The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-20 00:00:00

VbErb ambition

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAT.
GLOBE.—Mr. Joseph Somes was yesterday declared
duly elected M.P. for Dartmouth. If there were any
who anticipated a different decision, we were not of the
number. From the announcement of the constitution
of the Committee, through the whole course of the inves-
tigation, and down to the publication of the final resolu-
tion of the Committee yesterday, which declared the sit-
ting Member duly elected, the result was as much a matter
of certainty as it was when, with the usual forms, the
Chairman of the Committee last evening presented the
report at the table of the House. Those—if, indeed,
such persons can be met with—who attended to the
evidence, as adduced by the petitioners, and regarded
the Committee as a Court accessible to the force of
verified and, to a great extent, admitted facts, may be
astounded at the decision. All others regard the result
as having occurred in the ordinary course of events.
The majority of the Committee were of the sitting
Member's political party. The Chairman having, for-
tunately for Mr. Joseph Somes. been selected in the
order of rotation from the Tory benches, the question
in issue was as good as settled before the inquiry
commenced. The question to be decided was whether at
the time of the election Mr. Joseph Somes was, or had
then ceased to be, the holder of, or was in anywise in-
terested in, any contract with Government ? To show
that Mr. Joseph Somes was a contractor with the Go
%liniment for the supply of upwards of twenty thousand
tnaof sl ii)ping, and held that contract up to the very
verge of the election, the following facts were established
in evidence before the Committee. The Speaker's notice
of the late Member for Dartmouth's death appeared in the
London Gazette on the 3d of December. Mr. Somes'
address to the electors of Dartmouth, announcing him-
self a candidate for the vacant seat, was circulated in
the borough on the same day. In that address Mr.
Somes' pretensions were enforced on the grounds of his
being " a great ship owner"—the " owner of upwards of
22,000 tons of shipping, and largely connected with
trade, commerce, and the colonies." The electors were,
therefore, urged, on the plea of advancing their " own
interests," to give Mr. Somes " such a reception and
support as would secure so useful a Member for their
seaport town." Mr. Somes therefore went down to
Dartmouth as a great ship-owner—" the owner of
22,000 tons of shipping," &c., when, if the case set up
by him in answer to that of the petitioners against his
return is to be credited, he had retired from business,
parted with his ships, and transferred his contracts
with Government to other hands. In short, Mr. Somes
no longer possessed any, the least, interest in
the property. his possession of which was to confer
such vast advantages on the seaport town of Dart-
mouth ! We must request attention to the dates we
have already given. On the 17th of December Mr.
Somes appears to have been made aware that the quali-
ficationi which were to be his recommendations to the
Dartmouth voters, were, in the eye of the law, destruc-
tive of his hopes. His ships were in the pay of Govern.
ment. His contracts with the Admiralty operated as a
positive barrier to his entering Parliament. What was
to be done ? Mr. Somes would have the public to be-
lieve—and did, through his counsel, induce the Tory
majority of the Election Committee to believe, at /east,
to decide—that he, on the 17th of December, sponta-
neously, and as a free gift—not covertly, and for the
purpose of evading the prohibition of the law—made
over by a deed, which is attested by two Lot cis of the
Admiralty (Sir W. half Gage and the Right Hon. H.
L. Corry), a debt of rather more than 51,000/.. due to
him from the Admiralty, to his two nephews, Joseph
Somes the younger, and Frederick Somes. On the same
day this most generous uncle made over to these doubt-
less highly-meritorious, and therefore munificently-
endowed youths, ships of about 22,000 tons and 120,000/.
value. Having thus cast overboard the impediments to
his safe passage into the House of Commons, on the 27th
of December Mr. Somes was elected Member for Dart-
mouth. What adds to the eccentric generosity of Mr.
Somes is the admitted fact that his nephews, whom he
freely and absolutely invested with this large quantity of
shipping, were innocent of all previous knowledge of
tke business in which they were now to embark. They
had no previous knowledge essential to the acquirement
of the experience and tact to which commercial men
are usually indebted for success. They had no place
of business. The name of one of them, it is true,
appears, for the first time, in the " Commercial
Directory" for the present year ; but his place of business
is the same as that of his uncle, who has supplied him with
" a local habitation and a name." Inexperience is wont to
produce blunders. And the haste with which hastily-con-
cocted transfers, made for collusive and corrupt puposes, are
got up, are also frequently productive of blunders which
exhibit their true character, and thus betray and defeat
the intentions of the parties. To which of these causes
a ludicrous blunder of Mr. Frederick Somes is to be
referred, we leave to others. The circumstance is
worthy of record. This young gentleman joined with
his brother in a joint tender to the Admiralty of a
ship, which a reference to the registry-book at the Cus-
tom-house shows to have been transferred by Mr. Somes
to Mr. Joseph Somes, jun.' and not to the brothers jointly.
Whether the transfer of Mr. Joseph Somes' property
was bond fide, or collusive—whether it was by deed of
gift, or by bargain and sale—whether for the purpose
of ridding himself of a legal disqualification for a seat
in the House of Commons, or for any other object—
was not, however, the question with which the Com-
miitee had to deal, and were called upon to decide. The
question placed in issue was, whether the terms of the
statute which regulates the transfer and registration of
ships had been complied with in Mr. Somes'case? The Act
(3 and 4 Wm. IV. c. 55), the object of which, according to
its preamble, is to consolidate the laws relating to the
registration of ships, expressly enacts (sec. 34) that no
bill of sale shall be valid to pass property in a ship, until
such bill of sale shall have been registered in the re-
gistry-book of some port. The bills of sale of Mr. Somes'
ships to his nephews are all dated on the 17th of Dec.
.But there is no registry of a date previous to the elec-
tion; the earliest date of any such registration being
December 28—the day after the election. Mr. Somes had
not, therefore, when he was elected to serve in Parlia
meat, complied with the terms of the statute. He
still had an interest in ships serving the Government
under contracts not voided before the day of election.
A clearer case of disqualification was never established.
A more palpable proof that a House of Commons' elec-
tion Committee is incapable of divesting itself of party
influences, when inquired to pronounce a just decision
which involves the seating or unseating of a political
partisan, was never supplied. Whether the Committee
consist of 13, 7, 5. or 3, is a matter of trifling moment.
The majority will, in nine cases out of ten, decide in fa-
vour of the party which favours the political views of that
majority. 'This has grown into a proverb by the long
experience of its truth. Hence no confidence in their in-
tegrity is placed in the legal or moral decisions of such
a tribunal.

