The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-08-17 00:00:00

cretary for the Home Department, he wished to ask him whe-
ther it was a fact that additional troops had been ordered to
Lower Canada, and were now actually on their way from
Halifax? He putthis question, because the noble lord at the
head of the government, in another place, had stated, that
no additional troops had been required.
Lord Jottri RUssron said, that troops had been ordered
from Nova Scotia to Lower Canada at the request of the Go-
vernor-General.
On the motion of Colonel SinTitoer, a return was ordered
of the expenses incurred by the Commisssouers of Woods
and Forests in cutting through bills and other improvements
on the Holyhead line of road.
On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, the Lords'
amendments on the Personal Deligence (Scotland) Bill were
agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. LEFEVRE, the report on the Standing
Orders Revision Committee was, after several verbal amend-
ments, agreed to.
Oa the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, the Lords'
amendments to the Court of Session (Scotland) Bill were
agreed to.
Lord J. RUSSELL moved the order of the day fur the third
reading of the Canada Indeninit) Bill.
Lord ASHLEY took that opportunity of asking the noble
lord whether he proposed to make an additional remuneration
to the of factories ?•
Lord J. RUSSELL was not at present prepared to answer
the question.
Mr. LEA DER begged to offer a few explanations in conse-
quence of what had appeared in sonic of the morning papers,
in reference to last night's debate. The hon. member for Lam-
beth had charged him (Mr. Leader) with breach of confidence
towards Mr. C. Buller. Now the breach of confidence was
committed by the person who sent Mr. Buller's letter for
publication in the Morning Chronicle, and finding it there, he
(Mr. Leader) considered himself pisrfectly at liberty to refer
to it in the absence of any official information. He (Mr.
Leader) also begged to deny that he had said (as reported)
that Mr. Buller had been in constant communication with
Mr. Thorn, the blood-thirsty editor, for such he must call him,
of the Montreal Gazette. Neither had he called the acts of
Lord Durham cruel and unjust; but he certainty hail applied
those epithets to his illegal ordinances. Having said this, he
begged to ask the intention of the noble lord with respect to
the 2.3 prescribed men, the eight sent to Bermuda, and the
15 sentenced to death it' ever they returned to the province.
It would he impossible to try them by a jury, and he there-
fore thouebt it would be better to leave them unmolested.
Mr. ii A wEs, in explanation, said he lotted but one opinion
entertaine4 by.the-Caesdian merchants in London, and that
was in favour of Lord Durham's policy.
Lord J. Russess said that the allusion made by the hon.
member -for Westminster to the newspaper reports were
whollY irregular, anti he should not answer those allusions.
With respect to the que,dion put. by the hon. member as to
the twenty-three men, he (Lord J. Russell) must 'terrain
from giving any answer to it:
• .The ATTORNEY-GENERAL expressed his conviction of the
accuracy of the reports of last night's debate.
The order of the day having been read, and on the question
that the bill be now read a third time,
Dr. LCSHINGTON said that if this bill depended en his vote
it would never pass into law. Even after the able argu-
ments of the hon. and learned member for Exeter, (Sir W.
Follett,) he doubted whether the ordinances of Lord-Durham
were in violation off he law. But if be did doubt he must
still object to this bill -of indemnity. On the whole, he
strongly defended the course pursued by Lord Durham.
especially when such doubts existed on the point even
amongst lawyers, both in this and the other house of parlia-
ment. He was sure he would rise superior to the attack of
'his enemies, and that he would succeed in giving the colony
over which he presided that peace and trauquilltty which all
good subjects must desire. -.
Mr. A. SANDFORD said, that as there was not likely to be
a divisors to this bill, he felt called on in terms, to express
his entire dissent to this bill, relying as he did upon the opi-
nionsstated to this house by the law officers of the crowd.
He felt bound to give the' measure his firmest and strongest
reprobation.-
Lord EBRINGTON knowing as he had the honour to do the
Earl of Durham, he felt great pain in giving, as be felt bound
to do his support to this bill. He regretted this subject had
everbeen brought forward, still, as it bad been subtuitted to
the house, he shared with his noble friend below Lim (Lord
J. Russell) the responsibility of the course he had taken.
He thought it would add to the embarrassment of Lord Dur-
ham if a division took place, and showed a difference of opi-
nion amongst those who wished well to that noble lord.
(Hear.)
Sir E. CODRINGTON so strongly objected to the measure
that if any hon. member would move its rejection he would
second the motion.
Lord J. Russr.t.t. begged the hon. and gallant admiral not
to seek for a division, after the opinion declared by the
Attorney-General that parts of the 'irdinance were contrary
to law. , It would be worse, therefore, to Lord Durham to re-
ject the bill than if it were passed. At the same time, be
(Loral .1. Russell) lamented the agitation of the question in
the absence of information of the grounds on which Lord
Durham had acted. He thought the introduction of the bill
was a premature declaration of the legislature upon it; but,
being here, he hoped the house would allow the bill to pass
a silence. • '
Mr. AntioNay deprecated the bill.
Sir G. GREY defended- the conduct of Lord Durham.
[Left sitting.l

