The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-23 00:00:00

twenty poundqualitieation

" That as the law now exists, it is obvious that the people
of Ireland have not a sufficiently extensive right of voting
at elections, awl that it is dangerous as well as unjust to

withhold from t

Irish people rights which they ought to

enjoy in common with ourselves. - We know no good reason
why the representation of Ireland should not be as exten-
sive in all respects as our own."

Now as to the amount of qualification for Ireland, it is abso-
lutely requisite that it should be higher there than it is here,
and that for the reasons given by Sir Robert Peel at the time

of the passing of the einancip;ition act

But if there be a

doubt as to the meaning of the £lO qualification, why not de-
fine it—why not give it precision by a bill introduced spe-
cially for that purpose ? The judges in Ireland have differed
about its interpretation ; but that difference does not justify
a total change of qualification. Definition of an existing
franchise is a very different thing from the substitution of a

new one. We object not to such definition as will put an end to
all ambiguity, but we object most strongly to a bill professing
to define and regulate the franchise, while in reality it makes
an essential change in its character. (Loud and continued

cheering.)
Her Majesty's ministers have been disclaiming all inten-
tion of changing the reform bill, and moderate men have

given their support, on the faith that they would not go be •
yond it ; but now they are virtually introducing a new reform

bill under false pretences. They calculated upon the com-
placency and quietude of the English character, and hope to
deceive you by dealing with us softly •, but if they rouse you,
you will show them what you are. (Cheers.) The bill now
attempted to be palmed upon us, is a new reform bill,
though it is not convenient to its framers to call it so. We,

however, like plain speaking, and shall call things by their
right names. (" Hear," and cheers.) But recurrin,, again
to the article in the radical print to which I have' al-
_ _ . .

ready adverted, I find we are threatened with the most
terrible consequences if Lord Stanley's bill be perse-

vered in. " Looking to our foreign relations," says this Writer,
" considering the risk of a rupture with America, and the

threatening position of France, the present is hardly a time
at which we can afford, supposing it politic or just at any
time, to insult and outrage the people of Ireland." But, I
say, there remains spirit enough in the people of Enzland not
to be put down by threats. (Loud cheers.) The Popish

.
. .
agitators have held out a menace that in case of war they may
possibly unite with France, instead of England—and this is
_ _

copied by the provincial papers here, to be read by classes
over whom it might possibly exercise an evil influence ; but
England will
-not give way so easily, nor yield under any ap-

prehension of treachery in Ireland: If frish traitors shew
themselves so ready to take advantage of our difficulties and

embarrassments, we shall take care to tie their hands in time,
and render_them harmless in the event of such contingencies

as they look for

(Loud cheering, and applause.) Is it safe

e event of hostilities with America *Or France that the

representatives of Great Britain should be overborne by mem-
bers who are but the representatives of the Romish priests in

Ireland

Should we allow such a control to exist Over both

our legislature and executive councils ? Would it be safe in
time of war ? And if not, then I ask, is this a time to con-

fer new favours, and enlarged privileges on such persons?
(Loud cheering.) Now, sir, for all this, I know I
must expect to be well re-rated as one of that most nauseous and
noxious class of reptiles, called political parsons—troublesome, I
grant, and dangerous in the otherwise flowery path of radicalism.
A political parson is a species of animal, whose natural history has

not yet been fully explored by our reformed philosophy, One thing
is clear about him, without much erudition or research, and it may

have operated strongly in keeping philosophers of a certain schoOl
at a respectful distance, and that is, that he has the free gift of his
tongue, and a most annoying acquaintance with the low instincts

and habits of his assailatits

But what after all is to be properly understood by this expression,
a political parson ? If it be intended to designate a Christian min
ister who sets a high value on civil liberty, and on those scriptural
institutions, both civil and ecclesiastical, by which that liberty is
protected and perpetuated : a Christfan minister who detests

slavery whether of body or mind, and who has intelligence and
perception to discern the frauds and perjuries by which the emis-

sarie; of the great apostate tyrant seek to undermine the citadel

of freedom and reduce his country to the servile condition of a feof

of the supreme Pontiff: a Christian minister who feels it his duty
to use the talents entrusted to him,_ for the warning of his fellow
citizens and the exposure of the conspirators . a Christian min-
ister who for the love be bears to the tender and gentle exercise

of a scriptural shepherd's care of the flock, is willing to gird him,

self to the needftil battle against the thieve

ann robbers who

would break down the fences of the fold: a Christian minister who
in giving and publishing such exposures and en-

;uch warning:

Las, has recourse to nothing but the legiti-

mate weapons of- convincing argument, historical facts, sound
reasoning, eloquent persuasion, and that rod of rods for a fool's
back, indignant irony : a Christian minister who seeks to enlighten
the public mind in the great principles of religious duty public and
private, in order that men may act freely and intelligently, exercising
political privileges' npon Christian principles, but who never dreams
of coercing any man's actions by violence. (Cheers.) If this be a
political parson, then we may glory in the title, and we trust that
many of our young brethren in the ministry of the church will sit
for this picture, and endeavour by every legitimate effort to exhibit
a good likeness. (Enthusiastic cheers.)

But, sir, if by a political parson be meant a minister of religion
who carries as ee,',lcmatical of his discipline, a loaded horsewhip,
thereby assistir he Assessor in the Registration Courts, or as -

