The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-09 00:00:00

DICK LOADING OF VESSELS.

The question of the deck loading of vessels has
lately excited serious attention, and au inquiry on
the subject is now pending at the Board of Trade.
In the gale on the 3d of October last in the North
Sea, and Baltic five English steamers appear to
have been totally lost, with cargoes worth in the
aggregate about half a million sterling, and in
nearly every case the whole of the crew and pas-
sengers are believed to have perished. The vessels
were all heavily laden on deck, and in the opinion
of experienced persons is to this cause that the
disasters are to be attributed. The Moscow, 678
tons, from Grimsby to St. Petersburg, is supposed
to have foundered near Skiv. The Edinburgh,
778 tons, from Leith to St. Petersburg. and the
Viscount Lambton, from Hartlepool to Hamburcs,
have not been heard of, but a portion of the boat of
the latter has been picked up. The Arctic, 674
tons, was lost near Lemvig ; and the Thor, which
was homeward-bound from Konigsburg to Hull,
was last seen near the Scam' on the morning of the
2d of October. All were screw steamers, and re-
gistered A 1, and the only lives saved have been
from the Arctic. Even in that instance four pas_
sengers and four of the crew were lost, and the
total number sacrified in the five wrecks may be
estimated at little short of 200. To those acquainted
with the mode in which cargo is crowded on to
vessels of this class the result will not appear sur-
prising. Cotton bales, iron machinery, coal, and
other goods are sometimes piled upon every avail-
able part of the deck until there is scarcely a foot
of the space for the crew to work the ship, and even
the anchors and chains arc entangled in inextric-
able confusion. The evil is of long standing,
but the consequences of a single storm have at
length been so fatal to the pockets of persons
interested that there is now a strong cry for
protective measures. A Government prohibition
against deck loading is suggested by some.
Others aware of the self-defeating nature
of all official meddling in matters of trade
naturally protest against any such remedy. The
latter contend that the point is simply one to be
dealt with by the underwriters, who can protect
themselves by stipulations in their policies. Neither
of these views can be fully satisfactory to the public.
It is true that the first impulse of every intelligent
man of business is to recoil from the idea of in-
viting any more Government interference in trad-
ing affairs, and especially in connexion with navi-
gation. On the other hand, it is evident that the
underwriters cannot be expected to act in concert,
that they have already allowed the mischief to as-
sume indefinite proportions, and that after the ex-
citement of the present easualties shall have sub-
sided they will go on again in the old course. Some
of them, like certain banking or discount estab-
lishments who prefer doubtful to respectable paper,
fancy that they can make more money by great
risks and high premiums than by operations of a
well-defined and routine description. Unquestion-
ably they have a perfect right to take this ground,
and if none but commercial considerations were in-
volved the whole affair might be left to the commer-
cial community for adjustment according to their
own ideas of self-interest. But a point remains
which, however it may be occasionally ignored by
shippers, owners, and underwriters, will force it-
self upon the conscience of the community at large.
200 valuable lives—a large Proportion of them
trained seamen—have to be accounted for. They
have been destroyed in order that certai❑ persons
may realise extra freight. "What will be the public
judgment Are these persons morally answer-
able ; and if such be the case, are our laws imper-
fect that there are no legal means of bringing such
responsibility home.?—

LEEDS CHAMBER OF CONMERCE.

A meeting of the council of the Leeds Chair:4r

of Commerce was held om Wednesday, for the pur-
pose of receiving the report of the deputation sent
by that body to Paris to confer with Mr. Cobden
on the French Treaty, and to discharge other busi-
ness.

uli
Mr. LUPTON presided, and the minutes of the
mil
preceding meetings were read by the secretary. ,„„.1
From these minutes it appeared that the council
had declined to take any action with respect to the
proposed Post-office Savings Banks, considering it
a social, not a commercial, question ; and that a
letter had been received from the Bilimingliarn.
Chamber recommending a conference of delegates
from trade Protection societies and chambers of
commerce throughout England, in that town or in.:
London, on an early day, with respect to the bank-111
ruptcy question. The council had expressed its lo
approval of such conference, suggesting London in w
preference to Birmingham, and recommending the IJI
President and Mr. J. Dewitt, jun., as delegates.
On this question the PRESIDENT said that Mr. Mor-
ley, of London, when in Leeds, undertook to arrange
with the Attorney-General as to the day on which. it
would be agreeable for him to receive a deputation
to assist hirn.in the preparation of the new bill,
which it was understood was to be essentially va.:ied
in some points from the last bill. The President
added that the Attorney-General had expref.sed
his great anxiety to see some commercial
.ren- -
tlemen before framing his bill. At a later pc riod 4.
of the meeting, a member of the council sur,- it
gested whether something should not be (ione
to prevent the bill falling through next sessiGn on
the same ground as last. He referred to the clause t,
as to non-traders, and said it was evidently a i?oint';
so
dat whetheru
in-
solvent l
upon which Lord Palmerston felt that the bill:,
might be wrecked again. He suggest
sthev e clausent might mi g h
petition h
might no
not be
et
e Insolvencypermissive, o
Court or the
Bankruptcy Court. If a person allowed himself to
be arrested, then the bankruptcy law might be en-
forced.

