The Daily Madisonian

From the American Sentinel.
SEA VOYAGES.

The horrid details of the trial of Holmes, that recently took place in the Circuit Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, have been spread before the public; and whilst a disposition has been evinced by some to palliate the conduct of the accused, as is seen in the recommendation of Holmes by the jury to the mercy of the court, not a word is uttered relative to the condition in which the William Brown left Europe for this country. Every person who enters a vessel, publicly advertised as a passenger vessel, and pays his fare to be carried to his port of destination, has a right to expect that she shall be properly equipped for that service. To be fitted out only for a calm sea, is a fraud upon the persons who committed their lives to such an imperfectly prepared vessel. To be competent in every peril to bear the passengers in safety over the ocean, each vessel employed in that dangerous service ought to have the requisite number of boats to furnish each of the passengers with a seat, in the event of its becoming necessary to abandon the ship. It should also be the duty of the persons in command daily to examine these boats, and see that they are in a proper condition in the event of such an appalling disaster. If there were an ample number of boats always in readiness, we would seldom if ever hear of the shocking loss of life from the sinking of passenger ships. We call public attention to this subject and especially invite our members of Congress to take this matter into their serious deliberations. We should have a highly penal law providing for boats according to the number of passengers. By passing such an act of humanity, our Senators and Representatives will, while they discharge their duty, at the same time secure the thanks of the civilized world. A vessel has as much occasion for an adequate number of boats to save the passengers and the crew, as it has for sails, anchors, cables, and the other necessary safe-guards to ride through the dangers of a perilous storm at sea.