cending the hr gs at elections, or standing as a sentry at tile
polling booth, flouncing excommunication here, and damnation
hereafter up; i who dare to give their votes in opposition to the
priest's candi and laying-on a present and feeling earnest of
the stripes to bL ,eurred by political heresy: a minister of religion
who forges, fro Lhe fertile mint of his breviary, or well stored
arsenal of old v we's fables, the chains of abject superstition for
his ignorant mt titudes, and fastens the manacles around the ter-
rified conscieences of his slaves in the confessional—if this be a
political parson, then we cordially join with all unprejudiced men
of sense and liberty and letters in repudiating the nauseous and
noxious reptile. (The reverend gentleman resumed his seat
amidst the most tumultuous applause from all parts of the house.)
Mr. SAMUEL HOLME rose, amidst much applause, to se-
cond the resolution. He confessed that he felt considerable
embarrassment in presenting himself to the meeting, inas-
much as he laboured under a severe cold, so that he feared
he could scarcely make himself audible ; and he felt the diffi-
culty of following a speaker like the last, who had made so
heart-stirring and convincing an appeal to, those assembled.
That gentleman had laid before them a variety of details,
from which he (Mr. H.) would but endeavour to deduce a
few arguments. When he considered the manner in which
the men of Liverpool had come forward on this and other
recent occasions, when their dearest institutions were attack-
ed, and the general burst of feeling against the destructive
principles of their opponents, manifested throughout the
kingdom, he, for one, would not despair of defeating every
attempt that might be made against them. But seeing that
these institutions were so threatened, it became them no lon-
ger to act merely on the defensive, but to buckle on their
armour, to hoist the glorious standard of conservatism, and
boldly advancing, to drive from their posts a ministry
who were unfit to hold the reins of government. (Hear,
bear.) The principles they (the conservatives) contended for
were the same for which our forefathers had bled; the
same for which Nelson had died at Trafalgar, and Wellington
had fought at Waterloo. It was not until the passing of the
fatal bill of 1829, which gave a lodgement in the legislation
to the enemies of the country, that the Protestantism of the
constitution was assailed. That measure inducted into par-
liament Catholics, who went there on a promise that they
would not disturb the Protestant establishments of the
country ; but these men, and their coadjutors cut of doors,
now made a determined effort to put down those admirable
institutions. To the eternal shame of the present ministry,
they, too, had entered into a compact with the agitator of
Ireland to assist in the unholy work. He considered Pro-
testantism the best anchor of the constitution, and if that
were removed, the ship would drift from her moorings, and
be wrecked upon a lee shore. (Cheers.) The faction to which
he alluded, attempted to make Ireland the arena for the pro-
pagation of the destructive opinions, a mere appendage to
the Romish empire. At the Catholic dinners, the toast was
always drank of " civil and religious liberty all over the
world ;" but this was a mere mockery on the part of those
who drank it. In Rome the Pope was supreme, in temporal
as well as ecclesiastical power. There liberty was but a
name, and no one dare attempt to freely follow the dictates of
their conscience, to educate the children of the poor, or to
act in any respect with that freedom which the people of
this country enjoyed. If they looked to Spain and Portu-
gal, they would there, too, find the withering effects of popery.
It was impossible, such was the state of those countries, to
travel in safety without an escort. If, too, a catholic voted
otherwise than for the nominee of his priest, the thunders of
the Romish church were launched upon his head. Mr.
Holmes here read the following extract from a speech of the
Bishop of Exeter :
" What he (the Bishop of Exeter) was going to read was
a speech by Mr. O'Connell when Father Tyrrell was by his
side as his great eider and supporter. The words of Mr.
O'Connell were, Boys, the names 1 call your enemies, do
you call every friend of theirs you meet in the street. Girls
and women, when you meet the Bruenites, spit on them, spit
in their faces, particularly if they are Catholic conservatives.
Write traitor on their doors with chalk, and tell your friends
at home to do the same. You who are wives of the Catholic
electors, if your husbands do not vote for their religion, bless
yourselves, and then swear on your prayer books to separate
from your husbands if they don't obey your commands ; you
who are their daughters, I tell you if your fathers vote against
you, spit in their faces, and call them the names I taught the
boys to call them !' " Now, when they heard of Roman Ca-
tholic priests drinking the toasts of " Civil and religions
liberty," they ought to pause and look at their acts, taking
care not be carried away by their professions. (Hear, hear.)
The bill introduced by Lord Morpeth—and which, he
trusted in God, would never pass—(loud and continued
cheers)--that bill gave additional power to an overgrown
priesthood. But the mind of Ireland was already too much
enslaved; and Lord Stanley's bill was introduced for the
purpose of relieving the Irish from their debasement. The
Irish priesthood were strongly opposed to that bill, for they
well knew that if it passed, their occupation of deluding the
people, would in a great measure be gone. The present
registration system of Ireland, involved a vast and deplora-
ble amount of perjury ; and why should not such iniquity be
put down. Why
did the priests fear a law, having that end
in view. Laws were made a terror only to evil doers, not to
those who did well. (Cheers.) Nearer home they had in-
stances of the malignant influence of popery. He alluded
to the Protector Society, which was another link in the great
chain that was intended to bind down and destroy Protestant..
ism. Then, h( would ask, did not popery sanction Sabbath
desecration ? lad the voter seen bills affixed to the Roman
Catholic chape ; announcing meetings to be held on Sunday
evenings for t mad of the union—(hear, and cries of

