The Press. — London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

OCTOBER 14, 1854. ptlanL A LETTER FROM LORD JOHN RUSSELL on the sub ject of religious education in Ireland has been re ceived by the Dublin Protestant Publication Com mittee in reply to an address sent by that association to his lordship. Lord John thus expresses his views : " Filey, September 26. " Sir,—l had the honour of receiving some time ago an address of the committee of the Protestant Publication Society of Dublin. " My support of the British and Foreign School Society has been publicly given as a member of that society. " My support of the national system of education in Ireland, as introduced by Lord Derby, has been also pub licly defended by me as a Minister and a member of Par liament. " In supporting both systems I have endeavoured to pro mote education in a manner that was practicable. The great majority of the people of England are content to read the Bible in the authorised version, and accept that version as a true exposition of the word of God. " This is unhappily nut the case in Ireland, and hence has arisen the system of the National Board, which, since its establishment by Lord Derby, has done great good, and will, I trust, by the blessing of God, diffuse still more widely than it has hitherto done very useful, although very imperfect, instruction. " J. RUSSELL." AT THE PRIVY Couricrr. held on Thursday in Dub lin Castle the Lords Justices made the order for en rolling the Irish militia. THE Galway Express states that Mr. Edmund O'Flaherty has arrived in New York. AN INVESTIGATION, ordered by the Government, into the late riotous proceedings at Newtownlimavady on the 3rd of September last, was held on Tuesday in the Court-house in that town, when informations were taken against thirty-five persons, who are to stand their trial at the next assizes, for taking part in the riots. IT is stated that Smiga O'Brien is now on his way to Europe from Van Diemen's Land; and that he would have arrived ere this had he not waited to pay a visit to a relative in India. He will be at Brussels early in December next. ONE Limerick house has got the entire contract for the supply of beef and pork to the gaol at a figure which can scarcely fail to prove remunerative to the lucky contractor. SUNDAY last having been appointed by the Privy Council as a day of thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest with which the country has been blessed, it was generally observed in all the churches through out Dublin and its suburban districts, the various preachers dwelling on the subject in their sermons. The donations for the poor on the occasion were liberal. THE Lord Lieutenant has appointed Mr. Hercules M'Donnell to the secretaryship of tile Board of Chari table Donations and Bequests, vacant by the death of Mr. Mathews. DR. CULLEN, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, has left Ireland for Rome, accompanied by Dr. ItPliale and some other Roman Catholic prelates. THE breadth of flax grown in Ireland this year is estimated in a communication from Lieutenant Larcom, under-secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, read at the last monthly meeting of the Royal Irish Flax Society. The growth, in round numbers, was 150,000 acres, against 175,000 in 1853 ; 135,000 in 1852 ; 138,000 in 1851; 01,000 in 1850 ; 60,000 in 1849 ; 54,000 in 1848 ; and 58,000 in 1847. Compared with any of these years, except 1853, the breadth of 1854 shows a large increase. The deficiency under last year is accounted for by the high price of grain at the sowing season, and the bad yield of last year's flax crop. Among the correspondence read at the same meeting were letters requiring information about flax culture and scutching machinery from the secretary of the Agricultural Society of India, the Judicial Committee of the Punjab, Signor Duroni, of Naples, and Earl Delawarr. THE SCREW STEAMER Prince, convoying the 46th Regiment, under orders for the Crimea, will takeout several sets of diving apparatus, chain tackling, &c., to remove obstructions under water in a ship's roadstead or entrance to the harbour. The sinking of the Russian men-of-war at the entrance to the fortifications of Sebastopol hes determined this step.l A complets telegraphic apparatus, with severa e hundred miles of wire, will be shipped for the sam e destination. The sappers and miners who can b e spared from Chatham will also go out in the Princ to assist in the submarine operations. By an economical arrangement which deserves remark, the new steam gun-boats, when completed, will not be commissioned, but will be attached as tenders to the line-of-battle steamers for their use and protection. Mr. Pitcher lately launched a specimen of this craft, carrying heavy ordnance, with light draught of water. The Pelter, the first of four vessels building in the same yard, is to he appointed as tender to the Royal Albert, 121, which the Admi ralty intend now for the flag-ship of the admiral in the Black Sea. gate an Volta. A TICKET-OF-LEAVE MAN, namod Michael Welch, alias