The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-01-22 00:00:00

SHIP LAUNCH.

A very. fine vessel, burthea 540 tons, built by Mr. James
Gordon 'for Mr. Duncan Gibb, and intended for the East India
and China trade, was launched on Tuesday at the Herculaneum
building-yard. She is a finely-proportioned craft, her ditnen,
sions being—length of deck 120 feet, depth of hold 20 feet, and
breadth of beam 30 feet. The timber used in her construction
is principally Bombay teak. She is built with a flush deck.
Shortly after eleven o'clock, when a considerable number of
spectators had assembled in the yard, Mr. Gibb arrived, accom-
panied by Lord Sandon and some other friends. The noble
lord was immediately grccte:l with a cheer which bespoke the
sense entertained of his public character and private worth by
the company assembled, which appeared to be composed of
persons of every grade of society in the town of Liverpool. A
few minutes before twelve the last block which detained the
vessel on shore was withdrawn, and, as she majestically glided
into the deep, with her masts and yards standing, and decoiated
with flags and ensigns, Lord Sandon, her sponsor, named here
with the usual ceremonial and benediction, the JOHN Knox; and
a few seconds the John Knox was seen safely riding in the
Mersey, the spectators expressing their satisfaction by a loud,
hearty, and general plaudit.
Here perhaps it may not be inopportune to make a few ob-
servations on the name given to this ship. The practice of
giving to ships the names of men who have rendered themselves
illustrious by their deeds, bespeaks in some degree the feelings
entertained by their owners for the departed greatness or liviag
worth thus distinguished. Few characters have been less un-
derstood or more vilified than John Knox. In his day the
question became in Scotland one otentire submission to catho-
lic domination, or of complete emancipation front its galling
and degrading yoke. The great reformer, therefore, was not a
fanatic when he sought to purify the temples of his native land
from the idolatries which had been permitted to defile them;
nor was it in the spirit of wild fanaticism onty that he said—
" destroy the rookery, and the rooks will flee awa"—his advice
was followed, and the rooks took, as he predicted they would
do, their flight to other rookeries.

As a Scotchman, the owner of the John Knox appears, by an
act which must necessarily have the eff ,ct of resuscitating the
name of that great reformer, to be sensible of the signal benefits
which he conferred upon his country. But for the undaunted
zeal and the indomitable courage of John Knox, Scotland, like
Ireland, would, in all human probability, have sunk into a state
of barbarism ; and, instead of flourishing beyond all example
—instead of possessing a population' famed fo: its industrious
habits, and, perhaps, superior to that of any country in the
world for its intellectual, moral, and religious character—Scot..
land, like Ireland; would have been cursed with a race reduced
by superstition, the child of ignorance, below the level of hu-
manity. In England, the Marian persecution of the infant
protestant church mainly contributed to the downfall of popery;
the persecution now raging against protestantism in Ireland
may, and most probably will, produce the same result ; a John
Knox may arise in that country as well as in Scotland, and
Ireland may, sooner perhaps than we imagine, be cleansed
of its leprosy by human agency. To return to the launch—
we cannot help complimenting, we may add thanking, the
owner of the John Knox for reviving a name, at this particular
period, so well calculated to excite reflection. Go where she
may, her name will—for there are but very few places which she
is likely to visit where the English language is not spoken—re-
call the history of the era in which he who once bore it sustain-
ed so prominent a character. We therefore, with great-cordi-
ality, repeat the benediction pronounced upon the ship—God
prosper the John Knox!

A cold collation was provided in the Model Room, of which
about one hundred ladies and gentlemen were invited to par-
take. Mr. Gibb took the chair, and the Rev. Dr. Ralph the
vice-chair. The first toast given was
"His Majesty the King and the Navy," which was drank
with three times three, and followed by
" Church and State,—may they never be separated," and:--
" The Scottish Church, and the Memory of the illustrious John
Knox."

