The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1835-02-03 00:00:00

SHIP LAUNCH AT IHE HERCULANEUM YARD

A beautiful and finely proportioned vessel was launched on
Friday morning, and, although not"generally known, the sight
collected a considerable concourse 'of people, who were freely
admitted into the building yard adjoining the Herculaneum
Pottery Works, where she was built. -Shoitly after eleven
o'clock. Major-General Sir Howard Douglas, Baronet, accom-
panied by his son, Captain Donglas, arrived in the yard, and
was greeted with the same warmth and cordiality which always
marks his reception whenever he appears in public. The gal-
lant-general was in excellent spirits, but we regret to say is still
unable to walk without the support of crutches. Immediately
after his arrival be took his station on a platform erected for the
occasion, from which he performed the office of sponsor to the
new
.traveller of the deep. Precisely at half-past eleven o'clock
the last blocks were withdrawn, and, as the ship majestically
glided off .the stocks,. received, with the usual benediction,
the "fame of Ittra `roar ;—with this name she was launched into
the element upon winch, under TORY COUNSEL, the British tlag
has long been supreme; upon which British valour. has 'gained
laurel: which even time can' neither destroy nor tarnish. On
her passage from the earth to the ocean she was hailed with a
loud shout, as if she had been endowed with a consciousness of
the admiration she excited, which was repeated when it was
`ascertained that she was fairly and safely afloat. a
The Tory.
.is a fine piece of naval architecture. Her dimen-
sions are—length of-decks 140 feet; .breadth of deck 33 feet;
depth of hold 22 feet, and will consequently register from 640
to 650 tons. She was built by Mr. James Gordon for Air. Dun-
can Gibb, a well-known merchant of this town. • She was
immediately towed into the Brunswick Deck, where she will be
rigged, aud, when ready for sea, receive her first cargo ; all the
cordage required for her use will be manufactured from -hemp
groWn in British colonies and imported in British bottoms. .
It wilt be seen by our advertising columns that the first voy-
age of THE TORY will be to the great leepublie of America. The
English TORY surrounded, or rather lashed alongside the Cin-
cinatus and the Napoleon, the Hecim: and the Andrew .Jackson,
the Andrew .Doria and the Commodore lio:yers, the Spartan and
the Nicholas Biddle. the Capitol and the Aantucket, the Liberator
and the Virginian Planter, or other ships bearing the equally
high sounding names of ancient and modern heroes, and-an-
cient and modern places, or events of celebrity,' will be in strange
company, and may excite something like commercial jealousy
in the minds of our transatlantic republican frieuds, whu proba-
bly may not admire this open and daring attack upon their
carrying trade. But we would ask, why have the British ship-
owners -o long neglected this trade? Why have they suffered
their ships and sailors to remain idle with so immense a staple
as cotton to be imported. front America to England ? That staple
having to be paid for either in English money or English manu-
factures surely we should secure to our own people some portion of
ttie freight. The American shipsexpend but very little, compara-
tively, in our ports to what is expended by our own ships. A
second suit of rigging is, Ave understand, frequently taken out
in American vessels to supply their new ships. • -This, however,
is done to avoid the duty payable on • the article; the sails are
used for a feW days so as to give thern the appearance as well as
the name of being nothing but old stores, and, as "old stores,"
are landed free of duty in America. But this is Mr. Andrew
Jackson's affair, not ours_ We hope, hoWever, the trade for
which TH. TORY is destined will attract the more general
notice of our shipowners and merchants.
In this digression we have furgotten the launch. To return
to it--4u the moulding loft an excellent cold collation was pre-
pared by the hospitable owner of the newly-launched ship for
the entertainment of his friends: - The tabfe was jaid.for about
one hundred, and was covered with a great variety of edibles,
both or a light and a substantial character; together with a boon- •
tiful supply of excellent wines. About one hundred and fifty
ladies and gentlemen were present. Mr. Gibb, as the founder
of the feast, took the chair, supported on his right by the Rev.
,A. Campbell, one of the rectors of Liverpool, and on his left by
Sir Howard Douglas. The. vice chair was filled
.by the Rev.
Dr.. Ralph.
. The healths of the .King and Queen having been proposed
and eordially drank,
Mr. Diincan Gibb rose .4nd:said, that he felt the highest gra-
tification in proposing to them the health of a gentleman pre-
sent, whose character both politically and socially was so gene-
rally esteemed. The gentleman whom he had 'the honour to
propose was, one who had proved himself the uncompromising
friend of the town-of Liverpool, and of his King and country,
lie meant his distinguished guest Major-General Sir Howard
-Donglas. (Loud cheers.)
It is almost needless to add, that this' toast was received with
great pleasure, and drank with three times three, and one cheer.
More. As-sinin as the cheering had subsided,
Sir Howard Douglas-rose and addiesSed the company to the
following effect:—
It would readily be believed, that he rose under the influence
of some. painful recollections,-in agaiii officiating at a ceremo-
nial such as this, when it was considered how much the •acci-
dent which betel hint on a similar occasion operated prejudi-
cially upon '.the great contest in which he was then engaged;
but the bright eyes of beauty by which he now saw himself
surrounded, and the gratifying acclamations which greeted him,
completely erased all sense of personal inconvenience, and sub-
stituted very plea'Surable for painful impressions. The sight
which they had just witnessed was one most interesting, to every
Briton, and particularly to ope who was charged with the cere-
monial. of consigning t,, the ocean another of the foundations
of Briton's best bulwarks, and one of the noblest specimens of
British industry. lie was very thankful to his worthy and hos-
pitable host for having selected him to perform this interesting
duty, and, as the 'godfather of the great, maritime child, he
pronounced his benediction upon it, and earnestly hoped that
its.progreSs through the waters of the world might tend to in-
sure tile prosperity of the owner, whose enterprise as a British
merchant so well deserved to be crowned with success. (Loud
cheers.) In his several addresses to the electors of Liverpool
during the election, he had frequently recommended that all
minor, 'party differences and distinctions should be made to
merge into- that great conservative party on which;•;at this
momentous crisis, the safety of the monarchy depends; and
he must say fur himself,' that he would rather that the term
Conservative -had been selected for the name of this vessel. It
was well known that his worthy and excellent host was a
staunch and sterling tory, and had accordingly preferred that
term. He (Sir Howard), saw no reason why that term should
he abjured, and wall he knew that Ocean would not be ashamed
of the. new named child. It was, on the contrary, a most ap-
propriate name; for, referring to the pages of history, they would
find that the most splendid and glorious naval victories that ever
were achieveu were woo under tory rule. (Loud cheers.) In his
address to the electors and others who were presentat the other
launch to which he had alluded,. he had adverted to the fact that
the foundation of the maritime and commercial power of Eng-
land was laid by Elizabeth of great and glorious memory.
It would be out of place to review the political history
of that period with a view to inquire whether the good
Queen may be claimed as a disciple to the Whig or the
tory principles, as subsequently claimed and practised; it was
sufficient that-we should now reflect, engaged as we were, that
the country was indebted to that glorious. reign for the maritime
power, the commercial:extension, and
,the colonial establish-
nwnts which have raised this empire to so pre-eminent a sta-
tion; and let us not forget, touching on the subject of reform,
that that great sovereign was the great reformer to whom we
are indebted for restoring the protestant religion in this
country, and completing the
,great work of reformation.
—He —He might enter into other considerations to show the
deep debt of gratitude which this country owed to Eliza-
beth; but he considered it unnecessary and inappropriate
to the present occasion to travel ontof those reflections to which
the present ceremonial gave rise. Returning to the ceremonial
which they had just witnessed, and, looking at his god-child
which had just been put forth,. he, felt much pride at ob-
serving, on one of the banners with which she was deco-
rated, his name waving over a tory vessel. Although he
could not claim connexion by the ties of blood with the dis-
tingnished commander to whom he would, allude in speaking of
the defeat of the Armada, yet, considering that Howard was
that name he did not feel ashamed that it was now displayed in
the colour of his party over the gallant vessel. (Long and loud
cheering.) It was net his intention to. trespass upon the time
of his audience by 'any. lengthened speech, vet he could not re-'
train fiton tucht4;ing, in-2.f few more observations.
Speaking
in this great Cominunity, the main centre of commercial enter-
prise,industry, intelligence, and wealth, from whence he saw
the productions of our industry issuing from this great • mart iu
stupendous structures such as these—from these favoured isles
to the remotest quarters of the globe, and to vast portions of the
universe, her own colonial possessions, and returning re-laden
with fresh materials for renewed exertions of British industry—
when he, considered the wealth, the influence, and the power to
which, by these exertions, Britain had been raised:„ and, speak-
ing as he did in this great seat of British commerce, the centre
of imperial Britain, surrounded by the fair and supported by
the able and resolute partizans whom he led, he could not con-
clude better than in the strain in which all truly British hearts
had often warmed : •

