The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 23, 1844

gradations of official and ministerial labour. To narrow I
the limits of those schools—in many instances to break
them up, and disperse the elements of which they
are composed to the winds—was the object of that
measure. It was prevented from passing into kw
solely by the force or public opinion. The combinei
opposition of the Wesleyans, acting in close and friendly
co-operation with the various denominations of regular
Dissenters, accomplished its defeat. Ministers—who
would have willingly conciliated the High Church
party by this " effective check upon the active and
aggressive spirit of Dissent"—were compelled to with-
draw the measure. They abandoned their Bill.
They retired, discomfited and confounded, before the
power they had provoked, and of the formidable nuin-
bers and influence of which in the country they were
manifestly ignorant. But the disposition which pro-
duced, and pertinaciously persisted in pressing the Bill
upon the House of Commons, to the latest moment that
there existed a possibility of carrying it, will not be
soon forgotten by the religious bodies whose schools
and societies it assailed, and threatened with extinc-
tion. The sectaries, thus exasperated, will not be
easily propitiated. Recently delivered from so great
peril and danger, were the Wesley APS to give their sup-
part to a candidate pledged to the policy of the Govern-
ment which devised that insidious and effective engine
against their schools, they would be inviting a repetition
of the attempt, and would also provide the means of
rendering it successful. This influential body, and, in
South Lancashire, comparatively numerous portion of
the county constituemy, are too wise in their
generation to act so foolishly. Besides, on
the present occasion, the Conservative candidate
is not merely committed to the policy of the
ministry which brought forward that illiberal and
odious Bill ; he has personally avowed principles, and
delivered himself of sentiments, which plainly show
that he, at least, is prepared, whenever opportunity
offers, to originate, or aid in carrying out, the very
purposes of the—in more senses than one—abandoned
Factory Education Bill. We refer to a re-publication,
most opportunely put forth, of Mr. Entwistle's opi-
nions, as explained by that gentleman at the Man-
chester election in 1841, when he was a defeated can-
didate. Mr. Entwisle's opinions on those subjects have
undergone no change. And yet, with a courage
truly admirable—with a dependence on the forget-
fulness, or forgiveness, of the religious denominations
he has there unchristianised Mr. Entwisle now
comes forward and asks their votes. He seeks a seat in
the Legislature. For what? Why, if there be army
truth, or consistency, in him, that he may increeee
the power of the Church, by aiding the Government to
discourage, limit and, if possible, destroy the educational
institutions and the religious operations of the sectaries
throughout the land. Such a candidate may solicit aid
to his views from such quarters. The answer will be
an indignant refusal, accompanied by an avowed deter-
mination to vote for the friend of religious as well as of
• commercial freedom, from every man who knows and
feels his duty to the religious denomination of which he
• is a member.

STATE OF TRADE.
(From the Manchester Guardian of yesterday.)
Notwithstanding the decline in the cotton market,
consequent upon the recent intelligence from the United
States, the market here yesterday was tolerably steady,
and a fair amount of business was done both in goods
and yarn, in some few cases at a slight decline, but gene-
rally at the prices of last week.
ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARKET, MONDAY, MAY 20.
There has been a brisk demand for flannels to-day, con-
sidering that it is the time of the year when this business
is usually the flattest. There have not been so many
merchants in the market ; but some of the large manu-
facturers have bought rather freely. The wool market
is much the same as it has been for several weeks.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
(YLSTERDAY.)
MANSION-HOUSE.
In consequence of the accident which occurred on
Sunday last, at London-bridge, by the upsetting of a
boat crowded with children, some of whom were
drowned, the Lord Mayor gave directions that the offi
cers of the Watermen's Company should attend at the
Justice-room to answer for what his Lordship considered
to be the gross neglect of their duty, exemplified in a
particular manner by that calamity.
Mr. Banyon, the clerk to the Watormen's Company,
and one of the beadles of the Company, having ap-
peared,
The LORD MAYOR said he lamented to find that in
consequence of the very great irregularity of those who
were allowed to exercise power on the river (he meant
the Watermen's Company), and the inactivity of their
officers, persons were permitted to ply with boats unfit
for use, and that one of the consequences of such neglect
or oversight was the loss, on Sunday, of the lives of
seven children.
The beadle here remarked that no more than three
lives were supposed to have been lost.
The LORD MAYOR said that those were known to
have been drowned; but the general belief was that
seven perished. Ile desired to be informed why persons
were permitted to crowd their boats to such dangerous
excess? Ile had received many letters calling his at-
tention to the state of the river, and the extraordinary
latitude which the watermen took in the neighbourhood
of London-bridge, by which human life was constantly
endangered. If proper regulations were adopted and
carried into effect, disasters of the kind would not be
heard of.
