The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-29 00:00:00

THE ROYAL CHARTER STEAMER.

Dr. Se.oresby bas addressed the following letter to the
Secretary of the Underwriters' Association, Liverpool :
" Royal Charter, Plymouth Sound, Jan. 26, 1856.
" putting back of this splendid ship is a
circumstance which will necessarily produce surprise,
and, perhaps, unfair comment. I think it my duty,
therefore, as one of the passengers, and not an unobservant
one, to report, through the medium of the Liverpool
press, the principal circumstances leading to and render-
ing, according to ray personal judgment, our return both
judicious and essential.

- " The question of putting back was brought to an
issue by very heavy weather, encountered off the Bay of
Biscay, and the condition of the passengers in the leeeen-
decks. To two circumstances, as it seems to me, tho in-
conveniences and evils requiring our return are clearly
traceable, namely :—.-lst. Some strange inadvertency or
neglect about the ' water-ways' and gunwale, with other
smaller matters about the main deck, by reason of which,
as soon as the sea-sprays began to fly on board, the
water poured down intu the berths of the third and
second class passengers in extraordinary quantities ; and
this, having no means of escaping, accumulated and
washed about, to the g; eat. suffering and damage ef the
occupants of the berths.
"Secondly.—The circumstance of the ship having in-
advertently been far too heavily loaded. From prudential
motives, iu'respect to the ship's proper stability under
canvas, several hundreds of tons of ballast were dis-
tributed along the bottom of the hold, a full cargo, at
the time, I understood not being at all expected. Too
late, with reference to the time of sailing, for the re-
moval of what was now a dead-weight and encumbrance,
cargo flowed in till the ship was full. The consequence
was most unfortunate, the ship being sunk deeper in the
water by two or three feet than her proper line of fba-
tation. The good qualities expected from so fine a
model in naval architecture were overwhelmed, and the
ordinary manageableness vastly injured. This latter in-
advertency necessarily rendered the ship wet on the
main deck, and so became the cause of supply for the
leakage there ; and whilst ruining the ship's proper
qualities for nautical evolutions, occasioned the screw,
' even when raised up to its place above the ordinary
level of the water, to be continually dipping, and thus
interfering, by the position of the oblique blades, with
the action of the rudder in st ering.
"To my mind there appears no doubt that if the
dead-weight, especially that which is at the two extremi-
ties of the ship, should be removed, and the defects
about the gunwales made good, that all the important
difficulties and evils would be removed, and I see no
reason why the Royal Charter should not fully regain
the reputation which, prospectively, had been attained.
And, in support of this conviction, I may add, that her
huayancy and action as a ' sea-boat ' were most admir-
able, I might say splendid, rising above the formidable
disadvantage of her deep loading, even in heavy weather,
with high cross seas we encountered off the Bay of
Biscay ; for, whilst her motions were singularly easy,
she neither leaked below nor ever shipped a Rea.
"I will just add, that painful and onerous ae the step
taken by Captain Boyce was, in putting back to this
port, I am perfectly satisfied that a due regard for the
healtle and safety of the passengers, independent of other
considerations, rendered this important decision impera-
tive—an opinion, I belieee, which is concurred in by all
the passengers on board. Even the avoidance of the
wear and tear of a westerly gale still blowing heavily,
and which ha,; already eent in here a fine clipper-ship
with loss of spars, might well repay for the loss of time
in putting back.-- I am, sir, your obedient servant,

• " WM. SCORESBY.
" Thomas Court, &q., Underwriters' Rooms,
Liverpool."

RAILWAY BILLS IN PARLIAMENT.

Yesterday the standing orders were declared to bs
complied with in the following cases heard by the exa-
mining barristers, Messrs. Smith and May.
CORK AND YoUGHAL RAILWAY.--To authorise the
Cork and Youghal Railway to extend their line into
Cork, the estimate of Mr. Brunel, the engineer, being
106,000/., including the purchase of the necessary pro-
perty.

B-ANBRIDGE JUNCTION RAILIVAY.—To increase the
original capital from 40,0001. to 60,0001., and to alter
the name of the Banbridge, Newry, Dublin, and Belfast
Junction to that of the Banbridge Junction Railway.

ABERDEEN AND SCOTTISH MIDLAND JUNCTION RAIL-
WAYS AMALGAMATION.—To unite these lines, to make
arrangements as to capital, and among creditors, and
to authorise station arrangements with Perth and
Dunkeld.
NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE RAlLWAY.—Extension from
Sanbach to Warrington.
NORTH WihTERN RAILWAY OF IRELAND.--TO make a
line from Strokestown to Castlebar, with power to Mid-
land Great Western to subscribe, the proposed capital
be 320,0001. The standing orders were not comp►ied
with in some minor points, and its further consideration
was adjourned to 4th of February.
The other bills of a miscellaneous character were :
London Dock Company (for power to borrow or raise by
additional stock 200,000/.); Colonial Bank (to extend
the period limited for the exercise of the powers of the
bank, and for power to issue 1/. notes in the colonies) ;
Filey Waterworks (to supply Filey with water, and pur-
chase the gas works at a cost of 8,000/. for the reser-
voirs, aqueducts, and pipes) ; Stockton and Middles.
borough road and bridge at a cost of 8,0001. ; Thames
and Medway Rivers Conservancy ; Lambeth Water ;
Southport Water; Weymouth Gas ; Deeping Fen
Drainage ; Uttoxeter Road ; Glasgow Court-houses and
Public-offices, and Glasgow Paving.
MARKET NEWS.—(This Day,)