The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-02 00:00:00

A CUNARD RECKONING.

In a voyage to America, some nine years since,
on the seventh or eighth day out from Liverpool,
Captain L— came to dinner at eight bells as
usual, talked a little to the persons right and left
of him, and helped the soup with accustomed po-
liteness. Then he went on deck and was back
in a minute, and operated on the fish, looking rather
grave the while. Then he went on deck again ;
and this time was absent, it may be, three or five
minutes, during which the fish disappeared, and the
entrees arrived, and the roast beef. Say ten minutes
passed—l can't tell after nine years. Then L—
, came down with a pleased and happy countenance
this time and began carving the sirloin. "We
have seen the light," he said ' • " Madame, may I
help you to a little gravy or a little horseradish ?"
or what not ? I forget the name of the light, nor
does it matter. It was a point of Newfoundland for
which he was on the look-out, and so well did the
Canada know where she was that between soup and
beef the captain had sighted the headland by which
his course was lying. And so through storm and
darkness, through fog and midnight, the ship had
pursued her steady way over the pathless ocean and
roaring seas so surely that the officers who sailed
her knew her place within a minute or two, and
guided us with a wonderful providence safe on our '
way. Since the noble Cunard Company has run its
ships but one accident, and that through the error
of a pilot, has happened on the line. By this little
incident (hourly of course repeated, and trivial to
all seagoing people) I own I was immensely moved,
and never can think of it but with a heart full of
thanks and awe. We trust our lives to these sea-
men, and how nobly they fulfil their trust! 'I hey
are, under Heaven, as a Providence for us. While
we sleep, their untiring watchfulness keeps guard
over us. All night through that bell sounds at his
season, and tells how our sentinels defend us. It
rang when the Amazon was on fire, and chimed its
heroic signal of duty and courage and honour.
Think of the dangers these seamen undergo for us,
the hourly peril and watch, the familiar storm, the
dreadful iceberg, the long winter nights when the
decks are as glass and the sailor has to climb
through icicles to bend the stiff sail on the yard.
Think of their courage and their kindnesses in cold,
in tempest, in hunger, in wreck ! Cornhill Maga-
zine.

WESTMINSTER PALACE _HOTEL COM•

PANT:

An extraordinary general meeting of this com-
pany, convened by requisition, was held yesterday,
at St. James's Hall, in order to consider the expe-
diency of carrying tout the proposed arrangement
with the Secretary of State in Council of India, and
of appointing a committee of shareholders to inves-
tigate the position of the company's affairs—Lord
Chelsea in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said the agreement with the In-
dia Board was for three years, at a rent of £6,000
per annum, the India Board to have 160 rooms, and
the company to have a monopoly for the supply of
refreshments to persons connected with the esta-
blishment, and the agreement, if carried out, would
prove very advantageous to the shareholders. He
concluded by moving, " That, in the opinion of this
meeting, the agreement with the India Board is
beneficial to the interests of the shareholders, and
that the board be requested to carry it out:"
Sir C. RUSSELL, in seconding the motion, said
the hotel would have, when the agreement was
carried out, 197 rooms available.
Mr. BROOK moved, and Mr. NEIL seconded, an
amendment to the effect that no steps should be
taken to carry out the proposed agreement at pre-
sent, and that a committee be appointed to investi-
gate the matter, to consist of Mr. Edwin Potter,
Mr. Morton, Captain Corner, Mr. Charles Harris,
and Mr. Charles Brook.
Mr. FRESHFIELD, solicitor to the company, was
of opinion that the shareholders were morally, and
not legally, bound to carry out the agreement.
After a great deal of discussion, the amendment
was put and negatived, the original resolution being
carried.
A poll having been demanded, the meeting, which
had lasted upwards of four hours, was adjourned
to Monday.