The Sun. — London, England, 1865-06-20 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING. ROYAL COMMISSION. The Royal assent was given by Commission to the fol lowing bills :—Metropolis Sewage and Essex Reclamation; Northern Assurance Company ; Witham Drainage ; West Sussex Junction Railway ; Ripon Local Board"; North British Railway (Lasswade, &c., Branches) ; Leamington Gas ; Assam Company ; Kilrush and Kilkee Railway and Poulnasberry Reclamation; Tiverton and North Devon Railway ; Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway ; Ventnor Harbour; Commissioners of Supply Meetings (Scotland) ; District Church Tithes Enclosure (No. 2) ; Lancaster Court of Chancery; Married Women's Property (Ireland) ; Pilotage Order Confirmation ; Common Law Courts (Fees); Local Government Supplemental (No. 3); Dogs Regulation (Ireland); Court of Justice Concentration (Site); Courts of Justice (Building) ; Militia Ballot Suspension ; Militia Pay ; Liverpool United Gas ; Stourbridge Canal ; Wex ford Harbour Embankment ; Ross Improvement ; Great T or rington Roads ; Corwen and Bala and Bala and Dalzell Railways ; Weald of, Kent Railway ; Scottish North- Eastern Railway ; Maryport and Carlisle Railway ; Agra and Masterman's Bank ; Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway ; General Gas ; Market Drayton Cattle Market; Great Northern Rail way (llornsey and Hertford Branch); Kidderminster, Stourport, and Bendley Water ; Rhyll and District Water ; Belfast Gas ; Bristol aad Exeter Railway; Bristol Joint Station; Carnarvon New Water; Gainsborough Water; Great Eastern and London and Blackwall Railways ; Hammer smith and City Railway; Hexham and Allendale Rail way ; King's Lynn Dock and Railway ; London and South Western Railway (Kensington, tkc.); London and South Western Railway (New Lines in Surrey and Pk bright, Aldershot and Farnham Junction, and Torrington Extension); Manchester Improvement; North Eastern Railway (Pelaw and other Branches); Tees Valley Rail way ; Dublin and Antrim Junction Railway ; Ayr Water ; Port Talbot Company ; Whitehaven, Chester, and Egre mon t Railway; Great Eastern Rail way(A dditional Powers); Enniskillen, Bundoran, and Sligo Railway Company ; Glossop Water ; London, Blackwall, and Millwall Exten sion Railway ; Metropolitan Railway ; Exeter Gas (No. 1); Hastings and St. Leonard's Gas. The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, the Duke of Argyll, and Earl St. Germans. Their lordships adjourned during pleasure. The LORD CHANCILLOR took his seat on the woolsack at the usual hour. THE BIRTH OF A PRINCE. Lord SYDNEY brought up her Majesty's reply to the address from their lordship; on the recent birth of a prince, expressing her gratitude for their loyalty and attaohment to herself and the members cf her family. CUBAN SLAVE TRADE. Lord BROUGHAM drew the attention of their lordships again to this subject, and urged on the Government tho necessity of increased exertion to suppress the slave trade that was still carried on to a fearful extent. Earl RUSSELL, who was very indistinctly heard, was un derstood to say the papers on this subject had to be corrected, but in a few days would be laid on the table orboth Houses of Parliament. Tho French and English officers stationed at Cuba did all in their power to put down the slave trade, and the Government of the United States co-operated with them zealously. RAILWAY PASSENGERS BILL. Lord St. LEONARDS moved the second reading of this bill. Earl GRANVILLE said he thought this was a subject which Parliament should carefully consider before they proceeded to legislate on a matter of such importance as the safety of the public. The Duke of MARLBOROUGH trusted that they would receive such an assurance from the Government. There was a very general impression in the public mind, after the recent fearful accidents, that the subject of railway manage ment had not been met or dealt with by the Government in a proper manner. It seemed to him an anomaly that the Government should have power to prevent a line being opened unless it was properly constructed, but that they should have no power to see that it was properly managed. He thought the railway directors ought to be made more directly responsible than they were at present, in respect to accidents, for the truth was that the greater number of such aocidents arose from carelessness or mismanagement, and were easily preventible. After a few words from Lord WHAILNCLIFFE, The Duke of MONTROSE said he thought the bill an unnecessary one, because, as a matter of fact, it was not at present the custom of railways to lock passengers in. He thought that it was expedient to give the Board of Trade greater power to control railway management-than they possessed at present; but he did not think it was desirable to interfere by piecemeal legislation such as the bill before the house. After some observations from the Marquis of WEST MEATH, Earl GRANVILLE said that her Majesty's Government bad been considering the matter, and would give their very best consideration to it. But as at present they wore not aware of any measure which would not cause greater diffi culties than it was intended to obviate, it was impossible for him to give a pledge as to any specific measure. Lord ST. LEONARDS then withdrew the bill. SINGAPORE. The Earl of ALBE3fARLE nskod tho President of the Council what progress had been made in the transfer of Singapore and the other settlements in the Straits of Ma lacca from the Indian to tho Colonial Government ? Earl GRANVILLE said that some practical difficulties had arisen in settling the various details which required to be provided for; and although the Government was very desirous to introduce a bill to carry out the transfor in ques tion, he was not able to give the noble earl any assurance that that could be done during the present session. The Prisons (Scotland) Act Amendment Bill and the Traspass (Scotland) Bill were road a second time. The reports of amendments on the Partnership Amend ment Bill was received and agreed to. The Pier and Harbour Orders Confirmation Bill, the Lunatics Asylums Act (1853) Amendment Bill, the Pilot age Orders Confirmation (No. 2) Bill, the Smoke Nuisances (Scotland) Acts Amendment Bill, the Procurators' (Scot laud) Bill, the Churches and Chapels Exemption (Scot land) Bill, the Colonial Laws Validity Bill, the Colonial Marriages Validity Bill, and the Defence Act (1860) Amendment Bill were read a second time. The report of amendments on the Union Chargeability Bill was received and agreed to. The Dockyard Extensions Bill, the Drainage and Im 'movement of Lands Acts (Ireland) Amendment Bill, and the Drainage and Improvement of Lands (Ireland) (Provi sional Order Confirmation) (No. 2) Bill were read a third time and passed. The house adjournod at fiva minutes before SOYOU o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : Diane Valley Railway ; Edinburgh Merchant Company ; GirTan and Portpatrick Junction Railway; Great Northern Railway (Junctions at Newark, &c.) ; Ham Oyster Fishery ; Edinburgh and Glasgow and Monk - land Railway Com panies; Southam Railway ; Strathspey Railway; Vale of Noath Railway (Swansea Lines, &c.) ; and Watchet and Minehead Railway. ROYAL COMMISSION. Tho SPEAKER was summoned by the Usher of the Black Rod to the House of Peors to hear the Royal Assent given to several bills. THE EAST INDIES. Lord STANLEY movedjor a copy of the report upon the income and expenditure of British Burmah, by R. Temple, Esq., and Lieut. Col. H. Bruce, 1860; also for copy or extracts of all correspondence relating to pro jected railways in the colony of Natal, which has passed between the Lieutenant Governor of Natal and the Secre tary of State for the Colonies during the years 1863-64-65 ; and also for copies of correspondence between the Go vernment of Madras and the agent of the Madras Irrigation Company, regarding the execution of works in progress under that company, and the system to be adopted in bring ing the works into operation and levying the charge for water from the cultivators.