The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-05 00:00:00

Lord Malmesbury on Polish Affairs,

At the annual meeting
of the South Avon Agri-
cultural Society,
on Tuesday evening, at Christ-
church, the Earl of Malmesbury presided. In pro-
e;osin e. the o Army and Navy," his Lordship said ;
In drinking to the great success of the army and
navy, and to a continuation of those honours which
they have always earned and still continue to earn,
we cannot bat congratulate ourselves that we are
not at this moment in need of their active services.
Although I feel it is my duty to support these two
institutions, upon which the safety and honour of
our country rest, yet I am glad to say that there is
no need at the present time of their active services.
We have at this time, I hope, good promise of peace,
as far as we are concerned, although other nations
are now engaged in war. Not long ago considerable
comprehension, and I think a very reasonable appre-
hension, existed that we should engage in warfare
on account of Poland. I cannot say, gentlemen, how
much personally I deprecated auy such war. I have
deprecatedpublicly in my place in Parliament any
course of action that might have the effect of involving
Us in a war on behalf of that nation, and I would de-
precate it again in the strongest and most earnest
phrases. (Hear.) It is not, gentlemen, that Ido
not feel as every Englishman must feel for the
sufferings endured by that country. It is not that
I do not contemplate with regret the tyranny under
which they are bound—(hear, hear)—but with all
these feelings, which are the feelings naturally of
every Englishman, I cannot forget there is a duty
paramount to these sentiments—a duty which we
owe to our country. (Cheers.) I consider it to be
a general principle that our army and navy should
be only employed in our own defence, not in any
aggressive action whatever, except in the case of a
war, where there is absolute necessity for acting in
self-defence. We are doubtless, as regards this
question, placed in an awkward position. There
have been men in high station, of very generous
sentiments, and gifted with stirring powers of
eloquence,: who, driven on by the most generous
feelings, have inflamed the public mind with regard
to Poland. So much has this been the case that I
am afraid a very bitter misapprehension has taken
place among the Poles themselves, who may have
looked forward to active and material interference
on the part of this country. It may also have been
a groat disappointment to oar ally the Emperor of
the French, who judging from the language of this
country, thought we would go hand and hand with
him in an European war. Now, these illusions
have disappeared. To me they have always been
illusions, but not so to a great portion of the public ;
and it has disappointed the Poles themselves, who
have been encouraged in what I feel to be a hope-
less struggle. I feel that the sentiments of this
country are so decidedly in favour of peace that
there are no reasons why we should enter into
a bloody and expensive war under the present
circumstances of the Polish insurrection. I
have felt it rather to be the duty of all
public men to discourage rather than encourage
those illusions of which I have spoken. This has
occurred to me more forcibly during the last two
or three years. Men of high honour, men devoted
to their country, have, under the influence of a
generous enthusiasm, called upon me and always
pressed upon me to advocate their cause in Parlia-
ment, and speak in favour of Polish liberty, and the
emancipation of the Poles from Russian domina-
tion. I know I have been thought by them cold,
and perhaps unfeeling, from the manner in which I
have received them, from my having always de-
clined making any such speeches, and from in-
flaming the mind either of Parliament or of the
public by complying with their desires. I thought
it was a paramount duty that they should not be
deceived, that they should not think and judge from
the words which I or any other public man might
utter in Parliament that this country would go to
the extent of actively interfering, or would go to
war with the Russians, or call upon any other na-
tion to assist us in emancipating Poland. I think
in so doing I did my duty. (Hear, hear.) I know
those who made speeches and inflamed the public
mind, as I have saidbefore, are men who have acted
and felt generously; bat they thought, holding no
position of responsibility, they might say what they
liked and do what they liked, and to them must be
attributed the false position in which we have stood
with respect to the Emperor of the French and also
the Poles themselves, both of whom have been de-
ceived by the sentiments of this country—l do not
mean the sentiments of a body, and a generous body,
who, sympathising with the sufferings of the Poles,
have sought to involve this country in a war in
their cause. I believe all danger of such a war is
past, and our army and navy, well drilled and ma-
eceavred every day, may continue to wear their
swords in their scabbards, and wait for the time—
and long hence may that time be—when this coun-
try shall require their services. (Applause.) In re-
ferring
to the volunteer movement his lordship said,
—But really, feeling what I have said upon the
army and navy, it is impossible to exaggerate the
importance of the volunteer movement. The effect
which it has produced abroad is even greater than
upon our own minds, and proves that those who see
from a distance see more clearly than ourselves, and
better appreciate the consideration and value which
such a movement must have in the eyes of Europe.
It has rather increased than decreased, notwith-
standing the netural idea that after a time many
have got tired of it, or are too much confined by
/4Hess, and find too much to do to follow it up.
this appears that the average number of volunters in
s "Thl'ty is much the same as it was two years
tahgeo.re(al,3l.:l7.l Gentlemen, you know perfectly well
4 had for quitting the corps. I should
never hee,
quitted it unless I felt it impossible to
do my duty
"do
are placed. / r the
new system under which you
felt it impossible to fulfil my duties
at Suuthampt„,
the bad exanspi, aria I would not show as captain
non-attendance.
.men of making,. excuses for
into the hands a a felt it better to put that office
occupied with othele°'ll"g man whose time is not
under him the corps wi blic business. lam sure
Prosper, and that you will
support it to the best of
that it pointed out to sse7°,ll3lr Power. In any way
whether in the way of subleesoial to that corps,
offerintiptio
finding substitutes, in es—(cheers)—in
perk or any where on my „tat:nisusements, in my
as
pnloYiltilstahtaelltrailawndaYs
glad to see the corps again
and also in a public always be
comradea,
that Christchurch produces a corpe al view, seeing.
other in the country. (Cheers.) good KB any

