The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-22 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY E'ENING, MAY 22, 1851.

laetedaika t these clanar.o. But hence eight to
flow the poet of all other classes to there.
To! g, aids now said, that more liberty is given to
the *awl power ty the Priry,Couneil in the ewe bt
Roman esthetics r.nd dissenters than in those of the
church, is to rsake a statement utterly unfounded in
fact. The lords of council have equally, framed manage-
ment claneA for the trust deedsof schools in connexion
with the British and Foreign School Society, with
the W esleyan body, with the Free Church of Scot-
Irina, and with the Roman catholis. And in no
correspondence that has taken place between the
Committee of Privy Council and any religious body
has the principle of lay participation in the manage-
ment been so broadly, forcibly, and emphatically
enunciated and reqUired, as in the case of Roman
catholic schools ; (este the papers lately presented to
the House of Commons on Nit'. HENLEY s motion.
Equally inaccurate, too, is the assertion that the
management clauses are retrospective in their effect.
Schools built with the public aid before they were
prepared and introduced into trust deeds, are no
more affected by them, than schools erected without
such assistance. But now that they are a condition
to all building grants, each applicant knows before-
hand the terms on which heaccepts the grant he seeks.
The question at issue is the simplest one in
the world ; and it is because of its simplicity that it
is so important. It is whether the laity shall be
excluded from all share in the conduct of parochial
schools; whether the interpretation of their trusts,
and the management of their affairs, shall be with-
drawn from the men who furnish the greater part of
the funds wherewith to carry them on, and be placed
in the clergy and episcopacy claiming, as a prima-
-1 hood, the right of educating the poor ; and whether,
by these means, the monstrous sacerdotal pretensions
lately made, and still making, by certain parties in
the church, shall be promoted and encouraged by
a Society of which the QUEEN in patron, and by a
cote of money made for very different purposes by
the House of Commons. That is what the success
of Mr. 0. A. Drsilso:l, on the 4th of June, means.
Hence we again urge on all liberals and protestants
the duty of their supporting Mr. GIRDLMTONE and
his friends.

4. MISTORTtNES rarely come single;" and the Sut-
ton tunnel tragedy has been only too quickly fol-
lowed by a terrible fatality on the Midland Railway,
near Clay Cross. It is needless here to repeat at
length the sad details of what probably every one has
read. Suffice it to say, that two gentlemen have
been killed ; an American lady has had her leg frac-
tured; three American gentlemen have been bruised
and injured ;an Irish gentleman has had both his
legs broken ; four other gentlemen have had limbs
fractured; and three others have been braised by a
goods train running, on Monday night, during a
storm, into the express train, which had, shortly be-
fore, left Derby at J.S.
Was or was not this a preventible accident—an
avoidable collision—did it arise notwithstanding the
due, and faithful, and accurate performance of their
duties by the railway servants, or was it produced
by their neglect of those duties? These are the
questions the coroner's jury has to investigate, and
on which there is as yet too little evidence whereon
to form an opinion ; but towards the solution of
which it cannot be impertinent to offer some sugges-
tions.