—Ordered. CANADA. Mr. CARDWELL laid on the table the papers connected with the position of affairs in Canada. It would be recol lected that four members of the Legislature of Canada had been deputed by the Govornor-General of Canada to confer with her Majesty's Government. The Conference had taken place, and the Confederation of the North American Provinces, the Fol tification of Canada, the Reciprocity Treaty, and the North Western Boundary had been consi dered. The result of the deliberations had been satisfactory, and the whole of the papers he hoped would be in the hands of members to-morrow. E Mr. HODGRINSOITDUCATION. asked the Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education what progress h a d been made in collecting and arranging the information required for the return ordered in the last ses sion of Parliament with reference to endowed grammar sc h oo l s ; and when the return might be expected to be laid on the table of the house ? Mr. BRUCE said 700 schools had sent in the information, and he hoped the return would be in the hands of mem bers before the end of the session. DR. SUTHERLAND'S APPOINTMENT. Sir S. NORTHCOTE asked the Under Secretary o f State for War in what capacity Dr. Sutherland was em ployed by the War Department ; what pay and allowances he received ; whether he was paid by salary or by d ay when actually employed, and if by day pay for how many days in the year he was employed on an average ; from what vote of the estimates the payment was made; whether the arrangement had received the approval of the Treasury; and, whether there would be any objection to lay upon the table of the house a copy of the terms of his original appointment, and of any correspondence between the War Office and the Treasury on the subject ? The Marquis of HARTINGTON said Dr. Sutherland was at the period of the Crimean war appointed by the Sydney Herbert a member of the sanitary commission to n2qum.." -p into tho condition of the army, and since that war had ceased the learned gentleman had been serving on the sanitary committee on the subject of hospitals and barracks. He received three guineas a day in r munera tion, and the vote under which his salary wait, ken was the sanitary vote in the arrangements. Mr. P. 'HERBERT asked whether there was no officer in the army qualified to perform Dr. S rland's duty, and whether he was eligible for superannution ? The Marquis of TIARTINGTON said ho could not say whether there was or not an officer in the army so qualified. Dr. Sutherland was not, ho believed, eligible for superan nuation. DIIAR PRIZE MONEY. Mr. 11. LEWIS asked the Secretary of State for India when the second issue of the Dhar prize money would take place ; and what was the cause of the delay of such issue ; and what was the total amount now available for distri bution ? Sir C. WOOD said he had received no information on the subject from India. He could not take upon himself to say that there were funds for another distribution. THE SAVINGS BANK FUND. Mr. HENLEY asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the sum of £7,703 4s. 9d., stated in Parliamentary Paper, No. 328, of session 1865, to have been paid under the authority of the Act 3 and 4 Will. 4, c. 14, out of the fund for the banks of savings, ought not to have been paid out of the fund upon which the establishment of the Com missioners for the Reduction of the National Debt was chargeable ; and whether the sums of £255 14s. 2d. and £297 10s., being the amounts charged in columns 1 and 2 of the same Parliamentary paper, ought not, under the Act 26 and 27 Vic., c. 87, to have been charged upon the fund upon which the establishment of the Commissionets for the Reduction of the National Debt was chargeable. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the payments were all perfectly regular, and charged to the proper fund. The right hon. gentleman could raise the question if he thought proper. THE CHARITY COMMISSION. Mr. MUNDY asked the right hon. member for Cam bridge University whether the consent of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners was previously obtained for the substitution of the Bishop of St. Asaph for the Bishop of Bangor, as President of tho Hospital of Christ at Ruthin ; and the like consent for the substitution of the Bishop of Oxford for Bishop of Lincoln, as trustee of Lady Conyngham's charities, by order of the Charity Commission. Mr. WALPOLE said the matter did not affect any ques tion of patronage, and therefore it took place without a re ference to the Ecclesiastical Commission. ENGLAND AND CANADA. Mr. DISRAELI asked whether the right hon. gentle man the Secretary for the Colonies would name any day for considering the matters relating to England and Canada. Mr. CARDWELL said it. was not his intention to do so at present. The papers would be produced to-morrow, and after they had been in the hands of members it would then be time enough to take such a step. LORD A3iBERLEY. Mr. HENNESSY drew attention to a correspomlenco with respect to the position in which Viscount Amberley travelled on board one of her Majesty's vessels. Ho was called an "attache." Now, if that was so, he should like to know whether he passed the civil service examination, the date at which he did so, and whether he received a certificate from the civil examiners. Mr. LAYARD said it was a mistake of the officers of the ship to call Viscount Amberley an attach& He travelled as private secretary to Mr. Elliott, who had been appointed to a special mission, and there was nothing out of the usual course in so doing. The whole thing was a very simple matter, and a great deal more had been made of it than there was any occasion for. On the order for going into committee of supply, Mr. GRtrirm asked the Premier whether ho was prepared to take into consideration the great disadvantage to the har monious co-operation of military authority and constitu tional government which arises from tho absence of the Secretary for War from the House of Commons, and moved that it would be convenient, under present circum stances, that the Secretary for War should be a member of the House of Commons. Lord PALMERSTON, who opposed the motion, con tended that, according tot the constitution of the Govern ment, it was impossible to concentrate all the heads of departments in the House of Commons, as the hon. mem ber seemed to desire. There were certain members of the Government who must be in that house ; there was one, however, the Postmaster-General, who could not sit there. With regard to the others it depended upon the particular qualifications which the members of the Govern ment displayed in their respective departments, whe ther they should have seats in that house or in the House of Lords. There was •a constitutional power in the former to investigate and judge of the conduct of every member of the Government, whether he was in one house or the other. And so far as the War Department was concerned, every one who had observed the masterly way in which the Marquis of llartington treated all military subjects would agree that no such change as the one proposed was necessary in that depart ment. The same observation was applicable to the navy ; he was not, therefore, prepared to agree to any motion that would introduce a new principle and limit so seriously the discretion of those upon whom the responsibllity of forming a Government devolved. no motion was negatived. Colonel DUNNE having called attention to the state of the ancient records of Ireland, Mr. Peel briefly explained tho steps which had been taken for their preservation and publication. Mr. HUBBARD brought under the notice of the house the sth clause in the commericial treaty with the German Zollverein, to the effect that the contracting parties engaged not to prohibit the exportation of coal and to levy no duty upon such exportation, and pointed out that the precaution had not been taken of inserting a provision that the parties would also abstain from levying an import duty upon the article so exported free of duty. Why, he asked, Mould England herself give her coal and iron, those essential elements of her commercial superiority, manufacturing pre eminence, and warlike greatness, to other countries, with out any consideration whatever. For example, the Zoll verein levied a tax of £5 a ton upon the exportation of rags ; and one would have naturally expected that in con cluding a treaty to let them have our coals duty free we should ask them to give us their rags upon the same terms ; but no such engagement had been entered into. He ob jected to this kind of treaty, because it created an embar rassment that would continue for years to come. For 12 years the treaty would bind our hands from dealing with the important article of coal, and he thought the Govern ment should have been satisfied with extending to the Zollverein the same indulgence which had been accorded to France—namely, ten years, and to which, indeed, they would have been entitled under the favoured nation clause of the treaty. Mr. GIBSON reminded the hon. member that Parlia ment had deliberately abandoned the export duty on coal as impolitic in a national point of view, and as an impost that was oppressive to a considerable branch of industry ; for coal was only valuable after having been got out of the pit by the application of human labour. By admitting this clause into the treaty with the Zollverein this country ob tained the benefit of all the concessions which the Zollve rein had made to France, Belgium, and Austria, after many years' negotiations. Those concessions were a reduction on tho import of cotton, woollen, and linen goods, hard ware, earthenware, and many minor articles. The treaty was altogether commercial in its nature, and in no respect affected the belligerent rights of the Crown. In reply to a question of Sir E. DERING, Lord C. PAGET said there was no ground for the state ment that the Government contemplated abandoning the dockyard at Sheerness. Tho house then went into committee of supply, and agreed to the estimates for the Post-office packet service, and the Office of Woods, and to the supplementary esti mates for Landguard Point