--- _
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"at 4s 4d. (formerly 4 8 'cl. and
4s. 4, High Standard . I. Bd.), is the
strongest and most delicious imported. Agents is
every
town supply it in vacketA.
PROPOSED HARBOUR IN VIE DOWNS.—A spteisi
meeting of the promoters of this undertaking witsheid
in the Guildhall, Deal, on Thursday, the Mayor (Mr. Iv,
I'. Pettit), in the chair. Mr. Alfred Giles, C.E., attended
and explained the plan of the proposed works. A. basin of
30 acres in extent is to be constructed on the waste ground
near Sandown Castle, to be connected with Sandwich by a
canal 100 ft. wide, through which the water of the river
Stour can be diverted when necessary, to flash out the en-
trance to the basin. The estimated cost of the works is
£209,000. Mr. Giles explained that there will be an outer
harbour, always open, which will have 10ft. of water at the
lowest spring tides, and the entrance to which will be pro-
tected with two arms or piers. The works will not inter-
feewith the drainage of the marshes, and the waters of
Stour will be so seldom required for flushing the basin that
the river above and below Sandwich will not be injuriously
affected,R.Marsh,
On the motion of Captain Betts, seconded by Mr.
were adoptedMayor of Sandwich, the plans and estimates
nPxt session for and it was resolved to apply to Parliament
bring
to coustruct the works. Joint com-
mittees of the promoters in Deal and Sandwich have been
appointed to
gtthe matter before the public, and it is
expected the
by the capit proi3e
alists of the district,
be liberally supported, not merely
bi
diatrict, but by the shipowners and
underwriters in the
metr a
o
p
o
l
i
s
.
The proposed harbour and
docks will supply want long experienced—a safe refuge
into and out of which vesaei a of a moderate draught can pass
at all times of the tide, in any weather, and be sheltered
from the prevailing winds.
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the greatest relief will immediately result from
ttlole abdomen.
ensure the
rubbing Holloway's soothing ointment over
So This oint-
ment friction should be frequent and brisk,
dwheortehefs the
penetration of a large portion of the unguent.
calms the excited peristaltic action, and
pain. Both vomiting and griping yield to it
or vegetables have originated the malady, it is proper tote
remove all undigested matter from the bowels by
mo-
derate dose of liolloway's pills before using the °it-
meat,

RAILWAY STATISTICS.

ACCIDENTS.

