The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-08-09 00:00:00

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SCREW-STEAMER.—The second of the
new and splendid ships of the General Screw Company's
fleet was launched on Saturday from Mare and Co.'s
establishment, at Blackwall. She was named the Jason,
and is of the following, principal dimensions :—Length,
280 feet ; breadth, 43 feet ; depth, 31 feet 6 inches • ton-
nage, 2,500. She is to be propelled by screw machinery of
400 horse-power, by Watt and CO.
LAUNCH or AN IRON STEAMER.—There was launched
on Thursday, from the building-yard of Messrs. William
Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, a fine iron steam-ship
of 600 tons burthen. She took the water in fine style, and
was named the " Stag," by Miss Caird, daughter of James
T. Caird, Esq., Greenock, and is intended for Messrs.
Burns' Glasgow and Liverpool trade. She will be brought
to Glasgow in a few days, to have her machinery put on
board by Messrs. James and George Thomson.
A CONCEALED PASSENGER.--In the unloading at New
York, of the ship Columbus, from Liverpool, the dead body
of a soldier, with the name of " E. Russell, 33d Regiment,"
marked on his clothes, was found among the bales. It is
supposed that the deceased had secreted himself among the
cargo for the • purpose of desertion' and that a number of
bales had been stowed away after he had hidden himself.
As the hatch was secured and caulked, and the ship
crowded with emigrant passengers, his cries could not be
heard on deck. The body was much decomposed, and
appeared to retain none of its original features.
NORTH Or EUROPE STEAM COMPANY.—The half-yearly
meeting took place on Wednesday, Lord Yarborough pre-
siding, when the report was unanimously carried. It was
stated that the results of the new trade opened .by the
company's vessels, had realised the best expectations, and
that at the next meeting, in January, the directors would
be able to recommend the declaration of a dividend. The
earnings already received, exhibited a good amount of
profit on the capital invested, and additional vessels were
alone required to enable it to be considerably increased.
Loss OP FIFTEEN Livzs.—The barque Argyle, Captain
Young, and the greater part of the crew, have been lost
off' the eastern shore of Newfoundland while on a passage
to Quebec. The ship sprang a leak on the 19th of May
•
in terrible wt

LAUNC

and the exertions of the.crew of nine-
teen men to reduce the water by pumping were thrown
away. Recourse was had to the boats, but the jolly-boat
went adrift in launching. Having obtained such pro-
visions and water as could be got at, the order was given
for all hands to take to the long boat. They numbered ix
all seventeen—three passengers (two of them females)
first and second mates, eleven seamen, and the master
By the last accounts it appears that the survivors wen
recovering

They had been taken on board of the Go-
vernment cruiser Charles, to be conveyed to Quebec. In
all, the number who perished amounted to fifteen persons.
The owners of the. Argyle are reported to be insured.
PROSPERITY OP SICIPPING.—The shipping interest,
both in the coasting and foreign trades, is in a very pros-
perous state

:nd the amount of tonnage profitably em-
ployed, was never known to be so great as it is at present,
and still it is not adequate to the demand.. It is, however,

that the increase of foreign tonnage is much
_ n proportion than British, and that foreigners are
reaping a rich harvest from the abolition of the Navigation
Laws. In the Baltic, as well as in the Indian, American,
and Australian trades, freights are advancing, and it is
likely that the close of the year will be the most profitable
one that shipowners have known for a very long time.
Shipbuilding on the Wear and Tyne was never known
more thriving than at present. Great numbers' of ves-
sels, of heavy burthen, are in progress of building, and
the demand for new ships is so great that the builders
generally sell their new ships before they are launched.
All branches of business in connection with shipping are
relatively prosperous.—Durham Advertiser.
CoA.Ls Pon INDIA.—The iron steam collier Rajah, be-
longing to the Peninsular and Oriental Company, left
Southampton on Wednesday for Cardiff, to take• a full
airgo of coals, mid proceed thence, rid the Cape of Good
Hope, to Singapore, where, after her arrival, she is to be
employed in running to Labuan, in Borneo, to convey
coals from the mines of the Eastern Archipelago Company
there, for' the use of the numerous steamers employed by
the Peninstilar and Oriental Company in the Indian seas.
Besides-fuel necessary for her own consumption during a
space of twenty days, the Rajah will carry 600 tons of
coals- on freight, ,and will thus be a most useful vessel for
the purpose for which she is designed. She is pretty well
armed, being provided with six iron swivel guns, besides
others of larger Calibre, in the waist of the ship, and has
plenty of muskets, pistols, boarding-pikes, cutlasses, &c.,
and will thus, in case of necessity, be enabled to protect
herself against any attack from the pirates who infest the

noticed

sts of Borneo and the eastern seas.
CUE NEW MAIL ROUTE TO THE PACIFIC.—The contract
entered into by the United States Postmaster-General with
Col. Ramsay & Co., for the transportation of mails between
New Orleans and San Francisco, went into operation last
Monday. By this new arrangement,' which gains 2,000
miles of ocean route, the express mail leaves Vera Cruz
on the Atlantic and Acapulco on the Pacific, on the
4th and 18th of each month, meeting at Mitapec, a central
point in the interior, and distant from each of those ports
about thirty-six hours, making the land route across the
republic only occupy 72 hours. The mail leaving New
Orleans on the Ist and 14th of each month will arrive at
Vera Cruz so as to be conveyed thence on the 4th and
18th. It is expected thus, when the line is in good work-
ing order, to reduce the distance of time between New
Orleans and San Francisco to twelve days. General Santa
Anna is most favourably disposed towards the project, and
the alcades or magistrates along the line have been directed
to afford the contractors and their servants every facility.—
New York Herald, July 20. _ _

