculate.
on .the overthrow of his project for the reduction
of th, refiles.':The event has disappointed the.
enewie, of the Ministry, and confirmed M,de
l; ille lei in the possession of power. There can
scarcely now exist any doubt that the law for
the re(lncticn'of the rentes will be as successful
as Ow indemnity project in the-Upper-Chamber.
In that particular article to which the rejected
:oueodment was proposed, they entirely coincide,
and the success of the one- may ,br regarded as a
proof of the passing of the other. Why did M.
de' Villele indemnify the emigrants by a fund of
a thou,and millions at three per cent., except to
engage their cupidity to the sanction cif a prin-
ciple which he had more fully developed in a
more comprehensive law, and how can the same
Piers reject that. principle in one case which they
have sanctioned in another? The introduction of
this clause- into the bill which was " to heal the
wounds of the revolution," was a piece of dex-
terous management in the wily Minister of
Finance.