THE AMERICAN MISTER & MR O'CONNELL,

29, Portland-place, Aug. 9.
Sir,—My attention has been called to the publication in
the last Spectator of a speech which purports to have been
delivered by you at a public meeting in Birmingham, in which
you are reported to have used the follosiing language in rela-
tion to myself
" I believe their very ambassador here is a slave-breeder
one of those beings who rear up Slaves- for the purpose of
traffic. Is it possible that America would send here a man
wit() trafficks in blood, and who is a disgrace to hiiman na-
ture ?"
I desire to know•from you whether this is a correct report
of what you said on that occasion, and with that view address
to you this romitunication.
I am, Sir, vt respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. STEVENSON.
To Daniel O'Connell, Esq., &c.

16, Pall-mall, Aug. 10.
Sir,—ln consequence of your letter of yesterday's date, I
examined•the" report of my speech at Birmingham in the
Spectator of the-4th init., and iro.ve no hesittion In saying
that the oaragraph you have selected is not a correct report
of what I said on that occasion.
The very next' 'sentence does, to my mind, show that the
report could not be cortect, and having examined another
report since, as welt as from distinct recollection, I repeat the
report is not correct.
I have the honour to be, Sir, your very obedient servant,
DANIEL O'CONNELL.
A Stevenson, Esq., &c.

23, Portland-place, August 11, 1838.
Sir,--I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your
note of last evening in answer to the one from myself of the
preceding day.
Presuming that you intended your reply as a disavowal of
the offensive expressions contained in that part of your re-
ported speech which had allusion to myself, and to which
your attention was called, I am satisfied with the answer you
have given.
As an incorrect report of your speech has been made pub-
lic through the press, 1 beg to inform you that I deem it due
to myself that the correspondence which has taken place
should also he published.
1 am, Sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. STEVENSON.
To D. O'Connell, Esq., &c.

EXPLOSION-ON BOARD THE VICTORIA STEAM-
SHIP.—ADJOURNED INQUEST.
On Tuesday the inquest on the unfortunate person who
perished by the explosion on board the Victoria steamer was
resumed for the llth time, and at length brought to a conclu-
sion. The principal witness examined was John Cardno, the
only surviving engineer. We regret that we are unable, in
consequence of the crowded state of our columns, to give his
evidence. The investigation, which we believe to be of un-
paralleled length, having been concluded, the jury retired
at twelve o'clock to consider their verdict, and at half-past one
o'clock the Coroner was informed that they had agreed, and
the court having been re-opened, the Coroner asked if the
'gentlemen were prepared to deliver their verdict ?
Mr. P. Mellish,. the foreman, rose and said that he wa t
never placed in a more difficult situation than he was than
night. He had to contend with difficulties he never had t f
contend with before. He had now to declare the opinions od
the jury. He believed he spoke their feelings when he sat
that they never saw a steamer ft: ted up with greater splendou"
and taste than the Victoria, or with greater attention to th
convenience of the passengers. He must however say, and h
was delivering the unanimous opinion of' the jury, that. the
never saw a vessel in the river fitted up with so little regard
to the comfort of the engineers and stokers who worked the
engines, and in the place wherethey were employed : in facts
it was a perfect pandemonium, at least such was his, opiniou•
He never saw a place which_ realised his ideas of pandemo-
nium so much before._
The Jury--It is our opinion generally it is not a fit place
for the engineers and stokers.
The Foreman continued.-1 will now deliver the verdict of
the jury. They consider that the death of Andrew Brown
was accidently occasioned by the explosion of the boiler on
board the Victoria steam-vessel, on the 14th of June last. The
jury consider that the construction of the boilers was unsafe,
the water spaces too small, and the plates too thin. The jury
further consider,sthat the engineers having no immediate con-
trol over the safety-valve in the engine-room is highly repre-
hensible, and the jury levy a deodand of 1:1500 upon the
huller and steam-engine of the Victoria.
The Coroner said he should require the attendance of the
witnesses and jury on the other eight cases on Thursday next.
Ile was much obliged to them for the attention they had paid
during the
n
o protractedexpress
anyinciu loriy,i,nbtount
.w it h respect to the verdict,
he should
The court was adjourned.