Works. Mr. COWPER, in moving a supplemental vote of £20,000 for the enlargement of the National Gallery, ex plained that the amount asked for was intended for the purchase of that portion of the space in the rear of the gal lery which was now occupied by St. Martin's workhouse, Archbishop Tenison's library, the parochial offices and schools. No plan, he observed, would be complete unless it included the reconstruction of the facade, which might be done in two ways—one by removing that most offen sive object, the dome, and adding an additional floor to the centre of the building; the other by making anew facade in front of the present, thus giving an additional gallery of 30 feet. To enable the pictures to bo seen with advantage it would also be necessary to establish a system of perfect ♦entilation, and the safe introduction of gas. At that moment he was not in a position to say what all this would cost ; but he believed that £lOO,OOO was the maxi mum sum, beyond which it would not be requisite to go. If the house acceded to the vote the next step would be to make an agreement with the vestry and the trustees for the purchase of the site, and when that had been settled the £20,000 would be paid to them as a deposit, to enable them to procure land for a new workhouse and premises elsewhere. Next year Government would be prepared with a plan and estimate for the proposed works. Lord ELCHO urged that if the existing site was to be retained a fire-proof building should be constructed, capable and worthy of containing the national collection, together with such bequests and additions as might from time to time be reasonably expected, and that any money that might be required for the purchase of land at the back of the gallery should be voted on the understanding that plans for its reconstruction should be forthwith obtained, by competition or otherwise, and laid before Parliament early next session. Mr. TITE agreed that it would be better to reconstruct the building, but at any rate the house ought to have the plans and estimates for the proposed enlargement before making any grant of money. Sir G. BOWYER condemned the project of the Govern ment as a mere piece of patchwork. Mr. LOCKE was of the same opinion. A part of the proposal was to put on a new face to the present wretched structure without improving the interior. It would, in short, be no improvement at all, for the same miserable entrance and low roof would be still retained. Mr. 11. SEYMOUR suggested that the plan to be pro duced next year should include a scheme for inadequate approaches to the building. GREGORY hoped tho plan would be submitted to THE SEIN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENIING,. JUNE 20, 1865. the house for its approval before being adopted by the Government. Reference having been made in the course of the discus sion to the contemplated razing of Burlington House, Mr. COWPER assured the house that no intention of the sort was entertained. The vote had no bearing upon the buildings, but was simply for the preliminary step of ac quiring the site behind the gallery. Sir J. PAKINGTON was willing to entrust the Govern ment with the sum asked for towards purchasing the land at the rear of the gallery, which was indispensable for the erection of a fitting building, on the understanding, how ever, that. there should bo as little harmony as possible between the old and the now structures, and that the gal lery should be made . worthy of the purpose for which it was to be adapted. Mr. HENLEY. in assenting to the vote, declined to pledge himself to any scheme that the Chief Commissioner of Works might, for aught he knew, have in his head at that very moment. The vote was agreed to, as were also £700,000 for the site of the new courts of justice and offices, and £53,500, the supplemental estimate for Greenwich Hospital. With these votes the estimates for the year 1865-66 were disposed of, and the fact was hailed with a loud cheer by the house. The Greenwich Hospital Bill was considered, and seve ral amendments having been agreed to, the third reading was appointed to be taken at a morning sitting to be held this day. The Fortifications (Provision for Expenses) Bill was passed through committee. The other orders were also gone through, and the house adjourned at a quarter past two o'clock. The Catastrophe on the South-Eastern• THE INQUEST. COMMITTAL OF THEDISTRICT INSPECTOR AND FOREMAN PLATELAYER FOR MANSLAUGHTER. STAITEHURST, Monday. The inquest on the bodies of the 10 unfortunate persons who were killed by the oversetting of the up tidal train, on Friday, the 9th inst., was resumed this morning by Mr. Neve, at tho South-Eastern public house. Mr. Freeland, the solicitor, Mr. Eborall, the general ma nager, Mr. Knight, the traffic superintendent, Mr. Harris, the deputy traffic superintendent, Mr. Ashcroft, resident engineer, Mr. Cudworth, the locomotive engineer, and other officials of the South-Eastern Railway Company were again in attendance. The relatives of the various persons killed or injured were represented by the follow ing solicitors :—Mr. Steele, of Bloomsbury-square ; Mr. Vining, lloorgate-street-buildings ; and Mr. Abrahams, of Gresham-street. Mr. Minter, jun., of Ashford, appeared for Gallimore, the district inspector, and also for Henry Benge, who was brought up from Cranbrook in custody of Mr. Superintendent Ovenden. the jury having been sworn, the following evidence was called : Mr. P. Ashmore deposed—l am the resident engineer of the South-Eastern Railway. I live in London. The repairs to the viaduct were done under the order of the district inspector, who would see the necessity for them, and apply to the stores for the necessary timber. Mr. Gallimore is the district inspector, and I believe I appointed him nearly 11 years ago on this line. He has been with me nearly 20 years. I may have seen the bridge as I passed down, but I had no notice of the repairs, but if they had been of a protracted character that could not be done safely be tween trains, I should have had notice from Mr. Galli more three days before the repairs were begun, and I should give a like notice to the general manager, that printed notices might be issued to all the officials on the line. Mr. Gallimore was responsible for theproper carrying out these repairs, and, I apprehend, to see that fog signals were supplied. It is his duty to report any irregularity. He did not report these repairs, as I presume he thought—as the Government inspector had said—that it was such work as could be done between trains, and without the necessity of diverting the traffic on to a single line. By the Rev. Mr. Moore (the foreman of the jury)—lt would be the duty of Mr. Gallimore to report any habitual disregard of instructions by the platelayers or signalmen. We have it in evidence that the signalmen went out some 500 yards only habitually ? Ought he to have seen that ? —Yes, if it was habitual. Are you aware that it is habitual on the line ?—Certainly not. If I had seen it I would have had it corrected. I con sider Benge quite capable of taking charge of the three as sistants under him, and the signalman has been in the ser vice 20 years, and he ought to have been able to do his duty. I consider, if there has been an habitual disregard of duty by the subordinates, it was clearly the province of Mr. Gal limore to correct it. By Captain Usborne juror)—l think a man who has been a signalman for 20 years should know his duty, and the inspector should know that ho does know his duty. By Mr. Abrahams—Mr. Gallimore appoints the foreman of the platelayers, and should see that he is properly pro vided pith a watch, tools, and everything necessary for the works. By Mr. Minter, jun.—Mr. Gallimore would have perhaps twenty gangs under his charge. He could clearly not be present at everything that was being done in his district. Whiles, the signalman, is a steady, moral man. By Rev. Mr. Moore—Whiles ought to have known that he should have gone out 1,000 yards. Bengo should have seen he did so, and had Mr. Gallimore known that the signalman habitually went out only 550 yards he would have corrected it. _ Though it may have been habitual that the signal flag was only sent out 550 yards, yet it is possi ble that Mr. Gallimore may not have noted it. Mr. Steele, who appeared for Major Francis, was about to put some questions to the witness when the coroner in quired whom he represented. Mr. Steele said that when he first attended the inquiry it was for Major Francis, one of the injured, who was then in imroinent danger, but now happily much better. He was aware that he had not any locus standi, as ha did not appear for any of the parties into whose death the inquiry was being held; but he had postponed many important questions until one of the superior officers of the company ware called, which would show that the directors, and the directors alone, were in fault. Not, however, having any locus staudi he would refrain from asking anything further. By Mr. Freeland—lf Mr. Gallimore saw the signalman standing out, it was his duty to decide whether that was the proper spot for him