The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-31 00:00:00

THE SUN,

honour upon the Board of Administration. They
illustrate again the necessity of some radical system
of re-organization in the Indian Government. They
show beyond the reach of contradiction that the line
of demarcation ought to be properly marked down
between the various departments of the public service
—but, most of all, between the civil and
the military. It almost tempts us to quote
the Latin grammar in our disgust—the Ne sutor, et
cetera, familiar to every school-boy, but surely for-
gotten, if, indeed, it was ever learnt, by the politicals
acting under the authority of, the Board of Adminis-
tration. Happily, the terms of the East India
Charter must, within a few months, be brought di-
rectly under the scrutiny of the Imperial Adminis-
tration. It will then be decided by our Legis-
lators—after a careful examination of the
evidence submitted to them through the
medium of an authoritative Commission—whether
some means cannot be devised whereby the adminis-
trative machinery of Hindostan could be re-arranged
upon some more judicious principle, so as to secure
the commanding officers of the Anglo-Indian army
from 'the unfortunate, and too often disastrous, inter-
ference of civilians in no way qualified to direct the
movements of a campaign.
If CLIVE had been perpetually interfered with by
the politicals (after he had obtained the command of
the army), would so many victories, we wonder,
have followed the " foughten field" of Plessey ? If
HASTINGS had authorized his political subordinates to
interpose between the military officers appointed to
conduct the troops of the Company, would our arms
have proved so triumphant during the course of his
ever-memorable and (we can add now without fear of
exciting the heartburning of party virulence) his
glorious administration ? Wonderfully different were 1,
the views entertained upon this subject, as to the pro-
priety of allowing politicians to interfere with the
military arrangements of commanders-in-chief—as
evidenced in the instance of Sir HENRY (now
Viscount) HANDINGE when in supreme authority in
the Governor-General's palace at Calcutta. So
sensible was that eminent man of the folly of tolera-
ting proceedings of this character that—although
himself one of the most illustrious among the lieute-
nants of WELLINGTON, although covered with re-
nown by his many achievements as a general officer,
and invested with supreme power by his position at the
head of the Administrative Council of Calcutta—he
waived his many claims for precedence, and volun-
tarily placed himself under the command of Sir
HARRY (now the Lord Viscount) GOUGH, the Com-
mander-in-Chief of the British forces in Hindus-
tan. In this manner were fought the great battles
of Sobraon and Goojerat, as well as the fierce
and sanguinary struggles at Ramnugger and
Chillianwallah. The soldier was then not
invariably at the beck of the civilian.
Had it been thus always with Sir CHARLES
NAPIER during the course of his renowned advance
into Scinde, had the energies of that redoubtable
conqueror been perpetually hampered by the inter-
posing quibbles and objections of the politicals, we
question if his judgment would have been left suffi-
ciently serene to guide his dauntless courage and his
incomparable tactics to the achievement of his two
most splendid victories at Meanee and Hyderabad.
Yet, throughout the history of our great and rapid
conquests in the northern and the southern, in the east-
ern and the western provinces of Hindostan—the his-
torian of British rule in the East has had to lament
the incidental interposition here and there of the
civilians arrogating to themselves an authority
superior to that of the commanders-in-chief. In-
stances of this kind, almost countless, might be culled
from the annals of our rule in India, from the pages
of -ORME and MILL, as well as from all the
miscellaneous writing referring to our Oriental
Government. Parliament will do well to
make a "note of this" as carefully as Captain
CUTTLE, during the course of the inquiry that must
take place in reference to the removal of the powers
accorded to the Board of Administration at Calcutta,
and to the Couret of Directors in Leadenhall-street,
by the supreme will of her Britannic MAJESTY'S
Government.

