The Sun.
London, England, 1829-07-14 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.
Yesterday the master of the Pearl steam-vessel
appeared before the LORD SIAYOR, in consequence
of a report in the Saturday's newspapers, which was
calculated to do serious injury to the proprietors of
the Pearl steam-vessel. It originated, the master
said, in the complaint of Mr. Joseph Somes, the
ship-owner, who was stated to have said that the
Pearl was guilty of great negligence, and that the
power of the engine was not checked, as was neces-
sary, when passengers were leaving her.
The LORD MAYOR said that the case appeared
very properly in the newspapers, as Mr. Somes had
mentioned it. He had never heard a complaint of a
more serious and alarming nature, and he supposed
that the master now attended to vindicate himself.
The master then swore to the truth of the fol-
lowing statement :
" London to wit.—Daniel Halsey maketh oath and
saith that he is the master of the Pearl steam-packet ;
that on Friday morning, the 10th instant, he, this depo-
nent, about 11 o'clock, on his passage from Gravesend to
London, being off Stone-stairs, and the engine being
stopped, Mr. Payne, a vraterman, came alongside to take
in Mr. Somes and two other gentlemen; that the said
gentlemen were perfectly safe in the wherry, and the at-
tendant at the gang-way gave the usual signal, " All's
right ;" that this deponent then called out, " Go on," but
immediately perceiving, from some circumstance for which
he (this deponent) could not account, that there was a
difficulty in getting the wherry clear from the side of the
packet, he (this deponent) caused the engine to be stopped,
and found that Mr. Payne, the waterman, in his anx:ety
to get clear of the packet, had fallen overboard ; this de-
ponent further saith that until he saw the whole party out
of danger, the power of the steam was not again put on
the said packet, which can be verified by Captain Renwick,
and a number of other respectable persons on board the
said packet at the time ; this deponent further saith that
he has the strictest injunction from the directors of the
company to which the steam-packet belongs, at all times
to use the utmost discretion in putting out and taking in
passengers, and has frequently been rebuked by parties on
board fur the time he has taken for that purpose.

" DANIEL HALSEY.

" Sworn at the Mansion-house, this 13th day of July,
1829, before me " WM. THOMPSON, Mayor."
The LORD MAYOR, having read the affidavit, said,
he did not think the case against the Pearl was in
the slightest degree altered by it. He saw no miti-
gating circumstances whatsoever in the version just
submitted to him, and he declared that if within his
jurisdiction there appeared any ground for complaint
against those vesssels, he should order the offending
parties to be indicted. The lives of four persons
were very near being sacrificed.
The master said, that the fault lay with the at-
tendant of the gang-way, who represented that the
vessel might be put in motion before the proper
time, and the superintendent would not be guilty of
the horrible inhumanity of proceeding when the lives
of their fellow-creatures were in danger.

The LORD MAYOR—If the boat had been upset,
and lives lost, as would in that case have certainly
occurred, you would have been convicted of man-
slaughter at any rate, and been transported. Per-
haps the charge of murder would have been esta-
blished. At all events, the penalty of transportation
would have been affixed.

The master declared most solemnly that he ob-
served the greatest caution en occurrences of the
kind ; that there never had been a complaint before
against the Pearl steamer, and that the public had
duly appreciated her merits.
The LORD MAYOR said, that on Thursday last
the Captain of an East lndiaman, who had a great
deal of experience, mentioned to him that the Pearl
was in the habit of going at an excessive rapid rate
(17 or 18 miles an hour), and that she lay so
" crank," as seamen called the condition of a vessel
that did not lay deep in the water, that he appre-
hended she would upset some time or other. He
had observed her a few days before, and he really
trembled for the consequences, there being about 200
individuals on board.

Mr. Hobler said that a frightful competition
had been established amongst the steam-vessels,
and the greatest carelessness was manifested about
human life. It was something like the racing of
the Paddington coachmen, who were now likely
to suffer by the successful run of the new ve-
hicle called the Omnibus.
The LORD MAYOR. recommended to the master to
act upon the most cautious plan. If neglect and
carelessness were persevered in, the most dreadful
consequences must en'ue. He (the Lord Mayor)
trembled when he thought of the dangers which
threatened.
The master said that the attendant who had cried
out that ull was right was discharged the moment
the proprietors were informed of the error he had
been guilty of, and no person would be kept who
was thought capable of acting with wilful or unin-
tentional negligence.

The Loti)-111Arott declared that a Board ought
to be established for the regulation of steam-vessels;
until something of the kind were done, there could
be no security for human life.

The master, who was accompanied by a captain
who was in the vessel when the dangerous occur-
rence took place, and who bore testimony to the
crrectness of the affidavit, then left the office.