The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-23 00:00:00

officials of various degrees go on their ordinary
way, as if such things es railway accidents were
never heard of. This carelessness or indifference is
more extraordinary, as although the victims to th•
shock are of course the principal sufferers, the rail-
way companies are very great pecuniary losers. In
the accident, which happened yesterday at Slough,
there was happily no loss of life, but there was
very great destruction of the company's property.
The catastrophe of the other day on the
South Eastern, what with the damage to rolling
stock and other property, was estimated to involve
an expense of £3,000 or £4,000, independently of
the heavy compensation to the sufferers. Yet the
principal authorities appear unable to secure a due
amount of common sense and common citation on
the curt of their subJrdinates. A child ten years
old would know there was danger in sending a
train along a blocked up line. Yet here we have
an accident which narrowly escaped being of the
most frightful nature, caused by deliberately send•
ing the Bristol parcels train on to the lines where
the goods train was previously shunted. By a most
fortunate escape the drivers and stokers of the two
trains received no injury, but had either train
had any passengers the result of the collision
would have bee❑ appalling. The parcels train itselt
had two carriages nearly smashed and the break-
van completely crushed in, while the stationary
goods train was pretty well demolished. The engine
of the parcels train was completely disabled, the
works at the side being swept away by the violence
with which it had dragged against the goods train.
It was not an ordinary collision, but occasioned
partially by the confusion arising from the employ-
ment of a double gauge. The negligence which
produced the disaster was the closing of the points,
which drove the broad gauge train exactly in the
track of the narrow gauge. No doubt the company
will institute a searching inquiry into the cause,
although in this case, happily, the assistance of
public justice is not invoked; but it is really time
that a better system was introduced into our rail-
way traffic. So vast is its importance, and so im-
mense the numbers who daily trust their health and
life to its charge, that it is really an imperative
necessity that the companies should act up to their
public and sceial responsibilities. The employment
of a better class of men, more liberal wages, and
shorter hours of labour, would greatly reduce the
risks of the passengers. The fares are quite high
enough to provide for proper attendance, which
should be regarded as much a matter of necessity as
the rails upon the road. The ordinary risks of rail-
way locomotion must be chanced by the passengers;
but if wilful carelessness and stupid ignorance are
to come in, the result will be neither satisfactory to
the companies nor to the public.

No great variety can be expected in the autumnal
speeches of Parliamentary members to their con-
stituents, and although the recess is now so far
advanced that the thoughts of both orators and
audience turn rather to the ensuing session than to
the past, there is little to be slid in the way of
politics beyond the old stereotyped phrases.
Demark, America, the Lancashire distress, the
prospects of Reform appear in due rotation in every
harangue, leaving neither side much the wiser for
their discussion. The addresses of the members for
Reading, the other evening, were no exception to
the rule, though Mr SHAW LEFEVRE certainly
introduced some novel views es to the transatlantic
question. He considers Mr LINCOLN to be " honest,
straightforward, and courageous," and entitled to
an honourable place in history. He thinks, how-
ever, that the sympathies of this country should be
rather Northern than Southern, and that the
Americans may feel justly incensed at our desiring
the break up of the Union. Such a feeling, he says,
is but natural. What, for instance, should we have
thought if Franca in 1857 had rejoiced over the
probable dissolution of our Indian Empire ? Mr
LEFEVRE might rather say what would France
have thought if, in 1848, we had refused to recog-
nise her new form of Government. So long as the
States were unanimous in maintaining the Union
there was no wish in England to see its disruption,
but we hold that Republicans in name should be
Republicans in practice, and that one part of a
republic has no right to coerce the other. As for
Denmark, Mr LEFEVRE applauds the wisdom of
our Government for not going to war with Germany
for " a few parishes of Schleswig." Would be ap-
prove of war on behalf of a few parishes.of Canada,
we wonder ? Probably not, for our modern poli-
ticians are more remarkable for discretion than
for valour. Sir J. GOLDSMID very truly observed
in his speech, that Lord PALMERSTON would not
grant reform unless compelled, but said he for his
part would be ready to support it. A good deal is
left in the hands of our Parliamentary Representa-
tives nowadays, and we should like to see them
show a little more sense of national hononr and
public spirit.