The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

The Riots in Pennsylvania.

-
The following is a letter from a Pennsylvanian to his
"
brother in London, dated November, 1E63 : Matters in
the Pennsylvanian anthracite coal region are in a deplorable
state. Enormous prices for this description of mining have
been forced up by fearful violence on the part of the em-
ployed—or I should have said, the Irish part of them—to
nearly treble the rates of a year and a half ago, and we do
not see the end of it. These Irish are influenced largely by
low politicians, even in defiance of the advice and exhorta-
tions of the Catholic priests, to the most brutal and hideous
tyranny—that of a ferocious ignorant mob. No mans life
in the coal region is safe who may be inimical to them, and
their cowardice is equal to their cruelty. A Cornish man,
Walter Peters, a colliery boss, at Wilkesbane, an excellent
man, had given his Irish employes some offence in the
course of business. A month since he was leaving the col-
liery. office for his house, in the evening, when he was thrown
down on the pavement, and there stoned to death. Lately I
had to write to Mr. G. K. Smith, an English mining sur-
veyor, in Lucerne county, for some business papers. He re-
plied that he would send them to me in a few days ; adding,
in reply to some remarks of mine about the state of the Irish
population in Schuylkill county, bad as things are with y ou,
they are no better here. A Welshman was murdered in his
house a fortnight ago, and people (except the Irish) do not
care to venture out of an evening. Poor Smith I By yes-
terday's New York paper I find the melancholy account of
his death—shot in riding from the post office to his house I
"In going to and from the collieries some of my friends
think it but prudent to avoid doing so except by daylight
The aggregate of murders and serious personal assaults in
the coal districts is frightful ; and none of the villanoua
population has been brought to justice. Unfortunately the
judges and other officials are elected, and the ignorant im-
migrant population being the majority in the coal region,
the court is consequently Irish in feeling, and unfit for its
position in respect to uprightness and other requisites—it is
the mere creation of the mob."

The Late Poor-law Inquiry in Bethnal-green,

At a meeting of the Bethnal-green Board of
Guardians, held yesterday, at the workhouse, near
Victoria park, Mr. Howard in the chair, a letter
was read from the Poor-law Board communicating
its decision with reference to the recent inquiry by
Mr. Lambert, Poor-law Inspector, into the circum-
stances attending the death of Caroline James, and
the alleged neglect and improper conduct of Mr.
Christy, the relieving officer, in respect to the case.
The following is a copy of the document :
" Poor-law Board, Whitehall, Dec. 11.

" Sir,—Dam directed by the Poor-law Board to
inform you that they have received from their in-
spector, Mr. L imbert, a report of the inquiry re-
cently held by him into the conduct of Mr. Christy,
relieving officer of the western district of the parish
of St. Matthew, Bethnal-green, in the case of the
late Caroline James, and they have carefully con-
sidered the evidence given on that occasion. It
appears that the first intimation received by the re-
lieving officer that the deceased required relief was
between 5 and 6 on the afternoon of baturday, the
17th of October, and that he visited her about 7
o'clock on the same evening. When he arrived,
he saw her furniture was being removed in a van,
and he was then referred to a house on the opposite
side of the street, where he found the deceased sit-
ting in a chair in the back room. In the first in-
stance be told her that she ought to be taken to the
place where the goods were going, but he after-
wards offered to admit her to the workhouse on
condition that she would allow the furniture to be
removed there, and that her children should accom-
pany her there. That offer, however, was not ac-
cepted, and the deceased was removed the same
evening in a cab by her mother, who was present
during the two interviews with the relieving officer,
to the mother's own residence, where she died of
consumption on the following Wednesday, the
mother having maintained her in the meantime. In
the depositions taken at the coroner's court no men-
tion whatever was made by the relieving cfficer of
his offer to receive the deceased into the workhouse,
and the Board find from his own admission that
when he visited the deceased he made no inquiry into
the state of health, the ability to work, the condition
and family, and the means of the deceased, but con-
cluded she was not destitute entirely from the quan-
tity of furniture in course of removal. It is evident
also, although the fact is denied by the relieving
officer, that he used coarse and improper expressions
towards Caroline Dalmer, one of the neighbours
in attendance upon the deceased, as he was
leaving the house ; and the Board have reason
to believe that his conduct in other respects was not
so temperate and forbearing as it ought. to have been,
elusion that the death of Caroline James was accele-
The board, however, are unable to arrive at the eon.
rated in any sensible degree by the. course pursued
officer, and, having regard also to
sister, the
by the relieving
the fact that she was afterwards taken and main-
are not they
tained by her mother, and that her funeral expenses
twheirnekatfhteartwthaerdcsirpcauimd
circumstances
liorfotthhee re
case
ed
such
as
services, and
as to require so extreme a step as that of requiring
h
resignation, especially ensgptehc ioaf hiist
l when they take into con-
sideration
the deliberate opinion expressed
that in this instance there is bY the guardians
is res
thegreat extenuation for
his conduct. The board at
that Mr. Christy is censurable for his omission to
make due inquiry into the circumstances of the de-
ceased, and also for using the very improper expres-
sion already referred to. He ought also to have
known that if he considered the deceased a fit object
for the workhouse, he was not justified in attaching
to his offer any such condition as that already al-
luded to.'Phis is not the first occasion on which
Complaints have been preferred against Mr. Christy,
and the board request that in conveying to him their
decisions on the case the Guardians will remind him
that if any serious neglect or omission in thedis:
charge of his duty is established against him h ere
after, ho will not be allowed to retain his office.
"I am, sir, your obedient servant,
„C. G/LpIN, S(Crettity.
it To Mr. W. T. Howard, clerk to the.i liutir-
dians of
the Poor of the part. of St.
Matthew, Bethnal-green."
On the motion of Mr. COLLINS, I.t w. .s resolved
be called in and reprimanded by
that Mr. Christy
the
was done accordingly ; and
Mr. Christy chain:lamb whlaii
emphatically denied that ho had ever
made use of such language as had been attributed
to him.
The board soon afterwards adjourned. The other
business was not of general importance.

