The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-12 00:00:00

THERMOMETER.

This morning
This day at Two o'clock 7B

Barometer-30.30.
Wind—N.-W.; light, and fine.

04' •
44-44,/

iiiiiIMMIIibINIM

sceptre—order maintained, commerce increased,
agriculture advanced, territories (we need not again
say how) extended, glory and influence regained
and enhanced, both at the council board and upon
the battle-field. All tb ese recognitions of the past
are expressed, inarticulately, but quite comprehen-
sibly, in the shouts of welcome greeting NAPO-
LEON 111. as he traverses France, as he did the other
day, when he rapidly passed through the enthusi-
astic population of Normandy. But there is more
than this recognition of his past in these acclama-
tions I There are audible, to our thinking, none
the less clearly in them—hopes, aspirations,
encouragement to him in regard to the future.
And the duration of his popularity, the perpetua-
tion of his dynastic power, are dependent upon his
justification of those hopes, upon his fulfilment of
these generous aspirations, upon his boldness and
resolution in acting—at length—in answer to
that appreciable encouragement. He has spoken
himself, plainly and more than once, about
"crowning of the edifice." The crowning of the
edifice as promised by him, and as understood by
others, has barely yet commenced. The EMPEROR
has probably—we do earnestly hope that he has
—many years yet before him. But—he
is now already in his fifty-sixth year. Austria
herself gives good augury, nowadays, of going
before him in the development of a despotic into a
Constitutional Government. Festina lenee may
be a very good rule to begin with. But the time
arrives, at last, when it becomes tedious.

These is an interesting letter in the Times of
yesterday on the subject of Transportation. It is
written by Mr. GRELLET, and he ably demonstrates
some of the errors that exist on this subject. He
states that " the people of the sister colonies assume
the right of dictating to the Western Australians
what they shall and what they shall not do. The
colony is not to continue a penal settlement, simply
because they do not please it shall ; then the mother
country is openly threatened if the Government do
not accede to their wishes," It is observed that the
Western Australians have asked the Government
for convict labour, to supply the want of that labour
which the other colonies had taken from them.
There is much force in the argument that transpor-
tation has not injured the other colonies, and it is
added that the inhabitants of Portsmouth, Port-
land, Chatham, Pentonville, &e., have more reason
to complain of the system than these objecting
colonies. When it is taken into consideration that
the nearest of these colonies is by land one
thousand and five hundred miles distant, across an
impassable country, it seems really absurd to inter-
pose such obstacles. When the scheme is one that
is sure to be the means of conferring immense
benefits on numbers who now are driven into
the commission of crime, it is really wrong to use
such a frivolous pretext, and to create so
many difficulties in the way of improve-
ment. It is quite impossible for the convicts
to make their way by land to the other
colonies, and by sea the stringent regulations
laid down render that also oat of the question. No
man can land from any part of Western Austra-
lia without producing a passport to prove that he
has never been a criminal ; the master of any vessel
who takes such passengers is fined for each in the
sum of a hundred pounds. Therefore, with such
precautions, it must be evident that the only evil to
be complained of or dreaded cannot possibly occar
to these complaining cqloniee. Since transporta-
tion to Western Australia took place more than
thirteen years ago, only between forty and fifty man
have been lost, and of these it could not be proved
by contending parties, before the " Tram- portation
Commission," that six even had arrived on their ,
confines. Also there is very little communication
between Western Australia and the other colonies.
With Sydney they were years without having any
communication at all, and with Adelaide only four
or five times a year is there any traffic. Mr
GRELLET emphatically contradicts the statement
that was made by Mr. EBDEN to the effect that
" sixteen ticket-of-leave men were shipped off to
Wanguini, by the authorities of West Austra-
lia." He says that such an occurrence
never took place. He cannot recall an in-
stance of a vessel clearing for New Zealand.
There is no trade with the country. In referring
to a remark made by another disputant, that " he
did not object to West Australia having these ras-
cals, if she only kept them," Mr. GRELLET states
that that is all they desire, and that they have no
doubt of keeping them, but also hope to refierm
them. " The other colonies are frightened at a
shadow, and make all sorts of loose statements, but
do not substantiate one." Mr. GRELLET next at-
temps to show that there are great inducements for
these men to remain where they are, and that it is
• their interest and intention to do so. In the first
place they are all welt aware of the penalties that
are entailed upon them if they seek to land in other
colonies, and also the obstacles in their way. When
a man has gained his ticket-of-leave he may take
service, or enter into business on his own account ;
and numbers of these men are comfortably settled,
and are landowners in the colony. Of course, with
all these advantages,
they have no wish to move ;
and why should they do so, since the utmost they
could expect in distant colonies would not be any
greater prosperity than They have where they are.
Men whose wits are sharpened by their mode of
life, and who have gained experience in a hard school,
will not be slow to find out that, should they escape
detection, the chances are all against their succeed-
ing so well in other places. The want of employ
merit which has been talked of Mr. GRELLET
declares to be the argument of those who are in
total ignorance of the place and its sources. "Our
"are of as great extent, and as
minerals," tie sal's,
rich as any of the other colonies ; they have no
timber to compete with our enormous forests." The
pasture land, he adds, is daily being increased, and
as the boundaries of West Australia include some-
thing more than 640,000,000 acres of land, but a
tithe of which is as yet explored, he truly says that
" it is rather presumptuous to declare they cannot
employ the few that are at present proposed to be
sent to them." The roads, also, they hope to have
made by convicts, and then they can employ more
men than the home country can send them. Mr.
GRELLET concludes his admirable letter by asking
Whether for a crotchet of the other colonies the men
are to be cast back " into a state of crime whence
there is no escape but transportation, thus keeping
upof
juvenile
number of criminals, and begetting a class
rh. offenders which in time take their place."
clearly made
in
.western Australians will also be deprived
of the
only labour they can retain. The case
seems
out on the side of retain-
ing the
convicts
that
Australia, and it
is greatly to be hoped
instead of diminishing
their numbers they may
thb.e largely
increased. All
the evidence taken on
s
best qualified to judge proves subjectth from personsat at home they
are exposed to temptations of all kinds
in the distant land beyond the seas to 'which that
vanish
are sent. Employment is certain, they
and privation is
next to impossible in consequence ; thus two great
evils abounding in this country are unknown. It
seems almost incredible that persons will persist
from prejudice in throwing obstacles in the way of
improving the condition of these m.r. They us