The PRESIDENT said it was felt that persons who
were not in trade should not be cited in the same
peremptory spirit as traders, but still it was im-
portant to bring all insolvents under the same law,
and the difficulty might be met by giving non-
traders greater latitude.
After some remarks from Mr. Bousfield as to the
importance of passing the bill with or without the
proposed distinction, it was decided that the Pre-
sident, Mr. John Jowitt, jun., Mr. Bousfield, and
Mr. Oxley Should be a committee to take the ne-
cessary action on this quest ion.
Mr. SWAN then read the report drawn up by Mr.
Wurtzburg and Mr. Birchall, the deputation to
Paris, but its publfeation, except to the members,
is postponed until Saturday. It may be stated,
however, that the deputation were informed by
Mr. Malley that the commissioners had verbally
agreed to an ad valorem duty of 15 per cent, on all
woollen goods, which it is believed will admit of a
large trade from this district.
Mr. Empson moved a vote of thanks to the depu-
tation, which was seconded by Mr. Oxley, and car-
ried unanimously.
Mr. WURTZBURG returned thanks, and in doing
so said it was impossible to over-estimate the ser-
vices of Mr. Cobden. His labours were hercelean,
and, whatever might be the result of this treaty, he
was entitled to the gratitude of his country for his
devotion and disinterestedness. (Hear.)
The attention of the deputation was then drawn
to a statement by Mr. Mallinson at a meeting of
the Huddersfield Chamber, imputing to the Leeds
deputation a desire to favour specific duties. This
was eniphatically denied, and it was shown that.
not only had the council in April last, in a comma-
nic'.:Von to the Board of Trade, urged a moderate
ad valorem duty of 45 per cent., but that the de-
putation had done their utmost to obtain the adop-
tion of the ad valorem principle. The only explana-
tion of the erroneous impressions under which the
Huddersfield gentlemen laboured was this, that at
one time it was stated 1)3 Mr. Cobden that there was
no hope of inducing the French Commissioners to
adopt the ad valorem principle, upon which the
Leeds deputation said, " Then we must get the
specific duties levied in such a manner as will be
most advantageous to the trade." They had
laboured, however, zealously, ansl happily success-.
fully, for the ad valorem principle. .

BRADFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

The monthly meeting of the council of the Brad-
ford Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday
afternoon at Bradford—W. Ripley, Esq., the pre-
sident, occupying the chair.
The deputation who recently visited Paris on the
subject of the French Commercial Treaty presented
a report, from which the following is an extract
The deputation, consisting of Messrs. Behrens,
Whitworth. Kell, and Preller, having been sum-
moned to Pails by Mr. Cobden, nrocvedio
and on their arrival took into consideration a pro-
posal made on the part of the French Government
of the duties proposed to be imposed upon worsted
yarns and pieces. After several days' negotiation
and anxious deliberation upon the different plans
proposed the deputation were informed that the
tariff for goods had been settled, though nothing
definite could be stated until the signatures of the
commissioners had been affixed • but when the de-
putation left Paris they had the best grounds for
expecting that the duty on all worsted and mixed

fabrics of wool and cotton would be 15 per cent. ad
valorem, to be reduced to 10 per cent. in ISO-I. A
still more prolonged deliberation arose in respect of
yarns. The deputation has ground for believing
that mohair yarns will remain as they are—that is,
with a penny and a fraction duty per lb.; that all
single numbers up to 25 French count, equal to
about 22's English, will be 25 cents. per kilog.,
equal to about 1 1-10 d. per lb. English ; and for each
number above 25, lc. extra per kilog. Two fold
yarns, not slack-twisted, for tapissierie, 50 per cent.
upon the duty for single yarns extra. All donble
yarns for tapissierie 50 cents. extra, upon single-
dyed yarns 25 cents. per kilog. extra. The deputa-
tion since their return have addressed a letter to
Mr. Cobden respecting the practical working of
the treaty in as far as the introduction of worsted
yarns and goods into Franco will be concerned, and
they have Mr. Cobden's assurance that their sug-
gestions will be taken into serious consideration."
The report concludes thus :—" The deputation
fulfil a pleasant duty in expressing their admira-
tion for the persevering zeal, tact, and good
management exhibited throughout these negotia-
tions by Mr. Cobden, who was ably assisted by
Messrs. Ogilvie and Mallet. They believe that the
result of these negotiations will be of the greatest
benefit to the worsted district. The deputationm,
having thus fulfilled the task imposed upon
cannot close their report without ex
pressi
n
g
they
high sense of the frank liberality with
which theta,
have been met on the part of the French Govern-
deep
rooted
Govern-
ment. Many powerful interests and
d were opposed
prejudices amongst our neighbours
nh these
which ot allowed
thede-
putation were concerned
ttoo tphree
vail, treaty,bu tbiunt
envoetry onlyit etthNavelleer
French Government
ti
aO7 t
oinvariablyput
oallowedthce compact,
nt
etprhmaecemt
,00fsett
nhltei
ebrtereredal atiyeno.t no sltvrhuc- i
Thu
this great national
and
wanting the formality of . signature, has been com-
pleted
tn mutualprov
creatingwe
tnnhbfided
penrrehonourabletoioirelations
now,o:
frh fairness, shstme,haoetnyswtd believe,ienao ctnoimnu
noattrefi fail to
bltyyo
com-
merciali
relations between the two peoples."