" Shame l")—and to the shame and disgrace of the magi-
strates of the borough they had permitted that desecration,
—at least if they knew of the circumstance. He was not
certain, however, that they did know ; but, if they did, it was
their duty not to stand idly by, hut immediately to take the
parties so acting into custody. He had something further
to say, too, in behalf of Protestant Liverpool. They
all knew that they were heavily taxed by the parish autho-
rites. He, himself, had a large annual amount to
pay, and he might state that fifteen out every twenty
shillings went to the support and relief of the poor
Irish. Many of the Irish too were suffered to vote who
had no more right to a vote here than he had in
Kamschatka or Nova Zembla. (" Hear," and laughter.)
He would relate a fact that had come under his own notice,
illustrative of the system pursued at the Parish-office. On
the 26th of October last, a man named Charles M`Manus,
thirty-six years of age, and living at No. 43, Hodgson-street,
paid 4s. 6d. a week as rent of a lodging-house, and let off a
room for 2s. a week, thus leaving him to pay only 2s. 6d.
a week ! He applied for relief, and stated that the cause of
his distress was hurrying for two weeks to prove his right
to a vote. He added, that he had two children and a wife to
support. The magistrates offered him a pass to go to Ire-
land, thinking that the best plan to get rid of him. (Laugh-
ter.) If such were the practices in this town, how much
worse must they be in Ireland ; and it was to put an end to
the evil of such parties having a vote that the bill of Lord
Stanley was introduced. (Hear.) With respect to the pre-
sent ministry, they would, he believed, go on, if they had
even a mjority of only two in the house. They clung to
office, indeed, with surprising and persevering tenacity ; and
he verily believed they would never relinquish their hold
until they were either smoked out, or kicked out. (Loud
laughter.) He was of opinion that unless they were driven
out, and a new system of things introduced, the happy days of
England would be at an end. (Cheers.) They had gone on
from time to time, conceding and conceding, until theconstitu-
tion of the country would be given away, and a revolution
would ensue. He had been told that there was no danger to
he apprehended from them, inasmuch as several of them were
churchmen ; but he apprehended greater danger from the
covert than the avowed enemies of Protestantism. The ava-
lanche might be dislodged by the breath of the sweetest
music floating on the air, as well as by the influence of the
storm, and its effects would be equally destructive. The
ministers had opened the floodgates, and the devasta-
ting stream would rush in if they were allowed to retain
their position and their power. It was fallacious to
suppose that such men would direct and calm the storm
which they had recklessly called into existence.—
What they had done was in part payment, on their part, to
the agitator and his tail for past favours. (Cheers.) It re-
dounded greatly to the credit of the mechanics and working
classes of Liverpool, that the petition had originated with
them. The operatives were in fact in this instance as in
others the very bones and marrow of the community. But
for them the elective-for. Monmouthshire would have been
lost, and Tracey would have walked the course. But they
protested he should not, they cut the " traces" from the
ministerial mule, and he trotted off to the place whence he
came. (Laughter.) Every man should know that he had a
personal interest in this matter—every man who loved his
country, and who was firmly and devotedly attached to that
church, which was the great bulwark of the country—every
man who was'a reasonable human being—every man who en-
joyed the blessings of true religion here and looked forward
to a blessing hereafter, had an interest in this question.
Seated on the ocean, England was the fountain of freedom
and civilisation, giving laws to the whole earth, sending her
manufactures abroad, and giving work to her citizens at
home, and she had been the means of sending the gospel of
Jesus Christ to many lands ; but the priests wished to cripple
the energies, and then destroy the vitality of England.
(Hear, hear.) He would have them to stand forward and
say, " It shall not be—England shall be governed on the
good sound principles of Protbstantism," which Protestan-
tism was connected with their liberties. They should not put
a sword in the hands of Rome, wherewith to destroy their
country ; but they should pause when they heard the doc-
trines that were now being propagated in this country, and
remember " he was a freeman whom the truth made free, and
all were slaves besides." (Tremendous cheering.) He had
very great pleasure in seconding the motion so ably proposed
by his rev, friend, and he hoped the whole of the meeting
would give it their sanction. (Mr. Holme here resumed his
seat amidst loud and enthusiastic cheering frona every side.)
The motion was put from the chair, and carried unani-
mously. . . .

Mr. DANIEL LEDSON baying been called upon by the
chairman to move the third resolution, rose, and was received
with loud cheers. He said, I have just had placed in my
hands the third resolution, and I feel great pleasure in mov-
ing it. At this advanced period of the day, and more espe-
cially after the able and eloquent speeches of the Rev. Mr.
M`Neile and Mr. Holme, it would be an act of presumption
in me to attempt to add to the impression which they have
produced upon the meeting. (Loud cheers.) I am sure
that when the petition is presented by our representatives,
Lord Sandon and Mr. Cresswell, to the Commons House of
Parliament, it will meet with due effect, as emanating from
the most intelligent and respectable portion of the inhabitants
of this town. (Hear, hear.) As chairman of the Operative
Conservative Association—(cheers)—l beg leave, on behalf
of that body, to return Mr. Holme their sincere thanks for
the remarks he has just made. I trust that, every day, they
will increase in numbers ; and I am sure that they will ever
be found ready to defend those institutions which every
honest Protestant is bound to protect. (Loud cheers.) Mr.
Ledson concluded by moving the following resolution, after
which he sat down amidst renewed cheering
" That the following petition, which has already been
adopted at a previous meeting on Monday last, be trans-
mitted to Lord Stanley and Mr. Cresswell for presentation."
Mr. GLAZEDROOK briefly seconded the motion. The
petitition was then read by Mr. Crisp.
The CHAIRMAN then put the motion to the meeting, and
it was unanimously carried.

Mr. GEORGE H. LAWRENCE proposed, in a highly-com-
plimentary address, the thanks of the meeting to the chair-
man, for his admirable conduct in conducting the proceed-

This was carried by acclamation.
Three enthusiastic cheers were then given for Mr. Neile,
three for Lord Stanley, and three groans for O'Connell.
The meeting then separated.