dooming them to that second state of guilt which
is worse than the first ; they are injuring society at
home, and endangering the safety and risking the
property of many. They are also inflicting losses on
their sister colony by depriving them of useful
labour, and throwing away the chance of conferring
a double boon on those who employ and those who
serve. It is to be hoped that a better understand-
ing will be come to on this point, and that no stop-
page will be put to a system which has been seen
to possess so many and such vast advantages to all
classes.

We are not surprised that the verdict of the jury I
at the inquest held on the victims to the late rail-
way accident is severe and uncompromising in its
character. The experience of the last few years has
been so disastrous with respect to excursion trains
that there is some danger of that pleasant summer
arrangement, by which the dwellers in towns who
are tco poor or too busy to leave their places of
business for long are enabled to get a peep at the
fresh green fields or to breathe the sea breezes. The
system has hitherto been advantageous to both
sides, benefiting the public health and improving
the receipts of the shareholders. A series of start-
ling catastrophes have snmewhat diminished its
popularity, but it seems that with due care and
precaution excursion trains might be even safer than
those ordinarily running from the lesser speed re-
quired. We all remember the terrible disaster which
two years ago threw a gloom over one of the most
popular and busy of the excursion lines. There
were not wanting moralists who pointed to it as
a warning against Sunday travelling. But
before many days had passed, while every incident
of the first tragedy was fresh in our minds, came a
second shock, this time occurring on a week day.
The moralists were silenced, but the general feelings
of alarm, sorrow, and indignation were very loudly
expressed. All sorts of improvements and cautions
were suggested, apparently with good effect, for
the various companies, who no doubt shared fully
in the general regret and consternation, have
guarded against a repetition of such catastrophes
This season, however, has not been brought to a
close without disaster. An accident has converted
a pleasure expedition into a journey to death and
suffering; and although it might have occurred to
any ordinary passenger train, there are some points
about it which reflect upon the management of
excursion trains. The accident foretold so long
ago by a sceptical inquirer to the great founder of
our railway system, and treated by him with quiet
contempt, has verified the justice of the objection
in a manner that no one in this generation antici-
p !ted. A bullock straying on the line was the cause
of the disaster by which four persons have lost their
lives, and eleven have been seriously injured. The
engine, though thrown into the air by the shock,
again alighted on the rails, followed by the three
next carriages. The fourth carriage, as is not sur-
prising, got off the line, taking with it the two
third-class carriages immediately behind it.
These carriages, inferior in price, were also,
it
seems, inferior in quality, and the shock, which did
not materially affect the one, dashed the other to
pieces. This is a point which the directors of every
line would do well to look to. People expect less
accommodation when pay ing a less fare, but they
do not expect increased risk to life and limb. The
second and third-class carriages should be made as
sequre from accident as the first, and the public are
not prepared to admit that one man's life is worth
lass than another because his purse is lighter. The
jury alluded to the state of the carriages
in strong terms, and it is certainly much to
be regretted that such week and fragile
constructions should have been put upon an
excursion line. Another serious mistake was the
one so very frt quently committed by the arrangers
