The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-21 00:00:00

The Incendiary Fires in Russia.

The governments of Orenbourg, Simbirsk, Sara-
tow, Samara, K zin, &c., are at the present moment
suffering dreadfully from incendiary fires. These
governments have been lately selected for the re-
sidence of a great number of Poles condemned by
the severity of the law in Poland. It appears from
an article in the Botschafter of Vienna, that in some
towns the fires have been attributed to these un-
fortunate people: Many have perished as victims
of the exasperation of the masses ; and, far from
seeking to suppress this ou!break of populir pas-
sion, some Russian journals, including the Invalul,
an official journal, and the Moscow Gazette,
the most widely-circulated journal in Russia,
tcbo these accusations, and add to thtm insinua-
tions adapted to excite still further the passions of
the multitude. Nothing has transpired thus far
to give the least appearance of foundation to these
charges, while, on the other hand, numerous facts
seem to disprove them in a manner most honourable
to the Poles. Thus the Northern Post of the 7th of
October states that after the fire at Orenbourg, the
Poles living in the Government of that name hasp
tened to send to the people deprived of shelter and
means of subsistence two carts filled with bread,
gruel, and salt. Some days before, the head of the
police of Orenbourg, Colonel Michel Fedorow, bore
striking testimony in favour of the Poles in the
following letter addressed to the Moscow Gazette:—
The St. Petersburg Gazttte publishes the follow-
ing :

"According to the last news from Orenbourg five Poles
have been arrested, who are euepected and convicted of
having several times excited the inhabitants of our country
against the Government and order. One of the Poles
arrested was found in possession of a considerable sum of
money—the inquiry commenced will show by what means
he acquired it," It is only through reading the said
journal that we people of Orenbourg have learnt
this fact, unheard of among us. There are in the town
of Orenbourg 52 Poles transported and placed under the
surveillance of the police. All of them conduct them-
selves very reasonably and properly; they live in the mes'
peaceable manner, and there are no capitalists among them.
Moreover, the Russian Gazette itself bears tes-
timony still more direct and positive. This is a
letter describing the incendiary fires at Kourgan
and Tumen, which says:—
The transported Poles are accused of those incendiary
acts. In order to show the absurdity of this accusation it
is sufficient to state that in the country places they are
equally regarded as the authors of the drought which has
prevailed this year. People look upon them as magicians
and enchanters. It is related that they are in possession of
millions, by means of which they bribe the Russians them-
selves, and induce them to burn their towns. Many of the
Poles are, however, distinguished by the activity and cou-
rage which they have displayed in rendering assistance in
our fires ; end have even received on this account public
thanks on the part of the Government. The Polea in gene-
ral behave with groat circumspection, and have a good re-
putation among the most enlightened of the citizens.

GENERAL MORGANS' HORSES.—The Richmond
Dispatch states that when General Morgan was killed he
had in his possession four valuable horsee, The finest of
these he rode in his last march, and he was captured in
Grenville when the General fell. The three others were
sold at Abingdon, Virginia, at public outcry. One was a
bay saddle horse, and the others a pair of blt.cks well
matched. They were sold separately, and brought respeo-
tively—the bay 1,675 dols., and the otners 2,100 dols. and
2,CO'J dols. Neither horse sold for much more than half his
real value.

A MULLER CASE IN INDIA.—A murderous out-
rage has recently taken place on the East Indian Railway,
between Ahmoodpore and Bhulpore. A gentleman travel-
ling in a second-class carriage was suddenly attacked by a
person travelling in the same carriage and robbed of his
watch, and after being beaten severely was thrown out of
the window, but contrived to lay hold of the footstep of the
carriage, and by
clinging to the buffer held on till the train
reached the station. The man who committed the outrage
is in custody.—Bombay Gazette, Sept. 28.
COMPLIMENT TO SWEDEN.—On Monday. the 17th
inst,, Messy. Pile, Spence,
and Co., launched from
their yard en iron ship for Mr IL S. Graves, of Liverpool,
which is justly considered a splendid specimen of naval
architecture. Her dimensions are 220 feet, 36 feet 9 inches
beam, and 23 feet hold ; measures 1,400 tons, builders'
measurement, about 2,200 tons burden, and is classed A 1
for 20 years. Her launch was made the opportunity for
paying a graceful compliment to a Scandinavian nation
which has won the hearts of England by the warmth of
the reception it has accorded to the Prince and Princess of
Wales. At the special request of the owner, Mr Fawcus,
the Swedish Consul at this port, was present, and did the
honours of tLo launch—christening the ship, as she glided
elf the stocks, the Prince o:war, after the popular Crown
Prince of Sweden. The figurehead is a bust of his Royal
Highness, beautifully executed, supported on either side by
the Lion of Norway, and on the .stern the arms of Sweden
of Waxhohn,
smblszoned in fine relict ; while the cabins are to be deco-
rated with Swedish Scenes, among which will be the for-
tressf
t-8 ship
ai p
thenwo sgetastefullyotuh seulse. i.antdhtaeh:c.
eoe piepracaletoaneor'd;e:Ne.a
tyooi. with .
ctfi:e.
ygss. Stockholmhfirp omwa santsde mpßl tclee nd d
sternta hbel
—the latter being Prince Oscar's summer residence, The
ensign of Sweden and Norway, kindly lent for the occasion