to be at. By Mr. Reeves, a juror—Every platelayer furnishes a report to his inspector of the requirements, and the inspector sends it in to my office, and whatever is required is furnished. If no fog signals had been applied for, it would be imagined that ho had some in stock. Joseph Gallimore, having been cautioned by the coroner, said—l am district inspector of permanent way from Ash ford to Tunbridge and Paddock Wood to Maidstone, about 36 miles. I have about 150 men under my charge. Benge has been under mo ten years, but as foreman only two years and ten months. Benge signed the usual declaration, but was never sworn in as a special constable. I gave Bongo instruc tions as to the work, and told him to be very careful and mind and not break the road till ho was quite sure he had time to get the timbers in and the road properly repaired. I told him to take care and send the proper signals out. I said nothing about the fog signals; he had his rules, and I considered he would act up to them. He ought to have sent the flag out 1,000 yards. I was only present once when the road was broken, and I saw the signalman out nearer the viaduct than Sloman's crossing. I did not go down to see how far it was, nor that fog signals were down. I supposed he had all the proper signals, or that he would have applied to me for them. By a Juror—l object to say whether I have any other business than that which I have underlie railway company. By Dir. Abrahams—Benge had a guinea a week, and other platelayers 18s. He was called foreman. It was his duty to see the line was well kept, the keys in, and so forth ; that when the line was broken the signals were sent out, and the fences and gates in proper order. He had to examine the metals on the bridge once a month specially. I have never seen him write, but I receive a report weekly from him. Benge's district is two miles. I have seen him examine the line in the usual way. lam obliged to leave the line to Benge and others without supervision, as I can not be everywhere. I have not been suspended from my duties. By Mr. Minter, jun.—l have 150 men under my control and also some extra men. Igo over the line every day, and part of it twice a day. Before we began the work I consulted with the foreman carpenter and agreed on the work, but had no idea that it would be so long a job, as we found some of the timbers worse than we anticipated. The rails are being removed all over the line. When I give the foremen the book of rules I tell them to read them, and give them a few days to do so before they sign for them. By Mr. Freeland—l do not think that Bengo was ever sent out as a signalman before he was foreman. I have been on railway works, and was for eight years on the Groat Eastern, as it now is, (A laugh.) By Captain Usborne (a juror)—l have seen the fog-sig nals down and the men out the proper distance when I have been with them. We count by the telegraph posts. Henry Martin said—l am signalman at the Headcorn Railway Station. The up-trainbefore the tidal passedHead corn on Friday the 9th inst. at 2.44. The " all right" signal was up when the tidal passed at 3.10. I knew the bridge had been under repair for two months. They never asked me to put up a caution signal. I could not see the bridge ;it is a little over two miles off. On that day I could perhaps see a man with a flag half a mile off. George Crombie said—l am engine driver in the employ of the South-Eastef n Railway, and have been so for ten years and a half. I had charge of the tidal train on Friday, the oth, and left Folkestone at 2.3 G. I passed all the stations at the usual speed. I was about 350 yards from the danger signal when I first saw it. It was in the six foot, about 100 yards from the bridge where the rail was taken up. It was a red flag, and the man waved it in his hand as I was ap proaching. Are you positive as to the distance 2—l cannot swear. I had not time to measure it. I don't know Sloman's crossing. I shut off the steam, gave the guard the whistle, reversed the engine, and did all I could do. I slackened a great deal. I should think we went over the viaduct when we were going 10 or 12 miles an hour. We did all we could as rapidly as possible ; but I cannot say whether it was a minute or not. I had seen the men at work there several days, but I was not aware the plates were being taken up, nor did I have any caution whatever. The Ileadcom signal was " all right." I do not know that the flag was exhibited beforo I saw it. We had a beaming sun in our face, very powerful. I had looked out all the way up to lleadeorn andbeyond. On that road on such a day, and going at such a speed, I should want at least three-quarters of a mile to pull up. There were no fog signals out. By the Rev. Mr. Mooro (foreman of the jury)—l have often driven tidal trains, and we had that day the usual allowance of brake power. I imply we should require the brake power as usual to stop the train as I mention. We never pass a red flag without stopping. By a Juror-1 have often overrun fog signals after pass ing the red flag, and passed the red flag hundreds of times without hearing tho two explosions of fog signals. Fog signals are most used in foggy weather, and although we attend to hear them, we very often do not. I never counted the telegraph posts' distance, where the rod flag is usually put. By Mr. Abrahams—lt would have taken three-quarters of a minute to stop the train. By Mr. Minter, jun.—l was nearly three-quarters of a mile past the overbridge on the London side of lleadcorn station when I first saw the signal. I could not have stopped the train in 500 yards. I did not know the amount of brake power I had. By Mr. Freeland—lt is only an idea of mine that it would take three-quarters of a mile to pull up that train, at 50 miles an hour, with the brake power I had. Joseph Gallimore recalled and examined by Mr. Bradbury, the managing clerk to Mr. H. Ody, solicitor, 14, Trinity street, Southwark—Benge was not bound to go out with the signalman to ascertain that ho went 1,000 yards. It is always necessary to put down fog signals when repairs aro going on. The fog signals should be put down by the signalman. . William Martin, farm labourer at Headcorn, said—On Friday, the 9th, I was at work in a bean field below Sloman's crossing, on the Headcorn side, adjoining the line. I did not see the accident, as the hedge divided us. I was from 90 to 100 yards below the crossing. Ido not know how far the crossing is from the viaduct. The signal man was there when the train approached. He held out the flag before the engine, but what it meant I do not rightly understand. He was not waving it. I know it was John Whiles, as I saw him after the accident. The danger whistle was sounded when the engine got level with the flag. It was not a double whistle, but a continuous whistle, which lasted till the accident happened. I saw the engine coming up, and just as I turned round I saw the engine and the flag all of a lump. I had not noticed the flag on any day before. By a Juror—l did not notice whether the white steam had ceased to come out of the funnel. By Mr. Bradbury—l do not know whether the steam was shut off. lam sure the signalman was where I have stated. John Goldsmith, -labourer, from Headcorn, said that on Friday week he was at Sloman's boanfleld, at the other side of tho viaduct. Saw the signalman at the same place as last witness did. He waved the flag just before the train came up, and the whistle was sounded just after. By the Rev. Mr. Moore (foreman of the jury)-1 am quite sure the whistle was not sounded till the train got up to the signalman. By the Jury—The engine was seven or eight rods from the flag when I first saw it. William Beattie said--I have been fireman five years in the South Eastern Railway Company's service. On Friday I was on the tidal train engine. I first had notice of tho danger by the whistle sounding—two quick whistles. I was attending to the fire, •but jumped to the brake and saw the red flag as Ilooked round. I then looked forward and saw the rails were up. I was putting tho brake on, but had not got it on thoroughly when we passed the red flag. I was so engaged that I cannot say the distance at which my mate saw the flag,ibut he must have seen it. There was a strong powerful sunlight out that day. By the Rev. Mr. Moore (foreman of the jury)—l was not hurt much, and remember all that took place. I should say there were from 40 to 45 seconds between the whistle and the disaster, and when I first saw the rails up we were not more than 20 to 25 yards off, just upon it in fact. in would take 20 seconds to put the brake on. We never pass a red flag. I had noticed the repairs going on. By Mr. Bradbury—l cannot say whether if the engine driver had been looking out he could have seen the flag at 800 yards distance. Mr. Cornelius W. Eborall, recalled, said—There has not been any accident to a tidal train before of this destructive nature, nor do I know of any passenger being hurt who travelled by the tidal train, or on this part of the line. By Capt. Usborne (a juror)—lt was the duty of Bang() to instruct the platelayer Whiles