of the time tables, although it is a mistake to which
the greater part of our excursion accidents are due.
The trains followed each other in such quick suc-
cession that, although the danger was detected be-
fore the shock came, the driver could not stop, the
next train being close behind him. A quarter of an
hour's difference between two heavily laden trains
subject to fluctuations of speed from various causes,
occasions a series of risks which no railway authori-
ties are entitled to run. How often would five or
ten minutes' difference in the starting of the trains
have saved many precious lives, and spared years
of suffering. There would never be an excuse for
putting so many lives in jeopardy for the sake of
saving a few minutes, but if a reason for
it could ever be found it would certainly
not exist on an excursion day when the
time of the travellers is of very little value.
The chief cause of the disaster was, however,
the defective state of the fences along Ihe line. It
seems that the constructors had trusted in that flat
marshy country, to the ditches and dykes beside of
the low fences, to keeping off intruders. This was
certainly not wise, as the event has too surely
proved. A matter of such vital importance should
never be in any way dependent upon circumstances
and chance. As is always the case after an
accident of any kind has occurred, there are plenty
of persons ready to come forward and testify their
perception of the danger, and it certainly seems
strange that no steps should have been taken to
avert the disaster. Every driver and guard who
passed along the line must have seen the state of
the ditches, every farmer or farmer's man, who
drove sheep or cattle off the line, must
have known of the risk. It would not have
been too much to expect that some of the
railway officials might have remembered how most,
was left to the protection of the dykes, which the
state of the surrounding country might have re-
minded them were liable io be affected by the wea
Cher. But so it is. What is everyone's business is
no one's; what was safe yesterday will pass muster
to-day, and nothing is done till some startling
disaster adds another to the long list of railway
tragedies. Such events are to be regretted
by the shareholders as much as by the prin-
cscluepimpasltssfuoaffrnedreshrsa
sufferers. only do they cost them large
t h compensation,e co n
confidence
cthey
thepublic
damage
are the v
very
y-
willing to place in the direction of our railway
travelling. In the cause of humanity, as well as
in their own interests, the officials are called upon
to look closely into all matters affecting the safety
and efficiency of their line ; and although the recent
disaster has brought upon one company a censure,
it is to be hoped that others will take every pre-
cautien in their power to prevent the repetition of
the calamity.

ROYAL GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION*.—The Gal-
lery of Illustration is armour ced to close on the 20th
of this month, when there will be both a morning and an
evening's entertainment. Tho season has been very pros-
perous. Mr. Reed takes "The Charming Cottage" into the
provinces, and will be accompanied by Mr. John Parry,
who intends to repeat his very successful domestic scene,
"Mrs. Roseleaf's Little Evening Party."
MR. BEVERLEY, the scene painters recently had four
water-colour drawings sent by him to Colnaghi's, these
tour being at once eagerly bought up at 150 guineas each!
The marriage of M. Chas. de Minty, Attaché to
the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with Madlle.
Amet, granddaughter of the Duchess d'Abrantees, was
celebratedao ot
hie ebulracsht
oweek t
.before l
Philippe
plarge and 0
ui e
. distinguishedm. de m
oc
ui rye! s
book, entitlede
days " Philippe 11. et Don Carlos." was, a few
vsomer..n tpairiimsoeer
a made
to a
db
being
hisni tga
0e
appearanceof the
cleverest
marriage, c, rown e d
books that by yo 0 the
had
for