The engine that carried the express train came to
a stand-still 20 miles after leaving Derby, from
some small breakage in its machinery ; in the pump-
rod, it is said. The first thing to be inquired into is
clearly then the state of the engine when despatched.
The rate at which express trains travel in England
requires the closest and promptest attention to every
part, however minute, in the machinery of their en-
gines. With crdinary trains, ordinary engines may
be used; but for a railway to convey an express
train by anything but first-rate locomotive power,
and that in the very highest state of effi-
ciency, is to endanger the lives of its customers.
And in a railway uf such established reputation as
the Midlands, engaged in competition with a rival
company furnished with a new and perfect rolling
stock, it can hardly be doubted that inquiry into this
first point will show the breakage of the pump-rod
on this occasion was one of those casualties that really
arc quite unavoidable. All possible evidence on the
point must, however, be furnished.
The express train which left Derby at 9.5 p.m.,
was, it seems, followed in five minutes by a goods
train. In this prompt succession there, of course,
is nothing under ordinary circumstances, positively
dangerous; for as the 9.5 express on the Midlands
travels ut the rate, stoppages included, of about 33
miles an hour, and as goods trains with stoppages do
not generally average 15 miles an hour, the risk of
the goods tnun overtaking, 20 miles off Derby, the
express train must be very chimerical. Yet on this
melancholy occasion what seems so very improbable
actually occurred; thus adding another example to
the many before given, that, in railway ma-
nagement, the improbable, as well as the pro-
bable, is to be guarded against. In tracing out
the causes of the collision, the next point to
be attended to is, then, the rate of speed at which
the goods train was proceeding. It appears to have
left Derby at 9.10 p.m., and to have made the Clay
Cross tunnel, upwards of twenty miles oil, in much
less,how much 1.4 not as yet stated, than an hour. The
investigation here must, it is apparent, be very pre-
cise and searching ; fur there is danger enough from
the speed of express trains without having goods
trains tearing away
,at similar rates; though. of
course, occasionally they must put on extra steam,
in order to get into sidings, and so clear the rails for
passenger trains behind them.
But the condition of the engine carrying the ex-
press train, and the rate of speed of the goods train
being ascertained, next, the enquiry ought to be
directed to an examination of the precautions taken
to signal the obstruction on the line caused by the
stoppage of the former. The stoppage took place
not far from Clay Cross station ; and on the line
there is an electric telegraph; had the guard at once
proceeded to the station about, we understand, 100
yards off• to give notice of the obstruction by means
of the telegraph, the station-master might, in all
probability, have been able to have arrested the
progress of the goods train in passing. But, assum-
ing that the speedy restoration of the engine to some
sort of working onler, prevented this precaution from
having been taken, what precautions were re-
sorted to ?

Every guard is furnished with a box containing
half a dozen " alarm fog signals," and four" port
red signal lights ;" and it is his first duty, in case of
accidents or stoppages, to resort to their use, and to
continue using them until the train is fairly in pro-
grew' again. The fog signal consists of a small flat
leaden box, filled with detonating powders, with per-
cussion caps fitted on little interne. spikes. These
boxes the guards are ordered to affix, by the flexible
wires attached to them, on the rails at proper inter-
vals ; so that any approaching train in going over
them is at once warned, by the loud explosion which
follows, to stop. Were these signals used at Clay
Cross? This must be clearly ascertained.
It is—first, possible that the guard may not have
had time to place these signals on the rails • and
secondly, it is obvious that he may have been Called
away by the resumption of the jouniey before he
could have placed them at any great distance from
the stoppage. But in either case the use of the port
red signal lights became thereby a point of more im-
portant inquiry. These lights are rolls of ignitable
preparations, for guards to light by rubbing the
top on sand paper or knocking it against any hard
substance, and for them to hold in their hands when
ignited. They burn a bright and powerful red light
for a quarter of an hour, and can readily be seen cer-
tainly. a quarter, probably half a mile off ; and the
sight is a signal for the approaching train to stop.
cre these signal lights used by the guard ? And
if not, why not
The inquest was to be resumed this morning. We
have made these remarks for the purpose of pointing
out what course the inquiry ought to take to satisfy
the public mind, at present very sensitive to these
tem-ble occurrences ; not, however, in any spirit of
hostility to the management of the Midland Com-
pany ; for it, we are bound to add, is generally ex-
cellent, and well merits the high reputation Mr.
ELLts has acquired for it, since the company got
well rid of Mr. GEORGE HUDSON.

FIRE IN 8801-LaßE.—Lot night about ten
o'clock, a Are broke out in the premises o Messrs. Pontifes
and Wood, lead merchants and sapper smiths, in Shoe-lane.
The ere, whose origin has not been ascertained, raged for
two boon, yid consumed the greater part of the lead and
brass castinsr shops with a number of. moulds. The owners
were insured.