MEETING OF SHIPOWNERS.-QUALIFICATIONS

OF CAPTAINS AND MATES

A meeting of shipowners took place yesterday, at two
o'clock, in the Committee-room of the Underwriters' Asso-
ciation, for the purpose of considering the propriety of co-
operating with the Glasgow shipowners in presenting a peti-
tion to parliament, for an act sanctioning the formation of a
commission, or association, requiring masters (in particular)
and mates of merchant vessels to undergo•examination by
properly qualified persons, and, in the event of their passing,
to be furnished (after the manner of surgeons) with certifi-
cates of their nautical abilities to undertake the management
of a ship; the object being the protection of life and pro-
perty, which the originators were of opinion were often placed
in jeopardy by the appointment to commands of incompetent
persons. There were between 20 and 30 shipowners pre-
sent, including a few gentlemen delegates from the society of
Glasgow. Mr. Nickol, chairman of the Underwriters' As-
sociation of this town, was called to the chair, and opened
the business of the meeting. Mr. Johnstone, of the Ship-
owners Association of Glasgow, entered into a variety of
interesting details (which we have scarcely room to touch
upon), showing the opinion of the shipowners there in favour
of the object stated. They proposed, he said, to apply for
the appointment of a Marine Board in London and Liverpool
for England ; in Edinburgh for Scotland ; and in Dublin for
Ireland. Some of the shipowners of Glasgow were in favour
of having the controlling inspector appointed by government;
others, that they should decline all immediate government
interference. They proposed to raise the funds necessary to
carry the object out by a small levy of 6d. a ton on each
vessel when first registered only, and a small amount for
certificates, and calculated that this would be amply suffi-
cient to defray all expenses. By car the greater number
of the meeting were in favour of the proposition, as an
• advantage to respectable shipmasters as well as shipowners ;
and with reference to old captains of established reputation,
it was understood that there was no necessity for their un-
dergoing the ordeal of examination. Amongst the gentlemen
who delivered their sentiments on the subject were Mr. Pot-
ter, Mr. Chapman Mr. Brocklebank, Mr. D. Gibb,
George Grant and Chapman,
M‘Dougal (of Glasgow), &c. Mr.
Brocklebank stated that he had long been on owner of ves-
sels, and had never lost anything material through the in-
competency or neglect of his officers, though that might
occasionally occur. He considered that owners of vessels
were the best judges in choosing their captains, and were
perfectly competent to manage their own affairs, without the
interference of parliament. In this opinion he was joined
by Mr. Chapman. The majority of those present, however,
argued differently ; and the result was the appointment of
the following gentlemen as a committee, to confer with the
delegation from Glasgow upon the subject, and report to a
future meeting—viz., Messrs. Potter, Grant, Rankin, Hig-
gip, Whitehead, Henderson, Watson, and Rotherham. As
the subject will ere long be brought before the public in a
more tangible shape, we the less regret that we have been
under the necessity, in consequence of a press of matter, of
reducing our notice of the meeting to a mere paragraph.
We shall recur to the subject.

•,..,.......11.

A FEW THOUGHTS BY A THINKING MAN,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Stn,—l am just returned from the meeting in Clayton-
square, and if you have no objection 1 will be your " think-
ing man for" this one day only.
/ think, if Mr. Baring, our clever Chancellor of the
Exchequer, had been there, he would, after seeing the hands
held up, in passing the resolution, been inclined to take the
tax off soap:.

think" two of the speakers told falsehoods, when they
said the meeting consisted of about 12,000 persons..
" I think" a friend and myself measured the ground
outside the mob, and it measured about 35 yards by 25 yards,
but the whole might have stood in about 20 by 20 yards, if
they had stood six persons to th e yard, which is generally
computed.
" I think," that reckoning the most, and far more than
there really was, say 35 by 25 yards, and six persons to the
square yard, there would only be about 5250 ; and reckoning
more correctly, say 20 by 20 yards, there would be about,
what there was, 2400.
" I think," also, that if the persons, friends to the passing
of Lord Morpeth's bill, bad stood uncovered, and others
against it had remained covered, there would have beer, far
the greater proportion covered , there certainly was not one.
halt favourable to the meeting.
" I think" the speakers thought it much easier to abuse
the Rev. H. M`Neile than rebut his arguments.
if
ht
stranger had visited the meeting, he
" I think."
would have thought it was called to pass a vote of censure
on Mr. M•Neile, and not called about the passing of Lord
Morpeth's bill.
sley told an untruth, or a
" I think" Sir Joshua Walm
" genteel invention," when he said 7 or 8000 persons had
signed their petition, and nearly all this morning.
" I think" they were hawking the petition up and down
the dock side on Friday, getting it signed, and signing it for
those who could not write.—I remain, your obedient servant,
20th Feb., 1841. A THINKING MAN.

Queen Adelaide's Church, at Malta, for which her Ma-
is advancing fast to completion : her
jesty gave £lO,OOO,
Majesty is going to endow a bishopric there.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION' OF GAS AT STOCKPORT.—An ex-
plosion of gas, of a very alarming nature, occurred in the
manufactory of Mr. Charles Axon, of Heaton-lane, Stock-
port, yesterday evening. It
chars that a leak had taken
place in the service-PiPe vinci,l supplies the mill with gas ;
g down with a light to the
and on some of the hanas gain
lower story, where the pipe enters the mill, a considerable
quantity of gas having escaped, a most terrific explosion im-
mediatelytook place. loud,, was the report that it was
heard all over the tovvu,
and for' near a mile beyond it, and
the utmost consternation was excited in all parts of Stock-
port, some attributing the report to an earthquake, and all
being seized with an undefined sort of alarm and apprehen-
sion. The building, which is four stories high, was shaken
in a most violent manner;, nearly every window was shat-
tered to atoms ; all the lights were extinguished ; a great
deal of the machinery was disarranged ; and the effect was
described, by the hands who were at work in the upper
stories, as similar to their being suddcnly lifted up about two
or three feet, and then thrown down again. So far as we
have heard, no lives were lost, nor has any serious injury
been sustained by the hands in the mill, except by one boy,
who was severely hurt. The shock was felt, more or less, in
all the buildings near to the spot.—Manchester Courier of
Saturday.

AWFUL SHIPWRECK BY COLLISION IN THE

IRISH CHANNEL

INSTANTANEOUS SINKING OF THE "GOVERNOR, FEN-
NER," WITH ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO SOULS
ON BOARD

We have the melancholy duty to furnish a narrative of a
calamity at sea, more awfully sudden and disastrous in its
results than any we have had to record since the commence-
ment of our editorial labours—not even excepting the dread-
ful losses by the storm of the Gth and 7th of January—the
instantaneous sinking, off Holyhead, of a large ship, in con-
sequence of collision with a steamer in the night, with at least
one hundred and thirty-two souls on board, two only of
whom, the captain and mate, were, saved—the whole of the
others, men, women, and children, the greater part of whom
were in their beds, being at one fell swoop, hurried from the
slumber of this life into the eternal sleep of death.
The news of the disaster reached this port on Sunday
forenoon, by the steam-vessel with which the ship came in
contact, and which, being in a shattered condition, with her en-
gines rendered unfit for use, was towed into port, from a spot a
short distance from the scene of the fatality, by the Graueuille,
a steamer from Droghec.:a, belonging to the Drogheda
company. The intelligence rapidly spread in the neighbour-
hood of the docks, and excited a painful interest amongst all
who heard it—and (it may well be believed) shocked the feel-
ings of no inconsiderable number of individuals, relatives or
acquaintances of some of the unfortunate beings who had but
recently taken leave of them in health and spirits, and had
now met a watery grave, beyond even the hope of their re-
mains being recovered for the performance of the last sad
rites of humanity.