N.E.; S PAPER
/tegomi-o-ittoes.
"1:44611:).13:
'phical Sr ‘o\l--,,,, .4454/41
\:41:4-ard?4l'
At the meeting of this society yesterdity evemit ns
—Lord Strangford in the chair—a Met was ret, 3,
communicated by Mr. Swinhoe, on Fbrmt )sa, whic
island was opened to Biitish commerce b 3 the is to
Lord Elgin.- Mr. Swinhoe was appointed vice-con-
sul of Formosa, and visited different part of The
coast to ascertain which port would be best a dapted
for trade. In his communication he stated some of
the results of his investigations in the character: of
the island and its inhabitants. A ridge of moun-
tainous hills extends north and south nearly through
its centre, those portions of the country being in-
habited by native tribes principal:3- of Malay origin,
the lower country on the west and north belt g in
possession of the Chinese. On, the north of the
island there are extensive seams of coal, N, thieJa is
highly bituminous; so much so indeed as not' to be
fitted for combustion in the furnaces of steam: Chips,
but when mixed with Welsh coal is very suita h'ha
for the purpose. This coal Mr. Swinhoe conside rs
to be of the character of lignirc, and as the scam a
occur in tertiary strata, he does not think that thnl-
can be very deep. At present they are worked net. x
the surface, and to a small extent. The rocks ar e
volcanic, and not far distant from the coal there is:
a sulphur hill, in the vicinity of which there are hot
springs and other indications of volcanic action.
The summit of the highest of these hills is covered
with coral, indicating ;hat
The the
country, so whole rangfahr as Mr.
e as been
elevated from the sea.
Swinhoe had an opportunity of observing, is very
fertile, and on the east side of the island it )713 well
called
attentionthe natives.of t
particularlya
ntf
o
the society
S
soow ln•ietyh°e
to the want
accurate maps of the coast, the absence of wAich
renders the navigation very dangerous.
Admiral COLLINSON, who said he consider ed
Formosa a child of his own, as he had surveys d
the coast sixteen years ago wren little or nothing
was known of it, described the
general eh,?.racter
of the island, and mentioned that on the east coast
the equatorial Gulf stream is stronger than at any
other part of the globe. It carried his ship in one
day 95 miles against the wind, and on another (lay
upwards of 100 miles. On the west side of t:he
island there is a strong current in the opposite
direction.

Sir HARRY PARKES noticed the original occupa—
tion
though
4
of P
Formosa
hby the Dutch and Japanese, and
stated that th
tshe island is so large that it uow
forms one
f
and is only divisions of the Chinese em-
pire,coast, it was not
abouttake2nopo9osssession of by the Chin ese
miles distant from the
until within the last.
years. He mentioned tve
difficulty of trading with th
savage character of
e island, owing to its
want of harbours, and to the
some of the native tribes, and even of the Chinese
themselves. There is, he said, a
south-east
all tribe, not
amounting to 300, who occupy the h-
of the island, and make it a practice o t
cot
B
east point
head of every one who falls into their hands.
that tribe and by the Chinese nearly the whole of
the crews of the two English ships were wrecked
on the island were murdered. He took a more
favourable view of the probable extent of the &lamas
of coal than Mr. Swinhoe, and stated that though,
there is no trade with Formosa carried on directly
with this country, there is nevertheless a considee-
able indirect trade through Hong Kong.
After some observations from the chairman, a
second paper, describing a journey from Nazareth
to Bozrah-Moab and Damascus, by Mr. Eaton, was
read, and the meeting adjourned to the 11th of
January.