TATTERSALL'S.-THIS EVENING

Six o'CLocK.

CHESTER CUP.
12 to 1 agst Obscurity
12 to 1 agst Semiseria
13 to 1 apt Era
13 to 1 agst Cataract
25 to 1 agst Winosour
25 to 1 agst Strathspey
30 to 1 agst Celeste
33 to 1 agst Ylaeomun ac Knuck
40 to 1 agst Fitz-Allan
40 to 1 agst Portrait
40 to 1 agst Queen of the Tyne
40 to 1 agst Ould Ireland
50 to 1 agst Mystery
60 to 1 agst Alice Hawthorn
60 to 1 agst Foig-a-ballagh.
DERBY.

10 to 1 agst Alarm
15 to 1 agst Idas—taken
15 to 1 agst Clear-the-Way
16 to 1 agst hedger
20 to 1 agst Cobweb colt
20 to 1 agst Pam
22 to 1 agst Newsmonger
25 to 1 agst Miss Whip colt
30 to 1 agst Mentor
30 to 1 agst Pantasa
33 to 1 agst Ironmaster (All in)
40 to 1 agst Annandale
40 to 1 agst Old England
50 to 1 agst Young Eclipse
50 to 1 agst Cabin Boy

'COURSE OF EXCH.
Amsterdam CF. 12 7
Ditto, at sight l2 5i
Rotterdam 2U. 12 71
Antwerp
Hamburgh M.B. 13 51
Altona

kNGE,--(THIS DAY.)
Leghorn
Genoa 26 15
Milan ...... .....
Venice •••. •••0••• •••••
Naples ....... ..... 40
Palermo, ptv oz 119.1
Lisbon 53,1;
Oport0...
Rio Janeiro
Bahia
Buenos Ayres
NewYork.::.7dys sight
Philadelphia ...... -
PEICEA .1 .7 MULLION, PER OE
Foreign i ;01,1, bars...€ 3 17 9
Portugal Gold Coin 3 17 5
New Doubloons-- 0 0 0
New pc,l'ars 0 4 91
Silver in flare 0 0 0

Paris, 3 days' sight 25 87
Ditto, 3 months 26 10
Marseilles
Bourdeaux
Frankfort on Maine 122:12
I'etersbnrgh, 3Us —
Berlin —
Vienna, effec. fl. 3 M lO 2
Trieste, ditto
Madrid 361,
Cadiz
Raba° —
Barcelona
Seville --

THE LATE BOILER EXPLOSION
AT BLACKWALL.
ADJOURNED INQUEST.-(THIS DAY).

