The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-02 00:00:00

On the motion of Mr. G. A. Browne, seconded by Thomas
Bold, Mr. Thomas Todd was called to the chair amid marked
tokens of approbation.
The Chair man said, the gentlemen present were, no doubt,
aware of the object of the meeting. The requisition stated
that it was for the purpose of inquiring into the cause of the
late abrupt dismissal of Captain Vityrer from the command of
the President. The cause of the gallant Captain would have
been better advocated it they had chosen a chairman better
able to do justice to the merits of that able officer ; but be
trusted to make up by zeal for his want of ability. (Cheers.)
This was fortunately not a party question, but one in which
Whigs and Tories cordially united, and it was gratifying to
see, that both parties so hated oppression that whenever it
was visible they joined to put it down. After a few remarks
on the advantages of steam navigation, particularly in regard
to the increased facilities of inter-communication which it
has opened between the United States and Europe, the chair-
man drew the attention of the meeting to the importance of
harmony both amongst the crews and commanders of vessels.
and between the latter and the proprietors for whom they
acted. The public, then, he said, had a right to inquire,
when an officer was dismissed, what were the grounds of his
dismissal, as the credit of a ship frequently depended mainly
on the character of her commander. (Cheers.) Captain
Fayrer had, from boyhood, been engaged in the service of
his country in the royal navy. He had served with honour
through a protracted war, and had received wounds in de-
fence of his country. At the termination of the war he en-
tered the merchant service with a reputation unblemished,
and in this service he conducted himself in such a manner
that his conduct reflected honour on himself and his employ-
ers. There were, in the room, those under whom he had
served, and they could bear testimony to the truth of this as-
sertion. After he had been for some time in the merchant
service, lie took conunand of the Liverpool, in. which situa-
tion he gave the greatest satisfaction up to the period of his
• appointmerit to the-President. The chairman offered, as proof
of the high character which Captain Fayrer had obtained, an
extract of a letter to him from the secretary of the company,
which stated that the gallant Captain tad been selected to
command the President in preference to several other appli-
cants, principally for the ability and skill which he had dis-
played in command of the Liverpool. In fact, Captain
Fayrer had never made a passage without having received
from the passengers the roost flattering testimonials of appro-
bation, setting forth the highest opinions of his gentlemanly
manners, skill, and ability, Up to the moment of his abrupt
dismissal his character remained unimpeached. When it
was made known on 'Change that dissatisfaction bad been
expressed at his conduct, and that he hail been actually dis-
missed, the greatest astonishment and discontent was mani-
fested by all who heard the unexpected intelligence. No one,
certainly, could qUestion the right of the company to dismiss
an officen if they thought fit to do so ; but he asserted that
they bad no right to dismiss an officer so as to injure his pro-
fessional reputation. (Loud cheers.) Captain Fayrer had
been dismissed with as little consideration as they would dis-
miss one of their menial servants, while h? was in possession
of written testimonials to his character and ability which did
him the utmost honour, and of those still more expressive
testimonials, the wounds which he had received in the ser-
vice of his country. The correspondence which had passed
relative to the subject would be read by the secretary, and if
the meeting were of opinion that the dismissal had been an-
necessarily abrupt, they would, no doubt, accord with the
resolutions which would be proposed. Captain Fityrer's good
name was to him as to every other gentleman, invaluable, and
he might say with Shakspeare--
He that filches from me my good name,
Robs me of that, which not enriches him,
But makes me poor indeed." (Loud cheers.)
_ _ •

Mr. CHAPMAN then read the following letters, addressed
by the secretary of the directors of the British and American
Steam Navigation Company to Captain Fayrer :
British and American Steam Navigation company,
2, Billiter-court, Billiter-square, London,
6th March, 1840.
DE AR Stn.,—l have great pleasure in, informing you, that
at a meeting of the directors, held this day, you were unani-
mously appointed to the command of their steam-ship " Pre-
sident."
Your remuneration will be a fixed rate of pay of 20 gui-
neas per month (calendar.) Ten shillings per head for each
adult passenger. Five shillings per head for each child and
servant. One per cent. on the amount of freight and letter

