The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-28 00:00:00

PI: ume 4d.
STAMPED 5

THE 0 VERLA G OF SEA-GOING
VESSELS.

Yesterday an official inquiry, which had extended
over two previous days, and held by direction of, the
Board of Trade, was concluded at the Greenwich
Police-court, before Mr. Patteson, the magistrate,
and Captains Harris and Baker, nautical asses-
sors, into the circumstances attending the loss of
the Volunteer steamer in the Bay of Biscay,
while on a voyage from London to Trieste, under
the command of Captain Job. Mr. Day, barrister,
attended for the owners (Messrs. Courtney and
Co., of Sunderland) and the master. The evi
deuce taken was very voluminous, it appearing
that the Volunteer left Cardiff on the 22d Sep-
tember, encountered a fearful gale on the 24th,
when her engines broke down, and she was aban-
doned on the night of the 26th, during the con-
tinuance of the gale, the loss being mainly attri-
butable to her being very much overladen. - The
court having retired to consider its judgment, on
its return Mr. Boustred, the chief clerk, read the
same, and which stated that on the Volunteer
leaving London she hal a cargo of 541 tons, or
within a fraction of her registe-ed tonnage, con-
sisting chiefly of iron and tin. At Cardiff a
further cargo of 241 tons were shipped, together
with 25 or 30 tons of coal, making in all 808 tons,
being an excessof 264 tons, or one-half more than
her registered tonnage, and 117 in excess of her
gross tonnage. Toe judgMent of the court con-
cluded as follckws :—There is no doubt she was
very deeply .laden, more especially as so large a por-
tion of her cargo was dead weight. It is possible
that, had her'engines not broken down, she might
have reached her destination in safety ; but, on
the other hand, had she been less heavily laden
she wouM have made better weather of it.
With regard to the responsibility of the master
in reference to the disaster, the Court takes
into consideration that it was Mr. Job's first
voyage in the Volunteer ; that he may have
known little or nothing of the capacity or
capabilities of the ship ; and that he proba-
bly relied upon the knowledge of his mate, who
held a master's certifica►te of competency, and
who had been several years in the vessel.
Upon these grounds only the Court feels disposed
to exonerate Mr. Job. \Vhile making every allow-
ance for the relative position of master and owner,
the court holds that it is the duty of the master to
protest against his ship being improperly laden,
as in the event of accident arising from such a
cause, he alone is responsible for the lives under
his charge. Under all these circumst Lnc:s
the Court does not think that Capt. Job abandoned
the Volunteer prematurely, but it would have been
more satisfied had he ascertained the quantity of
water in the ship before he left her." The certifi-
cate of Captain Job was then returned to him by
the Court. It may be stated that the whole
of the Volunteer's crew—twenty in all—were
saved by the schooner The Sisters, the captain of
which offered to stand by during the right ; but
the gale increasing, and the lights placed on board
the ill-fated vessel having either been blown out by
the wind or extinguished on the vessel sinking, the
captain of the schooner, for the safety of his own
vessel and of the lives of those he had on board,
proceeded to the nearest port.

NAV.IL AND MILI7ARY INTELLIGENCE.

The hulks lent by the British Government to the
Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company
for the conveyance of the French Atlantic Cable
from Greenwich to Sheerness, there to be deposited
on board the Great Eastern, are the Iris and the
Amethyst, two of the old sailing 26's.

An order has been received from the Lords of the
Admiralty for the removal of the engines of the
Lizard, 1, 340 tons, 150 horse power (tender to the
Formidable, 26, flagship at Sheerness). The vessel
will be afterwards removed to Chatham for further
survey. It is anticipated that the whole of her bot-
tom plates will have to be removed, as they are
worn very thin.
Advices received from the Pacific squadron by
the Chatham correspondent announce the arrival at
Valparaiso, on the 6th ult., of her Majesty's screw
sloop Reindeer, 7, 200 horse power, Commander E.
Nares, after a lengthened cruise among the islands
in the Pacific. The Reindeer left Honolulu on
the Ist of June, and arrived at Christmas Islands
on the 11th of the same month, sailing on the
next day for Maiden Island, which was reached
on the 19th. The island is being worked
by an Australian company for its guano, of
which there is an immense supply. About 40
persons were found located on the island, the
arrival of one of her Majesty's vessels being hailed
with great delight, upwards of two months having
elapsed since they had seen a sail. On the following
day the Reindeer left for Starback Island, which
had also been worked for its guano, but, owing to
the difficulty of embarking it, and the bad anchor-
age for ships, the trade had been given up, and the
island abandoned. All the buildings on shore were
found to be in ruins, a proclamation being disco-
vered of the island having been taken possession of
by the captain of her Majesty's ship Falcon, 17,
100 horse power, Commander 11. L. Perceval, and
also the notice of a visit from her Majesty's ship
Mutine, 17, 200 horse power, Commander 11. M.
Alexander. On leaving, a notification of the Rein-
deer's arrival was placed with the other docu-
ments. The Reindeer afterwards sailed for the
islands marked Gozewen and Bauman on the
charts, she passed over the assigned posi-
tions of each without seeing either of them.
Caroline Island was reached on the 9th of July,
the officers landing, when the island was taken pos-
session of by Commander Nares in the name of the
Queen and the Union Jack hoisted. Her Majesty's
ship Topaze, 31, 600 horse power, flagship of Com-
modore R. A. Powell, C.B. ; Malacca, 18; 200
horse power, Captain R. B. Oldfield ; and Mutine,
17, 200 horse power, Commander H. M. Alexander,
were at Coquimbo. The Nassau, 5, 150 horse
power, Captain R. C. Mayne, C. 8., surveying
vessel in the Straits of Magellan, arrived at Valpa-
raiso on the 7th ult.

