The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-21 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD

Liverpool, Feb. 20th, 1840.
SlR,—Having frequently noticed that you take an interest
in the important maratime affairs of the town, I beg leave,
through your columns, to make a suggestion which I think
would be of great benefit to the port, as well as conclusive to
the saving of life and property at sea.
I refer to the surveying of ships previous to their sailing,
in order to ascertain whether they be perfectly seaworthy.
The vessels insured at Lloyd's may be considered as safe, as
that association very wisely appoints a qualified surveyor at
every port, to inspect vessels insuring with them ; and super-
intend, from time to time, vessels building or repairing.
The insurers, in this case, know what is the amount of their
risk, and, for their own sakes, will adventure nothing on ves-
sels not seaworthy. Other insurance companies are alsO
cautious, but not to the same extent.
One class of vessels is never insured, though of the best
quality, and the best found. I allude to those belonging to
extensive shipowners, who, of course, own so many that the
average cost of the insurance of the whole, would exceed the
average amount of loss.
The class, however, to which I would principally call your
attention comprises vessels not at all, or not wholly insured,
and many of which, from the ignorance or cupidity of owners,
become the coffins of their crews.
My suggestion is that the government should appoint a
qualified surveyor of all ships and vessels in every port, so
that none may be permitted to go to sea that are not sound
and strong in hull, and well found in sails and rigging.
We have acts to prevent " jerry-built" houses. Let .us
have an act to put a stop to " jerry-built ships."
Should you favour me by inserting this, I shall enter into
some few details that will be read with astonishment. My
remarks do not apply to respectable shipping-houses. My
suggestions would rather be for their advantage.
I am, sir, &c., NAUTICUS.

