The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-01 00:00:00

-THE SUN,' LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 1, 1866.

LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1866.

Few naval disasters of late years have excited
a greater amount of sympathy and sorrow than
the loss of the steamship London. The destruc-
tion of life was so great, the circumstances of
the wreck so harrowing, and the disruption of
family ties
so painful, that the public feeling was
deeply moved, and the natural questions imme-
diately asked were to what cause the disaster was
due, and whether by any means it might have
been prevented. The careful and laborious inves-
tigation by the Board of Trade has just been
brought to a conclusion, after an
examination of
24 witnesses, who had either a personal knowledge
of the ship or were experienced in shipbuird-
ity,. The conclusion to which the
examiners
have arrived arc on the whole favourable to the
London, and exonerate its owners and its officers
from suspicion of negligence or mismanagement.
Captain MARTIN'S high reputation, long experience,
and proved courage under the most trying circum
stances, have throughout encouraged the belief that
he did all that he believed it expedient to attempt,
or possible to accomplish. This opinion was current
from the first, and although there might be points
in the management of the ship which seafaring men
criticised or disputed, it was incontestable that
tliey were not acquainted with the exact
circumstances under which Captain
MARTIN
gave his orders, or with the reasons which
dictated them. The construction of the ship her-
self is, however, more open to criticism. There
seems little reason to doubt that her original design
was unfavourable to the success of her struggle

with the elements. Her length was7i times
her breadth, a proportion by meansmes
no
d weight
added
to in modern ship building, beuatd, de d
to the weight of her material andthe
of her cargo, putting her at a great disadvan-
tage. Again, the opinion of the report is that
with regard to the weight of the cargo and the
manner of the stowage the ship was in a satis-
factory condition ; but there are considerable
doubts on the subject. The London was very
heavily loaded, and the evidence of Mr. WILSON, a
retired shipbuilder of Liverpool, supports the theory
that the build of the ship and the weight of her
cargo contributed materially to the disaster. No
blame can be attached to the owners, since they
only followed the usual custom, and conformed to
the standard adopted by LLOYD'S surveyors. No
censure whatever can be passed upon the London
or its stowage individually ; but the extent of the
catastrophe may well make it worth while to ask
how far it is desirable to sacrifice safety to speed in
the construction of a passenger vessel, and whether
another and modified standard as to cargo
might not with propriety be adopted. The Court,
indeed, recommend, as they have already recom-
mended, in the case of the Amalia, that the deep
load line should be permanently marked on all
vessels carrying passengers and merchandise ; and
we hope that this suggestion -.vill not be overlooked,
as it will afford a simple and ready means of testing
the weight of a cargo. It is sufficient that several
.persons who had gone to see their friends on board,
and to say, unknowingly, a last goodbye, were
struck with the apparent depth of the ship
in the water. Non-professional eyes, how-
ever, might naturally have believed them-
selves mistaken, and the general opinion as to
the speed, safety, and favourable prospects of the
London was all that could be desired. The imme-
diate cause of the disaster in the minds of the
examiners was the loss of the engine-room
skylight. When this was washed away the
water rushed down into the engine-room, put out
the fires, and completely destroyed every chance of
escape. It is uncertain what was the reason of the
total loss of this unfortunate skylight. The report
says that, if properly secured, it was a sufficient
protection from the sea unless from any extraor-
dinary accident. But the result seems to prove
that the protection was not sufficient, since no ship
intended for the passage between England and
Australia could avoid encountering heavy gales ;
and as "no machine is stronger than its weakest
part," so no vessel can be said ,lo be ; and the
report, when observing that " all the hatch-
ways of a ship ought to be made as strong as her
deck, and when occasion requires it secure from
the intrusion of the sea," endorses the opinion
that the skylight might have been more
efficiently constructed. The fact of the sides
of the ship being nearly level with the deck
was another drawback to the struggling company,
while of course the gale which they had to encoun-
ter was of exceptional severity.
Curiously enough, just following the publication
of the Report, comes a message from the sea—a
voice from the dead, making itself heard above the
echo of winds and waves from the fatal Bay. On
the 12th of last month three bottles were found
on the coast of Quiberon, where already
spars and splinters of the unfortunate ves-
sel have been picked up. These bottles contained
six papers written by passengers on board the
London, in the near prospect of inevitable death.
Most of them consist of a few brief words of fare-
well to their relatives. One, however, contains the
significant passage—" Ship too heavily laden for
its size, and too crank ; windows stove in, water
coming in everywhere ' Storm not too
violent for a ship in good condition." These words
carry weight, as coming from one actually present
at the scene of the catastrophe, and having only
too good reason to examine into its origin. We
can only hope that this painful lesson will not be
lost upon ship-builders or ship-owners, but that a
greater regard to the security of their vessels and
their passengers may henceforward be the paramount
consideration.

