The Intelligencer, & Petersburg Commercial Advertiser

FOR THE INTELLIGENCER.

Messrs. Yancey & Burton—I understand that on Wednesday week, the Steamboat which went down from Richmond and City point to Norfolk, was run against in Hampton Roads, by the Philadelphia. This is the second occurrence of this kind which has happened within a few weeks. The lives of passengers must not be exposed to danger and the feelings of their friends tortured in this manner. If these occurrences are unavoidable, the proprietors of Steamboats should let us know it, and then the necessity would be strong indeed which would induce me, for one, to risk myself or those dear to me, on board these boats. But I do not suppose they are unavoidable, for until of late, we never heard of such accidents in James River. How then have these events occurred? An explanation is necessary to the public. That either encounter was designed I cannot permit myself to believe—the supposition would impute a depravity too deep, to be ascribed to any man without conclusive evidence of his guilt.

If the shocks were caused by the negligence of the James River captain, the company should immediately dismiss him. If by that of the captain of the Philadelphia, they should require his employers to dismiss him, and if this was not immediately done, they should sue both him and his employers. Indeed if the laws allow it, and the negligence was gross, the guilty captain, whichever he may be, ought to be criminally prosecuted; and if the laws do not now reach the case, the legislature ought to be at once applied to, for an amendment. Travellers in Steamboats must be protected. It is a mode of conveyance, too pleasant, too rapid, and too cheap, to be totally given up, or even materially disused without a great loss to the public. Their good therefore, as well as the interest of the proprietors of the boats, demands that the accidents which have already happened should be accounted for, and the occurrence of similar ones in future prevented. It would seem most probable, as the James River boat was the one run against, that the blame was not ascribable to her captain. But her owners ought to publish an account of the affair, exculpating him, if innocent, as I have before shewn that they should dismiss him, if guilty. The public have a right to know who is in fault, and they will doubtless bestow their patronage on the line which holds out to them the best prospect of exemption not only from danger but from alarm.

An interested person.