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The Times notices a rumour which had a snort existence.
in London. It was to the effect that the elections were to
be postponed. The postponement was not to be for any
long period— no longer, indeed, than a week, but a week
would be sufficient to carry on the time for the meeting of
Parliament, the swearing in of members, the election of
the Speaker, and the delivery of the Royal Speech, to so
late a day that it would be impossible for the debate on the
Address to be closed so as to admit of the formation of a
new Government in time to control the policy of the coming
year. Many reasons were assigned for this postpone.
ment besides that which all who repeated the rumour
regarded as the real motive for it. It was said that it
was necessary the Court of Common Pleas should decide
the registration appeals pending before it; it was desi-
rable appointments which might be questioned should be-
come so overlaid by fresh events that it would be impos-
sible to disturb them ; that the postponement had been
determined by command, besides other hypotheses which
each purveyor of the rumour felt himself at liberty to
frame according to what he conceived the exigency of the
situation. The Times denies its authenticity, but
remarks that it is a painful instance of the
suspicion which attaches to the present Administration.
Our contemporary reviews the circumstances which led to,
the present accepted arranger .eat, and says : We do not
dwell on the immense inconvenience to the whole nation of
any further postponement of the general election. Already
a dangerous interval has passed, and we speak no more
than the truth when we declare that candidates and
electors are alike weary, and would rejoice at an
acceleration of the day of trial. There is, indeed,
nothing but the well-understood agreement that the
writs should issue on the 11th of next month to prevent
the elections being held before that time. The registration
is comPlete., There is not the slightest necessity that any
appeals from the decisions of the revising barristers should
be tried before the elections, as the statute expressly pro-
vides
that the register shall be taken-as it stands, without
regard to pending appeals, and that elections should be
uninfluenced by the subsequent fate of appeals. The same
reason which prevents a postponement prevents, however,
an anticipation of the day, and we may therefore repeat
with confidence that the writs will be issued on the day
already fixed upon.
The Daily Icews says a course of proceeding is believed
to be contemplated by her Majesty's Ministers which
would be incredible of any other Government than that
which now holds power. Mr. Disraeli, 'it is said, has come
to the conclusion that his own political interests will be
materially served by his continuance in office until
February. With a view to this result, it is necessary to
prevent the meeting of Parliament before Christmas, and
to ensure that the vote which must decide the fate of the
Ministry shall not be taken until the second month
of next year. It is easy to see how advantageously the
time thus gained can be abused by the arch-mystifier for
the purpose of falsifying the issues before the country, of
educating his own party, and of bewildering the more
simple of his opponents. The trick by which all this is to
be managed is a very simple one. It consists simply in
postponing for a week the issue of the writs. There is but
one man of high political position in England whom his
countrymenwould deem capable of such a course of conduct.
But that man is the Prime Minister. Ali that people
are saying now is, "How like him !" There are no
more than a dozen politicians who would be accomplices
in such an act of treachery ; but those dozen are Mr.
Disraeli's colleagues. The decisive step is not yet taken.
But nothing but the disclosure of the contemplated trick
and the expression of public indignation will prevent its
adoption in the course of a day or two. If the device be
discarded on the part of its discomfited authors, the denial
that it was ever entertained is a matter of course. Those
who have baffled the sharper may smile at his professions
of innocence.

