The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

tect our seamen from imposition and extortion, and to
encourage them to husband their hard-earned wages ;
and in order that they may have within themselves the
elements of such protection, we desire to promote their
moral, intellectual, and professional improvement, and
afford them an opportunity of receiving religious instruc-
tion. For their intellectual improvement it is proposed
that a library and reading-room should be established, and
that both of these be made as attractive to them as it is
possible to do. For their moral improvement it is pro-
posed that there should be a savings' bank and registry
of character; and for their religious improvement it is
proposed that there should be a clergyman and visiting
chaplain to the institution. (Hear, hear.) These are
fruitful topics ; but I must be brief. We have lately had
opportunity, more or less, of witnessing the gratifying,
and almost miraculous effects produced by savings' banks.
I fulls- agree in the observations made by Mr. Aiken on
this poitt. Get a labouring man, whether seaman or
landsman, to make use of a savings' bank, and you have
a hold of that man. (Hear, bear.) He has something
to keep, and, what is still more elevating to his character,
he has something to give away. (Laughter and cheers.)
And this is not chimerical. I bold in my hand the last
report of the institution in London, similar to that we
now desire to establish here. And I learn one most gra-
tifying instance recorded in this report :—" It is a cir-
cumstance most gratifying to the directors to be enabled
again to state that of the £20,000 of sailors' money which
passed through our hands, £4,800 was money sent by the
officers of the institution, to sailors at their own homes,
or to their relations in various parts of the country."
(Applause) Here is the prospect which Mr. Aiken pre-
sented in theory realised in practice. (Hear, hear.) I
do hope that the savings' bank part of the plan will be
most diligently and skilfully carried out. (Hear, hear.)
Then as moral improvement advances, a register of
character carefully kept will give the seaman the ani-
mating encouragement that his moral character is not
lost sieht of, and will secure his reward, by securing
more readily advantageous engagements as he goes on.
And knowing, sir, that all such engagements must
speedily terminate, and recollecting that the seaman,
after all, has an eternity to spend, it is an integral and
important part of our plan to give him the opportunity at
least to learn the redeeming love of " Him who died and
rose again for us men and for our salvation,—that so, our
sea-faring brother may, by the grace of God, working in
due season, find a return pi that practical grateful love
for that pardoning lore which he has mercifully experi-
enced, and thus find, within his own-.bosom. the germ
of eernal love in conformity to the character of God,
for " God is love." These are the chief features of the
plan. The rev. gentleman then appealed to the liberality of
our merchant princes for contributions for the effectual
carrying out of the project, and afterwards proceeded as
follows :--Simply on commercial grounds the matter
might be argued. You have heard this already. The im-
proved character of the seamen—the im proved intelligence
of the most subordinate members of the crew, and the
consequent increased safety of the vessel in the case of
accident or illness of the master or mate :—these, and
kindred consequences ought to speak with a loud voice
to owners, and undewriters, and insurance companies.—
(Loud applause.) On Christian principles the matter
may be urged. This, also, has been alluded to; and
surely, sir, it ought to be an object with British Christians
that the men who carry throughout the world the match.
less specimens of England's handicraft in manufactures
ought themselves to be specimens of the Christianity of
England—(continued applause)—instead of being, as too
many of our neglected seamen, alas, now are—profane,
dissolute, and drunken stumbling-blocks in the way of the
heathen where they visit. And the decks and wooden
walls of Old England—her best defence in the day of
danger—manned by her indomitable tars, who never
struck her flag—(cheers)—these might be pleaded—these
might also be stirringly addressed, and especially at this
moment, when this feeling has been made to thrill through
the nation. For it was only on Monday last, the anniver-
sary of the battle of Trafalgar, the Victory was decorated
as usual, that our Sovereign, Queen Victoria—whom God
preserve !—(applause)—went on board that vessel. She
ascended the quarter-deck—came where it is inscribed;
" Here Nelson fell." She paused—read the inscription
thoughtfully, and then she plucked a leaf of the wreath
of laurel that encircled the spot and clasped it to her
royal—her right- English heart. (Vehement applause).
And her attention was called to the Admiral's signal on
that remarkable day, when she read, with a full, emphatic
voice—" England expects every man to do his duty."
Here, sir, a thousand recollections and associations start
to the mind—all well ca'culated to give our seamen their
proper place in our consideration, and every plan for their
welfare, and to furnish claims on our substantial gratitude.
For though our seamen are not now called to the dis-
charge of such dreadful duties—and we trust, in the over-
ruling providence of the most High, for a continuance of
peace—yet, deeds of days gone by—deeds, productive of
peace. because decisive in war, ought not to be forgotten;
and if it was the sailor's duty then to fight, to do his part
to preserve to out use the happy homes of old England,
it is equally the duty of every Briton in our day to supply
a home for Britain's seamen. (Great cheers.) But, sir,
I urge a softer theme. 1 observe in one of the resolutions
an allusion to the children, especially of the orphan child-
ren, of oar seamen ; and, when I read this, my attention
reverted from it naturally enough, to the parents of our
seamen. I consider the multitude of youths that I see
amongst the seamen in the town, and I picture to myself
the anxious fathers and affectionate mothers of those
young men following them with their prayers and tears to
your port. (Hear.) Sir, the poor have tender feelings
as well as pressing wants. It bet ays a grievous ignorance
of them to assert that their natural affections are less ten-
der than bur-own. (Hear, hear,) Who amongst us that
is not a parent—l believe I ought to say, who, that is not
a mother, can adequately enter into the feelings -of a
mother for her sailor boy. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
She dreads the sea, 'tis true ; but she dreads the shore
still more. She fancies her dear child taking his turn of
duty on the deck or in the rigging, and then turning
into his hammock, and, through all this, her heart can
linger with him, and she can surround him with the
shelter of her prayers. But when lie comes on shore,
and she attempts to trace his steps—alas ! her heart sinks
at the too probable apect, her prayer falters, and she
would fain dismiss, if possible, the thought of him alto-
gether, than endure the revolting association. (Hear.)
Oh ! behold, then, sir, what boon you confer on such a
mother by the establishment of a Sailors' Home. (Cheers.)
There, her heart may linger about her darling child !
there she may imagine him still returning to It's bed of
soberness and chastity ! there, she may linger with her
supplications to the God of all mercy for a blessing upon
her son, and a blessing upon his friends and benefactors,
who supplied him with such a refuge! (Continued cheers.)
Oh ! sir, this one feeling alone—and with this I must,
for the present at least, conclude—this one feeling should
more than recompense for every Christian effort, and
every Christian sacrifice that we can make on this behalf.
For, sir, if there be on earth a spot of Paradise unstained
ob
wy
nt h ei
mfal
el ofu p
oAnd am —r a
nature l e liifn get
h er irnegb ter aac eshorfi
nGe God's
d into
which selfishness has never entered, but where disinte-
restsd affection sits enthroned !—if there be a string un-
relaxed by the damp vapours of our fallen atmosphere,
and still vibrating true to the harmony of Heaven, it is
the tender love of a mother's heart to an absent, en-
dangered son ! The Rev. Gentleman hers resumed his
seat, amid loud demonstrations of applause.
The Rev. J. TODD BROWN seconded the motion;
and it was supported by the Rev. Rector CAMPBELL, who
said the subject was one in which, as a clergyman of the
Church of England, and as one of the rectors of Liver-
pool, he took the deepest interest and concern. He
confessed he had more pleasure in supporting this cause
because he could not discover in it any elements of po-
litical or religious controversy, and that in the present
day was really a very great satisfaction. It was an ob-
ject in which all classes could join with the most cordial
unanimity—in which all could co operate without the
possibility of having their motives misconstrued. It was
one, therefore, which he had the greatest possible satis-
faction in aiding by every means in his power. (Cheers.)
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. GEORGE GRANT moved the appointment of a
committee; and, after expressing his approbation of the
object for which they had met, he suggested that in the
building itself means should be taken to secure rational
amusements and recreations for the inmates, inasmuch as
they would not be unsuitable or injurious to them.
Mr. WM. RATHBONE seconded the motion, and en-
larged upon the suggestion thrown out by Mr. Grant, of
which he expressed his warm admiration. The resolution
was adopted.
Mr. COTESWORTH moved, and Mr. T. B• HORSFALL
seconded the next resolution ; upon which the MAYOR
announced that he had received a cheque for £lOO from
Mr. J. A. Tinne, who was unable to attend the meeting,
to be applied in aid of the funds.
Mr. Duncan Gibb, Mr. Wm.-Watson, Mr, Sandbach,
Mr. Wm. Brown, and M. George Kendall afterwards
addressed the meeting, and the proceedings terminated
about h alf-past three o'clock.

