The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-17 00:00:00

S APRIL 17, 1847.

PRICE SD.

no money, they had taken it for the last thirteen years
He would ask, in conclusion, whether the people or the
Government would suffer the very salvation of this
country to be delayed by the objections of a compara-
tively small section ? He said comparatively, for,
notwithstanding their respectability in other points,
compared with the people at large, the Dissenters were
a small party. He was sure that, atter the excitinent
that existed on this subject had passed away, those who
were opposed to the Government scheme at presentwouid
gladly avail themselves of the assistance that was now
offered with so liberal a hand, and that they would joie
together to advance the moral, social, and religious im-
provement of those classes in this country, who, if they
were suffered to remain in their present state of degrada-
tion, would be the cause of the destruction of the
country, instead of being the elements of its succes.
S. J. LOYD, Esq., seconded the resolution, which was
carried after a few observations from Mr. CAMPBELL,
who stated that the working classes were in favour of
the measure of Government.
The Right Rev. the Bishop of LANDAYF moved the fol-
lowing resolution:—

" Vint it is the duty of a wise and paternal Government
to promote religious and moral instruction, as the best
means of preventing crime, and securing a succession of
good and useful citizens, and that this meeting, believing
ignorance to be one of the prolific sources of vice, con-
siders it a solemn 'duty to support such public measures
as may tend to remedy the social evils which are the
result of moral and religious destitution."
J. LABOUCHERE, Esq., seconded the resolution, which,
after a few words in its behalf from a gentleman named
SCARBOROUGH, was carried amid some dissent.
The Rev. Dr. RUSSELL proposed the following reso-
lution :

"That the experience of many years has now proved
the inadequacy of voluntary exertions for supplyitz the
educational wants of the poor and industrial classes of
the community, and this meeting views with satisfaction
the measures which have been recently announced by
her Majesty's Government, offering asststalice to voiun—
tary efforts without superseding them, and at the same
time respecting the religious scruples of those who de-
cline to acknowledge the Established Church as the
authorised teacher of the people."
If they prevented by opposition to this measure the
intentions of Government, their gaols would be multi-
plied, and the number of criminals would be more than
doubled in a short time. He did not believe that they
could restore the good days of Alfred, when gold might be
left untouched; but still education could effect a great deal
in diminishing crime. He believed, if parties had not
come there with minds prejudiced, that the resolution which
he had the honour to propose would be adopted at once.
The Dissenters, as had been already stated, had received
Government assistance for thirteen years. The Govern-
ment measure would have the effect, by the examination of
the schools which it proposed, of introducing into seminaries,
both Church and Dissenting, a more rigid attention to an
improved system of education. He denied that this mea-
sure would give more patronage to the Government. The
penal schools, one of the benefits proposed by this measure,
were of the greatest value; for could anything be more desir-
able than to have an asylum where information, not further
corruption, could be obtained? They should not sacrifice
the good of millions to their own petty prejudices and ani..
mosities. _

Mr. J. POWLES briefly seconded the resolution, which was
carried by a large majority.
J. Carron, Esq., then proposed the following resolution :
" That the thanks of this meeting be given to the
Right Honourable the Lord Mayor for his kindness in
presiding on the present occasion, and that his Lordship
be requested to transmit to the President of the Privy
Council a copy of the resolutions that have been now
adopted."
Mr. DAVIS seconded the resolution, which was carried
amid much applause.
The meeting then separated.

DESTRUCTION OF THE STEAMER
GRANAUILE BY FIRE.--AWFUL LOSS OF
LIFE.

