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    Untitled Article

    So long , however , as one set of politicians remain d umb , it is no wonder that their traditionary rivals should appear doubtful as to the course they are to follow . Hesitation and reserve may not , perhaps , . win . ' much favour for IiOid l > erby and his friends in office . But the fact that respectable elderly gentlemen , clerical as well as lay , whom no persuasion or ridicule could ever move before , are everywhere now to be seen in the vicinity of . political railway stations , with tickets in their hands , is uncommonly strong presumptive evidence that the said worthy and - weighty individuals have made up their minds to

    travel ere long in some direction , and not at then old-fashioned speed . How far they may have respectively determined to go—whether , once in motion , many of them may not go further than they meant when they set out—whether some may not stop short of their original purpose , and whether ; a few may , at the iast moment , change their minds and refuse to move at all—it were waste of time to discuss . Enough , that on all sides we hear of bonfires having been made of fine old Tory principles ; even though as yet no others of anv describabie pattern have been ordered by the lord of the manor . Exceedingly shocked and scandalised

    no doubt he would be if he were congratulated on having deserted his party , or gone over to the Whigs . The truth is , however , that he has really done nothing of the kind . It is his party that is going over , or preparing to go over , to the opposite side of the stream , there to occupy , if fortune -will have it so , the position long weakly and waveringly held by their hereditary antagonists . If the " Whigs do not speedily waken they will find themselves fairly outflanked , and it is not impossible that under such leaders as those they have recent ] v

    followed , they may actually find themselves occupying the abandoned camp of the Conservatives , and practically 'thwarting progress and reform . It is not necessary for this that they should alter the facings of their political regimentals or trample their old party symbols underfoot . These ' -may be retained in all their entirety , while , every party , weapon is aimed at national honour abroad , and popular right at home . Men who for three years sustained the Palmerston Cabinet in its alliance with

    Austria , and its postponement sine die of every extension of the franchise , need not affect surprise at being deemed capable of acting as we have indicated . They would do so to-morrow if occasion served . Let this be clearly understood in order that it may be prevented . Many zealous Tories have long held and avowed the conviction that an extended " electoral franchise would not , in the main , work injuriously to Conservative interests . We have abundant reason to believe that this sentiment is rapidly gaining ground ; and we may rest satisfied that the suffrage will not form any essential difficulty in the way of a new Reform Bill , if the present administration continues

    in power . Hitherto , however , the Ballot has been ¦ supposed to be a shiboleth which would prevent the co-operation of Tory and Radical influences ; so much so , that a trading use ( has recently been made of it by certain Whig lawyers who wish to keep these two great sections apart . The remarkable speech of Sir Henry Stracey , dcliverod the other day at a Conservative celebration at Norwich , will rather tend to confound these disinterested gentlemen ' s politics . Sir Henry was beaten at the last election , he says , by the intimidation of Whig proprietors . He means to contest $ ast Norfolk again ; ¦ And next time lie tells his Tory friends that he intends to advocate the Ballot I What next ?

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    SHIPWRECKS AND SOME OF THEIR CAUSES , ^ he public at l argo will , wo suspect , only regard the unspeakable horrors disclosed in the reports of < the burning of the Austria steam-packet , and the saorifioe of whole hecatombs of human lives as a fearful romance of reallife , and another well-spiced illustration of the " dangers of the sea , " to be

    corn-Austria , as far as they have reached the public , disclose pretty nearly the same features which accompany all similar catastrophes , whenever any one is spared to " tell the tale . ' Here wp find , first , that the most incredible carelessness was the cause of the fire ; next , . when it . became known that there was no possible hope of saving- the ship , a rush was made to the boats , that the boats were not immediately accessible , that when launched they were instantly swamped , and that , even had the boats been available and fairly stowed with passengers , they would not have held one-half of the unfortunates who trusted their lives in this ill-found and ill-fated vessel .

