The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-23
EUROPE.


70 A1NhhrOOL, aug. Il.
The important suit of the West India and
Pacific Steamship Co. VS.. Williams & Guion,
Just tried in the Liverpool Court of Assize, has
resulted in a ju0 gment for the plaintiffs with
damages assessed at e130000 sterling. This
suit grew out of the nitro-glycerine explosion
at Aspinwall, New Granada, on the Sd OF
April, 1865, by which the steamship European,
belonging to the plaintiffs, was destroyed while
living al her wharf in the above named port
The ex plosion also resulted in the loss of sixty
lives, including those of the captain and other
officers of the steamer. The steamship Carib-
BEAM OF the same line, being in port at the
time, also sustained serious damage. The Eu-
ropean was valued at from $4,000 to f40OOO
Her cargo was insured for about $50 900. The
damage to the Caribbean was estimated at
nearly 100000 The owners of several build
lngs on the shore which were demolished mt
In CLAIMS for damages to considerable amount
addltlohal; The underwriters declined to make
good the losses and threw the responsibility
upon the owners of the European, upon the
ground that they were culpable in CARRYING ex-
plosive material on their ship and below deck
Inc plaintiffs in turn brought suit against
Williams & Guion as the shippers of the nitro
glycerine, claiming that they were guilty of
deception in shipping the article under the
name OF "glonoin oil, a substance unknown
to chemists or to commerce, and thus involved
the plaintiffs in their great losses and liabili-
ties. The defendants replied that they had
acted in the matter only as forwarders; that
the explosive material came to them from q
Hamburg house with instructions to forward
it to BaDdman, Nelson q Co.. San Francisco,
via the plaintiffs line that they themselves
were deceived by the descriptive titles of "glo-
noin oiP' in the manifest; and had no knowl-
edge or suspicion of the dangerous character
of the freight which thus passed through their
hands in the usual course of their business.
The Judgment rendered is understood to def
nitely settle the fact that the plaintiffs are en-
titled to damages and that they cannot recover
their losses from the underwriters, but the
question whether the defendants are Ultimate
ly liable or whether the plaintiffs must look to
the original shippers at Hamburg the origina-
tors of the fraud, goes to higher tribunal for
argument and decision. 1ft
LONDON, Aug. 21-Evening
The Imperial Parliament was prorogued to-
DAY. The Queen was not present, but the
speech from the throne was read by royal
commission. The Queen declares that there
is no longer any ground for apprehension of
war. The reasonable conspiracy in Ireland
has proved futile, and the attempt at revolt has
been suppressed almost without bloodshed by
the valor of the troops, the vigilance and ac-
tlvity of the police, and the general loyalty of
the people. Law has been vindcat ID without
the sacrifice of human life. The speech refers
with satisfaction to the new postal treaty made
by Her Maiestys Government with the United
States, aud in conclusion congratulates Parlia-
ment and the country generally on the COM
pletion of Canadian union, the passage of the re-
form bill and the adoption of other measures
beneficial to the United Kingdom.
1t is to-day reported from Madrid that the
revolt in Catalonia has failed, and that the au-
thority of the Government is being rapidly re-
established in the insurrectionary districts
A dispatch from Constantinople states that
the Sulten has resolved to form a new Coun-
Gil to be composed in equal numbers of Greek
and Turkish members. .J-.,s - IasI -etalI
The races at York took place to-day and
were well attended. The principal race was
for the Ebor Oaks stakes which were won by
Juez. .t-...i..I...
FLORENCE, Aug. 81.
The propagation of the Italian Parliament
took place to-day. ts
Garibaldi has again been obliged to defer his
movement on Rome, and the preparations
which were being made by the party of action
throughout Italy under the orders of that gen.
eral have been suspended.
PARIS, Aug. 21-Evening.
The semi-official press of this city declare
that the conference Of the Emperors at Salz-
burg insures a long term af peace for Europe.
Another gathering of European sovereigns is
expected to take place here.
1t is reported that their Majesties Queen
Victoria Of England and the Emperor Francis
Joseph of Austria will meet the Emperor Ma
poleon at Paris in October.