The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-04 00:00:00

Sir Stafford Northcote at Liverpool.

Sir Stafford Northcote, M.P., President of the Board of
Trade, who is at present staying in Liverpool, as the guest
of Mr. S. Graves, M.P., on Tuesday took a cruise on the
river Mersey, and paid a visit to the Akhbar reformatory
ship, the school frigate Conway, and the training ship In-
defatigable. Sir Stafford minutely inspected each vessel,
and appeared much pleased at the appearance of the boys
in each, who manned the yards of their respective vessels
and went through a variety of evolutions and exercises.
On board the Indefatigable, which has been fitted up
for the training of a seafaring life of destitute boys
a preference being given to the children of seamen—
Sir Stafford was entertained at lunch, about 20 gentle-
men being present, Mr. F. A. Clint occupying the chair.
Mr. Clint, in proposing the health of the President of
the Board of Trade, said that there was ample accom-
modation on board the Indefatigable for 300 boys, though
at present there were only 60 in the ship, owing to the
want of sufficient funds to pay for the support of a larger
number. No less a sum than £5,000 had been expended
upon the Indefatigable by Mr. Bibby, one of the most ex-
tensive shipowners in the port. His example had also been
liberally followed by several other gentlemen connected
with the shipping trade. In replying to the toast, Sir S.
Northcote expressed the great interest he felt in such in-
stitutions, which were of great importance not only in a
local but national point of view. He alluded to the great
interest his friend Mr. Graves had taken in the question of
manning the mercantile marine, and said that Mr. Graves's
bill on the subject had only been withdrawn on the under-
standing that some practical steps would be taken by the
Government to pro/out the further deterioration of the
English mercantile marine. He had experienced great
pleasure that day in visiting the various training ships in
the river and conversing with experienced shipowners,
from whom he gathered a fund of useful information, which
ho could not easily have otherwise acquired. He also hoped
that whenever any Liverpool shipowners thought it ad-
visable to address him upon questions connected with his
department they would do so, and any knowledge he might
thus gain would be at the service of his colleagues, when
he next met them in November, and next session would,
he hoped, produce some useful commercial legislation.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.) He might inform them that
the Government had under consideration—so far as his
department was concerned—the question of local Admi-
ralty Courts. The proceedings terminated with the com-
pany drinking the healths of the two members for Liver-
pool, Messrs. Graves and llorsfall, and of Mr. J. Laird,
M.P. for Birkenhead. Yesterday Sir S. Northcote visited
the principal dock, Messrs. Laird's shipbuilding yards, and
the Great Eastern.

The first stone of a new church has just been laid
at Slhatna, in the island of Malta, by the Commander
of the forces, General Ridley, The clergy of the
island and the military chaplains were present, and
the Ven. Archdeacon Cleugh and the Rev. Dr.
Burbridge, the Bishop's chaplain, attended on behalf
of his lordship. Amongst the company were Gen.
Atherley, AdmiralKellett, General nd Mrs. Haynes,
and the officers of the garrison and their families.
The church has been commenced by the Bishop of
Gibraltar, and will be paid for by subscription, the
Bishop having given £l,OOO. The estimated cost is
four times that sum.

The level of the Seine at the scale of the Pont-
Royal was somewhat higher yesterday, marking 4
metres 70c., or nearly 18 inches higher than the day
before.