As an event accompanied by so great a loss of life
naturally leads the public mind to an_ enquiry into the

cause of the collision, and the possible attachment of
blame to one or other of the navigators of the respec-
tive vessels, and as that cause will probably, from the
nature of the circumstance, never be accurately ascertained,
the only impartial course we can ,adopt, without imputing
blame to either of the officers or crews, is to furnish the details
we have been enabled to obtain of the loss from the parties
themselves. These are, in our opinion, by no means incon-
sistent with the supposition that no wilful neglect is attribu-
table to the one or to the other—particularly as such neglect
would equally jeopardize both vessels ; and we cannot, there-
fore, but incline to the supposition that the calamity arose
from one of those unforeseen accidents which human foresight
cannot always avert. It appears that the ship, on seeing the
steamer approaching, put her helm a-port, according to the
established rules of navigation when vessels approximate each
other. Whether the steamer did the same, which might (if
done in time) have prevented the collision, does not clearly
appear. The ship, however, had no light up, and ran on
board of her ; and as the night was dark and drizzly, the
most justifiable conclusion seems to be that both got too near
each other before the danger was sufficiently apparent to em-
ploy effectually the usual means to avoid collision. In pro-
secutino. further enquiry into the subject the public, too,
should 'bear in mind the fact that each party will naturally
endeavour to exculpate themselves, and that on one side we
have but the captain and mate of the ship ; the former was
part owner ofthe vessel, the latter lost his wife by the disaster,
and both were at their posts in the hour of danger. On the
other side we have as witnesses the whole of the passengers
of the steamer who happened to'be on deck, happily none of
whom were lost or injured. With these introductory remarks
we submit the following particulars, to which the public (be-
fore they pronounce their verdict) will doubtless give due and
unbiassed consideration which the serious nature of the sub-
ject demands.
We twice applied yesterday at the office of Mr. P. W.
Byrne, American passenger agent, for a list of the unfortu-
nate passengers on board, and were twice refused, on the
ground that he would himself write to the relations of the
parties, and that he would not supply it. We had no inten-
tion of undertaking the painful task of writing to any of the
friends of the deceased ; but we have a duty to perform to the
public, in furnishing the names of those who perished, and
we cannot account for Mr. P. Byrne's refusal to accommo-
date us. The public will, of course, make their own deduc-
tions from the fact. All we shall say is, that Mr. Byrne's
refusal will not, in our opinion, add anything to the respect-
ability of the class of traffickers to which Mr. P. Byrne be-
longs, or to the confidence which the public may attach to
then) as agents. Through the politeness of Lieut. Lowe, of
her Majesty's Emigration Office, in Union-street, where a re-
gister of all emigrants is kept, we readily obtained the following
list, and have appended such particulars as we have gathered
from authentic sources elsewhere, of the condition in life
of several of the ill-fated parties. It should be remarked,
that notwithstanding the frequent repetition of the occupation
" labourer," the passengers generally were superior in cir-
cumstances to the usual run of similarly numerous bodies of
emigrants, many of them being respectable farmers and
tradespeople, and a few in easy circumstances; the name
" labourer" being for the most part technical, some desig-
nation being required in law.

PASSENGERS

William Toms, aged 40; Philip Duffy, 28; and James Tay-
lor, 30, farmers. Benjamin Whitehead, 27; Patrick Gibney,
19 ; John Ashworth, 29 ; James Needham, 33 ; Henry Ryal,
34; John Sinclair, 22; Patrick Halley, 36; David Boyd, 24;
Bernard M'Evoy, 23; Thos. Garside, 28; Emanuel Hague,
33; John France, 26; Robert Miller, 32; James Johnson,
50; John Chiswell, 21; Stephen Kavanagh, 35 ; John M'El-
rov, 26; Gordon M'Elroy, 22; Patrick Doyle, 18; Patrick
Egan, 26; William Corgan, ]3; Henry Watts, 27;
Quayle, 32; John Quayle, 20; Patrick M`Veigh, 31 ; John
M'Evoy, 21; George Twells, 32; John Stokes, 22; John
Reilly, 28 ; Josh. Schollield, 35 ; Edward Redmond, 30 ;
Richard Faller, 24 ; Andrew Mercer, 23 ; John Kelly, 21;
Patrick M`Nally, 26 ; Owen Finnalty, 30 ; William Fitzpa-
trick, 30 ; Philip Tully, 21; Dennis Brennan, 26 ; Michael
Murphy, 28 ; John Maher, 23 ; Charles Feeny, 27 ; John
Ryan, 28; James Dolan, 22; Patrick Burke, 30; George
Burgess, 35 ; Abram Wilkinson, 30 ; John M'lntyre, 30 ;
John Kelly, 30 ; and Patt M'Avoy, 21, labourers. Michael
M'Cormick, 36, and Henry Wood:—Mrs. Ryal and infant,
30; Elizabeth Ryal, 6 ; Mrs. Halley and infant. 30 ; Mrs.
Boyd, 21; Mrs. Miller, 26; Ellen Quayle, 17; Jane Quayle,
16 ; Mary Ann Quayle, 15 ; Mary M`Veigh, 20 ; Mrs. Red-
mond and infant, 30 ; Joseph Redmond, 4 ; Mrs. M`Nally,
22 ; Mary Tinnan, 26, spinster ; Mrs. Fitzpatrick and in-
fant, 28 ; James Fitzpatrick, 4; Jane Fitzpatrick, 50; Mary
Tully, 20; Catherine Grandy and infant, 24 ; Margaret
Feeny, 21; Sarah Ryan, 16 ; and Mrs. M`lntyre, 26.

RECAPITULATION
52 Male adults.
3 Ditto children.
18 Female adults.
1 Ditto child.
4 infants.

78 Souls ; equal 714 adults.
Several other passengers, making, it is said, 107 in all
were taken on board after the above list was handed in.