as to his duty. If there was habitual neglect of the use of fog signals and flags as to dis tance, it would clearly and decidedly be the duty of the dis trict inspector to discover it. Byanother Juror—That train could, as I think, have been stopped at about 600 or 700 yards, looking at the brake power. By Mr. Abrahams—The signals were sufficient to protect the train if they had been carried properly out. The fore man of the platelayers ought to have placed the signalman Whiles at the proper distance, 1,000 yards off. By Mr. Bradbury—The guards might not know that re pairs were going on, as they were of such a character as not to:require a special notice. I believe Bongo to be a very steady man, and I am sorry to see him in the position ho is now. Capt. Rich, the Government inspector, being recalled, said —I am anxious to explain that since I gave my evidence I find that only two of the three brakes that were attached to the train were applied. When I stated the other day that the train could have pulled up in 500 yards I was under the impression that the whole of the brakes had been applied, but as there was one brake less down, that would have the effect of somewhat extending the distance within which the train could have been brought to a standstill. The Coroner then proceeded to sum up and read over tho evidence very carefully. He impressed upon the jury the necessity of their dismissing from their minds anything they had heard out of doors, and considering the matter solely on the evidence which had been adduced before them. It was proved that the ten persons who had been killed had met with their deaths by drowning or other injuries they had received from the train running off the lino. It had also been proved that the train ran off the lino in conse quence of two 21. feet lengths of the line being up. By the rules of the company the ganger of the platelayers (Henry Benge) was the man responsible for the safety of the line. He was a man of experience and must have known how long it would take him to do the work. It would have re quired at least three-quarters of an hour to complete it. He with his men commenced the job at 2.51 in the after noon, and the tidal train was due at 3.18, or only 28 minutes afterwards. When the train arrived at the via duct the work was not half finished. It appeared that Benge had told Mr. -Eborall, the traffic manager, that he had made a mistake, and had taken the Saturday time table instead of that for Friday. That would have given him two hours more to do the work, which would have been ample for him to have done it in safety. No one could imagine that he would have made the mistake intentionally, but if that act was one of culpable negligence, it would render him criminally responsible for it. By ono rule of the company, it was provided that when they wanted to stop a train, it should be done by detonating signals, and that one should be laid down at every 250 yards until the signalman reached 1,000 yards, and that then there should be two laid down, and ono danger flag exhibited. This would have given them five signals and the danger flag. Had thesopre cautions been carried out, in all probability the train would have been stopped, and the accident never happened. That was the opinion of the Government inspector. But it ap peared the man went back only 500 or GOO yards, and that no detonating signals were used. It was a l so s h own th a t although the works at this viaduct had been going on for 10 weeks, Benge had never used detonating signals. It was attempted to bo shown that Benge was an illiterate man, and an ill-paid servant, but it was the opinion of the Go vernment inspector that he was a fit man to be so employed. If it turned out otherwise, his unfitness for the situation would be a question for the judge and the jury who might have to try him. With respect to Gallimore, ho was the person under whom these repairs were being executed. He admitted that he did not inquire whether the fog signals were used, and that ho did not apply for any special order from the general manager, calling the attention of guards and drivers to the repairs that were going on. If they were of opinion that he knew that the fog signals were habitu ally disregarded, without calling attention to the fact, he would be guilty of such gross neglect as would make him criminally liable on a charge of manslaughter. After refer ring to the conduct of Whiles, the signalman, and Crombie, the driver, both of whom he exonerated in general terms, the learned coroner concluded by saying that the line bad been singularly free from accidents. The rules of the com pany had worked extraordinarily well, and had they been adhered to in the present instance, there would doubtless have been no accident. It appeared to him, however, that - official orders cautioning drivers and guards, whenever works of this kind were about to be undertaken, should be issued, that the number of district inspectors should be in creased, and that a more constant supervision should be exercised. The jury retired at 20 minutes past 5, and after an ab sence of upwards of two hours returned into the inquest room. The Foreman (the Rev. Mr. Moore) then said—Our ver dict, Mr. Coroner, is one of "Manslaughter against Joseph Gallimoro and Henry Benge." The Coroner—How many of you have agreed to that ? The Foreman—Twelve against Joseph Gallimore, and sixteen against Henry Bongo. I ant desired by the majo rity of the jury to append to our verdict the following : "The jury, fully recognising the general sufficiency of the company's rules to insure the public safety, yet strongly recommend that, when possible, notice shouldbo given from a previous station•of any works involving the breaking up of the line." Mr. Eborall (general manager)—Mr. Coroner and gen tlemen of the jury —I will take care that that recommen dation is placed before the directors of the South-Eastern Railway Company, and I am quite sure they will give it their most serious consideration. Before leaving here to-day I have to express my regret, on behalf of the company, that you should have been called upon to inquire into so serious a calamity, and I trust that means will be taken to prevent such another occurrence. I have also publicly to thank you all residing in this neighbourhood for the kind, humane, and Christian attention paid to the unfortunate sufferers by this dreadful calamity. These remarks were received with approval by the jury, and the Coroner then made out the warrant for the com mittal of Benge and Gallimore to prison, the warrant being placed in the hands of Superintendent Ovenden for due execution. Death of Mr. G. Wingrove Cooke, (From the Times.) A sudden and untimely fate has deprived the world of a brilliant writer, an elegant scholar, and a most amiable and accomplished gentleman. Mr. Wingrove Cooke, who achieved for himself a high literary reputation while yet an undergraduate at Oxford, and whose many subsequent productions gave evidence of the versatility of his powers, has been unexpectedly cut off in the prime and vigour of manho and in the plenitude of his cultivated in tellect. He had apparently been only slightly indis posed for a couple of days, and until Friday last had attended to his usual duties, as Commissioner, at the Copyhold and Enclosure-office in St. James's square. On Saturday morning, as he experienced some unusual, but not very painful symptoms, ac companied by a tendency to faintness and a slight difficulty in breathing, he remained at his house in Cheyne-walk, where he received several intimate friends, conversing with them almost as cheerfully as was his wont. He slept soundly that night, and rose on Sunday at his usual hour, feeling himself, as he said, considerably easier and altogether better. A few moments afterwards, however, his dressing room bell was violently rung, and the servants on answering it found Mr. Cooke extended on a couch, struggling for breath and wholly unable to articu late. It was at once obviOus that one of the large arteries in the neighbourhood of the heart had given way, and that the sufferer was already beyond the reach of all human aid. Thus has passed away from among us one who was especially endeared to all who knew him by the genial kindliness of his disposition, no less than by his unblemished integrity and unswerving determi nation to discharge fully the varied duties that de volved upon him in the several relations of life. Mr. Wingrove Cooke died in his 53d year. Thirty years ago he had given to the world his " Memoirs of Lord Bolingbroke," a work of no inconsiderable merit, and one which, at the time it was published, excited considerable attention as a remarkable production of so young a mind. He was at tacked with vehemence by Mr. Croker in the Quarterly, and was as warmly vindicated by the Edinburgh and other leading organs of the Libe ral party. Two years later Mr. Cooke brought out an impartial and carefully-written history of the two great political factions which have for so many years divided the country. The " History of Party" is a standard work, and toge ther with " The Life of the