There is no branch of industry productive of more
important results, and having a more direct operation
on the national prosperity than that engaged in the
management and working of our numerous collieries.
The " black diamond " is indeed the chief source of
our national wealth and the unparalleled elasticity
of our national resources. Without it we should
hold a very different position in the scale of nations
from that now occupied. The inventions of WATT
and aIiKWRIGHT would be comparatively worthless.
We could not hope to supply the world with calico or
iron. The power-looms of Manchester would remain
idle, and the mineral riches of Cornwall would still
remain buried in the bowels of the earth. The coal-
fields of Durham and Cumberland are really more
valuable than the gems of Golconda, the silver of Po-
tosi, or the auriferous sands of California or Australia ;
for the value of the former is intrinsic, of the latter
fictitious. The first stimulates and excites every
other branch of industry, which is impaired and de-
teriorated by the latter. One man employed in
the collieries provides occupation for a dozen
others—one at " the diggins is simply
withdrawn from agricultural or pastoral pursuits.
The gold dust in the pockets of the digger may bring
the landed proprietor, or the owner of flocks and herds
to the verge of ruin, and leave the cloth manufac-
Wier of Leeds without the raw material, on which
he is dependent for his finer fabrics; and, as a natural
consequence, may consign the intelligent and hard-
working artizan and his family to the tender mercies
of the Union workhouse. The destinies of the Anglo-
Saxon race, their sturdy independence of character,
and unflinching determination, may, in no small de-
gree, have been influenced, or produced, by the geo-
logical formation of the north of England. The
man who bad " coal" in unlimited quantities at his
command beoame literally a "Fire-king," with full
control over that, tremendoras element, which en-
abled him to accomplish more than could be achieved
through the agency of the Gins and Afrites of
Eastern mythology.
Under such circumstaines, and with the universal
tr
PTleniation of the vital importance of the "coal mines,'
it is
Illy astonishing that so little has hitherto been
slone to
afford ameliorate the system of working, or to
whelioteaearseeurity to the bold and unflinching
miner
gers, and ins: encounters the most formidable dan-
hardy—who alas perils that might appal the most
alive by the faiag inataltnOilt any moment be buried
which he is workin of a portion of the roof under
Ig—scorched by the explosion of
P—smothered b
tmosphere,
fatal operation of
danly the
the fire-dam
the after blast or choke
inhalings o l y butan
not less surely destroyed byP--conoar more
unfavourable to
tly
impure and pernicious a
with aim
of some deplorableoat culpable
the vital principle. We read •
indifference catastrophe
by Which
the maintenance of a f
human beings, each supportin6 _
or materially
family, have
been the dead : d
been numbered
contributing b7uoting to
° not
meo p,o,
of horro
more permanent results
duce a thrill
mean that the dreadful inrtelfloigrentcheedoet of
but it should produce
—in place of idle lamentations,
it should excite a
causes of these fearful catastrophes, to ascertain
calm and deliberate resolution to,' investigate the
whether adequate remedies might
not be provided,
and, if found practicable, to enforce their adoption.
The simple fact that the deaths from
fire explosions
amount on an average to more than one
thousand
in each and every year, should have long since stimu-
lated us into activity. But where the danger is fami-
liar, and the victims of lowly station, it is difficult to
produce energetic action. If an explosion were to
take place in the vicinity of either House of Parlia-
nt--if the lawn sleeves of a venerable prelate
Were damaged by the fire damp, a gouty peer
smothered by the after blast, or an elderly represen-
tative of a
opted and :tieryrovbenetiaoti:
possible;somethingmotatsspeoefdipl
popular constituency poisoned by un-
wholesome
te
rerted to. As i
of public opinion
is, we can only hope that the voice
n will ultimately be heard even in
the inmost r
at Westminster, and
of the " Queen's Palace
that our Legislators will feel
bound to give practical effect to the valuable sugges-
tions of the Select Co Committee appointed last session,
n to inquire into the causes of the frequency of ex-
plosions in the coal m' •
ines, with a view to prevent
the appalling loss of life arising from them."
The report of this Committee, to which we would

