The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-05-13 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

matches were also appointed, and it was agreed that a
soiree should occasionally be held at the rooms for the
discussion of nautical subjects, the exhibition of models,
&c. The number of members is now 365, and of yachts
about 30.

After the conclusion of the business, Mr. George
Holden presided at the piano-forte, and several talented
glee singers gratified the company with a variety of ap-
propriate pieces.

FIRST SOIREE

The first soiree of the club took place on Friday even-
ing, and though comparatively but an embryo of what
may be hereafter anticipated, afforded several hours of
agreeable intercourse.

-After partaking of sundry cups of that beverage which
" cheers but not inebriates," Mr J. Scott Walker intro-
duced Mr. James M‘Donald, an intelligent operative
shipwright and boat-builder, together with a model of a
yacht by the latter, most minutely and beautifully built
in mahogany and brass work, and illustrative of the com-
bined strength and lightness that may be attained in
yacht-building by the judicious application of diagonal
planking.

The model having been inspected, and much admired,
Mr. Walker proceeded to deliver a short lecture explana-
tory of its peculiar construction and adoptions. It was
built on a scale of half an inch to the foot, and represented
a yacht of 31 41-94ths tons. In the yacht itself the
planks were proposed to be of an inch thick each, and
not exceed six inches wide, which it was thought would
be found to be equal in strength to 31 inches of the usual
horizontal planking. The number of separate planks in
the model was in all 141 ; and the total number of pieces
of wood employed, including dock frame, is about 300—
all put together, and kneed and fastened so as to ensure
the greatest possible strength of the material to resist
strains in any direction. The planks diagonally placed
and well jointed, are thickly clenched together, and tarred
felt being put between, the whole becomes perfectly tight.
In small vessels, as for instance paddle box life-boats on
Capt. Smith's plan, timbers are not required ; but in a
yacht of 30 tons it is considered well for additional
strength to turn timbers in. four feet apart, after
the planking is secured. The diagonal principle of plank-
ing was not new in boats, but this specimen exhibited an
improved mode of adapting it to vessels of any size, and
the complete and extremely neat manner in which it is
put together is highly creditable to the workman, es-
pecially as it was done during leisure hours, and over a
period of some months, when he was labouring under an
affection of the nerves. The stern, semicircular below,
with a square counter above, was also admirably managed.
To questions put by various members, in the course of a
short discussion that ensued, the constructor offered most
satisfactory explanations, and Mr. Walker (at his previ-
ous request) stated that if any gentleman of the club con.
templated building such a yacht, M'Donald would wil-
lingly give the builder (to whom the principle might he
new) any information in details, to facilitate the work;
and economise the expense. M'Donald afterwards showed
a superior set of elyptics, made of mahogany and rosewood,
which combined double the number of curves in each
piece for ship-draughting that can be attained on the cora-
mon elyptics. They were considered exceedingly neat
and portable, as well as combining great economy in
wood, as one piece is formed out of the perforation of
another from the largest to the smallest.
A vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer and the
maker of the model, and the remainder of the evening was
devoted to social enjoyment—enlivened by nautical songs
and sentiments.

We perceive that the various yacht clubs through the
country are in motion preparatory to the season. On
Friday the annual meeting of the members of the Royal
Yacht Squadron of England Club was held at the
Thatched-horse Tavern, St. James's-street. The Earl
of Yarborough presided. and was supported by upwards
of 43 noblemen and gentlemen. It was announced that
the opening prizes would consist of two cups, value £5O
each, and her Majesty's Cup.—The fleet of the Royal
Cork Yacht Club for the ensuing season musters thirty-
nine vessels, including the Thetis, 43 tons, and the Car-
oline, 49. A regatta is determined on. The list of the
Royal Western Yacht Club gives, as belonging to the
club, the names of fifty-seven, fifteen of which are above
50 tons measurement, and several above 100 tons.

CORRESPONDENCE,

PUBLIC BATHS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR :—Allow me through the medium of your influential
journal to throw out a few hints to the public on the im-
portance and necessity of establishing public baths in Li-
verpool. With the exception of those on the George's
pier, there are no salt water baths in the town, and this is
much to be regretted. My object on the present occasion
is to call attention to the subject, in the hope that some
scheme may be concocted for the accomplishing the de-
sired end. What if the Town Council were to cause baths
to be moored in some convenient spot in the river, and
thus afford an opportunity to the middling class in the
community of availing theolifelves of this healthful pas-
time. Ido hope, Sir, that something will shortly be done ;
the baths on the George's pier are not only small, but the
price of admittance is such as to exclude many who would,
if the price were reduced, avail themselves of them. Liver-
pool is now pointed at as the " city of diseases," and I
think it is high time that large and commodious baths
should be constructed as an indispensible requisite to
health. Here is a subject worthy of the Health of Towns
Committees consideration.