"Fearful Railway Accident," "Loss of Li on a Rail-
way," " List of Killed and Wounded," " T .trible DiS9S-
ter"—such are the headings of some of the sensation jour-
nals, which one would almost suppose th?y kt pt in stereo-
type, so often are they repeated. In the ab 3 zce of horrible
murders and terrific battles in America, nothing seems so
popular with the sensation class of publications as an acci-
dent upon a railway. Every trifling incident of this sort is
magnified into something calculated to horrify the weak and
nervous, and to create an impression amongst some who
knew no better that railway travelling is attended with
manifold dangers.
Fortunately, the official tables of the Board of Trade
enable us to gauge the extent of accidents upon railways.
These official statistics demonstrate that it is not more dan-
gerous to travel by railway than to sit by a fireside at home,
and far less so than to walk the streets. The number of
passengers by railway in 1862 was 180,500,000. Of these
180,500,000 passengers, exactly 26 lost their lives ; and of
these 15 were killed by the extraordinary collision which
occurred in a tunnel near Wincwhbeeua tworg,on
ttrhaiensEdin
burgh and Glasgow Railway, bet
com-
ing from opposite directions ; an accident, we be-
lieve, which never occurred before, and which, it
is to be hoped, will never occur again. Deducting
this accident, extraordinary in all its circumstances, it
would result that only 11 passengers met their deaths from
railway accidents in 1862; but even taking the numbers as
they stand at 26. we have a result of less than one passen-
ger in 7,000,000 who meets his death in travelling on a rail-
way from causes beyond his own control. What life in-
surance company would not be glad to take at a very low
figure a risk which had such a result as the loss of one life
in every 7,000,000 of lives? Out of every 7,000,000 of
persona sitting at home by their firesides, what is the loss
of life by crinoline accidents, fire, explosions of gas, or
other combustibles? Out of every 7,000,003 who walk or
drive, how many meet with accidents in the thoroughfares
or roads ?

The singular freedom from accidents with which passen-
ger traffic on railways is conducted is shown by a compari-
son between the number of passengers killed, and the num-
ber of accidents to trains. In 1862, whilst the number of
passengers killed was 26, the number of accidents to pas-
senger trains was 52. The total number of passenger trains
run was 2,553,993, so that the number of accidents to trains
is in the proportion of an accident to one train in 50,000.
In addition to the 26 passengers killed by accidents, 9
men their deaths on railways from their own misconduct,
or want of caution. These deaths were mostly attributable
to attempts to get into or out of a train whilst in motion—
a practise which cannot be too severely reprobated, and by
which many officers and servants of the railway companies
suffer as well as incautious travellers. This brings up the
gross total of passengers killed on all the railways of Great
Britain in 1862, to the number of 35.
Unfortunately there is a class of accidents on railways
which represents a very much larger proportion than those
which occur to passengers. Whilst the accidents to pas-
sengers are so very small, the accidents to those em-
ployed upon the lines are proportionately much greater.
Whilst " the number of passengers killed by accidents be-
yond their own control" amounted to 26, the number of
"servants of companies killed by accidents beyond their
own control" amounted to 20 ; and whilst " the number of
passengers killed or injured owing to their misconduct or
want of caution" was only 9, the number of servants of
companies killed or injured from the same cause amounted
to 89 killed and 25 injured. This disproportion is, of course,
the more remarkable if the numbers are considered in their
relative proportions to the numbers of travellers in the one
case (180 millions), and the number of servants in the
other (say 100,000). But then wo have to consider that
they apply to different descriptions of trains. In addition
to the 2,500,000 passengers' trains which run every year,
there are 1,600,000 goods and mineral trains which
do not carry passengers. And these trains, a large pro-
portion of which run by night, and which are of much
greater weight than passenger trains, although they
do not run at such high speeds, are, of course, equally, and
in certain cases even still more liable to accidents. Goods
trains, mineral trains, and cattle trains are not so well ap-
pointed as passenger trains; they are not expected to be
driven with the same skill or by machinery of the same
power; they aro frequently less carefully attended to in
transit, at, stations, at facing points, and on inclines. They
are obliged to "shunt" at different stations to avoid pas-
senger trains which are coming after them ; and from all
these causes they are rarely so well able to keep time as
the passenger trains, which proceed at higher speeds.
These circumstances must all operate against goods trains ;
but, nevertheless, the official returns do not show that they
are proportionately more liable to accident than passenger
trains. Of the 1,600,764 merchandise trains run in 1862,
accidents only happened to 13, of which there were 7 from
collision, 5 from trains getting off the rails, and 1 from the
bursting of a boiler. But it is to be observed that when
accidents happen to goods trains, which carry no passen-
gers, the injuries to life must always affect the servants of
the company. Hence one of the causes of the dispro-
pnrtion.

But the loss of life to servants of the companies owing to
their own want of caution is a far more serious item of these
statistics. That so considerable a number as 85 of our
fellow-creatures should annually sacrifice their lives
through their own carelessness in the performance of their
regular daily duties causes very anxious feelings. What
are the circumstances under which those poor people fall
victims to their own imprudence ? On examining the offi-
cial records, iz will be found that these accidents occur
mainly to station masters, porters, platelayers, signalmen,
breaksmen, and others who incautiously cross the line, or
attempt to communicate with trains in motion, or to couple
or shunt waggons, between the buffers of which they are
caught and crushed. A large proportion of these accidents
appear, unhappily, to occur from over-zeal in the execution
of duty, as in the cases of a station master at Sandy, in Bed-
fordshire, killed in leaving a train in motion with which he
had been in communication, and of another station master
on the Eastern Valleys (Monmouthshire) Railway, who fell
between the train and the platform while attempting to
fasten the door of a carriage. On the other hand, there are
cases of imprudence on the part of experisnced men for
which there would seem to be no excuse. On the North
London Railway, for example, a guard lost his life last year
in consequence of climbing on the roof of a carriage whilst
the train was in motion and coming in contact with one c,f
the bridges.