First Lord Shaftesbury," published in 1838, established the reputation of their author as a man of laborious and accurate research, combined with a natural vigour and terseness of expression usually the result of much greater prac tice than Mr. Cooke could at this time have had. The memoir of Lord Shaftesbury, founded chiefly upon materials left by Kippis, Stringer, and Martyn, was frequently quoted by Guizot, who regarded it as " a mine rich in historical authorities." In January, 1835, Mr. Wingrove Cooke was called to the Bar of the Middle Temple, and shortly after achieved for himself an enviable position in his profession by several able treatises, as well as some well-considered tracts upon different branches of law reform. Of the former perhaps the best known are his compendium of " The Law of Defamation," " A Treatise on the Law of Rights of Commons and Enclosures;" another on the " Law of Copyhold. Enfranchisement," and an important work on "The Law of Agricultural Tenancies and Leases," all valu able text books, and each comprising in a lucid and condensed form a complete and well-indexed digest of the particular branch of the law of which it professed to treat. Mr. Cooke was for 12 or 13 years largely employed, under the Tithe Commutation Counts sion, to decide cases of special difficulty in various parts of the country, and also in adjusting disputes relative to moduses and claims to exemption, during the long period that all tithes throughout the king dom were undergoing the process of extinction. His labour at this time was very great, as for many con secutive years he frequently held eight or ten im portant meetings a week, often at distant places. He, however, found sufficient leisure even then to publish very interesting narratives of his vocation rambles. Of these, his " Conquest and Colonisation of North Africa" is perhaps the most instructive and elaborate. In 1856 he gave a vivid description of what he saw in the Crimea, under the title of " Inside Sebastopol." In 1857 he accepted an en gagement from this journal as its special correspon dent in China, where he remained for upwards of a twelvemonth, having during that period penetrated further than any former European into the interior of that strange land. His letters, which originally appeared in these columns, were edited under the title of " China and Lower Bengal," and went rapidly through six successive editions. On two occasions Mr. Cooke offered himself un successfully as a candidate in the Liberal interest for Colchester, and once in 1861 for the borough of Marylebone. In the following year a Commissioner ship in the Copyhold and Enclosure Office, in the gift of the Home Secretary, was offeredtoMr.Cooke entirely without solicitation on his part. It is almost superfluous to add that a better selection could scarcely have been made. His colleagues, indeed, will long feel the loss they have sustained in the great experience that Mr. Wingrove Cooke pos sessed, no less than in the readiness with which his judicial and nicely balanced mind, in the many intricate and involved questions continually occur ring in his department, was at once enabled to grapple with the facts, and at the same time rarely erred in affording a solution to the problem sub mitted to him. He wrote with facility and fluency, and at the same time with marvellous terseness and accuracy. Like Thackeray, he seldom corrected or re-corrected ; like him, too, he had great readiness in introducing an apposite illustration of the views he was desirou's of enforcing, and these illustrations often showed a keen appreciation of humour. His many friends will deeply regret the loss of one who was esteemed and loved in proportion as he was known, and whose useful life, whose many accomplishments, and whose kindly disposition, gave promise of good service to the public and increased favour to him self in the society he adorned. LAW INTELLIGENCE—June 19, COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. (Sittings in Banco, after Term, before Justices Wiles, Byles, and Keating.) IRWIN V. sin GEORGE GREY. This case came before the Court on error in fact. The plaintiff presented his petition of right, and the Crown directed right to be done in respect of certain wrongs of which the plaintiff complained against the defendant as Secretary of State for the Home Department. The case came on for trial before a special jury, and a verdict was found for the defendant. The plaintiff now, on the ground that there was error in fact on the trial, sought to set aside the verdict as not binding. A special jury of 24 was struck, but without the knowledge of the plaintiff eight out of the 24 were not summoned. On tho morning of the trial 10 of the special jurysummonedwere in the box before 10 o'clock, and a tales being prayed by the Crown, two common jury men made up the 12, and the jury were sworn before the clock struck 10. Mr. Irwin, in person, now contended that according to the statute 6, George IV., cap. 50, sec. 37, the names of the special jurors were to bo called over "at or after 10 o'clock." That this was not done, and that had it been done there might have been a full special jury ; and, further, that tales could only be prayed when the special jurymen were in default in not coming; and they Were not coming because a third of them had not been sum moned. On these grounds he contended that the issue had not been tried by the appointed jury, and the verdict was a nullity and the judgment founded on it erroneous. Mr. T. Jones and Mr. Hannon appeared for the Crown. The case was only part heard when the Court rose. [ADVERTISEMENT.] - Holloway's Pills. Bad Health made Good.—Thousands have died during the last two months in excess of the average, because they had ne glected to purify the blood after the late long winter. Every invalid should be acquainted with the virtues of Holloway's inestimable pills. Their purifying, regulating strengthening, and aperient qualiti es s h ou ld b e tried by all persons in a delicate or precarious state of health. These pills expel all noxious humours from the system, improve the appetite, amend the digestion, promote the secretion of healthy bile, and regulate the bowels. Holloway's pills act admirably as a, tonic to frames whose nerves have been shaken by protracted indisposition, or whose brains have been overwrought by study or depressed by excessive in dulgence. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS• -..----- TIMES.—The King of Prussia has once more parted in anger from his Parliament. One of the Powers of the State has felt it its duty to administer a severe lecture to the other. So it has always been in Constitutional struggles. The King invariably assumes to himself the position of the injured party, and, by virtue of that " divinity - which doth hedge a King," the right to lecture his Parliament to whatever extent he may feel necessary. Parliament, on the contrary, uniformly takes a humble and de ferential attitude, and, however firm in matters of substance, is tame and yielding as far as the mere form of its proceedings is concerned. This custo mary contrast was never better illustrated than in the very simple proceedings between the King of Prussia and his Parliament. The truth is that the King has flagrantly and notoriously, again and again, violated the Constitution which he has solemnly sworn to observe. He has laid before his Parliament a Budget which they have refused to adopt, and on their refusal lie has taken and spent the money without any authority at all. This prac tice has been habitual in Prussia for the last three years, and if use and wont could overrule a written Constitution in this instance they would have done so. The King of Prussia has been guilty of these unconstitutional acts under the advice of M. Bis mark, into whose soul must have migrated the spirit of all the arbitrary Ministers who have oppressed mankind from the days of Strafford to those of Metternich. By way of rendering his proceedings still more offensive, the King makes this very Minister the mediiim through which it is his pleasure to communicate ; so that the Assembly of Prussia have the double pleasure, of being lectured by their Sovereign because he has violated and they have observed the Constitution, and of receiving that lecture from the lips of a Minister who, if right were a little stronger and might a little weaker in Prus sia, would have to answer for the evil counsels he has given his King and the mischief he has brought upon his country. Nor was the language of the speech less irritating than the occasion on which it was made and the person by whom it was delivered. The King says that if the welfare of the country had been the supreme object of all parties decisive results for its welfare might have been obtained; .but this was not the case. In other words, Royal courtesy tells the Assembly, not that they have been mis taken in the means which they have employed, but that they never intended to promote the good of the country. They have shown an intention to place difficulties in the way of the Ministry by rejecting the Budget, the