It appears from the Captain's certificate, dated the 18th
instant, and deposited at the same office, that 'them were on
board twenty-three casks, containing 6,050 gallons of water,
for the supply of the passengers and crew.
The greater number of passengers were Irish. The fol-
lowing are a few particulars of their condition and pursuits :
Mr. Henry Woods was from the neighbourhood of Lan-
caster, in which place he has a wife, and some relatives in,
we learn, the iron trade. He was a fine young man, and
embarked merely with a view of visiting the United States,
and returning with an early vessel to his native country. He
had considerable property on board, in clothes and money.
He had taken a berth in the steerage, but preferring better
accommodations in the cabin, be had a few hours before the
disaster paid the captain an additional sum for the use of a
state room, which was being prepared for him when the
steamer came in sight. He was asleep when the collision
took place. There was another genteel young man, whose
name we have not obtained. _ _ . .

A young man, Mr. John Sinclair, (not in the list,) from
the neighbourhood of London, nephew to Mr. Cooper, of
Lord-street, in this town, was amongst those who perished.
He had purposed going out in the Siddons hue-ship, but did
not arrive till she was under weigh. .

--....—....,.... ~
William Thorns, a house carpenter, was on board. His
wife accompanied him to Liverpool, and saw him on board.
Amongst those on board was also a respectable person
named Lynch. . . . . _ .

The family of the Quayles (four in number) were from the
north of Ireland. The head of them had before been in Ame-

Wm. Fitzpatrick, an agricultural labourer, had his wife,
and another female, and two children (one of them an infant)
with him.
Philip Tully, who had with him his wife, (both young peo-
ple) and a child, had been previously five years in Boston.
Mr. Johnson, from the county of Hereford, a practical
farmer, had also before been in America, where, we learn, he
was in possession of about 200 acres of land.
Collins, one of the crew, sailed a few weeks ago in the ship
Robert Benn, which came into collision with a schooner in
the channel. He escaped. He re-embarked in the Gover-
nor Fenner, and was lost in her contact with the Nottingham.
David Boyd, in the list, (and his wife, not in the list) be-
sides Bernard !4'Avoy, in the list, were of the same party.
There were nine young men—mechanics, from Oldham,
who took each a steerage passage. Owing to the respecta-
bility of their appearance, they were, after embarkation, ad-
mitted, without additional cost, into the second cabin.
There were also on board a family of the name of Rey-
nolds, of England, from a district near Oldham, consisting of
the father, mother, and two children. The passenger named
Scholfield was with them.
John Kelly (in the list), had with him his sister Sarah,
(not, it appears, in the list).
Catharine Morgan and Evan Morgan, who had embarked,
left the vessel before she proceeded to sea.
We are politely favoured by Messrs. Powell and Travaskiss,
shipping-masters, with the following list of
TIIE CREW.

William Shiletone, second mate, of Bristol; Caleb Fra-
zier, cook , William Reid, John Smith, John Webb, Frede-
rick Selkeld, John Munroe (late second mate of the Belvi-
dere), William Collins, John Smith, David Pidgeon, George
Duncan Clark, and John Davies, seamen.
Four men, who had intended to go with the vessel, left
her at the pier-head—from what cause we have not learned.
The reporter from our office who attends to the nautieal
department in the town, bad, yesterday afternoon. a separate
interview with the two sole survivors from the ship. Both
were naturally deeply affected by the disaster ; but furnished
the interesting details which will be found below.
The Governor Fenner was a ten -years-old ship, built at
New York, and recently repaired at this port, and strength-
ened, at an expenditure of 8000 dollars. with a number of
iron knees. She was of about 500 tons burthen, and was
considered in every respect one of the best and most sea-
worthy of the vessels of her class. She was the property of
Messrs. Andrews Brothers, and Co., of New York. The
commander, Captain S. E. Edwards, was of the firm, and
owned a quarter of the vessel.
Captain Edwards said, in effect :—We left the river about
noon on Friday, with a S.S.W. wind. The crew consisted
of 18 individuals, and the passengers, to the best:of my know-
ledge, of 107. We had a full cargo of manufactured dry goods,
also some heavy articles. There were amongst the passengers
a considerable number of smallchildren. On Saturday morn-
ing about two o'clock, the wind then blowing fresh, and the
ship under double-reefed topsails, we saw a steamer on the
larboard or weather bow. I instantly ordered the helm to
be put hard a-port, to give her as wide a berth as possible.
The steamer rapidly neared us, and crossed our bow, and
before we could bear away, we struck her amidships a little
abaft the starboard paddle-wheel. From the force of the
collision, it became evident that the ship, or the steamer, or
more probably both, would instantly sink. The whole was
the work of a moment. 1 felt at once that the ship, the bows
• f which were stove in, was sinking beneath my feet. All
the passengers were in their berths as well as the crew, with
the exception of the watch then on deck. I called out to
the men to save themselves if they could, and told them to
come forward—our apparent only chance being to get on
board the steamer, which did not not then appear to be in a
sinking state. Through some misappiehension, they ran
aft instead of forward, and cut off their chance of getting on
board the steamer. My anxious wish was to save all
on board ; but the ship sank so rapidly that this object could
not be accomplished. I remained forward, and the mate
was near me. The ship rapidly filled and sunk, and I tried
to jump on to the steamer. I failed in my first attempt,
through a momentary faintness. I made a second attempt,
and as the ship reached the water's edge succeeded in getting
hold of the rope that was hanging over the quarter. The
mate saved his life by jumping from the foreyard over on to
the steamer's deck. In about one minute, so near as I can
tell, the ship sunk with all her passengers. and sixteen of her
crew, the whole amounting to 122 souls. The steamer's re-
maining boat on the larboard quarter was lowered, to en-
deavour to save some of the people, but she unfortunately
swamped along-side. The steamers starboard paddle-box
was smashed and her machinery injured, so that it would
not work. The funnel was also carried away, and she did
little more than lay to till next day at five in the evening, when

she was taken in tow by a Drogheda steamer that eame up to
her and towed her into this port. During the interim the
steamer did not make good above a mile or two from the spot
where the accident occurred, and my opinion is that had not
the weather been moderate all on board of her would also
have perished.