earnestly invite the attention of our readers, more
especially of those in any degree interested in col-
lieries, is an instructive and well-considered docu-
ment. The members manifestly entered on their
subject calmly and dispassionately, without favour or
prejudice. Their desire was to remove this crying
evil,and, in order to do so with the least possible
delay,
they largely availed themselves of the labours
of their predecessors in similar inquiries--more
emecially of the South Shields Committee, of whom
they speak in terms of well merited approbation.
They speak of the safety lamp of Sir HUMPHREY
Davy, which was introduced in the year 1815, and
dedicated to the public by the great chemist,
who, with a disinterestedness beyond all
praise, gratuitously surrendered what might
be the source of immense and almost boundless
riches. The effect of that discovery was, as de-
scribed by a competent witness, " to operate as a
complete renovator to many collieries which were
then in a state of exhaustion." But too much confi-
dence was placed in this valuable invention. An act
of common carelessness by a single individual of the
hundreds engaged, might cause the destruction of all
the others; and even without the fault of any person,
circumstances might arise to deprive it of its effici-
ency, as, for instance, if placed in a current of air.
It does not strike at the root of the evil, and perhaps
may have led to greater mischief, by diverting the
attention of coal proprietors and their overlookers
from that " better ventilation" which, according to
the Committee, is " the improvement most generally
needed and most to be aimed at"—the only true and
secure means for prevention of explosions. How then
to produce and certainly keep up this improved ven-
tilation, is the great desideratum, and that is the
problem to the solution whereof attention is chiefly to
be directed.

The Committee, under these conditions of the
question, speedily arrive at the conclusion that " any
system of ventilation depending on complicated ma-
chinery, is unadvisable, since, under any disarrange-
ment, or fracture of its parts, the ventilation is
stopped, or becomes less efficient ;" and as a corollary
thereto, " that the two systems, which alone can be
considered as rival powers, are the furnace and the
steam jet." The first proposition appears almost self-
evident, and if so, it follows as a natural consequence
that the agency of man, the most complicated machine
of any, and on which the least dependence could be
placed—as a drowsy fit, or a glass too much, might
defeat the most prudent regulations and best devised
precautions—should, as far as practicable, be dispensed
with. Of course it must, to a certain extent, be re-
sorted to, but the object is to do so to the
least possible degree. After a careful considera-
tion, then, of the rival systems, they avow
a decided preference for the steam jet, to the
powers
of which " there appears to be no practical limit.
This would command a current of air which would
not only prevent the possibility of explosions, but
would preserve the health of the miners from a con-
dition of atmosphere which has hitherto rendered them
a short-lived race—dying long before the ordinary
limits of human existence. With such advantages,
it is almost unnecessary to allude to others of less
importance ; the Committee, however, express their
decided and unanimous opinion that " the steam jet
is (not only) the most powerful, but also the least
expensive method for the ventilation of mines.
Why, then, should its introduction not beimmedi-
ately enforced in every colliery ? It is of course desira-
ble to avoid any undue interference with private pro-
perty, but the necessity of such interference has re-
peatedly been recognised and is constantly acted on.
Omnibus and cab drivers are placed under control for
the public benefit; we cannot build on our own land in a
metropolitan street without the sanction of the sur-
veyor of highways. Above all, we are not allowed
to carry on a noxious trade that may prove prejudi-
cial to the health or to the comforts of our neighbours.
Why, then, should not the principle be extended,
where not only the health of tens of thousands of our
fellow-subjects, but their very lives are concerned—
where they not only may be subjected to a fearful
and sudden death, but where no less than one thousand
miners actually perish annually ? Away, then, with
the ridiculous squeamishness that has hitherto pre-
vented the necessary legislation. Let the various
recommendations of the Committee be carried into
practical operation, and the working of every mine
be stopped which is not provided with " the steam
jet," the invaluable contribution of Mr. GOLDS-
WORTHY GURNEY, to the security of the miners, and,
as a natural consequence, to the prosperity of the
colliery proprietors.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Monitcur, in reply to the assertions of the
Times (whose attacks, it says, do not move the Go-
vernment) that 1,200 persons had after Dec. 2 been
assassinated by drunken soldiers in the streets of
Paris, declares that the exact number of persons killed
in the insurrection was 380 ; of persons accidentally
wounded only 8 or 10.
M. DE PERRON' arrived at Dieppe on the 28th
from London. He is expected back to Paris in a few
days.
The Courrier du Gers and the Alessager du Midi
publish a complete list of the persons in their depart-
ments who have obtained a commutation of punish-
ment by the late amnesty. The number is 57 for the
Gers, and 90 for the Herault. This commutation
applies in every instance to persons sentenced to be
transported to Algeria. In the Herault there are four
absolute pardons, but in the Gers not one. The
journals of the Lot publish a list of seven persons
benefited by the amnesty, of whom three are to leave
the country. The department of the Dordogne has
had six commutations, one of which is for M. CHALES
DESOLMES.