John Hunt, whose skill as a pickpocket has obtained for him the frequent recognition of the po lice, was watched by one of the force while pursuing his professional avocations in Fleet-street, and at length seized with a handkerchief just purloined in his possession. On being searched at the station house, fourteen more silk handkerchiefs were found upon him. He was brought up at the Guildhall, and charged before the presiding alderman : Alderman HUIIPIIERY: I suppose they are the produce of a whole day's work, are they not? City Constable May : Oh no, sir. I believe it was only two hours' work. Alderman lIUMPHERY: He must be a very clever fellow, then, to get so many handkerchiefs in two hours. May: He is one of the most expert pickpockets in London. Alderman Ilusteuzax: Prisoner, were you ever in prison be fore ? Prisoner : I was in Portsmouth prison about two years. Alderman HUMPUERY: Aud they let you out on a ticket of leave? Prisoner: Yes, sir. Alderman 1-knienzaY: Did give you a ticket of leave to rob people of their handkerchiefs i Prisoner: No, sir. May : The prisoner was convicted of picking pockets in 1831, and was sentenced to seven years' transportation. Alderman Htarrnsav : Then, after serving only two years at the hulks, prisoner, you abuse the kindness shown to you by re turning to your old practices as soon as you are liberated. I shall remand you for the attendance of the gentleman who lost his handkerchief, and I do not think you will have another op portunity of revisiting Portsmouth. He was remanded accordingly. Plum. PETER, a respectably-dressed man, who gave that name but refused to give his address, was charged before Mr. Bingham with annoying the con gregation at Langham Church The Rev. Charles Baines, rector of the above church, said that on Sunday night, as he was about to administer the communion in his church, the defendant held out a book, and exclaimed, " In the name of Jesus Christ, brethren, I will tell you that what you are doing is a sacrifice to idols, and a profanation." Pri soner was told to desist, and when asked his name said, " Philip, surnamed Peter." Witness told him he had committed a serious offence, but that he would overlo.ik it if he would promise not to do so again. Defendant behaved very quietly, but refused to make any kind of promise, and he in consequence gave him in charge. Before the magistrate the prisoner began talking in an excited and absurd strain, but was promptly si lenced. After some trouble, a promise not to repeat his offence was obtained from him, and he was dis charged. 4rtikitts nit Offnuts. THE PRESS. DREADFUL FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE AT NEWCASTLE. A most fearful calamity has befallen the town of Newcastle-on-Tyne awl the adjoining borough of Gateshead. Between twelve and one o'clock on the morning of yesterday week a fire broke out in the worsted-manufactory of Mr. James Wilson, of Gates head, and, after raging with great fury for about two hours, an adjoining warehouse in the occupation of Mr. Sissons, containing vast quantities of sulphur, nitre, and, it is said, about seven tons of gunpowder, blew up with a terrific explosion, and with de structive consequences which ►t is awful to contem plate, and the full extent of which has even yet not been fully ascertained. Houses were thrown down, many persons buried in the ruins, and others were suffocated with the fumes of the exploded combustibles. A large build ing, us3d as a Methodist chapel, near the scene of the conflagration, was occupied by a body of the Cameronians, who are stationed at Newcastle Bar racks. They were engaged with their fine-engine operating on the flames, when the explosion blew down the greater part of the building, and buried several of the poor gallant fellows in its ruins. Lieut. Paynter, the commander of the force, is amongst the victims. Mr. Robert Pattinson, a member of the Newcastle corporation, who had sallied out to wit ness the fire, was suffocated by the fumes, and eight other persons perished, including Mr. Davison, jun., miller, a barber named Hamilton, a sergeant of the Cameronians, Scott, a Gateshead policeman ; the rest burnt and mutilated so as scarcely to be recognised. Several more were missing when the accounts left. Fifty or sixty persons, more or less injured, have been conveyed to the infirmary, and the hospital at the barracks is full of wounded soldiers. The loss of property i 3 incalculable. It has been roughly estimated at more than a million. There is scarcely a house, office, or public building, within a radius of a hundred yards of the explosion, which has not been injured, either unroofed or its windows broken. The subsequent progress of the fire itself was most alarming and destructive. At the moment of the explosion large masses of blazing material flew over the Tyne like cannon balls, and set fire to several buildings on the Newcastle side. There was happily no want of water, the Tyne being so close at hand, and the water of the Whittle Dean Company, which is always at a high pressure, was served with admi