(From the Dublin Freeman's Journal of Thursday.)
A most melancholy catastrophe, attended with consi-
derable loss of life, took place yesterday morning (Wed-
nesday), on board the Granauile steamer, hound tiom
Liverpool to Drogheda, when about thirty miles east of
Lambay. The accounts of this very painful and fatal
accident were various and confused, but from the best
inquiry that the nature of the case and the time would
permit, we were enabled to collect the following facts,
which may be relied on as correct as far as they go The
ill-fated steamer left Liverpool about eight o'clock on
Tuesd ty night, bound for Drogheda. She was cora-
mended by Captain Bowden, who is said to be an ex-
perieneed seaman—was laden with flax and wheat, and
carried a considerable number of passengers—some say
250—others about 150, while others state the number
at 100 ; but on this point nothing satisfactory could be
ascertained, as it appears that a considerable portion of
the passengers were persons who had gone tweLiver-
pool with the view of emigrating to America, but being
unable to find vessels in Liverpool, were re turning
ligttin.. These parties being provided with free tickets,
their names did not appear on the ship's bouks. Many
of the passengers were cattle dealers, and from a con-
versation with one of them, it appears that about six
A.m., and after the steamer had passed Holyhead, all on
board were roused by the cry of '• Fire, fire,"—an an ful
rush took place towards the deck, and the confusion be-
came so great, and the people so alarmed, that none of
them we met appear to have any knowledge of the state
of facts, or the condition of the ship. The only thin.,
they remembered was that the vessel was on fire—the
bunkers or coal-holds having ignited in the fi- st in-
stance. Every exertion was made to subdue the
destructive element, but the vessel being so crowded,
and the consternation so terrific, the efforts made to
save her were retarded, and proved unsuccessful. The
scene, as might be expected, is said to have been one of
the most harrowing nature. For a long time the captsin
was most sanguine in his hopes of subduing the fire.
In this state, the fire raging below, but not app. aring
above, the vessel kept on her course till about seven
o'clock, when she was observed by the Betsy, fishing
smack of Ringsend, belonging to Mr. Bartlett, and Mr.
William Pullen, of the same place, the latter of whom,
the skipper, was on board the Bessy at the time, when
those of the passengers and crew who were on deck were
rescued from their awful condition. The crew of the
Bessy consisted of Mr. Pullen, John Parker, his mate.
George Upham, and a boy named William Symes, an
apprentice. Pullen's account of the transaction is very
meagre. lle says that between six and seven o'clock, he
saw a steamer in the distance, and thought she was in
distress from the way " she went about." After some
observations and converse with the crew, he bore down
on her, and on nearing her, found her on fire, the people
on board screaming, and many of them clineing to her
sides. At the time Pullen came up, the flame had not
burst out, but was still confined to the interior. He and
his crew took sixty-nine persons on board, by the aid of
boats—the smack standing off lest the fire might be
communicated.

The brave fellow, to use his own words—" was anxious
.to save the people," and was so absorbed that he could
give a very poor account of the transaction. His mate,
John Parker, whGse exertions were equal to those of his
commander, appears to have been more observant, and
gives a more circumstantial and detailed account of the
calamity. He said—" that a little after sunrise they
saw a steamer about thirty miles east of Latnbay, but
did not notice her much at first; they thought there was
something wrong, as she did not appear to be moving.
On closer observation they saw a steady dark cloud of
smoke issue from her, but did not know, or even suspect,
that she was on fire at the time. They were steering
about south-east by east at the time, and in the direc
tion of the steamer. When they came nearer, he called
the skipper, and remarked that he thought the steamer
Was on fire. The skipper looked out. and said " She is
nn fire—there's a boat astern—lie up to her." They
made all way towards her, and came close to the boat.
There were about eight or nine persons in it at the time,
whom they put on board the smack. Parker and his
companions then got into the boat, and went to render
the people on board the wreck all the assistance they
could. Their own small boat was on hoard, and George
Upham, of the Bessy, lowered it, and got into it by him-
self, and pulled for the steamer."
At this portion of the brave fellow's narrative he was
interrupted by George Upham, a fine athletic young
fellow, who said, " Ye 4, I took off a good many in that
boat, hut the crew of the steamer didn% assist me, and
what I thought worse of them all was the loss of a poor
old woman whom I thought to get in four times, but I
missed her and she sunk."

Parker—" Yes, I saw you, brave lad, at that; you did
your beat." Parker then went on to state that they went
four or five times to the steamer with the boats and took
off every living soul on and about the steamer. " The
last he took off (he said) was a poor woman and her
child." The woman was clinging to a rope for a long
time, and when rescued said that only for a knot that
was on it she would have been unable to hold for half
the time. As soon as they all got on board the smack
they inquired for the captain and heard he was over-
board. They then went in search of the captain in the
steamer's drift, and, after some time, found him with a
life- buoy attached to his person. They took him below
and used all the means in their power to restore him,
but all to no use, though he showed signs of life when
first taken out of the water
continued
The crew of the Bessy seeing all hope of saving the
vessel at an end, bore straight for Dublin (where she
arrived about six o'clock yesterday evening), and soon
and
dt
thesig generalhtofth imestepreamsean was,rio.Non
None
thatoti
she boardsaw
her
still
to float when they lost sight of her.

When Pullen and his— humane companions got the
people on board, they bore away from the steamer. The
tire by this time had burst forth above with great fury,
and seemed likely soon to effect the destruction of the
vessel. The heat emitted was almost unendurable, and
the bellowings of an unfortunate bull on deck, as the
flames surrounded him, are described as most terrific.
From all we could learn from the mate, who stated that
he checked the tickets, he did not think there were more
than thirty passengers lost, but he could not be sure, as
there were a good many persons going back to Drog-
heda free, and their names were not entered on the
books. The mate said there might be about sixty lost,
and he feared some were smothered with the smoke
below. All who were on deck, or clinging to the vessel,
When the Bessy reached were saved, including forty-five
passengers and twenty-four of the crew---7 l all
man had his leg broken jumping into the n
boat with One
a