VERDICT OF MANSLAUGHTER.
Mr. Baker, the Coroner fur East Middlesex, and the
jurymen appointed to conduct the inquiry into the deaths
of the men Chapman, Grimes, Smith, and Wright, who
were killed by an explosion at the works of Mr. Samuda,
at Bow• creek, Blackwell, re-assembled this morning at
the Town-hall, Poplar.
Mr. Ballantine, as usual, attended for Mr. Samuda,
and Mr. Flower for Mr. Lowe, the engineer.
The CORONER informed the jury that another unfor-
tunate man, named Neale, had died on board the Dread-
nought hospital ship, and the jury having viewed the body,
31r. BAKER informed them that he had received a me-
dical certificate, stating that the important witness,
Whitcorabe, was in too dangerous a state to be removed,
and it would be necessary, therefore, that his evidence
should be taken at the London Hospital.
Conveyances were ordered to be in readiness to
corvey the jurymen there.
The evidence of Joseph Chettle, engineer, was read
over, at the request of Mr. Flower.
The witness was then examined by Mr. Flower—l
am an engineer, and have been at the trade for about
eight years. During that time I was in the employ of

Mr. Samuda. I recollect that on the day of the accident
Grimes, a labourer, was engaged on the top of the boiler.
It was necessary that he should use a ladder to get to the
top. Supposing that the ladder had slipped, the effort
he would make to save himself would be to catch the
lever. The effect of that would be, in the one case, sup-
posing the lever to break, to cause the steam to c scape,
or if it did not break, it would keep the valve shut, and
so cause an explosion.

By the Foreman—The only part he could possibly lay
hold of would be the main lever,;which would compress
the steam by shutting the safety-valve.
Thomas Menton, 4, Hall-street, Poplar—l am an en-
gineer, and have been so for 15 or 16;years. The boiler
in question was sold to a gentleman in Greenwich for 30
guineas, and afterwards purchased by Mr. Samuda, but
for what sum I know not. Thirty guineas is not a third
of its real value. It was a very good boiler. It was
made for a low pressure. Thero was a steam chest in
it, and that must necessarily cause part of the original
boiler to be cut away. That would render the boiler
weaker in that part.
By Mr. Flower—l am aware that the boiler had been
proved. It was tested by myself at not less than 501bs
•
to the square inch.
By the CORONER—It was proved by the hydraulic
pressure, It would be a mistaken notion to say that a
pressure of 181 b. was all it could bear. It was only in-
tended, I believe, for a pressure of 12 or 151bs. I have
no doubt it is the same boiler.

_
By the Foreman—l tried it at 501bs. with cold water,
but should not like to try above 301bs. with steam.
By the CORONER-1 think that it would be possible
to prove boilers without endangering the lives ofpersons.
By Mr. Flower—The boiler was town made, and a
the first-rate construction. _ _ _

By the CORONER—I cannot speak of the valves, for
the mounting was not put on by us. It is quite requisite
to have two st.fety-valves. 7he mode of pitching the
lever in this case was 'a very convenient one, and not
in any way detrimental. Where there is only one
safety valve it will certainly be more necessary to exer-
cise caution than when there is two. _ .

J. Burnand's evidence having been read over, the wit-
ness was subjected to cross-examination by Mr. Flower.
—I thought I was insulted by Mr. Lowe. lam not wry
exclusive. I bad some words with Mr. Lowe about
hammer handles. _ _