Mr. Gras then rose to propose the health of his noble friend
Lord Sandon, his lady, and his family ;" and he hoped they
might all long live in happiness to enjoy many, many sucit
sights as they had just witnessed He would assure hun and
his friends that there was not a man in Liverpool more disposed
to serve his cause—whenever his. lordship might require his ser-
vices—than himself. (Loud cheers.) He had lour kaaWa his
lordship's value, and he could say, that, so far as his own ex-
perience had gone, he had never met with any member of the
legislature who had devoted himself to the interests of his con-
stituents more than Lord Sandon had done for the interests of
Liverpool. (Cheers.) Mr. Canning and Mr. Huskisson had
been boasted of; as having been valuable members for Liver--
. pool; but he spoke from experience, as well as front what he
had learned filom friends, who were members of the House of
Commons fur many years, who declared to him that Lotd San-
don had done as much it not more for Liverpool, than ever Mr.
Canning or Mr. Iloskisson had done.. (Cheering.) He con-
cluded by giving the health of Lord Saudon, which was drank
by the company, and followed with three times three cheers.
Lord Salloors then rose and spoke nearly as follows
Gibb and ladies arid gentlemen, I have the greatest gratitude
and pleasure in acknowledging the very handsome manner in
which my health has been given by my excellent friend, who
has so amply provided for us, and which has been so kindly
responded to. Mr. Gibb. has given us an opportunity of wit-
nessing one of the noblest sights--die has given us the opportu-
nity of witnessing one of his splendid vessels, calculated. to
prosecute our extended and extending commerce to the remotest
parts of the habitable globe. (Cheers.) Many changes do I
see every where around use, but at least in one thing I find no
change whatever; whenever I appear _amongst my friends arid
constituents of Liverpool, I find no change in their kindness
and cordiality. I see great and fearful changes in
your ideal
affairs • but they may not eventually operate to thedisadvau-
tage of the country. I do think that those demonstratiens of
local democracy will on the other hand have the effect of rallying
inure strongly around the altar and the throne those who see
near them the baneful effects of the principles of democracy.
When I speak of the altar and the throne I speak not only of
that particular altar at which I worship myself, kit I speak as
a protestant and a ehristiazi, for those altars which exist in our
sister country which burn with equal purity and fervour.
(Cheers.) I cannot pass over in silence the opportunity which.
affixing the name, which 1 have had the opportunity to do to
the new vessel, has given me ; I cannot but hope that the spirit
which burned in the bosom of the great-reformer, John Knox,
will never die in the land which he illumined—that the
country will never forget the great protestant cause which
he founded. I will., not further treti,,,_l7 on your pa-
tience; I have only to thank you' forThTh kindness v.tsii
have bestowed on me. There is only one thing- wliich
has given me pain—on hearing my name mentioned in con-
nexion with the great -men who have previously represented
your town. I feel that my name ought not to be mentioned on
the same day with those great men. In one point only can
.1
compete with them; it is in the interest and devotion I have for
the great. commercial metropolis of the kingdom.. (Loud
cheering.) I will beg leave to drink " The success and pros-
perity of the John Knox, and the health of her worthy proprietor,
Mr. Gibb." (Cheers.) Success was then drank to the John
Knox, and the health of Mr. Gibb, with all the honours.
Mr. GIIII3, in returning thanks, said—My lord, ladies, and
gentlemen, 1 ant particularly obliged to you for your kind ex-
pressions and good wishes, and I do hope that the John Knox
will be the means during her traffic of circulating a great deal of
money, and of being a benefit to the community. In speaking
of the great man after whom she is named, I hope I shall never
forget his principles, and that my posterity will remember and
act upon them. (Cheers.)

Lord SAN DON begged to propose a toast. He saw one of the
representatives df the Sottish church present, and he begged
to propose " The health of the Rev. Dr. Ralph," and con-
nected with it " the Scottish Church of Liverpool."
Dr. RALPH rose to acknowledge the toast as follows :—I am
sure, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I feel deeply indebted to
You for the honour you have now been pleased to confer on me.
I must say that I felt highly gratified (01 learning the name that
you selected for your ship. There is, as we are generally told,
magic in a name ; and a man does a great service to his country
who brings from time to time before their recollection the names
and the characters of spirits which have long since passed from
this world. It is as though it were a healthful breeze in a cli-
mate composed of elements which are to a great degree sinking
the nobler natures of this kingdom. A name such as that of
Knox—united with such integrity of motive, such perseveranceof induStry, such ardour of zeal, and to whose labours we are
indebted for those solid religious and civil privileges which we
now enjoy—ought to be continually brought before us. It was
said of him, as you are well aware, on retiring from his funeral,
by the. regent Murray, " There.lies hewho- never feared the face
of man;" and I trust that, without any pretensions to compari-
son, we may say, sir, of your ship, " there goes the ship that will
press and surmount the rising billow." It was the fate of John
Knox, indeed, to live for the greater part of his existence on a
stormy sea, and so also will it be the destiny of that ship which
has been .launched this morning from this shore. But webelieve,
we hope, we trust, that she will ride out every storm safely, and
be, as she is expected to be, successful in all the enterprizes on
which VOU may send her. (Loud cheering.) I return you my
cordial thanks for the honour which you have done me.—
(Cheers.)
The company then separated.

IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM NAVIGATION.—The St. George
Steam-packet Company's fine new vessel, the Hercules, fitted
with a pair of Mr. Samuel Hall's patent steam-engines of 180
horse-power, made an excursion of several hours onWednesdav
last for the purpose of proving the engines. The trial was com-
pletely successful, and gave the greatest satisfaction to a numer-
ous and respectable company, amongst whom were the chairman
of the St. George Company and several scientific gentlemen.
The engines, which are of the most splendid description, were
constructed by Messrs. Foster and Preston, and are got up ifi
the very first style. From what we could learn, the leading object
of Mr. Hall's invention appears to be the preservation of the
boilers from the injurious action of sea water, or water contain-
ing earthy or saline matters, which occasion incrustations and
the rapid corrosion of the boilers In Mr. Hall's engines the
steam from the cylinders is condensed without the use of inj ec-
live water, and the water resulting from such condensation is
returned without admixture to the boilers, which are thus con-
stantly fed with distilled water; and if the boilers be filled with
fresh water in the first instance, the water in them will continue
fresh however long they maybe in operation, and whether the
engines be working at sea or in districts where the waters are
impregnated with iiiineral substances. An ingenious and very
efficient apparatus supplies any trifling loss from leakage, &c.
In addition to the above-mentioned advantage, which for the
purposes of steam navigation is invaluable, it appears that a
great increase of power results from the superior vacuum thus
obtained, with a diminution of friction from the constant and
ample lubrication of the pistons and slides, and a great saving►.
of fuel from it being unnecessary ever to blow of and from the
boilers being kept constantly clean and free from scale. The
water also is maintained at the proper height without attention
from the engine-man, so that the risk of binning out the flues is
avoided. We understand that the Windermere steam-packet,
belonging to Mr. Winder, of this town, and fitted with a pair
of Mr. Hall's engines, has been running between this port and
Ulverston since the commencement of last July, and gives the
greatest satisfaction; as also that Mr. Hall will shortly start
another vessel at Hull, and that a pair of engines of 140.liorse.;
power, intended for one of the government. vessels„ is in a
forward state of preparation.