The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-13 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.
The Rev. Mr. Palin, rector of Stifford, in Essex, and a
Magistrate for that county, accompanied by several gen-
tlemen of high respectability in the county, waited
upon the Lord Mayor yesterday for the purpose, as a note
of the Rev. Gentleman to his Lordship signified, of laying
a statement before him respecting a transaction in which
the public were greatly interested, and in which his own
life was all but sacrificed by the racing of steam-boats.
The Rev. Mr. Palin then stated that on Saturday after-
, noon, at about five o'clock, the Star Gravesend steam-
' vessel, in which he was a passenger, left London-bridge.
At the commencement of the voyage he inferred, from
what was evidently going on between the Star and the
steam-vessel called the Sons of the Thames, which started
exactly at the same moment, that there was to be a race
between them, and his inference was 'pits right. When
the vessels arrived at Blackwell the Vesper steam-vessel,
which was moored at that place, let go her moorings, and
although without passengers, started off and joined in the
race. Off the three dashed, the Star first, but closely fol-
lowed by the other two.
The LORD MAYOR—Do you mean to say that the race
was between the three vessels?

The Rev. Mr. Palin said there was no doubt of it. The
Star, in which there appeared to be 300 or 400 passengers,
kept a-head all the way. At last, when the Star reached
Grays, where he was to go ashore, the boat into which
he was to descend from the steamer was hooked on by one
of the men, but the vessel was neither stopped nor eased,
as was generally the case when passengers wanted to leave
a vessel. Two persons got into the boat, and as he was
about to follow, he saw the water rushing in at the boat's
bow. He immediately called to the mate to stop the en-
gine, and said that otherwise the boat would be swamped ;
to which the mate replied, " Nonsense, go in ;" and in an
evil moment he attempted to get in. The man who had
hooked on the boat, however, apprehensive, as was after-
wards ascertained, that if he did not at once quit his hold
the boat would go down, let go the hook, and he (Mr.
Palin) was precipitated into the river.
The LORD MAYOR—They would not stop the vessel
at all ?

The Rev. Mr. Palin said that as soon as he regained
his consciousness, he saw the Star continuing her course,
without making any attempt to stop, or clo anything for
his arsistance. The boat into which he had endeavoured to
step from the Star was at the time at a considerable distance,
and if be had not been a good swimmer, he must certainly
have been drowned. He was picked up by a boat which
was about twenty yards ahead of him when he rose ; he
never witnessed such a total recklessness about human life
before. Ile could prove by evidence that the man who
held on with the hook let it go to prevent the boat from
sinking.
The LORD MAYOR---.YOl.l consider that the Star was
going at full speed ?
The Rev. Mr. Palin—l do. They were continuing
the race, and were utterly regardless of the consequences.
The LORD MAT OR—Where were the Vesper and the
Sons of the Thames at the time ?
The Rev. Mr. Palin—The Vesper came abreast with
the boat, into which I got just as I was getting in'buti
was so exhausted and agitated, I observed nothing of_ the
Grays,
other vessel. I reside in the neighbourhood of G
aid was landed there.
Several gentlemen declared that it was the constant
practice of the ruffians who have the charge of the vessels
which had been named to run races in the River from
London to Gravesend.

After some further conversation,
The LORD MAYOR advised the Rev. Mr. Patin to apply
at once to Mr. Clarke, the Clerk of the Peace at the
Central Crirnina I Court, to learn whetter the offence was
not indictable, and if it were to proceed by indictment, but
if not to prefer a complaint before the Magistrates who had
urisdiction for the infliction of a penalty.