CORRESPONDENCE.

SHIP-BUILDING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,—In giving a few strictures on practical shipbuild-
ing, for the information of your readers, for the further-
ance of this end it will not be out of place to introduce a
few remarks on the nature of displacement, and resistance
of fluids. Displacement is a term in hydrostatics, ef-
fected by the removal of a column of water through the
immersion of any solid body therein placed, whereby the
weight of such bodies may with the greatest accuracy be
obtained. All vessels or solids composing lighter materials
than water, such as logs of wood, a ship, or any other
floating substance, displace by their immersed part ex-
actly as much water as their specific gravity, for example :
suppose a ship with all her materials weighs 400 tons,
when afloat her immersed part removes a column of water
equal to 14,000 cubic feet, a cube foot of salt water being
equal to 64 lbs. weight, or 35 cubit to the ton ; divide
14,000 by 35, the produce will be 400 tons, the weight of
the ship. Again, take a log of fir timber measuring 30
cubic feet, the specific gravity of which being 48 lbs. to
the cube foot, the weight of this log being 1440 lbs. ; float
this log in salt water, it will be seen that it displaces a co-
lumn thereof equal to 22& cubic feet, which multiply by
64, the produce will be 1440 lbs, the weight of the log,
thus showing that the average weight of fir timber is one
quarter lighter than salt water, from the log floating
cube feet above the surface. Furthermore, take a pig of
cast-iron one foot cube, the specific gravity of which is
464 lbs., sink it in salt water, and weigh it therein, its
weight will be found no more than 400 lbs., having lost
64 lbs. by its displacing one cubic lost of water thereby
becoming that much more buoyant. These examples, as
illustrations, are sufficient to show the specific gravity sad
displacement of all solids at rest ; but as it respects the
stability of vessels of passage and burthen, with them
everything depends, as to their safety, on the correctness
of their form, thereby producing regularity of displace-