FRANCE:
pArds, WIDSI{DAT
In the sitthig of the Assembly to-day, M. Noel
Parfait observed that, among the petitions presented
yesterday by General de Bar, there were several
emanating from munkitral councils; and he required
that, in conformity with the law, those illegal
deliberations should be referred to the Minister of
the Interior, to be annulled. The President of the
Assembly, M. Du in, declared that this had already
been done. M. Leon Faucher added that he had
instructed the prefects to annul all such deliberations
that should be repeated.
M. Godelle then demanded that the discussion of
the motions of MM. Moulin and Morin (de In Drome)
on propositions affecting the revision of the consti-
tution, should be placed on the order of the day for
to-morrow. General Cavaignac observed that it was
irregular to preoccupy the Assembly with the course,
to be pursued respecting prepositions which might
possibly not be made.
M. Leo de Laborde here exclaimed that he should
certainly present such a proposition. (Movement.)
General Cavaignac said, in continuation, that it was
not so long a delay till the 28th May for the Assem-
bly to submit to the rules of the constitution. M.
Moulin remarked that there was nothing in the con-
stitution which prevented the Assembly from de-
termining beforehand how it would deal with
motions for the revision. The Assembly, having been
consulted, agreed, by a majority of 3h against 242
(this is the corrected division), to place the motions of
MM. Moulin and Morin on the order of the day for
to-morrow.

The debate on the Sugar Bill was then resumed.
M. Beugnot moved that colonial sugar should be
subjected during four years to a duty less by sfr. than
native sugar. This motion, although opposed by
M. Buffet, the Minister of Commerce, was adopted.
A bag debate then ensued as to the extra duty to
be imposed on foreign sugar. This is at present 20fr.
WOO kilogrammes. The committee proposed I lfr.
the amount of 10fr., moved by NI. Ancel, of
lite., moved by NI. Lestiboudois, and of 12fr. arc.,
=wed by M. Dumas, had been successively rejected,
die extra tax of 11 fr. proposed by the committee was
afg-deay M. de Lamartine has read a lesson out of
history to the legitimists, which has created an im-
mense sensation. This remarkable article, one of the
most powerful compositions that have vet appeared
from his pen, declares that the open defiance cast
by the legitimists at the republic calls for a pacific
18 Fructidor. When the royalist club of Clichy con-
spired against the directory, the government of that
day, seeing that the republic was lost if the coup-de-
main of the Pichegrus and monks of the moment
were not arrested, pounced on the Clichy conspirators,
and packed them and their generals off to Cayenne. Now
the royalists of that day had some excuse for conspiring.
It was natural that they should seize the moment
when reaction was filling the high places with their
tools, to mature their plans. But what have the
royalists of the present day to complain of? The
republic of 1848 has not harmed a hair of one of
their heads, and for this mild treatment, before the
end of the first short magistrature, they turn round
upon it with insolent menace and utter defiance.
These men, to whom the republic has given so large
a share of power, use their tooting to deal a blow at
the protectress which stood between them and their
deadly foes. They will not hear ofpartial revision ; they
wi.l have nothing has than a return to theimonarchy.
What, is this the answer of M. Berryer to that people
which made so moderate a use of their victory, so
generous an application of universal suffrage. Hare
the legitimists lost their wits, to suppose that, with
two departments in the south, and four or five in the
west, they can measure themselves against the ro-1
mining 80 departments and three thousand large
and small towns ; against the populations of in-
dustrious cities, which have only to change their
tools for bayonets to enable them to turn
out immense armies for the protection of their liber-
ties. Such defiance is mere suicide. But let the
government awake up out of its torpid slumber; let
it profit by the example of Hoch° and Bonaparte,
and deal with the new Clichy Club accordingly.
But of proscription there is no need. Let the 18th
Fructidor of 18.51 be apseific one. The government
has only to abolish the law of May ; to appoint re-
publican ministers; to disavow all idea of competing
for the presidency of 1852; and to propose the par-
tial revision of the constitution. I can only give you
this feeble outline of an article which will produce a
great effect throughout France.
Dr. Vcron, in the course of his fresh assault upon
the law of May, drops some revelations with regard
to an attempt of the party of fusion to come to a
transaction with LonisNapolcon for cedingthe ground
to Henry V. He says: " The journal of the fusion
has not yet given us all the developments of the idea
which it pursues; it has not yet revealed all its
secrets; but, if we are well informed, the party of
husks would include Prince Louis Napoleon Winn-
parte in its treaty of general peace. The actual
President of the Republic would not be imprisoned
at Vincennes ; he would not be banished from France.
He would even be rewarded, on the condition of his
insisting in bringing about a complete and new
restoration ; and, in ease of success, he would have a
right to a large revenue, to titles, and to honours;
awd all this would be secured by a document or
stamped paper, and signed before a notary."
The arguments which the Doctor brings for the
abolition of the law may be summed up briefly, thus:
The main ground for its enactment was that assigned
by M. Thicrs, that it disfranchised the vagabonds of
satiety. But is it fair to call every man a vagabond
who is not domiciled for three successive years in the
same commune? Honest tradesmen, who have re-