LIVERPOOL
SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB

The annual meeting of the subscribers and friends to the
School for the Deaf and Dumb was held on Tuesday, in the
Royal Institution, Colquitt-street. The attendance was very
numerous, and highly respectable.
RICHARD RATHBONE, Esq., was called to the chair, and
after a few appropriate remarks, he requested Mr. Comer,_
one of the secretaries, to read the report.
Mr. COMER read the thirteenth annual report.
The donations received up to the present time, the report
said, amounted to about £2900, which, with the sum expect-
ed to accrue from the sale of the old building, would, they
trusted, prove sufficient to cover the mere expense of erect-
ing the new building. A large outlay, however, would be
requisite for furniture, and many other unforeseen expenses
which occurred on entering new premises. The committee
therefore hoped that donations would continue to flow in
from those who had not yet contributed, so that they might
have the satisfaction of opening the new school unfettered
by any claim upon it. It had hitherto been a source of re-
gret that the annual subscriptions had not been commensu-
rate with the expenditure. This item of receipt, however,
was increasing, the amount of the past year exceeding the
previous one by about £l3O. There were also several addi-
tional subscriptions already sent in for the present year. It
was obviously so desirable that this branch of income should
be maintained, all others being so precarious, that the com-
mittee ventured to press this more especially on the notice
of the subscribers, with a view that the latter should endea-
vour to obtain amongst their friends fresh annual subscribers.
The committee spoke highly of the exertions of Mr. Rhind,
the talented preceptor of the institution. Those exertions,
they said, were fully evidenced in the great improvement in
the children, and in the order and regularity throughout the
institution. The committee considered it mainly through his
zeal that the institution bad risen so rapidly in public estima-
tion. The progress of several of the pupils in articulation
was such as to warrant the hope that, in after life, it would
go far towards compensating for the privation with which it
had pleased Providence to afflict them.
The number of visitors and their interest in the institution
had increased during the past year. The report proceeded
as follows : This " is a charity, the importance and useful-
ness of which cannot be duly appreciated. without witnessing
the method of teaching in the school, and the consequent
effects of the expansion of mind on the manners and characters
of the children. A child bereft of the organs of speech and
bearing, whose mind must necessarily be almost a blank, first
enters the school very little removed from a state of idiotism,
but, as the mind receives impressions, symptoms of thought
become observable, and in time the intellectual smile betoken-
ing the reasonable creature animates the countenance and
amply repays the toil and care of the preceptor."
The report stated that a small fund had been established
by some charitable individuals, for assisting to clothe some of
the most destitute class of children in the school, and which,
under the superintendence of Mr. Rhind, had already come
into operation. Mr. Rhind would take charge of any trifle
that might be contributed to this fund.
To satisfy the desire of the children for reading, during
their leisure hours, a school library has been established, to-
wards which the committee acknowledged several contribu-
tions.
The committee tendered their thanks to the ladies' com-
mittee, to the medical gentlemen who had superintended
the health of the children, and especially totheir late respected
chairman, the Rev. Rector Campbell, on his retirement from
that office through indisposition, for the very valuable aid
which, for so many years, he had rendered to the institution.
Appended to the report was a list of the pupils admitted,
and who had departed, since the last report. There had been
admitted eight regular and two private pupils. Of those who
had left, ten were regular and one a private pupil. Four had
gone to learn trades, one bad gone to the country, two had
died, one had been taken away by his mother, who was un-
able to pay for him, and three had been removed, having
completed their education. The children remaining in the
school are 51. Total number of children admitted since the
establishment of the school 135, of whom 80 are now usefully
employed in various occupations. Forty-five of those now
in the school are the children of poor parents, and are educa-
ted gratuitously.
Mr. RICHARD CROSBIE DAWSON read the accounts ;
after which the meeting was addressed by the Rev. W. May-
nard, Mr. J. P. Alston, Mr. Lawrence Heyworth, Mr. Morris
Reynolds, Mr. Platt, Mr. James Heyworth, Mr. H. R.
Sandbach, Mr. R. C. Dawson, the Rev. J. North, the Rev.
J. L. Townsend, the Rev. T. Bold, and Mr. T. B. Barclay,
by whom the several resolutions were moved and: seconded.
Mr. Russia, the master of the institution, then brought
forward his several classes, and astonished the assembly by
showing the progress which they have made in the several
branches of learning. The highest class consisted of three
boys and three girls. -The boys in this and-some of the other
classes we have before remarked, and have noted their pro-
gress from year to year, and we are bound to say that their
improvement has been wonderful. The classes in question.
(the highest) not only showed, in. the progress of their exami-
nation, that they could write with facility and beauty, which,l
indeed, most of the pupils can, that
most
difficultthey
of answering without hesitation the
in history, scriptural lore, meth u•erequceasptaiobnes
arithmetic, and many other
and rapidity of
branches. Their quickness of apprehension
intercommunication surprised everybody.
of the examination, one of the pupils, an At the conclusion
Y"'intelligent lad, aged
about thirteen, spoke the following '
r address,itili withn,l the inten-
tionpils invearsal :
"LADIES of showing the progress whicphu
enabled to make in instructing the articulation has been
AND GENTLEMEN,--A few
quite dumb and ignorant,—unable to expiess my thoughtsSoas
and wishes, or to converse with those around me but now,
through your Christian sympathy, I have been taught to read,
and write, and cipher; to think, speak, and understand lan-
guage ; to hold social intercourse with my fellow-creatures,
and how to be useful in after life. Permit me, then, to offer
you the grateful thanks of myself and fellow-pupils, who are
receiving similar advantages, for the benefits you have con-
ferrede upon us,—the happiness you have imparted to us, and
the prospects you have opened to us, by instructing us in our
duty here, and the anticipating of everlasting felicity here-
after. And that Divine Providence may abundantly bless
you for your kind efforts in our behalf, especially in providing
a new institution for the better accommodation of ourselves,
and a greater number of others like ourselves—deaf and
dumb—is our sincere prayer.
The same lad afterwards repeated the Lord's Prayer ; and,
at the desire of his tutor, asked several persons how they were,
distinguishing the sexes, and the singular from the plural.
-Tharing the time that the class was occupied in writing out
certain of their exercises.
Mr. RICHARD RATHBONE then stepped upon the platform
and said, as the Rev. Rector Campbell had retired from the
office of chairman, the committee had resolved upon request-
ing him to become the president of the institution, an office
which had not before existed. Mr. Rathbone proposed the
following resolution :—" That in testimony of respect for the
unwearied interest in the prosperity of the School for the
Deaf and Dumb, evinced by the Rev. Rector Campbell, and
of gratitude for his valuable services as chairman of thecom-
mittee, he be appointed president of the institution."
Seconded by Mr. DAwsoN and carried.
The meeting broke up at two o'clock, highly pleased with
the proceedings.

THEATRICALS AT MAN CHESTER.—According to the Man-
chester Guardian the present season at the Threatre•royal in
that town has been extremely unsuccessful.