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The election for the county of Buckingham,
vacant by the elevation of the Hon. W. Cavendish
to the peerage, will take place next week, and this
will complete the list arising out of the deaths and
official changes which have taken place during the
recess, with the exception of Tewkesbury, which
was vacated by Mr. F. Lygon prior to his election
for West Worcestershire, and for which it seems
the Speaker of the Hmse of Commons has no autho-
rity to issue a writ as in other cases. The elections
which have taken place stand as follows :—On the
day
of the prorogationew,writ.wata ordered for
the borough of Pontefract in the roam of Mr.
Monckton Milnes, who was raised to the peerage
under the title of Baron Houghton. On the 3d
of August Major Waterhouse (Conservative) was
elected without opposition. A few days after the
prorogation Mr. F. M. Callcutt, member for Clare,
died. On the 31 of August Sir Coltman O'Logh-
lan was elected. Captain Willie Johnson, M.P. for
the Montgomeryshire Burghs, died a few days after
the prorogation. On the 20th of August the Hon.
Charles Richard Douglas Hanbury Tracy was
elected. Mr. Beriah BAfield, M.P. for Ludlow,
died on the 6th of August. On the 28th Sir Wm.
Fraser was elected. Earl Beauchamp died on the
9th of September, end was succeeded in the earldom
by Viscount Elmley, M.P. for West Worcester-
shire, which consequently became vacant. On the
26th of October the Hon. F. Ligon, formerly mem-
ber for Tewkesbury, was elected. The Marquis
Townsend died on the 10th of September, and Vis.
count Raynhem, M.l'. for Tamwortb, succeeded to
the marquisate. On the 12th of October Air. J.
Peel was elected for Tamworth after a sharp con.ight Hon.
Edward Ellice,M.P.ied
test with the Hon. Henry Cowper. The 11
M
. for Coventry, on the 17th
of September. On the Bth of October Mr. Morgan
Treherne was elected after a severe Contest with
Mr. A. Peel. Mr. Potts, M.P. for Barnstaple, died
on the 21st of September. On the 20th of Octo-
ber Mr. Lloyd was elected, after
Mr. Bremridge, who formerly a contest with
borough. On the 25th of represented the
announced that Mr. Sergeant
September it was
to the dignity of a Baron of
Pigott had been raised
October 16, Mr. George Shawof the Exchequer. On
member for Reading Without Lefevre was elected
20 it was announced hout opposition. On Sept.
resigned the office that Sir William Atherton had
Sir Roundell of Attorney-General, and that
'this created
Palmer had been aointed his sue-
cessor.
eated
pp
Richmond, forvehich Sir R. Palmer was re-elected
position.ht. By this promotion the Solici-
tor-Genera') became vacant, and Sir R. P. Collier
having been appointed to it appealed to the borough
°f Plymouth for re-election. He was returned with-
out opposition. On October 18 Mr. Hope, one of
the members for Windsor, died. On November 4
Colonel Vyse was elected after a contest with Capt.
liayter. On October 19 Mr. Langton, one of the
members for the city of Oxford, died. On Nov. 7
Mr. C. Neate, Fellow of Oriel College, was elected
without opposition. Oa October 28 Mr. W. Cabin,
M.P. for Andover, died. His son-in-law, Mr.
Humphery, was returned after a contest with Mr.
Hawkshaw. —........

_
YACCIDENTS.—The West
A CHAPTER OF RAIL
week in accidents. On.
been unfortunate during,
first
train proceeding from Wor-
cester morning the
approaching Ledbury tunnel ran.
and Hereford on.Ariexiastt Western Railway has
which proved to be a fall of
the line,
into an obstruction on
clisitdelrand section of the Great
cuttinggoods train, and was proceeding up
which had taken place in the night,
was
atsliottle damage was done. The subsequent
an incline, so that little
delayed,
but the line was Cleared by
passenger trains
On the preceding evening there was an extra-
the evening.
from a frightful accident on the West And-
r escape .
ordina y
A 4 a goods train was proceeding from Oxford
ter a coupling chain broke,and several trucks be-
eia,hreth
tirnsiaa deep
l slow
sine detached, the driver proceeding without them. For •
tunately,e thero was a guard at the end of the dissevered
trucks, and hc,knowing that the express train from Loudon
to Worcester was following behind,rau back with his lamp and
succeeded in attracting attention of the driver, who pulled up
just a few yards before reaching the trucks, He then pushed
tloanldVo line.ce s
the trucks before him to the next st ation,l he only result being
a delay of about an hour. On the same day, as some men
were employed in re easing the interior of Mickleton tunnel,he
, near Chipping Camptlen,
(al the same line
roof of the tunnel fell in upon the workmen. ThuTcihi,
and a boy were injured. One boy named Wrisberg
in:wary,
akull fractured, awl was conveyed to Woreostor
not
so
where he is doing well. The other sufferers
werespecial train from
much hurt, Two or three nights ago a spec
a portion of
ureat
Worcester to Malvern,
road in the
had to pass a level crossing on a turnpike
no notice of
suburs of Worcester. The gatekeeptchre,
driver, not heeding
on approaching theike former place
the train, had the gates closed;
but the
smashed the gates to
ant
passing along the road
tphieecoebs,struction,
Fortunately, drove n
othrough
person N
at the time,