    We have before us the " Wreck Register for 1357 , " published by the National Life-Boat Institution . We copy the following figures : —• Totally wrecked 384 Seriously damaged i -i-S ' 2 Totally " lost in collision * 5-S Damaged seriously by collision . ......... 224 The loss of lives is estimated at 1148 Now it must be recollected that this table is at best only an approximation to the truth—the numbers cannot be reduced , but may be largely increased . The casualties refer onlv to those that

    take place on our own coasts , they do not ¦ include those that occur in distant seas . If we say that the average loss , every year , of ships is not less than 500 , and the average loss of most valuable lives somewhere about 1000 , we shall not be very wide of the truth . The pecuniary loss to the nation in ships and produce cannot be correctly estimated . It is very little ¦ short ¦ of two millions annually . Here is an appalling statement , a statement published yearly , not hid under a bushel , but fully known to the Government authorities , and yet it excites about as much attention as , we might expect would be bestowed on the details of drowning the

    litters of so many-blind puppies . Now we say advisedly that many of these fearful ocean calamities , loss of ships and loss of human lives yearly , might be prevented . Could we get at the whole truth , we should find that in about onehalf the cases of total loss , the foremost cause is to be found in human cupidity and human carelessness . Ships are not unfrcquently sent to sea in a totally unscaworthy state , overladen , undermanned ,-and illfound . Emigrant ships , especially , are or were open to these charges . It is true that the cold-blooded disregard of human life , safety , and comfort evinced some vears aero by shipowners who freighted emigration

    vessels became so notorious as to attract the attention of Government , and a band of handsomely paid emigration officials was directly organised ; but every one knows that the rules laid clown by these agents for the regulation of emigration vessels are openly disregarded , that the personal inspection which takes place is so loosely made as to be , in many cases , worse than useless , aiu ^ that the now system notoriously stops short of proper < . 'lliciency . Takp , for instance , the important duty of manning a vessel . Every one knows that to send a ship , especially an emigrant ship , to sea

    undermanned or with nn incompetent crew , is equivalent to sending her to destruction . And yet , what sufficient provision is made for ensuring that vessels sent from port are ably and sufficiently manned Y It is notorious that mere lubbers arc shipped by thy owners of some of these vessels , and that though a ship may leave port with what the Commissioners may deem a sufficient crew , no sooner is the ship a few miles on her voyage than a boat-loud of the fictitious crew is sent out of the ship und re-hindcd . It will be seen , from the figures that we have given , thai ; a largo proportion of the disasters is occasioned by collision . This is a modern element of mischief , arising from the increased application of steam in the mercantile marine . Wo cannot find

    this ciroumstancc attracts the public attention it deserves . When , however , it docs attract official attention , we havo the solemn farce enacted of an investigation sot on foot by the Board of Trade . These investigations , it is notorious , do more harm than good , and rathor tend to promote tho very ovil they profess to remedy . There is , howevor , ono circumstance that docs'not camo baforo tho public oyc , although it- lias much to do with tho frightful loss of life and property at sea which yearly takes place . Wo allude to tho praotioo of ship insurance . The lax systom of business adopted at Lloyd's in effecting insurances lies at the root of onethalf " of tho casualties . Underwriters take so little trouble to ascertain the real character and condition of the ships they insure , that a

    certain class ot owners are always found ready to take advantage of the circumstance . If [\ y [ s class of shipowners , and they arc on the increase can get one of their ships fully insured , a total loss is to them a premeditated and profitable event . It may be asked whether underwriters can be found so ignorant of their business and so regardless of their interest as to insure unseaworthy ships . In rcplr we can from personal experience assert that underwriters make no sufficient inquiry into all those circumstances that ought to be known when a risk on ships is o'ilered to them . They arc cojitent to take a few general particulars" from the broker , and to accept the character ami class iu the registration book , but as io the manning or the .