The beadle said that he attended the stairs at London-
bridge when directed to perform that duty, but when-
ever he appeared, the conduct of the watermen and
others who were in the habit of working on the river,
was unexceptionable. If any misconduct took place, the
difficulty occurred as to the person upon whom to
charge it.
The LORD MAYOR said it was quite evident that the
moment the beadle of the Watermen's Company with-
drew from the place from which he could observe what
was passing, the objectionable course was resumed, and
boats, some of which were wholly unfit for use, were
crowded with, children, who paid a penny each for the
amusement which, in the case of Sunday last, had been
converted into so awful a calamity.
Mr. Banyon said, that at the present time the Water-
men's Company was altogether powerless. They eonld
do nothing against persons who under such circum-
stances conveyed multitudes in boats which were not li-
censed. There wore rules before the Court of Alder-
men, which if passed by that body. would enable the
Watermen's Company to exercise the necessary authority.
For two years and a half they had been before that
Court. Under the existing regulations
anyexcept the owners Of boats, and in the Company
Lordship had especially alluded.
whichisht his
ook the children on board was a lad 17
tcothhoreeull case
person
not
rsyenata who
ropn suo f age, and not the owner, and the boat it-
self was not licensed.
The LORD MAYOR—It is quite absurd to say that be
cause a boat is not licensed no responsibility attaches to
the individual who crowds it with passengers, or that
the owner is the only person of whom the law can take
hold. That would indeed be giving an immunity to all
unprivileged persons, and would operate as a premium
upon the absence of those very qualifications required
by law. If any doubt be entertained by the Company
as to their power in such a case as this, which so
strongly
glyappeals to our sympathies, why are not such
casesreferred to the Lord Mayor? Why a:e not the
s boats which are found conveying crowds of children
seized, and taken in carts to the Green-yard? I can
tell you that I am willing to take the responsibility upon
myself, and I shall most certainly give orders calculated
to put an end to the inactive and negligent course by
which such shocking disasters are occasioned. If the
Watermen's Company cannot act in such cases„ of what
use are they?--Mr. Banyon said the Company had
at one time a bye-law, which it was considered
gave them the power of effectually remedying
the evil of which his Lordship complained, but
a conviction under it had been quashed in the Court of
Queen's Bench, and it was thus shown to be unavailable.
The rules at present before the Court of Aldermen, how-
ever, would supply the existing defect, by enabling the
Watermen's Company to punish, without the obligation
to ascertain either name or number. At present nothing
could be done wi*Fout legal proofs.
The LORD MAYOR—The rules before the Court of
Aldermen are to a different effect from that which you
state. There is no difficulty in this matter at all. You
have a right to presume that the man in the boat who
exercises authority is the owner": Bring him here, I
shall treat him as the owner.
Mr. Banyon said the person who managed the boat
that was swamped was a mere lad, who could not be the
owner.
The LORD MAYOR stated that he could easily get at
the owner through means of the boy, and that it was
monstrous to say that on an occasion of such public
consequence, involving human life so fearfully, there
was no present power of interfering.
Mr. Banyon—With respect to the practice of taking
numbers of children on board, that, my Lord, can be
prevented with the assistance of the police. There are
but three places in the City from which they can embark.
The LORD MAYOR—SO, we arc to employ the police to
do your duty ! No, no. The Watermen's Company must
do their duty. Pray what proceedings have been
adopted to regulate the size of the wherries on the river?
Mr. Banyon—We have a scale, and, according to the
measurement, they are bound to carry no more than a
curtain number. The boat which was unfortunately
swamped on Sunday last, was, as I said before, not li-
censed, but if it were licensed, it would not, according to
our scale, be allowed to carry more than four persons.
The LORD MAYOR—And she had on board fourteen
poor children. lam convinced that not only are boats
of the kind overloaded, but that boats ply on the river
which are not recognised by the Act.
Mr. Banyon—The boats which ply on the river about
the City, are, I assure your Lordship, capable in every re-
spect. The old ones are almost entirely annihilated. There
are few at all in existence. The boats used above bridge
for amusement are certainly most dangerous, but we
have no power over them at all. The Watermen's Com-
pany are most anxious to suppress so fatal an evil as that
to which your Lordship's attention has been called, but
they have no power at all except that under the 38th
section of the Act.
The LORD MAYOR—In my opinion the wisest way
will be to take all power out of their hands. It is cer-
tainly beyond the shadow of a doubt that they do not
attend to the duty which has, amongst the obligations
that influence it, the protection of the lives of our fellow
creatures. They are bound to seize the beats which
they find are not licensed, otherwise any person may do
what he pleases with a boat, provided he do not have it
licensed. The consequences of neglect or inactivity in
affairs of life and death are too serious to be mace mere
matters of conversation or menace. An end must be
put to such practices on the river as lead to irreparable
calamities, and I shall take care to represent the circum-
stances to the Court of Aldermen, and to recommend to
them to take all the power the Watermen's Company
have out of their hands altogether.