Whilst these are cases in which the railway companies
are to be rather commiserated than blamed, there are cases
recorded in these official returns in which the accidents
c:early arise from the condition of the line, and in such
instances no one can have have any sympathy with the com-
panies to which they occur. The accidents at the Brighton
Railway Station at and near to London .bridge appear, for
example, to have entailed more mischief than those on
almost any other line in the kingdom; this is entirely attri-
butable to the over-crowded condition of that station and
the character of the route of the Brighton Company in and
out of London. In the record relating to this company
particulars are given of the series of accidents following :
June s—Collision between a passenger train entering the
London-bridge station and one leaving it. About 15 pas-
sengers injured.
Aug. s—Collision at London-bridge station between a
special passenger train from Crystal Palace and an engine
which was shunting. 24 passengers slightly injured.
Sept. 13—Slight collision between a passenger train and
a luggage van in the London-bridge station. 7 passengers
slightly injured.
Oct. 6—Third-class passenger leaning out to fasten the
door, which he had previously opened to release a lady's
dress, came in contact with a bridge, which was too near the
rails, between New-cross and Forest-hill, and was killed.
Nov. 6—Collision. The 8 a.m. down express Brighton
train overtook and ran into the 755 a.m. down South
Eastern tidal train during a fog between New-cross and
Forest-hill. 22 passengers and a guard injured.
Why are two express trains started in a fog in the month
of November within five minutes of each other from the
London-bridge station ? Why are the lives of passengers en-
dangered, if they chance to put their heads out of the win-
dow of a carriage between New-cross and Forest-hill p
Parliament is very responsible for these occurrences. It
forced the South-Eastern and Brighton companies to enter
tunr; bur: d
tgle.
London on the same road. It allowed the latter company
to lay down new lines for its Crystal Palace traffic without
Properly widening its bridges, and although it was incon -
TablY established that the route out of London via Lon-
Tho po t
was so over-crowded as to necessitate the depar•
onlyiats,
alas within five minutes of each other, it refused
most coLver") to allow new entrances, which would have
iently distributed the Brighton traffic.
Western Ranwat
most of oar regt:fety with which passengers are carried over
senger killed lines is very remarkable. On the Great
orTi.for example, there was not a single pas-
of passengers. 03,111'te: in 1862, out of more than 8,500,000
carried no less than ila Londons and North Western, which
bY collisiola
lost, although there we're"'°" passengers, not ono life was
Persons injured (the majority
of them slightly)
rtual:lshich occurred between trains
at Bletchley and at lleato
The London and South
Western had not a single accir*
had more
servant by death
senor on the line, nor did it losenat o.s any sort to any pas-
poor
ritni
oj injury
ofy fromBory accident,ants killo dt hitionegohnsi te
ci
ti
ear ot
than its due pro-
of caution, which may induce apprehension
t their own want
trains and carried
Company are not suffi-
ciently expene , _ ern Railway v.„
of the savants employed by this
equally fortunate. It had no passenger killed or iCurecd.
passengers inijured ;
Blackwelllra
ran
42,000f0ur
10,000,000 passengers on its line without a single accident
and The the Eastern
L o a onand Counties
only
either to train or passenger.
On the other hand, 31 passen-
gers received injuries in collisions on the Great Northern;
three
the London, Chatham, and Dover had
passengers
'''
killed and 11 injured : the Midland Iva.
unfortunateenoughrk
its rails,
to have three very serious collisions on
hiC at Market
211 a et
llarborough, Hitchin, and Chesterfield,
ill
w collision at
pas-
sengers were injured; the South Devon had a
Ivy-bridge, in which 19 were injured ; and the collisions
before referred to on the Brighton line caused the death of
1 passenger and injuries to 76.
Mr. George Robert Stephenson, the civil engineer, in a
pamphlet privately circulated amongst railway authorities
last year, attributed all the accidents whtch occur on railways
to the variable speeds of trains, caused by running express
trains at excessive speeds. The statistical tables certainly
appear to boar out 'lr, StePhertsQu's 032c1144"3‘ r'ri©