rable effect. The flames were gradually suudued. Several thousand quarters of corn in bonded ware houses on the quay side have been destroyed, toge- 975 ther with some thousand barrels of tar. Nearly fifty places of business have been totally destroyed. In Gateshead itself the fire broke out again in the course of the afternoon with great fury. Mtssrs. Davison's large steam-mill was among the buildings destroyed. The Newcastle corporation have held several meet ings, and appointed a committee to provide help for the sufferers by the fire and lodgings for the destitute, scores of whom had encamped in the streets. The members subscribed 000 guineas for the same object. The Gateshead town council likewise originated mea measures of relief. More than 3,0001. has been con tributed to provide aid for the sufferers. Some of the streets where the cholera was so fatal last year are destroyed. The Home-otilce has been applied to for a commissioner to assist the local authorities in investigating the cause of this frightful catastrophe. For several days after the fire the en gines were still constantly at work, pouring water upon the smouldering ruins. All approach to the principal seat of the tire was, however, long impos sible or highly dangerous, owing to the poisonous vapours exhaled from many thousand tons of wetted and inflamed sulphur, aided, it is reported, by the fumes from a large quantity of arsenic stored in the warehouse. The number who perished by this cala mity has not been precisely ascertained : it is sup posed to exceed forty. Many persons are missing; and the human remains are found by the workmen engaged in removing the debris so shattered and con sumed that identification is often impossible. In quests have been sitting during several days on the bodies of some of the victims, and the investigations still stand adjourned. It is denied that any gun powder was kept in the burnt premises, and the ex plosion has been attributed to the circumstance of water having penetrated to a vast mass of incandes cent nitre. THE splendid mail.steamer Arctic has been totally lost under melancholy circumstances and with a deplorable sacrifice of life. She left Liverpo9l for New York on the 20th ult., and on the 25th, when not far from Cape Race, came into colli sion with the French steamer Vesta, and was so much injured that she sunk very shortly after wards. Only the second officer and forty-five persons (fourteen passengers and thirty one of the crew) are known to have been saved. The fate of the remainder of the crew (130) and pas sengers (185 first class and seventy five second class) is unknown, but it is feared they perished. The collision took place during a thick fog, and it is still hoped to be possible that some other persons were enabled to effect their escape in the boats. Tho Vesta steamer put into St. John's with damage, and with fourteen passengers and crew missing. They had left the vessel in one of the boats. This accident appears in some measure due to the over-anxiety of the masters of steam-vessels to shorten the passage by some risk to the ships under their command and the lives of the people on board. AN ExpLosloN of fatal character took place on Thursday at the caoutchouc-factory at Tottenham belonging to Messrs. Warne and Co. The second engineer was killed, the first engineer was severely wounded, and the stoker removed to one of the London hospitals seriously if not mortally injured. - - THE "Dauntless affair" has been undergoing a third scrutiny during the week, Lieuts. Knight, Seymour, and Elphinstone having undergone their trial by court martial at Portsmouth, for the parts they respectively took in the unhappy transaction. Lieutenant Knight, by whom the deceased woman and companion were invited on board and supplied with wine and brandy, has been sentenced by the court to be reprimanded and placed at the bottom of the list of first lieutenants of marines. Lieutenant Seymour, who was merely a guest on board the Dauntless, is acquitted. Lieutenant Elphinstone was charged with neglect of duty in not interfering to stop the scandalous scene that was going on, and at the time when he was actually senior officer of the ship. This charge was considered as "partly proved," inasmuch as Lieutenant Elphinstone merely remon strated against the disgraceful proceedings, and was ordered to be " admonished" accordingly. M. JULLIEN, who has returned from America, will commence his usual series of " Concerts Monstres " at Drury Lane on the 30th instant. AUSTRALIAN MERPHANTS who have long been in the trade appear to consider that the last advicea received from the colonies were not quite so bad as they anticipated. Although many goods were selling at a loss, and others were unsaleable, yet selections appropriate to the season, made by merchants well acquainted with the requirements of the colonies at each season, are returned as having realised a fair profit. From the number of vessels loading, both in London and in Liverpool, it is evident that a much larger amount of business is doing than might ba anticipated.