"Blest isle! with beauty, With matchless beauty crowned,
And manly hearts to guard the fair'." • •
(Cheers.) It now only remained for him to propose a toast—
" Success to the Tory." She need not be ashamed of bearing
that name on the element to which they had"consigned her;
and he (Sir Howard) was proud in having given a tory again
to ocean, for he could hot forget that it was under a tory ad-
ministration that the revered author of lais existence had most
distinguished himself on that element, and it was there that his
honours %vete won. It was under tory rule that the great naval
heroes of later times, whose names will he handed down to the
remotest posterity, obtained their triumphs; and Whithersuever
the Tory might he wafted this would be recognised, that British
commerce, British navigation, and British naval supremacy
had been more splendidly exhibited-and confirmed under the
administration 'of tories than ever they had been under that of
Whigs; and hatnced scarcely say, that on his own element vic-
tories have been achieved, and national independence and
security insured, by a course of policy to which no-whig minis.
ter can lay claim for a single sprig of the civic wreath.
Sir flowaao Doucr,As, in an appropriate speech, eulogistic
of the character of Mr. Gibb, proposed that gentleman's health.
Mr. Ihricart.-Gina responded to the toast by thanking the
company for the honour they had•conferred on him and "The
Tory" by their presence, and hoping that as The Tory was not
to be the last ship launched oink- his auspices, lie might again
see so respectable a company trailer the roof on a similar oc-
casion.

The health of Lady Douglas and family was then drank, and
Sir Hows tin acknowledged the honour in ,a brief speech.
The Rev. Dr. RALPH then rose, and, luiving obtained permis-
ion to propose a toast; said that at the present period when the
hutch establishment was attacked, with such v►rulence by its
ueiniei, it was a matter of great importance that her ministers,