The Herefordshire Agricultural Society,

HEREFORD, Wednesday.

At the annual meeting of the Herefordshire Agti-
cultural Society', held here yesterday, after the ex-
hibition of stock, which was rather below the
tuna], high mark, a public meeting was held at the
Green Dragon Hotel. The chair was occupied by
the Rev, Arch& Clive, in the absence of the presi
dent for the 3 ear, Mr. Mildmay, M.P., and there
were also present Colonel Clifford, M P., Mr. King
King, M.P., and Sir Joseph Bailey, the Conserva-
tive candidate for Herefordshire.

After the usual loyal toasts, the toast of " The
Bishop and Clergy" was given from the chair, and
The Rev. W. HUT'TON responding, said one fea-
ture in the proceeding% of agricultural societies in
the present year was noticeable—that wherez,s up
to the present time the occasions of ihose autumnal
anniversaries hLve been regularly seized as fit occa-
sions for their abuse by the Times, this year that
paper had discontinued its usual custom.
The CIIAIRMAN, in proposing the health of "The
County Members," alluded to the intended retire-
ment of Lord W. Graham from the representation
of the county at the end of the expiring Parliament.
Mr. KING KING replied. After some alit'.
sion to the extraordinarily dry seasrz, he made
some remarks on the new Highway and Paro-
chial Aese.sment Acts; and referring to the ins
tended retirement of Lord W. Graham from Par.
liament, 'said that whenever a dissolution took
place he should ask them to restore him to that
proud position which he had occupied for so many
years—not from any merits of bis own, but through
their kindness ; and he was not without hope that
he might preserve and secure for years to come a
continuance of their support. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN proposed the health of " The City
Members."

Colonel CLIFFORD, replying, said they were now
arrived at that season of the year when it was usual
for members of Parliament to make a declaration of
opinion on the various public topics of the day.
Those who had time to read the newspapers would
see that the various meetings of this class had been
attended by distinguished members of Parliament,
who had expressed their opinions on the topics of
the day—the Orman question, the American war,
and other matters. Politics they did not touch upon ;
but they had made up for their reticence by long
discursions on education, and some speakers had
carried this so far as to recommend the schoolmaster
to the farmer, although he (Colonel Clifford) thought
the farmer was pretty well able to take care of his
own interests. With regard to the harvest, he
had heard it said that they were now passing
through a cycle of low prices, and that in the natural
course of events it would be followed by a cycle
of high prices. He could only say that he wished
it might be so. He had considered this matter of
prices well, and his view of it was this—that, look-
ing at the price of corn compared with other pro•
duce, such as woo', cattle, and cheese, the question
for them to consider was, how to diminish the
growth of the former and increase that of the latter
by the conversion of much of the arable land of the
country into permanent pasture. This was no new
thing, far shortly after the passing of the Corn-law
Repeal Act it was advocated by Mr Cuird, and his
views had been borne out by the price of corn fa:l-
ing and that of eleese and of stock increasing ever
since. He considered the tenant farmer ought not
to be called upon to go through the apparently ex-.
pensive process of converting arable land into pas-
ture without the assistance of the owner of the soil.
(Hear, hear.) On his own farms, whenever a tenant
%jibed to have land laid down in grass, he, as land-
lord, provided the seed. (Hear.)
Sir J. BATLEY proposed the health of the chair.
man.