tired within the last three years hie the capital,
professional men, who leave Peril to set up is
the provinces ; finally, M. Thiers himself, who
is disqualified by this condition ; fall thus into the
vagabond category. It would be much wiser to
pass a law for the transportation of criminals,
which vagabonds must soon become. The stick-
lers for the law say that the abrogation would be
a sign of fear. But is there any shame in fearing to
plunge the country into civil war? The chief any
however, of the old conservatives in enacting sued
maintaining the law is to get themselves re-elected,
and to diminish the authority which the President
derives from the broad base of five or six millions of
votes. They would be glad to put the election d
the President of the Republic into the hands of the
Assembly. The apprehensions of a socialist majority
in the Assembly are absurd,and belied completely by
experience. Such is the outline of this article, whia
has raised much agitation in the Assembly, and
gamed the funds to fall. Many of the
baegraves have signified to ministers the necessity of
meeting such language by an official disavowal in
the Itruniteur. Until such an antidote to the mis-
chievous doctrines disseminated by the Constitution-
net appear, it is impossible, they say, to regard the
ministers as expressing faithfully the opinions and
intentions of the executive. Some have even hinted
to M. Faucher the propriety of resigning, unless he
can procure the insertion in the Moniteur of an offi-
cial disavowal of Dr. Veron.
Detailed instructions have been just sent to Gene-
va' Osman in the subject:of the aggressions on the
French soldiers. The soldieni are henceforth never
to leave barracks but in sufficiently strong detach-
ments to repel all attacks.
M. de Walowski is daily expected from Naples.
M. Waisse is coming forward u candidate for the
Nord, in replacement of General Labitte .
To-morrow the President will hold a grand review,
in the Champ de Mars,- of the four regiments of
infantry newly come to Paris, and of the brigade of
cavalry.
M. Rouher is charged, ad interim, with the port-
folio of finance during the absence of M. Fould.
M. Waisse is appointed, by a decree which ap-
pears in the Monitvir, member of the Algeria com-
mittee of consultation annexed to the war-office.

ITALY.
ROMAN STATES.
Our correspondent writes on the 14th that an aa-
eusination had taken place on the preceding night
in the Via Mario d'Fion. The victim was a Roman ;
the motives attributed for the murder various.
General Gemeau had issued a proclamation respect-
ing.the recent disorders, prohibiting arms, and or-1
denng domiciliary visits. The anti-smoking demon-
stration ommionecl the govenntsot great imessinees.
NAPLES, MAY The government has
m d t:gai the lossesl4. s-
tained by the late q imposed; bat
the indemnity is confined to Melia meek

SPAIN.

MADRID, MAT H.
It is said that the ministerial candidate for the
Presidency of the Chamber of Ihputies will be
M. Mayans. The candidate of the old moderado
opposition will be M. Mon.
The Epoca quotes a letter from Sevillc,announcing
that a frightful catastrophe had occurred in the gar-
den of the Duke of Montpensier, at Alcala del Rio.
The prince had caused a steam engine to be placed in
it for its irrigation, and the 10th instant was fixed
for its trial. His royal highness fortunately could
not assist at the operation ns he intended, having
been obliged to repair on that day to Villamaurique.
lAs the boiler to be used for the experiment waa
not new, it was agreed that it should bo slowly
heated, but, either from neglect or imprudente on
the part of the engineer, the boiler exploded, and
overthrew the building, burying under its ruins 60
or 70 persons assisting at the experiment as opera-
tives or mere spectators. Eight dead bodies and six-
teen wounded had been removed from under the rub-
bish when the account left.