The Salut Public of Lyons publishes a list of
more than twenty full pardons and several commuta-
tions of punishment of political offenders of the de-
partment of the Ardeche.

- The Assenzblie Nationale says :—" A Belgian
journal, the Emancipation, announces that the right
of giving warnings to the journals is about to be
withdrawn from the prefeots, which will be hence-
forth exercised only by the Minister of General
Police. What gives reason to believe that the Bel-
gian journal is well informed is that the suspension
for two months inflicted on the Gazette du Languedoc
was declared by M. DE 111AUP.4.8."
_ _

The Moniteur announces that the Council-General
of the department of the Ille-et-Vilaine, has adopted
resolutions expressing gratitude to Prince Louis NA-
POLEON for having by his energy saved France, and
the hope that for the sake of the repose and pros-
perity of the country his government may be made
stable. The .Moniteur also publishes the following
address to the PRINCE PRESIDENT from the Council
General of the Pay-de-Dome :
" Monseigneur,—By the great act of the 2d Decem-
ber you rendered to France, which was disquieted and
menaced, security and confidence. The Council-Gene-
ral of the Pay-de-DOme expresses to you its profound
gratitude, in the name of a department which has al-
ways proclaimed you with the most patriotic enthusiasm,
and which has not ceased to place in you alone all hope
of salvation. But, Prince, the work is still incomplete.
When the term of a temporary government approaches,
confidence is paralysed, national labour is compromised,
the existence of the country is placed in question. The
stability of a government is an indispensable condition
of prosperity and grandeur for a nation; it alone can
ResoluLtioouns
give activity and prospei.ity to comaaerco and industry.
Convinced of these principles, and full of confidence in
you, the Council-General expresses the wish that the
power with which you have been invested shall be esta-
blished oton
yourthe ploantrgieostitsmantdhemtamptplraosatcihngingbarseesa,lisacintdiciiti
Arrondissements of its hopes:,
Prince
Arcis-sur-.A,ubs
country,
Savenay (Loire
expressing in warm terms gratitude to
mentsso been adopted by the Councils of
have
elsal NAPOLEON for his services to the
(otf Bailey (Ain), Moulins (Allier),
.infuebe), L„, Tour du Pin (Isere),
Langres (Haute- marrineeu r e
1 ), Cherbourg (Manche),
tagne (Orne), Hazebrouick Nancy (Meurthe), Mor-
and Louhans (Saone-et-LclrNord ), Autun, Charolles,
The Revue de l' Ouest publiste
of M. DE LA ROCIIE4IA4IJELIN osthe opening address
of the Deux-Sevres, which be t
. was the Council-General
side over by the PRESIDENT of thencitinabted to pre-
address recommends devotedness to thepupreliseent TGhe
vernment, on the ground that the most insensate
ideas have taken root in the country, and that well-
meaning men ought to establish a truce amongst
themselves in presence of the dauger which has
thr, atened France, and which still to a great extent
exist 3.
The Bourne was dull, with little business doing, The
Four-and-a-Half per Cents. opened at 105 f ~ and closed
at 1051. sc. for the end of the month; the Three per
Cents, closed at 76f. 40c.; Orleans Railway Shares,
1,432 f. 50c.; Rouen, 867 f. 50c,; Havre, 370 f.; Great
Northern, 660 f ; Avignon, 480 f.; Bale, 3081. 75c.;
Yaris and Stu:. sberg, 663 f. 75c.; Paris and Lyons,
775 f •
,
• • Lyons and Avignon, 590 f.; Western of France,
6001.; the New Austrian Loan, 94.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE 1
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, AUG. 30.
East Indian, 2734—Namur and Liege, 6%—Northern of