    fmdiuo- of vessels underwriters neither i ' linni ™ ., „ .. finding ol vessels underwriters neither inquire nor desire to know , nor , if they did inquire , could they get any information . . The system a ! Lloyd ' s is the parent of the most scandalous frauds oif underwriters , and the main cause of much of ihe wholesale destruction of human life and proper ! v which periodically occurs . An attempt was made two or three years ago to induce the committee of Lloyd ' s to look , into the

    condition of business , with the view of ri : forming notorious scandals , and particularly for the purpose of ascertaining whether sonic plan could not be devised whereby the dangers of vina ^ es by sea would be reduced , anil losses of ships and men rendered loss frequent . But tin : iuterot of those who profited by tlie discreditable condition of business was too powerful to permit-the movement to be carried on . with . success . Even amonir flic

    commit tee were , to be , found individuals who had the hardihood openly to stand up , and , in iIn ; face of notorious facts , to deny or to extenuate practices that , in some cases ,- ought to have e . vlntL'd the delinquent parties from the company of . men who valued character , and in others ought to h . ive placed those who adopted thcn-i at the bar of ih . e . Old Bailey . . . We ' -shall have something more to say . ' on this subject shortly . We s-hall pus > ililv he able Io show that a "ood deal of the . mi .-civic I' and misivv v . hick to

    occur in our mercantile marine is owni ^ empable negligence and design , and that no s . iiiali portion of the recent commercial iunnoraniy which the late crisis brought , to light , is due to the system of business which has gradually gained a looting at Lloyd's , which is deplored by all the ro . >|> cclaMe members , but which no one expects wiil be thoroughly reformed , except through the aircncy ol a strong pressure from without .

    men ted upon one day and forgotten the next . A few will be disposed to take a deeper vio , w , of the subject , and to ask whether tho calamity was in-« vitable . and whether ordinary or extraordinary precautions oould not have prevented , or at least mitigated much 6 f tho dreadful details . We do not propose ¦ to enter upon a minuto investigation of this special case , our purpose being of a wider character . We shall content ourselves with remarking that the particulars of the loss of tho

    Untitled Article

    FRENCH SHIPS IN THE T . UiUS . Why have the Dunawerth and the Au-ii : rlijz been sent to Lisbon ? Or what dors Louis Napoleon promise himself by a hostile demonstration : i ' - "unst u power like Portugal , which p lainly pn ^ - ^ os no means within herself of resisting an uvsiil . tnt hku France , anil which it can hardly be Mip ) r > M-il tl'C oilier great Powers of Europe would su . h-T to be seriously injured without , coming to hcraiil : . Wo believe the true , solution of the allair lies m regions and circumstances very remote from those in " which the Portu ^ ue ^ c Government i > m »»)' way concerned . After the popular mvpiioii tlio EiMparor experienced iu F > rittunv , it . mn . v !» ' recoilooted that lie returned to Pans and irucwala portion of his garrison iu tho IJoia-do-lioii ! " ^ - Jlis reception was chilly in the <; xUviims lr «» m i « J citizens and spectators ; and this lad , rniipU- " uiui the active and intriguing discontent of in * ' " mnu " facturing district , iii consequence of his iiiwistirc of free trade , was calculated Io render him «»¦¦>»?> disposed to sanction any project that woiilil mim rj and gratify the national vanity for the Uim :. *¦ browbeat or intimidate a State- liko Pori ujj . il eimni hardly have served that end , unless it i' <»»»« ™ made to appear that a greater than l ' nring" ! ' «» b really to ho snubbed ami tumbled . 'I lie ; llllU l 0 of tho rolutioiitf that have long Blll > hlhl i npn twoeu that country and England hnvo alw : i v » oot regarded with jealousy bv anli-Enji'lirth polii lymiw _' Franco ; nnd tl ' io marriage of the yountf K "' , " near refativo of Prince Albert ' s , not , lontf " «"» ll » s imparted am additional zeal ; to any atim * up * tho dignity of Portugal . Tho niio » ii «»» . » >" ! - ovor , on which sat . isfucl . ion was demanded »» tho Government of Lisbon , waa «!»•• ; <• ' "'¦" ' ^ one involving tho amour pro . pro of U " " ., try , iimanuioU tut it palpably touolu'i 1 t » o Finch right to revive , under niton ;; »™ £ and forma , tho ooiutnorooin slaves . It ¦"" " , . , „ . ' r loon , therefore , oould point to tho hunulwUon

    Untitled Article

    1093 THE LEADE B ^_ __[ N _ ° - 447 , October 16 , 1858 .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 16, 1858, page 1098, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2264/page/18/