The Star mentions the report that, on the plea of a re-
quest of the Queen, the Prime Minister intends to secure at
a Cabinet Council on Saturday the sanction of his
colleagues to a postponement of the issuing of the writs
till the 18th of November. The country will ring
with indignation if this sorry manoeuvre prove to be
really in contemplation. The Star points out the
leading motives of the Government to be the post-
ponement of the consideration of the Church ques-
tion, and to prevent their expulsion from office until
next year. Subsidiary considerations have also their
weight. It is essential that Lord Mayo should be got safe
out to India, and there is one of Mr. Disraeli's colleagues
who particularly desires to complete, before the resigna-
tion of the Government, the term of office
which is necessary to enable him to draw his
pension. We have neither opportunity nor leisure
at this moment to pursue this miserable and tortuous
policy into its details. We simply state, for the informa-
tion of the country, rumours which demand its immediate
and most anxious consideration. There is time before
Saturday to evoke such a declaration of public opinion as
will make it perfectly hopeless for Mr. Disraeli, bold and
contriving as he is, to think of making his col-
leagues accomplices in the design which is attributed to

The Post reviews Mr. Bright's late speech, which seems
to indicate that he considers a very fair instalment of what
he has asked has already been accorded, and that he may
therefore begin rather to fight the old battles over again
than to look out for fresh fields of conflict. He positively
asserts, with reference to the recent great concession of
power to his special clients, that " power is not necessarily
happiness, and that a vote is not necessarily wisdom ;" and
actually goes on thus : " Although I believe that a Parlia-
ment elected by a nation is not likely to be selfish, it is pos-
sible that a nation may at times mistake its own inte-
rest on some very great question." Surely this is rather
a new Mr. Bright who admits that much ; but the fact
itself is beyond contradiction, and it is useful and appro-
priate to insist upon it at this time, when there is a ten.
dency to throw up all hats over Reform, and to believe that
all possible good things are certainly to come to us from
household suffrage. In Mr. Bright's eyes the Liberals are very
virtuous and the Tories very wicked. The Post believes
better of the Tory party than Mr. Bright does, and would
like to reta'n the hope that, having now helped itself to
the names of Liberal-Conservative, Conservative-Liberal,
Constitutional, and so on, it will, with the new titles, have
acquired a new power of being occasionally in the futuro
less wrong than Mr. Bright says it has consistently been in
the past.

The Standard remarks that the stump vacated by Mr.
Gladstone has been occupied by Mr. Bright. The master
succeeds to the pupil—the oracle to its interpreter. The
lisping tones of the neophyte in democracy are exchanged
for the round and full utterances of the arch-demagogue
himself. We hail with a kind of relief this change from
the tinselled imitation to the rough reality. We would
rather deal with the maker of Liberals than with the
crude article of his manufacture. We prefer to know the
stump in its true character. In Mr. Gladstone's hands it
had descended into something between a hedge-parson's
block and an auctioneer's platform. In Mr. Bright's it
recovers its ancient and normal tone, as a place for the
cursing of one's political enemies, rather than for the deli•
verance of newly-discovered principles.
The Times remarks that Mr. Bright assumes the exist-
ence of two great parties as individual as a human being.
Giant Tory and Giant Whig have been fighting for forty
years in Mr. Bright's story-book, and here they are with
bold and vivid illustrations. But what is the fact ? There
are no such individual existences. There are no such
identities. This nation is not divided thus sharply into
two classes, thus directly antagonistic. Mr. Bright, over
and over again, has to force and strain the fact in order
to shape it to his purpose and create two distinct
antagonists. There are many parties, many
classes, and many schools of opinion, many interests,
many policies, many philosophies, in this country and it
these isles. Compelled as they are by stress of circum-
stances and the necessity of coming to decisions to arrange
themselves on sides, they continually exhibit cross divi-
sions. Conservative and Liberal are but a rough classill.
cation, and, what is more, it changes its ingredients every
year. There are Conservatives too old, interested, or
hampered to like change of any kind, but there are Con.
servatives as progressive as many Liberals. None knows
better than Mr. Bright that if the Conservative party has
to thank the Liberal for the progress they both make, the
Liberal party is under equal obligations for the assistance
it receives in maintaining a steady pace.

The Herald considers the address of the committee fol
securing Sir Roundell Palmer's election perfectly colour
less. Ten years ago that lawyer seemed to be in advance
of Mr. Gladstone ; his general tendencies are rather Radi.
cal than otherwise, and he opposed Mr. Gladstone/
scheme rather as a lawyer than otherwise. He was
silent at a time when a few emphatic words of
his might have ensured the defeat of the entire
scheme, and overwhelmed the enemies of the Churcl:
with discomfiture and confusion. No doubt he acteo
according to his conscience ; he is not a man who collie
ever do otherwise. He thought that he should do more
harm by throwing the Radical party into disorder thar
good by defending the rights of property and the interest!
of the Church. But the very fact of his having so thougbl
should prevent any Churchman or Conservative from sup
porting him. A man who thinks the success of Liberalism
more important than the safety of the Church and the
maintenance of the rights of property is thereby corn.
pletely disqualified for the representation of the Universit•
of Oxford.

The Bristol Post says a Cardiff journeyman pain.
ter, named Aston, is at present in London "completing hit
:arrangements for coming into possession of estates of tLq
value of about £BO,OOO, left bita by a clwatiedAephow.