The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-18 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

A letter from Berlin, dated the 15th inst., says—
" The speech from the Throne has produced gene-
rally a satisfactory impression, It has been ob-
served with pleasure that it did not show any bias
towards any particular party. As yet it has not
been decided whether the Chamber will reply by
an Address to the speech. The utility of a debate
upon the Address is much questioned. It would
occupy much time, and lead to no result. The
Progressist party especially are against such a de-
bate, and, it is thought, propositions on the subjett
will be made in the next sitting. The Upper House
constituted itself yesterday by electing for its Presi-
dent Priuce Hohenlohe-Iffingen, and as Vice Presi-
dents Count Stolberg and Bruhl. The health of the
King is still a cause of some anxiety to the public,
and, despite the official denials, the report prevails
that the King still suffers to a slight degree from the
effects of the attempt at Baden. His Majesty was
not present at the last hunting4)arty, but is often
seen out walking, and at the theatre. It is certain
that the Princess Royal will visit England in the
spring. She will not be accompanied by her hus-
band, because he is much occupied with the affairs
of the State,"

TERRIBLE COLLIERY ACCIDENT.

NORTH SHIELDS, FRIDAY, 8 P.M.

The greatest anxiety has prevailed in this dis-
trict during the past 24 hours for the fate of 215
men and lads buried in Hartley New Pit, belong-
ing to Carr and Co.
Yesterday the beam of the pumping engine broke
in two, and one half of it, weighing 20 tons, fell
down the pit shaft, carrying timber, brattices, and
everything before it. Of eight men who were
being drawn out of the pit at the time it fell, five
were thrown
.out of the cage and killed. Their
bodies were not recovered. The 'timber and other
debris choked the shaft half-way down, and cut off
the 215 men and lads in the pit from communica-
tion with the bank. Since yesterday the ablest
mining engineers and pitmen in the coal trade have
been engaged in attempting to force a way through
the obstructions in the shaft, to reach the men and
boys below, but up to the time of your correspon-
dent's leaving the pit, at six to-night, they had not
succeeded in doing so.
The pump of which the shaft has broken pumped
1,250 gallons of water a minute out of the pit,
and, as that is stopped, the working seam will be
drowned out by this time, and the horses, worth
£5OO, lost. Fortunately, there is a communication
between the " working seam" by means of a staple,
or ladders, and the " yard seam," 29 fathoms
higher up, and out of reach of the water. The
buried men have been distinctly heard to-night
working in the shaft from that seam, trying to
clear away the obstruction in it from below.
I was confidently assured by Mr. Foster, consult-
ing viewer to the coal trade, that in the opinion of
most competent authorities they are in safety, and
out of reach of the water. It is believed that they
will be reached to• night, the ground for this im-
pression being that water falls freely down, while
the shaft ventilation is good. The buried men and
lads are in charge of able over-men, who thoroughly
know the pit and its workings.
Numbers of the wives and sisters of the men
have been watching at the pit's mouth, in the bitter
cold, since last night, and great numbers of people
are gathered together at the bank.

LEGAL OPINION OF THE CHARLESTON STONE
BLOCKADE.—The meeting of the Law Amendment Society
on Monday evening was occupied with the discussion of a
paper by Dr. IN addilove on belligerent rights. In the
course of the debate Mr. G. Roohefort Clark condemned
the destruction of Charleston harbour by the Federal Go-
vernment as a wicked and wanton act, and said the atten-
tion of the public and the Government had been so much di •
verted by the Trent case that I hey had failed to fully esti-
mate the frightful dimensions to such a mode of warfare
would lead. Upon the part of the Federal States it was a
manifest abandonment of the blockade, because they con-
fessed before the world that they had no maritime foie() to
blockade the port. Thcy had no right whatever to destroy
a harbour which was the common property of mankind,
and he hoped that the English Government, as well as
public opinion in this country, would declare that such a
precedent cculd not be tolerated.