Bills for the reorganization of the army, the increase of the Prussian fleet, and the ex penses of the Danish War. The Assembly have refused demands which the Government was com pelled to make. Instead of the desired understand ing the Session closes in mutual estrangement, and the Government hopes that the day is not far dis tant when the nation, through its representatives, will thank the King for the course he has pursued. It is difficult to imagine language more foolish than this, or better calculated to excite popular passion against the person who uses it. We know that the King claims his Crown by right Divine, but he has not yet told us whence he obtained the power of being always in the right, and the certainty that his subjects must be always in the wrong. Does the absolute nature of the title he sets up, proceeding as it professes to do from a supernatural source, irra diate his mind with a corresponding amount of wis dom, and place him as much above the power of being wrong as he believes himself above the danger of being dethroned ? Certainly we should have thought it enough to violate the law under which he reigns, without reproaching those who have only set him the example which he ought to have set them, and refused to follow him in his violation of duty. The people of Prussia have been appealed to more than once in this quarrel, and it is but justice to them to say that they have given no doubtful or uncertain answer. Again and again, by the most crushing majorities, they have returned a Parlia ment faithful to the laws of the land and the rights of the nation. Again and again have the decisions of that Parliament been set aside by a Prince who, while he knows no law but his own will, still clings to forms of Constitutional Government, and is for ever reproaching those whose money he takes by force because they have not laid it, as a voluntary offering, at his feet. The prorogation,which puts us in mind only too forcibly of some of the most melan choly periods in our own history, was succeeded by a short debate in the Lower House, in which down right Herr Grabow, the President, whose speech at the opening of the Session attracted so much attention, spoke very plainly, as is his wont, on the present state of affairs. " The debates," he says, " have given a gloomy picture of the internal condi tion of the country. The King complains that no understanding is arrived at, but what he demands is the submission of the Chamber. He tries to transform a constitutional State into an absolute police and military despotism, but his efforts will be wrecked upon the loyalty of the people to the Con stitution, manifested in three elections, and if we may judge by the language of the King's Speech, about to be manifested in a fourth." This remark able harangue was succeeded by three cheers for the King, given at the proposal of the President him self. It is thus, as we have seen over and over again, that princes trifle with those precious mo ments which separate the first period at which a na tion becomes thoroughly convinced that its- rights are invaded from the second. From the time when reverence for existing laws and institutions is fairly worn out the nation divides itself into two camps— the adherents of absolute power on the one side, and the champions of popular supremacy on the other. No one except the King of Prussia would. say that his subjects have' ot shown themselves a patient and long-enduring people. They have seen the same Government which tramples on their dearest rights over and over again challenge them to record their opinion on its conduct, and over and over again, when that opinion has been given against it, treat the will of the nation with the most super cilious contempt. Has the King of Prussia consi dered how long these things are to go on ? Does he think that by perpetually violating the rights of his subjects he will reconcile them to their violation, or that by repeatedly setting at naught the opinion of the country he will inspire it with a respect for his own? Certainly no King has ever been more fortu nate in the constitution of his Parliament than this very King of Prussia, whose whole life seems to be spent in thwarting its wishes and abrogating its pri vileges. Our rough ancestors would have risen in re bellion long before this had they been submitted to such an ordeal as Prussia has of late years undergone; but the Prussian Parliament, to its honour be it spoken, has been as temperate as it has been firm, and, while insisting on the maintenance of its own rights, has scrupulously avoided any attack upon the other branches of the Legislation. The Danish War was populated with the people of Prussia, but they have not suffered themselves to be dazzled by military success, nor shown the least willingness to sell their liberties in exchange for its barren and inglorious triumphs. With all their respect and their defence, they are gradually u r gi ng th e Ki n to the edge ofKing a precipice over which he must be precipitated unless, even at the last moment, he consents to change his policy. He has long ap propriated the revenue without the consent of his Parliament ; he will soon be driven, unless he can come to terms with them, to raise taxes by prero gative. From that moment even semblance of Constitutional Government is at an end, reconcilia tion becomes impossible, and the two parties must sit watching each other with the resolution of avail ing themselves to the very utmost of the first ad vantage which the imprudence of their adversary or their own good fortune may place at their dis posal. POST.-If the condition of living in the presence of a danger be inevitable, and the danger itself irremediable, then the sooner that fact is established the better for all concerned. It is quite time to come to some conclusionion that point, in respect to the labour of coal mining. Hardly a month passes without a record of some disaster from the explo sion of fire-damp ; hardly a year without a catas trophe so vast, a sacrifice of human life so tremen dous, that the parallel is not to be found, save in the experience of active warfare. A comparatively safe coal field of Wales was on Friday last the scene of another disaster from-fire-damp explosion, greater than any subsequent to the Risca calamity, when no fewer than a hundred and forty-two men and boys were killed. The explosion which happened on Friday, and of which the New Bedwellty pit was the scene, resulted in a destruction of human life, not so tremendous as the former indeed, amounting to only twenty-six men and boys in all, yet the number is, in itself, of startling magnitude, to have occurred in any peaceful calling. It, more over, is associated with special circumstances that would have demanded comment, even though ex plosion had not been attended with destruction of human life. The case is one that goes further to prove the inefficiency of Davy's lamp than any we remember to have come under notice ; an assertion that will be made good when we review the facts as already evolved in evidence. The New Bedwellty, pit belongs to the Tredegar Company. Hitherto it has not had the character of being what is technically called a " fiery" or a " sulphury" working—that is to say, the fire-damp, although occurring there sometimes, has never established itself continuously. From time to time it has been necessary to test the workings for fire-damp, and, when the latter was discovered, it has been deemed expedient to work by the reduced glimmering of the safety lamp of Davy. Ordinarily, however, the workings have been carried on by naked light ; and this brings us to the point of testimony which strongly impugns the safety of Davy's so-called safety lamp. According to a regulation long established for the working of this mine, it was the duty of a fireman to descend the shaft every morning to test for the presence or absence of explosive gas, and report accordingly ; dependent upon which report the use either of safety lamps or of naked lights for the time being was r uled. On Friday morning last, in pursuance of this regu lation, the fireman, John Jehu, went down, an d came up reporting the presence of fire-damp in t ha i t department of the workings occupied by a man an boy—David Jones and his son. Thereupon Ivork ing by naked light was interdicted to these personsi they were furnished with safety lamps ; and, arm'" against the enemy with these, they went down tu i e pit under full consciousness of the danger immine nt : But, as may also be reasonably assumed, they wen" down under as full an assurance that the Pall lamp was, as they had often been told, a complet e safeguard happen no casualty from fire-damp xe plo sion couldp to any individual thus protected. That which did happen the record makes known' Through fire communicated by these very laniPs —or, it may be, one of them—the explosive g as ignited—blew up, and twenty-six human being s were killed in a moment. having regard to the immediate results of explosion, the calamity is as great as in many cases when_ the actual destructiou of human life has been far more considerable. I .t usually happens that the " choke-damp," as l u is called—the result of foul air accumulating throng' ) the break down of ventilating appliances, the con sequence of explosion—has been more destructive to human life than the fire-damp immediately. Fortu nately the means for insuring the ventilation of Ole New Bedwellty pit were more efficient than usual. They did not break down under the shock of explo sion, for which reason the death-roll of twenty-s 1 was not swelled by casualties resulting from th e operation of choke-damp. The point - Co which we would draw especial attention is the following Here is a case in which the ignition of fire-damp' s actually brought home to the safety lamp—the in; strument specially designed to ghard against it, a n ,u vaunted as unimpeachable whilst untampered or not disordered. The most cursory review °. attendant circumstances will show that the case 15 far more illustrative than it would have been if, in stead of using the safety apparatus in an exception al way, the daily routine working of the pit had been carried on by the illumination of safety lam?' Under the last assumption the efficiency of the in strument at any particular time could not be gua ranteed ; whereas, in the case under notice, th e guarantee is ample. That the two lamps take" down by father and son—delivered to them iinine diately from store—were out of order is an assureP tion so improbable, so next to impossible, that we will at once dismiss it. The only hypothesis on which the postulate of infallibity of the Davy can be upheld is, that the instruments taken downy °r one of them at least, was tampered with. Here aga. l° ' in reference to this, we say that such an assumpt o„ :' is improbable —up to the very verge of the imPoss l i ble ; and this, be it observed, is the very limit °f demonstrative evidence such a case admits , °f. Demonstration to the absolute there cannot vet inasmuch as, in all the instances of fire-da011,3; ignition by so-called safety lamps, the instrum, h are destroyed by the explosive shock ww e to follows. In such a case the utmost one can do is strike a balance of probabilities, and act aceor L ! ing}y. Even in the absence of all collateral ell', dente bearing upon this matter, the peculi ar ities ° 1- this most recent explosion are such that they would reduce the claims of infallibility urge behalf of Davy's lamp to a very low status. But behalf other evidence there is and plenty of it. often will it be needful for us to state, as we ha' stated on many previous occasions, that Davy hiel self, the inventor, who should best have knowboot regardednever his lamp as infallible ? assured of this one has only to peruse his book 01 flame, wherein he acknowledges the lamp to be nr e safe in the presence of a current of air ; an d , t i t °a' advises a miner to guard the lamp with his Now, the very essence of mine ventilation is a cur rent. The better ventilated a mine, the strong t the current ; and thereby, anomalous though may seem, under some circumstances the more ° Il , safe. Other causes of danger to the safety 10 i_ are now well known; the chief of which being ads hesion of coal dust externally. Here then stan ce the fact : the Davy lamp may be regarded as under the two stipulations, that air currents su ft ot not exist and that coal dust be absent. Is it 11° time to ask whether these conditions are not in separable from the practice of coal mining ? COUNTRY MARKETS NORTIIAMPTON.—JuNE 17. i At our corn market to-day we had an average supply of wheat, and the demand was moderate, and sellers for th most part succeeded in maintaining the full prices of tP,'"„ preceding week. Barley scarce. There was a modest`" supply of oats, with a fair demand, at prices rather ii' your of sellers. Beans a limited show, and unaltered 113 price. New white wheat, 39s to 42s ; new red, 39s to 40s ' old white, 40s to 435; old red, 38s to 41s per 36 stone. 13 :°I0 for malting, 31s to 33s per qr. ; grinding, 26s to 31s por e . stone. Oats, old, 25s to 26s ' • new, 18s to 248 per 24 stettas Beans, old, 36s to 40s ; new, 35s to 38s per 38 stone. Pe 33s to 38s per 36 stone. COLCHESTER—JUNE 17. ~, 3 .6 Wheat, white 42s Cis Beane, 31azagan...• • •"- 40A • red 3lB 424 Middle and 5ma11... 356 33i Barley .. Oats ..20s 258 grey ....WS GRANTLIAM—JuNE 17. eR Old white wheat, 41s to 465; old red, 370 to 420; 1 1 ,, r , white, 40s to 448 ; new red, 37s to 40s per 36 stone. of - r ley for malting, 29s to 33s per qr. ; grinding, '24s to 26s P.Si 30 stone. Oats, old, 25s to 27 6 ; new, 22s to 240 P e uO . stone. Beans, old, 39s to 41s ; new, 36s to 38s per 3 8 5 " -- Peas, 34s to 3Gs per 36 stone. CIIELDISFO At this market to-day the at about former rates, althoug brought is more money. Spi Wheat, old white.... 418 48s new Ale 48s old red 40s 42s ID—Just 16. wheat trade was again ;h some best samples a -,00 ° :lug corn unaltered. 3 s; Peas, Partridge ...... 3 6 : White .. ..3-8 4.2r3 B. cling ........ 30 Dun.. .. .3 1° dit o, new... 37$ Beans, Tick, 01d....•• 3 ' - new. •••_ - 1, Harrow ticks.Zia ° -0 new. •• • , 8 4 sOi Mazagan ..... new. 384 42s Barley.... 258 32s Chevalier `46s 83e Grind ng Os 8s Malt 61s 67s Chevalier 6-Is 88i Oats •• 203 26s ABERDEEN—JUNE 16. f grftif i ' °- At this day's market there wa s a li g ht supply -atbc"e and prices nominally- the same as last week. The continues fine, but too dry foe thin soils. White wheat 352.0 d to 38 s 01 621 b Red wheat 34s Od to 36 s Od V 1341°1e1. Potato oats 20s Od to 21 s Od t 4 6 1 II busllel" on oats - 19s Od to 20s Odf l he . Bere Comm_ 21s Od to 22s 0d) 21s Od to 22s 6d i• 531 b 3 b ils Barley f 1 4 1 Oatmeal 15s 6d to 16s 6d 10 boll of 2,60 V. 26 0 V. Flour, fine 31s 6d. to 32s Od iil sack °"' IKCALDY—JuNE 17. 5 15 Small supplies o K fall kinds of grain, and wheat ,0 per qr dearer. No change in barley. Oats wore Gtir dearer. Wheat. Barley. Oats. First. 3?s Od I 21s Od 1 22s Od eeond 3Js Od 28s Od 23s Od Third 4OB 03.1 s Od 24s Cd COAL MARKET. Prico per ton at the close of the market. s cli s. d. Walls End Haswell 17 9 Kelloe .-.-. .......... 1 1 6 6 9 „ Camay and Duffryn C ow p en H ar tl e y ...... 1 7 1 ",, Malting 22 0 H eug h H a ll ............ 17 ,u, Hetton l7 9 Cassop ..... •"' 17 6 Wylam l5 6 South Hetton ......... 14 ii Hastings Hartley l6 9 Ha r tl e p oo l . ........... 16 ' 7 O Tanfield Moor l3 3 Braddyell's Hettoo•••• 11 g Holywell Main l6 6 S ou th K e ll oe .........16 , Tunstall 6 Eden Main South Moor Pelton Hetton Lyons ....••••'' 16 Gas l3 6 South Hartlepool ...... .1 6 V East Hartlepool Ships at market,_62 ; sold, 53. Births. pg FIELDING.—On the 15th inst., at; 39, Prinee's - g at° ' ~ Louisa Fielding, of a daughter. loy MOSTYN.—On the 17th inst., at Talacre, the 0 011 ' Mostyn, of a son. br ie MILLER.—On the 18th inst., at Oakd en e, near Dieu the wife of Lieut.-Colonel Miller, of a daughter. Marriages 11 0 " t ' GARRATT—GOODMAN.---On the 15th inst ° Josiah Garratt, Esq., son of William Garratt,. sti i3l°' of Stamford-hill, to Marian of , youngest daughter fs++.o Goodman, Esq., of Upper Clapton. Sa l , 0 WILLAND—RisHwoRnt.—On the 17th inst , at All o f ' %I I St. John's-wood, Major John Fredk. Willard, °poll'''. Manor House, Harefield, Middlesex, to Clar , l„ f° l only daughter of the late James Rishworth, i'''''' merly of York, banker. .eaths. . _ CRITCHETT.-0 n. the IBth D inst., Richara Critel , C tt ' E ms " of Powis-square, Brighton, ag e d 89. CLAYRILL —At Invergowrie, Alex. Clavhill, Esq., °f 111°.: g T o T w oN ri . e Loi late the 17th inst.telieutenant2 3d, at s Roya t. lN.AiVban, elshF o : l N s ir i l in icrs o * . ott° ll ' co j a g a : o d e s B9 L . LOADER.—On the 17th inst., at 64, Tabernacle -101-'' oader, aged 57. 1 iV 13°- ,„ the POWLEY.—On the 17th inst., at Starcross, Devonsi'l Ri & cARD v. o W .— m o . n ro: h vl e ey l , 7 Af th A in ., st age a d 65. T j I:taw ...stre et ' Francis Ricardo, Esq., aged " 83t. 22, PP" „;„perci- SHIPPERDSON.—On the 18th inst , the itov. T. B. o'" , ',gil l " . son, D.D., vicar of Woodborn,*and rector a Novi)* by-the-Sea, Northumberland. TURNER.—On the 18th inst at the residence of his br 'ftatilge; in-law, Digby Turner, Esq., of 4, Barrington C° Brixton. ---••• London : Printed and Published by WILLI:01 A Nvr oI of No. 112, Strand, Punter, at Tx z SUN' 0.1 Strand, in the Precinct of the Saioy, in th e uob Ziliddleaex.---Ttletaday, Jane 2', 1865. The 01121)I 1U conju lissocul • BcluPTio / 3 ALANcE THE A 2 60 ,000 Pro: Preference Deposit Each Subs Of 'jai'FßE FOL The Right for of (Limited 'urtis M.l London, ,00rg e P e , mranei s Le J ohn Pend ~tish and kclward M S amuel Gi (Messrs Ed id Captainof the B A. n P. Bidd Tired() uo, an( figinee s3lr Edwar li. Ste on beha luau of t Captain D William tritish J oseph W p rofesso r rrofessor The dis Possible sh 1 0,000 si 10 ,000 sh 1 0,000 Sh 10,000 sh The alx lest to red _ l4 aPpliea apple ke ssm The Unic Agr Jane, L Messrs. S The Nati Ireland The Nat 'munch he on Messrs. J Messrs. I Loud oi _ ivr M essrs. 1 i e ess r r s s . 1 Messrs, l'; £6( ,rl . - 1 T he utei( te r a e l n £6OO , The ' am °LI x( b 0( 1411 V 1 1 to t i) . t (11: ET ° , T