A CONSTANT READER
Inerpool , Oa May, 1845.

IMPARTIALITY OF THE LIVERPOOL TIMES,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sen. :—I noticed in your cotemporary's paper of Tues-
day last, some (what he no doubt deemed) severe remarks
upon the deputation sent to London, consisting of Messrs.
M'Neile, Horsfall and Hodgson. Of course all sorts of
epithets in the shape of bigotry, narrow-mindedness, &c.
were not forgotten. It so happens that the editor's own
highly respected minister, Dr. Raffles, went to London
also, and spoke at the meeting of deputies. Now I should
like to know why the Doctor did not share the scurrility
he was pleased to pour on the other gentlemen. Was be
riot equally culpable, or did his comprehensive mind o'er-
leap the insignificant Doctor to fasten on the more gigantic
proportions of Messrs. M'Neile and Co. No, no, Mr.
Times,—that is indeed times-serving, and is unworthy of
one who ought to be Independent and consistent both in
saying and doing.

Oblige me by inserting this, and though a Radical in
politics, believe me, strange as it may seem to you,
__

A LOVER OF FAIR'PLAY
Everlon, 10th May, 1845.

s -
RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS IN THE MERSEY,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR :7-Captain Evans having stated that we do not pos-
sess the means to raise vessels that are Funk in the river
Mersey, I say that is not correct, and I call on him to
prJve where vessels of the same magnitude have been
raised, in any part of the world, as those which have been
raised in the Mersey within the last twelve or fourteen
years. I will give him the strength of the tide in.
I further state that one cause why objections are made
to raise vessels here, is, that the moment the property is
saved, people who are totally ignorant of what has been
done, are consulted, and every obstacle thrown in the way
of a settlement; and by that interference the party reco-
vering the property is fleeced out of his claims. Where
the Corporation has been the party to employ, there has
not been one word of complaint.
JOHN ASKEW, Water Bailiff.
THE MAYNOOTH GRANT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR,—In the course of the debate on this question, on
the 2nd instant, the prime minister of the English nominal
Protestant Government expressed his determination to
persevere with the bill, and said that the Protestants of
Ireland are in favour of the bill. When he made this
statement he took a false claw of the Protestants of Ire-
land, through the partial telescope which has been fur-
nished him for the purpose of looking into the Maynooth
library. Sir Robert Peel is well aware that the Protes-
tants of Ireland are few and scattered, and, looking at the
animosity which is ever exhibited towards them (as being
Protestants) by their Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen,
and the dangerous position in which they are placed by
the Government of this country, it would neither be safe
nor prudent for them openly to express their feelings
against any endowment of Pot ery. They cannot now
look for protection to this nominal Protestant Govern-
ment; this Government which professes itself married to
Jesus Christ, as the great Head of the Christian Church,
notwithstanding this :pretended marripge, is forming
a connexion with Anti-Christian Rome. The Protestants
of Ireland know by experience, and have proved by the
mirror of revealed truth, the Anti-Christianism of Popery,
and the fallacy of priestcraft. They know the strength
of the allegiance of the worshippers of the Pope to a Pro-
testant Government, and that the Protestantism of Ire-
land is the only HOE which binds both countries, which,
if broken, there is no more a union. The Protestants of
Ireland are rejoiced to see that the people of England are
not looking at Popery in the inverted mirror which the
Government is holding before them, and they rely upon
this Protestant spirit for support. In the hope that the
Bible, whose author is Jesus, will be established in their
unhappy country, and not the Bible of the Pope.
AN IRISH PROTESTANT.
George's-road; West Derby, 12th May, 1845.

MUSIC ON THE FERRY BOATS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR,—I wag sorry to observe, on Sunday, a Band of
Music on board the Eas!ham Ferry-boat, playing a variety
of waltzes, dances, &c. Surely, that cannot be sanctioned
by the authorities, which I consider a desecration of the
Sabbath and demoralizing to the rising generation. There
are times and seasons for all things ; but, the practice of
playing profane music on the ferry-boats on the Sabbath
day is sinful. Trusting this may meet the eyes of the au-
thorities, and that the practice may be discontinued on
the Sabbath, is the sincere wish of your obedient servant,
A FRIEND TO PROPRIETY.