The second part of the very interesting paper
which Captain PI3I read at St. James's Hall re-
lated exclusively to the recent insurrection in Ja-
maica, and accordingly the sense of the meeting
was taken as to whether or not it should be con-
tinued. " On a show of hands it was found that,
with the exception of one person, the meeting was
unanimous that the rest of the paper should be
read." In touching upon this vexed question the
writer seems to confine his remarks to those portions
of the subject which relate to the misunderstandings
that have arisen in certain quarters among those
who, " when urging upon the Government the sus-
pension of Governor EYRE, added their pious hope
that it would be by the neck." Foremost among
the causes that have created this confusion is rightly
mentioned the fact that Governor EYRE in his
despatch attributed the blame to Dr. UNDERHILL
and the Baptists. Nothing but this, indeed, has
given rise to the excitement that has arisen on the
subject ; for those who ought to be the most correct
judges, the colonists themselves, are unanimous in
their approval of the measures adopted by Governor
EYRE. It is worthy of notice that Dr. UNDERHILL's
remarks were calculated to have most injurious
effects upon those who heard them ; and as it is
truly stated here, those expressions which would be
harmless in this country are most prejudicial when
uttered before " excitable negroes," who are in a
preponderance of forty to one over the whites.
As for the publication of this document it is here
said that had it not been done in an orthodox
form the Baptist missionaries would have done it
for themselves, and thus made matters worse by
exaggerations and additions of their own.
The insurrection at Morant Bay was in course
of preparation for months, and abundant proofs
are not wanting to this effect. All the steps taken
by PAUL BOGLE show that he proceeded in a re-
gular course, according to fixed rules ; and his
marshalling his forces and making them take a
" fearful oath" are substantial witnesses as to his
pre-determined acts. Then, in contradiction to
the stories afloat at_Exeter Hall and elsewhere as
to the imprudent act of the Volunteers in firing
on the harmless negroes, and thus causing the
riot, we find that prior to their proceeding to the
Court-house the rebels had visited the police-sta-
tion and possessed themselves of the arms. Very
properly does Captain Pim declare that only great
ignorance can have caused the outcry that has
arisen concerning the proclamation of " martial
law," for such a step was rendered indispensable.
An admirable definition is here given of the mat-
ter, and the mistake alluded to very commonly
met with of confounding martial law with
cotnricaeisrns
ofthenaavpa-
plication of law to the l
courts-martial. The latter
and military men who know, to what they
are subject when joining the services. Martial
law, on the contrary, is the absence of law, and as
a better exponent of the' thing could not be found
than the. Duke of WELLINGTON, it is worth while
to notice what he says :—," Martial law is neither
more nor less than the will of the General who
commands the army ; in fact, martial law means
no law at all ; therefore the Genera who declares