The jurymen thought that this cross-examination did
not bear upon the point at issue.
Mr. Flower was proceeding to address the jury, when
Tho CORONER said that he could not allow any ob•
servations to be made then ; and the jury left to take
the evidence of the witness Whitcombe, at the London
Hospital.
On arriving at the Hospital, they were conducted to
the ward where Thomas Whitcombe was lying. Ile
was sworn, and said—l am an engine-driver. I have
been engaged at Blackwall since June last. I saw the
boiler tried on Monday, but the steam would not touch
the engine. In order to remedy this defect, Mr.
Lowe got a cock put upon the steam-pipe to draw
the condensed water off, still the engine did not go well.
There was nothing done after. The cock was put there
on Tuesday night. The [steam was got up Wednes-
day morning. We had a great deal of trouble, for
the engine still went at a snail's pace. There
-were • a great many men pulling the fly-Ni heel
round with their hands, or the engine would not have
gone at all. I have not the slightest idea how the ex-
plosion occurred. I saw a bit of a stick applied to keep
the valve partly shut to keep up the power of steam.
I cannot say who did that, unless it were Mr. Lowe, who
was at the safety-valve the whole time. I saw him work
the valve several times, but did not understand the re-
turn of it. The fires were as low as possible, scarcely
any at all, in fact the bars were quite bare. I let the
fire out, because I was afraid something would happen.
I should think that there were better than 60 lbs. of
pressure on the square inch on Wednesday. I think
there was sufficient water in the boiler. I was
under Mr. Lowe's orders the whole time. I was -up
about five minutes before the explosion putting down
sacks on the gunge glass to keep the weather off. That
would have no effect on the safety valve. Grimes was
on the top placing felt on the steam pipes
The sucks on the gauge glass were placed
around it, leaving such an opening that the water
in the boiler might be seen. Grimes could net
interfere with the safety valve. I cannot form
any conjecture as to the cause of the accident.
I am of opinion that it was an over-pressure of steam
that caused the explosion. I did not say anything to
Mr. Lowe about there being too high a pressure on the

The jury then returned to Poplar.
The CORONER proceeded to veldress them. He begged
of them to dismiss altogether from their minds all pre-
judicas which might be present to their minds on this
occasion, and he would request their undivided atten-
tion while he laid the facts of the case before them. These
facts were contained in a very narrow compass. Mr
Samuda they were aware was engaged in some very
extensive works, and the boiler to which their inquiries
had been directed was required in the process of his
works. The boiler itself was, with a solitary exception,
stated to be in good working order, of good workman-
ship, and altogether, if kept within its own proper
compass, as unexceptionable as it was required to be.
He (the Coroner) could not help thinking that in this
case there had been an undue pressure upon that boiler.
On the last occasion of this kind on which Le had met
them, they might perhaps remember that he had in
stanced the case of a cannon which had been sent to
the maker in order to be repaired, which on
its being tested burst ; and a verdict of man-
slaughter was brought in. The Learned Coroner
then explained to the jury the limit at which man-
slaughter stopped and murder began. Bnt he did not
think that Mr. Lowe could have had any personal motive
as required in the case of murder, for it would be clearly
his interest to carry on the work without acci-
dent. But in manslaughter it was laid down,
that although there was no intent to kill, yet
if the act were manifestly improper, and resulted
in death, then the person so acting was guilty of man-
slaughter. (Several cases in point were cited.) It
would be for the jury to say whether Mr. Lowe had
used ordinary caution on this occasion, or whether he
had exercised a recklessness thai brought him within
the operation of this law. lie (the Coroner)
entreated them to look to the trying and embarrassing
situation of Mr. George Lowe in reference to this
engine. It would appar, from the evidence, that the
engine would not go freely, and be was, in common par-
lance, " trying it on," as far as he could, to overcome
the difficulty. They were not to condemn the
man because, in one particular instance, he had
been unfortunate, if it was shown that, generally
he had acted with a proper degree of skill and of cau-
tion. They must consider that in this case Mr. Lowe
himself had been a sufferer; and if a man were present
and using a reasonable degree of skill and caution it
would, remove from him a criminal responsibility
arising from a loss of life. The Learned
Coroner then read over the evidence in detail. He
was sure that they would give their fullest
attention to this subject, and that while they gave
every protection required for the preservation of her
Majesty's subjects, they would not, at the same time,
crush, by an ill considered verdict, the prospects of any
individual, and perhaps by so doing, be in some measure
retarding the progress of the arts in this country.
The jury retired to consider their verdict at a quarter
to four, and again returned into Court at six o'clock.
The Foreman then annouced that the jury had unani-
mously found a verdict of " Manslaughter " against
George Lowe, and they added their opinion that the
machinery generally on Mr. Samuda's establishment was
of a most defective character.