THE FIRE or THEGUEBRES.— I rode to the peninsula o
Afsharon, to see the everlasting fire; about which I was the
more curious, as Olearius—who, however, did not see it him-
self—asserts, that the worship of the Guebr es no longer ex•
fisted,
and the relation in Hallway is not taken front an eye-
witness. About five or six miles from the sources of naphtha
(that is, from the principal sources for there is a well of
white naphtha much nearer), there'is a spot of ground, of
pretty considerable extent, of such a nature that, if a hole
is dog in it, or the first coat of earth removed; and fire ap-
p!ied, the vapour which issues forth burns with great inten-
sity, and continues to do so till it is extinguished by some
violent storm. The heat is sufficient to calcine limestone,
and the peasants accordinuly horn their lime in no other
manner About the centre of this spot is a large quadra.n-
gidar boilding'of stone, built round a court, in the centre of
is a perforated tumulus, from the top of which blazes
nwhiptchhe everlasting, fire, surrounded by fires of the same na-
ttre
The building is divided into cells, each with a sepa-
rax entrance, designed fur the accommodation of the wor-
shippers; on each door was a tablet with an inscription, in
characters of which I am ignorant ; one of them seemed to
have a translation, of which the characters were Periian;
but the language was neither Persian, Arabic, nor Turkish,
and, therefore, ulost probably, modern Hindostanee. I vrent
into one of the cells, which was inhabited ; a small platform
of earth was raised on each side, perforated, and a tube in-
troduced; one of these is always kept burning, according to
the direction of the wind. The first Zerdusht forbad to raise
temples or enclose the sacred fire, asserting it to be impious
to confine the image of the deity; but the second raised
altars and temples. I asked the inhabitant of the cell what
was his country? He said he was a 'Undo° (I presume a
I,kkesea, Credal. til. frontiers of India), and that the I.itiii,ling._
Vl4, erected entirely at the ettreuse nt the. IA .rielocsa. '"lt'aekea
fur what purpose he came thither. He replied, without hesi-
tation, " To worship that fire;" and said, that persons were
sent from India to relieve each other in the employment of
tending the. everlasting flame, and that he and his corn-
panicop were then waiting to b: relieved. I observed a'great
pile or' fuel, for they esteem the other fire too pure for culi-
nary purposes. The quadrangle contains a well of fresh
water. If the vapour which issues from the eath is collected
in bladders and carried to a distance, it remains equally in-
flammable, and, from its burning with a red flame, I conclude
it to be carbonated hvdtogen gas: now, though
.carbon and
hydrogen are contained in naptha, I know of no way in which
naptha could be decomposed in such a manner as to set the
gas free. The sources are at some distance ; the soil is not
bituminous, but calcareous ; and the only smell is a faint
odour of ilarro%vgate water, which shows the presence of a
small quantity of suiphurated hydrogen, blended with the
. carbonated. Ido not believe the naphtha to be an agent in
- producing the phenomenon,—Remains of Viscount Royston.