Mr. Carter, first mate of the ship, furnished to the ques-
tions of our reporter, the following painfully interesting ac-
count of the disaster—though at the time labouring under
great depression of spirits

After corroborating the captain in his account of the sail-
ing, &c.—about five minutes past two o'clock on Saturday
morning we saw the lights of a steam boat. It was my
watch on deck, and I immediately called the captain. The
steam-boat came up at about a point and a half on our
weather-bow--we havinr, at the time our larboard tacks on
board. We thought she was coming on head to us. We
had no light but that of the binnacle on the quarter-deck ;
and, I believe it is not considered necessary or prudent for
sailing vessels clear of the land to carry a light.* We waited
as much as 5 or 6 minutes, to find out what way the steamer
was really coming, and then the captain ordered the man at
the wheel to put the helm hard a-port, so as to give her a
clear berth. If the steam-boat had done the same we should
have gone clear of each other a long way, perhaps a mile.
The captain, as soon as he ordered the wheel to be put up,
went forwards to look out. I then looked over the larboard
side, abaft the main rigging, and saw the whole bulk of the
steamer. I said to the man at the helm—" She is on board

of us." I

luarter-past two o'clock.

vessels came in contact, notwithstanding our ship paying off.
(Our informant here approved of a diagram of our reporter,
showing the position of the ships, a copy of which we shall
probably furnish in our next publication.) When the crash
took place, I heard tl

captain call out several times—" For
God's sake save yourselves, the ship is sinking." The jib-
boom of the ship struck the funnel of the steamer, and her
bowsprit afterwards rested upon her. On the third surge she
gave, I believe, down she went, bow foremost. The taffrail
was the last thing we saw of her. She filled very quickly.

She had on board a heavy cargo, including a quantity of iron
and other heavy goods. The watch on the deck at the time
consisted of 7 men, the captain and myself. All the others
on board were asleep below. The captain also sang out to
the man at the helm to leave the wheel. His name was
Munroe—he was formerly mate of the Belvidere, came on
board to work his passage to America, and we intended to
make him second mate of the ship next day. All the men
at fist went forward with me to the captain, who was stand-
ing between the night-heads, but they afterwards went aft as
the ship sunk, to be, as I suppose, on the higher part of her
hull. I stood some time, and attempted to go aft with a view
of endeavouring to save my wife and others by lowering a boat.
She, however, sunk so fast, that I was obliged to give up the
idea in despair. I left the captain, and went to the starbord
side. I stood there a feW seconds, till the water was perhaps
2 feet deep, as far aft as the mainmast, and was fast gathering
still further aft, her head being then nearly under. I scarce
know what afterwards occurred. 1 got up somehow into the
foie-rigging' and thence on to the larbord foreyards, which
then crossed the steamer. When the ship sunk so far that I
was from six to eight feet from the steamer's deck, I let go,
and dropped down amongst some sheep. I lay some time ra-
ther confused, and did not attempt to rise, as I thought I
might become entangled in a rope which passed over my
shoulders, and as I thought, was part of the bowsprit run-
ning rigging of the ship. I then got up. The cry on board
the steamer was that she was sinking, and I believe a passen-
ger on board lowered the boat left on the davits on the lar-
bord side ; but she unhooked from the tackles when she
touched the water, and the painter not being fas::, she drifted
away from the vessel. All the lights they could muster in
the steamer were lighted for some time. The engineers and
others then went below, and found that though she was leaky
they could keep her free. She had her fore and aft sails, and
foretop sail set at the time. I was on board about three-
quarters of an hour before I found that the captain of the
ship was there. I had seen my wife, who was a little sea-sick,
about twenty- minutes before, in her berth, and gave her a
drink. The captain, when I first saw him in the steamer,
was without his hat—and on seeing him (informant) he said
--"Good God is this you—is there any of the crew saved ? "

I said "I do not know. I did not know what became of you
after I missed you off the ship's bow." Her hull was under
water before I got off. The foreyard from which I dropped,
was broken on the steamer as she was going down; and
also, I believe, the topsail yard, as our foretopmast stud-
ding.sail-boom, which was rigged out at the time, (the wind
having been for some time fair in the evening,) was left on
the steamer's deck. I afterwards looked, but could see
nothing of the ship or her masts. The last time I observed
the watch on deck, they were on the starboard side of the
quarter-deck. One man sung out, " For God Almighty's
sake save me!" I did not hear the others. I had a quan-
tity of my wife's and my own clothing and other articles on
board, worth about £5O. All were lost. [The wife of the
informant was a daughter of Mrs. Morgan, of Queen Anne-
street, Brunswick Dock.] The captain had on board two
valuable chronometers, charts, and other property, and all
was also lost. We were at the time of the aecident 17 or 18
miles, as I reckon, to the northward and westward of Holy-
head.::: We were steering upon a wind, at the time, W. by
N. ; and the steamer about E.S.E. The second mate's
name was William Shelston, and he was below at the time.
The captain was as cool as possible at the time ; and ex-
tremely anxious that as many as possible should be saved.
If we had chanced to go aft instead of forward we should also
have been drowned. A few of the cattle in the steamer were
thrown overboard, and also some of the sheep, at the time it
was thought she would sink. When it was found that there
was no immediate danger the rest were kept on board. One
of the black cattle was injured, and was afterwards slaught-
ered on board. Ido not think the steamer got ten miles