money.
The directors having had every reason to be satisfied with
Mr. Keane, are desirous you should retain him as your chief
officer. The appointment of the other officers and crew, the
directors leave to yourself, holding you of course responsi-
ble for their conduct and efficiency.
As the directors have given you an interest in the freight,
they will hold you responsible for all losses from improper
stowage or short deliveries.
In conclusion, I beg to state that the directors have selected
you. in preference to numerous other candidates, for the
command of the " President," not only from your previous
character and experience, but chiefly from the ability and
skill you have displayed in the command of the " Liverpool"
steam-ship.
Hoping that the connexion may prove a pleasant and pro-
fitable one to both Parties.—l remain, dear sir, yours truly,
MACGREGOR LAIRD, Resident Director.
Lieut. Fayrer, R.N.
London, 2, Billiter-court, Billiter-aquare,
' 22nd Sept., 1840.
Da.tn Sll2,—The directors have desired me to express to
you their great disappointment and surprise at the result of
the President's voyage out and home. From whatever cause
this arises, the-result to the proprietors is most disastrous,
and sufficient to condemn the vessel and all connected with
her. The draft of water she left New York upon, and the
weather she had on the passage, were quite sufficient to
ensure her a fourteen days run at the outside; and the di-
rectors consider that her not making the passage in that time,
reflects anything but credit on the way in which she has been
sailed.
The directors are also much displeased to find, that not-
withstanding the repeated expression of their wish to you,
that no one who had been employed on board the Liverpool
should be engaged on board the President, you have recom-
mended to Mr. Griffiths men, as firemen and engineers, who
have, as might have been expected, proved most unruly and
troublesome, taking every opportunity of annoying their sus
periors in the engine-room, and striving to create dissatisfac-
tion and bad feeling with regard to their provisions and al-
lowances amongst the other men. This would all have been
avoided if you had not interfered to counteract the expressed
desires of your employers.
Mr. Hough, who you were desired to encourage and sup-
port in the discharge of his very difficult duties, has addressed
a letter to the directors complaining in the strongest terms
of the mannerin which you have on all occasions before your
passengers expressed your disapprobation of his management.
It was your duty to have spoken to him privately if you had
any fault to find ; and, if any dissatisfaction had been ex-
pressed by the passengers, to endeavour to diminish instead
of increasing it. Mr. Hough has come to us with the high-
est testimonials from all his former commanders and employ-
ers. It is his interest to make the passengers comfortable
and satisfied ; and you informed the writer and Mr. Enderby,
at Liverpool, that he had both given you and them the great-
est satisfaction. The receipt of his letter, therefore, has given
the directors the greatest surprise ; and they will feel obliged
by an explanation of the discrepancy between the opinion you
expressed before the passengers and that you stated on your
arrival at Liverpool.
In making tip your accounts, the directors have desired
me to charge the passage-money. of your nephew out and
home, at the regular rate, as he was not-employed by the
company, nor of any service to them, which I have accord-
ingly done. Until the accounts are received from Mr. Pim
of the homeward voyage, the amount at your credit cannot be'
ascertained, but this will be forwarded you in a few days.
I remain, yours, very truly,
M. LAIRD.
Lieut. R. J.-Payrer, R.N., Steam-ship President.
The following reply from Captain Payrer was next read :
Liverpool, 24th Sept., 1810.
MY DE.III Sin,—l sit down with no light feeling of heart
to answer the severe reproof awarded me by the directors in
your letter of the 22d instant.
Most respectfully do I assure you and those gentlemen of
my own deep regret at the want of success in the voyage of
the President; but, in defence of my own character as a sea-
man and an old officer, I deny, in the most respectful man-
ner, any want on my part to make the President's progress
through the water greater than that obtained. Whenever a .
sail could be brought to bear, it was set and carried to the
utmost. It is quite evident the want of power alone has
been the cause, Ido net make any comparison between the
President and other ships, but it has been unfortunate she
should have had to contend with vessels calculated alone for
speed and not cargoes. I laid before Messrs. Wordsworth
and Smith the instructions you gave me before the voyage,
and told them that the ship could not compete with the Aca-
dia, if deeply laden. She exceeded eighteen feet abaft, and
quite that forward, on leaving New York ; and though, in
my opinion, much improved by the cutting off, by your own
direction, six inches of the inner ends of the floats, yet, in
smooth water, going down the river and running under sail
over St. George's Bank, nine revolutions were the utmost to
be obtained. Was that my fault? The ship was trimmed
as well as possible. I complained to the engineers of her
want of speed even when in the best trim, and herewith beg
leave to hand you copies of my note to them upon the sub-
ject. We had, across the Atlantic, a deep rolling swell,
rather unusually so, directly from northward : this, in a deep
ship, ought to be considered. On our arrival in channel, we
had a strong gale at N.N.E. to N.E. ; the ship could barely
keep head-to for some hours; Torn-hill stood at N.W.
nearly six hours without altering a point ; the sea was not
anything like that experienced in the Atlantic, or She roust
have been hove-to with trysails ; arid in this instance, so
soon as far enough to the northward, and when the gaff-
reefed sails were set, she went off from three knots to six
and a half and seven knots. The ship might perhaps have
done better had she been less by the stern, as she was on
arrival. About nine hundred barrels were in the fore-hold,
in addition to some fifteen butts of water. I consulted with
Mr. Keane upon our trimming the ship, a short time before
we made the land ; be was of opinion she was not so much
by the stern as to prevent, or rather impede, her progress ;
on the contrary, we took into consideration that, when sire
came from Dublin to Liverpool in ten hours, she was by the
stern considerably; and again, on her arrival at Sandy Hook
she was the same, and went up the river upwards of eleven
knots. The steerage of the ship was at all times a study to
be done well, and more than one man dismissed from steer-
ing on that account. Without fear of egotism, I venture to
say no commander is more on deck than myself, and till
midnight, when the first officer was, as well as myself, called
on the least change of weather, or under any other circum-
stance. The officers on duty I have every reason to be
pleased with. We had as bad a crew out as ever mustered
upon a ship's deck, so far as the body of seamen went, with
the exception of a few retained. You must remember, toy
dear sir, up to the last moment we had to get both seamen
and firemen.
During our stay in New York I was constantly on board
the ship, not one day excepted, even Sunday, from ten o'clock
or earlier, generally till five o'clock p.m.; so that the officers
had nothing to impede them from work, by being taken off to
attend upon the multitude of visitors. Ido most sincerely
hope the directors will reconsider the severe remark made
upon me. lam not surprised at their disappointment, but
deeply regret the blame should. be thrown upon me for the
ship not going quicker. All on board evinced the most
anxious desire to make a quick voyage, and felt the cause as
-much at heart as officers could do.