The CHAIRMAN, in acknowledging it, alluded to
the recent visit of Lard Palmerston to Hereford,
observing that the reception which his lordship met
with was something more enthusiastic than an
English gentlt mto was personally entitled to, but
such as it was it did honour to the city, and showed
that the GJvcrnment and the people of this country
were one and united. (Cneers.)
The health of" Sir Joseph Bailey," the presi6
dent elect, being drunk,

Sir JosLrkl BAILEY, in replying, said they all,
no doubt, regretted that Lord William Graham's
declinicg health prevented his attendance there
that day, and had also induced himself to withdraw
himself from the representation of the county,
They would therefore be called upon to elect a red
presentative in his stead, and he (Sir Joseph) had
received very kind expressions on the part of
numerous electors with respect to his candidature.
(Hear, hear.) He had received many letters on the
subject, all of them couched in terms expressive of
this sentiment—" We wish everything well of your
father's son." Hs could assure them that be grate-
fully and humbly accepted the kindly hand
stretched cut to him in remembrance of an old
friend of theirs gone long before them—(hear,
bearj—and although he could not pretend to lay
claim to one-tenth part of his father's ability he
would endeavour to deserve their confidence and
to promote the welfare of the country to the best of
his ability. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN proposed, in eulogistic terms,
the health of " The Secretary."
Mr FOWLER responded suitably and a few other
local and personal toasts were afterwards given.

A Soldier Shot at the Government Rifle
Range at Gravesend.

An inquiet was held at the Town Hall, Gravesend yes-
terday atternoon, before Mr E. A. Hilder, the borough
clroner, on the body of a private soldier belonging to the
Royal Marines, named Joseph Little, about 35 years of age,
stationed at 11.11ltort Barracks, who was shot by a comrade
while under musketry instruction at the Government range,
on the marshes, about three miles below Gravesend,

The jury having viewed the body, which had been dope-
sitel at the dead-house at New Tavern Fort, called
Captain John Henry Steward, R.M., who stated that he
was the captain instructor of musketry at Milton Barracks.
On the previous morning at half past 10 o'cl, ck he was at
the rifle range with a company of recruits who were com-
pleting their third period of firing, and was proceeding to
tho target of one of the ranges, when it was reported to him
that a man was shot on au adjoining range. He did not see
the accident. He sent for the assistant surgeon, who was on
the practice ground, and gave him charge of the deceased,
who appeared to be dead. Other accidents, but not fatal, had
occurred at the same place under similar circumstances, in
consequence of which orders had been given for the men not
to leave the mantlets. the deceased was one of the markers.

Witness could not eay whether any blame could be properly
attached to the man that fired the shot.

Sergeant Elwin Harris deposed that he was a sergeant
instructor of musketry, and was on duty at the range at the

time in question. The accident occurred when the section
under his superintendence were firing their last round at
600 yards distance. While he was registering a shot irom
No. 8, Matthew Doble, No. 9, who was kneeling, fired. He
(witness) then saw a group of men standing near one of the
targets, and called out that a man was shot. He called the
surgeon, who was close at hand, and accompanied him to
the spot, where they found the deceased lying on the
ground. Although the ranges were 80 yards apart, it was
necessary to watch the muzzle of each gun to prevent the
men from shooting at the wrong target. It was his duty
to do so;' but in this case he could not in consequence of
Doble firing too soon.

Thomas Mason deposed that he was an assistant sergeant
instructor of musketry, and was on duty at the time and
place in question. The deceased, who was one of the
markers, was within three yards of him engaged in picking
up lead near the target when ho heard him call out " Oh 1"
and saw him fall. A ball had passed through his body on
tho right side. Other accidents had occurred from the men
aiming at the wrong target previously. He was of opinion
that the targets were rather too close together.
Corporal Tedder and Lance Corporal Card corroborated
the evidence adduced by the last witness, and stated that
they believed that Dublo shot at the wrong target, which
was the cause of the accident.

Assistant Surgeon John Roe stated that on being informed
of the accident ne went immediately to the spot and saw
the deceased lying on the ground quite dead. He ordered
the body to be removed to New Tavern Fort. lie had since
examined the body externally, and found two openings
where a bullet rifle. had entered between the ribs and passed
out at the other side. He thought that the ball had passed
through the lungs and touched the heart. The wound must
have cawed instantaneous death.

Matthew Doblo, of the Royal Marines, who fired the fatal
shot, stated that he had been firing at the 600 yards range at
the right hand target. He fired from his left shoulder. He
was sure he fired at the proper target. The accident must
have been caused by the shot striking the shield and
glancing therefrom towards the other target. He was not
acquainted with the deceased, and had never spoken to him.
Capt. G. B. Hasty gave the last witness an excellent cha-
racter, stating that since he enlisted in August, 1863, there
had been no report against him on the books.
At this stage of the proceedings the coroner adjourned
the inquiry till Monday next, in order to obtain evidence
Si to the proper identification of the deceased.