- - -
TIIE ExTRy• OF SEAMEN BrLL.—We have already
remarked on the huiTied and careless manner in which
the Entry of Seamen Bill has been passed in the House of
Commons : it is now before the House of Lords, and we
do hope that, before their lordships dismiss it, they will
give some attention to the 10th section of the bill. We
say=and if their lordships have any doubt in the matter,
they should ask for the opinion of the Attorney-general—
that, under, the 10th section, the Board of Admiralty can
dismiss from her Majesty's navy any officer in the naval
service, without accusation or trial, at its own good will
and pleastire, and in the most summary manner. Indeed,
the wording of the section appears to be intended for the
express purpose. It says, that "Nothing in this act con-

tamed shall control or diminish the authority vested in the
said Lord High Admiral, or the said commissioners, to dis-
charge, as he or they may think fit, or to authorise the dis
charge of any seaman or other person whatever from her
Majesty's naval service." We believe it is well known that
the Admiralty has long desired to possess this power.
We do not speak of any particular Board of Admi-
ralty, of any party, or of any administration ; 'in
this particular they have all rowed in the same boat ;
but the present First Lord has seized what he may
think a fitting time and occasion to carry out the long-
desired object. His bill which is before Parliament, is
called the Entry of 'Seamen Bill. In a bill having such -a
title, few would think of looking for a clause empowering
the Admiralty to dismiss officers from her Majesty's naval
service. This may not be the intention of the part of the
10th section to which we are referring ; but if not, it cer-
tainly wears a very suspicious appearance. We have a
natural apprehension of any ambiguity in an act of Parlia-
ment, and if the section be innocently intended—if the
wording of it be not meant to cover some ulterior design
—there can be no harm in so altering it, as to render it
innoxious. We .know that officers have been struck off
the Navy List by the authority of the Admiralty, but the
power of the board to do so has always been disputed.
Should this bill become law as it stands at present, nothing
more will be required than to appeal to the 'statute. We
hope some of the naval members of their lordships' house—
Lord Hardwicke, or Lord Talbot, or his grace the late First
Lord of the Admiralty—will attend to the subject while
the bill is in committee.—Shipping Gazette.
WINDS AND Crinumus.----On Friday, Lieut. Maury, who
has recently arrived from America under the auspices of the
American government, delivered a lecture on this subject
in the Town-hall, Liverpool. There was a very considera-
ble number of merchants and other gentlemen present.—
The MaYor took the chair, and, after having made some
appropriate observations called upon Lieutenant Maury,
who stated that he was glad to have the opportunity of
speaking to them, as merchants of LiVerpool, on this sub-
ject. The question on which he was now addressing the
merchants of Liverpool was commenced 'several years , ago
in the United States, and the object was to give, from ob-
servation, that information which they thernselves possessed
to other.parties on shore. In reference to this matter the
British government, in the year 1851, in reference to the
then minister at' Washington, instructed that minister to ,
call the attention Of the government' of the United States.,
to a plan of meteorological observations. The hon. gentle-
man showed that, by the advice of the government in
England; the advice given to the American government
had been acted upon. The lecturer continued to the effect,
that he was commanded by his:government, who had en-.
gaged all the naval powers of Europe to meet him on the
question of meteorological observations, to discuss that
question in a conference which was to take place in Brussels
on the 23rd of this month. In the meantime, he had been
requested by the United States government to place before
the shipowners of Liverpool the benefits of his discoveries.
What he had to present before them Involved. no new
theory, but merely a practied' benefit to all shipowners.
:Mr. Maury then went-on to show that there was no new
theory in his proposition, and, from the observations he
had made, it was apparent that the latitude and longitude
had a great deal to do with the weather, and was beneficial
or otherwise to those who indulged in it. The pith of the
lecturer's observations amounted to this—that during cer-

tarn seasons in the yea; the-winds blow in a certain I
direction, and that, by a series of experiments which he
(the lecturer) had had brought before him, this theory bad
been indisputably proved. Lieutenant Maury proved that
the way in which he established his principle was, not by
any new idea or theory, but by a combination of the united
experience of captains, showing how the winds blow in
different months. The fact was, there was no new
theory at all, and he did not claim any benefit from it.
His principle was simply in the abstract. lieut. Maury, in
continuation, proved that what he had been stating resolved
itself into making short passages, and commended his ob-
servations to the merchants present.—After some observa-
tions from Mr. Towson, who replied to a somewhat personal
, observation from Lieut. Maury, Joseph Ewart, Esq., pro-
posed a vote of thanks to Lieutenant • Maury, which was
seconded by Mr. F. Shand, and the vote was passed um-
nimously.—Mr. M`Fie then proposed a motion, directing
,the attention of the British government to the question.
The motion having been seconded, was
passed unanimously.
—The proceedings then terminated.