martial law, and commands that it should be car-
ried into execution, is bound to lay down the
rules, regulations, and limits, according to which
his will is to be carried out." This definition reads
strangely after the tirades to which we have been
treated, and the murderous charges made by Mr.
BRIGHT both in the House and at public meetings,
when he presumed to drag in all the Judges of the
United Kingdom as his suppositious allies, thus
giving these learned men the credit for being as
ignorant and prejudiced as himself.
As for another cause of offence in England, 'the
length of time during which martial law was in
force, it is to be considered that great danger
accrued from the preponderance of the blacks and
whites, and besides, while any " organisation"
survived the rebels could always make head
again, because they could hide in forests and
mountains, and impassable rivers afforded
them slielter. After the Governor had
thought the insurrection ended so far as
it was apparent, a proclamation of PAUL
BOGLE appeared, which proves that he did
not think that the agitators had received their death
blow. " It is time for us to help ourselves ; skin
for skin," observes this dauntless and desperate
leader. " Every <me of you must have your house
—take your guns ; who don't have guns, take cut-
lasses down at once, blow your shells, roll your
drums, house to house, take out every man, march
them down to Stony Gut. Any that you find take
them in the way; take them down with their
arms. War is at my black skin ; war is at
hand from to-day till to-morrow. Every black
man must turn out at once, for the oppression
is too great." Does all this sound like the
ontspeaking of one among a horde of victims
hnnted about by cruel and unscrupulous soldiers,
or does it not rather read like the settled
purpose of a man who has resolved to do or
die in desperate venture, and who, in the pro-
secution of his fell intention, will set law and reason
at defiance, and will care as little for the laws of
man as he regards the commandments of GOD.
The trial and execution of GORDON, of course,
engage attention in this paper, and it is truly stated
that the Governor gave another proof of his " cou-
rage and determination by ordering the arrest of
this man, because, although all were convinced of
his guilt, many were unwilling to proceed to ex-
tremities, because of the danger of an outbreak at
Kingston. " Things like these are especially the
evils which call for decision and daring, and the
maligned and calumniated Governor showed himself
conspicuous for the possession of these valuable
qualities. As for the step which has been so much
called in question, of removing GORDON from Kings-
ton to St. Thomas's-in-the-East, we find a very
plausible explanation here given of it. In the first
place, it was quite in accordance with the laws of
the land; and also peace could not, under any com-
bination of circumstances, have been preserved at
Kingston had the authorities settled for the trial to
take place. With respect to the court-martial, we
find that two courts were sitting to try prisoners,
and of these the one, composed of two naval officers
and an ensign in the army, was selected because it
was composed of officers of higher rank, and also
because it was considered that it was strictly impar-
tial ; the other court, officers of the island militia,
were strongly influenced against GORDON, as they
knew him well. GORDON'S defence lasted ilcr two
hours, and this fact is here commented on, its being
certainly a decisive contradiction to the statement
that the prisoner was tried in great haste, and hur-
ried into eternity without time for thought and pre-
paration. As for the course pursued by GORDON
himself there are not wanting many proofs to show
that he was constantly at work in organising rebel-
lion, and fomenting discord and strife. The letter
he wrote to Mr. CHAMEROVZOW, which was read at
Exeter Hall, is a notable instance of this. His
speeches in the Assembly were remarkable for their
intemperance and intolerance; and it seems, indeed,
strange that any one can read the extracts from
hem without feeling assured of the dangerous ten-
dencies and unscrupulous character of the speaker.
When a man goes so far as to say that,
per se, the people would be quite right
to break into open rebellion, and that if the Gover-
nor is allowed an illegality, an illegality on the part
of the people may be permitted, it certainly speaks
strongly against him. Further on he states that
"he had never seen an animal more voracious for
cruelty and power than the present Governor of
Jamaica. if we are to be governed by such a Go-
vernor much longer the people will have to fly to
arms and become self-governing." The inconsis-
tency of the man equals his vehemence, and we may
well be amazed when we find him declaring
at his trial that PAUL BOGLE was certainly
his political friend, and then in his letter
to his wife, an hour before his execution, stating
that he knew "nothing of the man BOGLE." In
alluding to the unfair treatment which Governor
EYRE has received, it is very correctly stated here
that " little did he think when the news of Lord
PALMERSTON'S death reached Jamaica that he of
all men would ever have bitter cause to regret the
loss of a statesman who never turned his back on
a loyal and dutiful public servant." When we con-
sider that there has been as many as four serimr;
and ten minor insurrections in Jamaica, during the
last hundred years, and the unsettled state of the
island at present, we may well agree with the
expressions here used in condemnation of the
uncertain and unbecoming conduct of our Ministers.
First they send out thanks to the Governor, and
then, intimidated by deputations and scenes of
rowdyism, thc,y send out orders to suspend him.
Such course must prove most injurious to the
prospects of our colonies, and subversive of the
authorities in those parts, whether naval, military,
or civil. In concluding his admirable paper on this
subject, Captain Pus observes emphatically that
" it is astounding to hear those who have never been
out of their own country vehemently laying down
the law in opposition to men who have spent
great part of their time in obtaining a know-
ledge and experience in official, profes-
sional, and commercial life in the colonies."
After the thanks of the meeting had been unani-
mously accorded to Captain Pigs, some other gen-
tlemen made speeches connected with this interesting
subject. Mr. HUGH SEMPER, who has long been con-
nected with the colonies, declared that it was impos-
sible to prove that there was any class legislation as
had been asserted. In Jamaica the white men im-
pose heavy taxes upon their landed property in
order to carry out plans which are for the " exclu-
sive benefit of the blacks." The same gentleman
also quoted the remark made concerning ROBE-
SPIERRE by a French author, that he took care to
enjoy his own liberty, and also sought to possess
that of other people as well, thus showing his regard
for the principle of it. The same will apply to the
reckless accusers of the colonists, who not only de-
mand a full share of freedom for the blacks, but
seek per fas et nefas to deprive the whites of every
vestige of it. The constitution of Jamaica permits
martial law to be proclaimed without any previous
legislation takm.
illegal act is, g place; and it is here mentioned by
Mr.
SEmPEP. that Governor Mosrvii, when tried for
could neither plead that he had property
exercised, the prerogative of the Crown, or was
protec by any local law, or by any post ex facto

legislation ; but Governor EYRE can claim all these.
In a few remarks, which he made at the conclusion
of the proceedings, Captain Pm stated that
whether Governor EYRE was right or wrong the
Government of the country was greatly to blame,
becatise it was quite clear that a rowdy invasion of
Downing-street ought not to have been tolerated
for one moment by Ministers having the slightest
regard not only for their own but for the nation's
dignity. In conclusion, he earnestly hoped that if
ever he should be in a similar position to that of
Governor EYRE he might have the courage, deter-
mination, and self-reliance to act precisely as his
Excellency had done.

LA TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)
PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, MAncu 1.

It is stated that in the Ministerial Council held
yesterday, the definitive settlement of the question
of the Duchies formed the subject of the discussion,
and that a resolution was arrived at.

RUSSIA.

ST. PETERSBURG, MAncu 1.

The rumours of a forthcoming new lottery loan
of 100 millions of roubles are still current, and it is
stated that it will be issued on the same conditions
as the Loan of 1864.