from the place where the collision took place all next day,
and she was taken in tow at five o'clock in the evening by the
Grans Uile, a fine vessel belonging to the Drogheda Steam-
packet Company. The foreyard of the steamer Nottingham
was carried away, which, I think, shows that the ship did
not run directly into her. We now come to the
Nottingham steamer, which our reporter visited on
the evening of the day of her reaching port. She
was brought into the Clarence Dock, and was so much
shattered on the starboard side that hundreds of persons con-
gregated on the quays to see, all absorbed in the melancholy
event which had caused the destruction. Her paddle-box
bad almost entirely been carried away, and part of the
" skeleton" ou the wheel—the cast iron work of the " spokes"
being broken in pieces, and the beaten iron rings of the
wheel crushed up, almost close to the vessel's side. She
presented, indeed, the appearance of a wreck; in the effecting
of tsich is extraordinary that no person on board was
killed or tffriist overboard and drowned. Much of the upper
timber was reduced to mere match-wood by the collision.
A boat cn the starboard quarter was cut in two, and one
part of her only remained on deck. The after paddle-beam,
a balk of hard wood, of about twenty inches square, (and
which was a main support of the box and wheel,) is broken
close to the ship's side, and turned, in a diagonal direction,
aft—held by the toughness of the fibres from falling off, and
even yet of sufficient strength to support the weight of seve-
ral persons upon it. The strong iron stay or pillar, support-
ing it in a downward direction to the side, some feet below,
is also driven sternward from its position. We are glad to
say, however, that the vessel's hull appears to have sustained
little or no material damage—a prima facie proof of the ex-
cellence of the materials and workmanship. It is the general
opinion of practical men, (and our reporter, who has expe-
rience in such matters, concurs in it,) that had the ship,
heavily laden as she 'was, and sailing at about three and a-
half to four knots an hour, struck her a yard or two further
aft, she, too, would have disappeared, and no one would have
been left to record the fate of either vessel. As it was, seve-
ral circumstances in the point of contact contributed to save
her. In the first place, the jib-boom of the ship struck her
camel, which afterwards fell, though strongly stayed by chains,
froth a joint about twelve feet from the (leek. The bob-stays and
bowsprit rigging probably next came into contact with the
gunnel and paddle-box, which were carried away ; and finally,
the stem of the ship probably afterwards first touched her
side with a weakened velocity at a part where a sort of plat-
form runs aft from the outward corner of the paddle-box.
All these opposing, but, in a great degree, elastic materials
coming in contact, found a sort of fender, preservatives of
the steamer, thoughTatal to the ship. The breaking of the
paddle-beam and the general shock broke and deranged por-
tions of the machinery, which put aside the further applica-
tion of steam ; but the vessel was not left in danger of
foundering—unless, indeed, in the event of a severe gale of
wind and a heavy sea, which she, happily, bad not to en-
counter

We abstract from the Albion' necessarily shorter,
but, generally, accurate account, the following of the disaster
as given by the passengers on the deck of the Nottingham
when the collision took place :
" About a quarter past two o'clock, on Saturday morning,
when about 15 miles to the westward of Holyhead, the wea-
ther calm, but rather thick, one of the men of the watch saw
a ship bearing down upon the Nottingham : she had no light
at her mast, while the steamer bad three lights. He re-
ported the fact to the second mate, who was then at the
wheel. The second mate hailed the ship, and was answered.
He desired her to starboard the helm. This they thought
was not done. A voice from the ship, which was supposed
to have been that of the captain, requested the steamer to
starboard her helm, as he could not bring the ship over, she
not answering her helm. At this instant the Governor Fen-
ner struck the Nottingham amidships. In less than five
minutes, the ship filled with water, and disappeared. The
steamer became quite motionless after the shock, and the
people on board of her were unable to make the least at-
attempt to succour those on board the ship, which sunk
bow foremost. The screams of the people on the wreck were
heart-rending, but they soon ceased, and all was still. The
steamer's starboard side was completely stove in : the pad-
dle shaft and wheel were shivered in pieces : the starboard
engine was broken, and the funnel carried away. Seventeen
cows were killed : seven more and 78 sheep were thrown
overboard, and 11 died before the vessel reached port. On
Saturday evening the wreck of the Nottingham was fallen in
with by another steamer, and towed into the Mersey.
" Tile opinion on board the Nottingham was, that the
Governor Fenner's helm, instead of being put to starboard,
as it ought to have been, must have been put to port, fin', if
it had been put to starboard, the ship would have cleared the

steamer."
All decision on the matter in dispute between the parties,
to stem off responsibility, we leave, as before stated, to more
competent judges, not doubting but that the fatality will in-
duce some inquiry into and revision of the laws affecting
vessels on the high seas, as to steering, light, signals, &c.,
when danger of collision may arise. We hope that a general
regulation will arise from the investigation of which no com-
mander of a ship can justifiably plead ignorance, and that
the result may be the salvation of lives and property em-
barked on the perilous deep.
We are informed, from good authority, that it is admitted
(by the evidence of the mate and others), there was not any
light on board the Governor Fenner, and that the people on
board her saw the lights of the Nottingham from 15 to 20
minutes before the collision took place, and that if the sail
vessel had shown a light, it might have been prevented, as
there only elapsed about one minute and a half between the
steamer seeing the sail vessel and the latter running on board
her.

FURTHER REMARKABLE PARTICULARS

The following communication received from Mr. Perry,
agent of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, pos-
sesses a painful interest. It would appear that the bottom,
or lower works of the ship, had, alter her sinking, given way,
and that the greater portion of the heavy goods had fallen
out of her, so that the upper part of the ship again floating
up. Should this prove to he the same vessel—which in all
probability it is—many of the bodies may yet be recovered,
is the unfortunate parties were all between decks:—" Bir-
mingham steamer, hence at Dublin, yesterday morning at
seven o'clock, about sixteen miles to the westward of the
Skerries, fell in with the wreck of a ship apparently split in
two, with her stern gone, and cargo all out; boarded her,
and found two men dead in the rigging, took from the
wreck a trunk, containing watches and other things.—Meg.
The above is supposed to be the wreck of the Governor Fen-
ner."

* We have not yet ascertained whether our informant is
correct in this point.

INDEPENDENT AND WEST MIDDLESEX ASSURANCE OF-
PICE.-It is said. that one of the greatest sufferers by this
gang of swindlers is the Marquis Wellesley, who had pur-
chased an annuity from this pretended company with the
£30,000., which was recently given to him by the East India
Company for the noble lord's eminent services in India, the
whole of which is thus lost.—Aberdeen Herald.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION.-At a meeting of the council of
the British Association, held recently, it was finally deter-
mined that the meeting of this body, which is to take place
at Plymouth, the next summer, shalicommence on Monday,
the 12th July, and terminate on Saturday, the 17th July
and the council will meet on Saturday, the 10th July, to
make the necessary arrangements.