The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-15 00:00:00

THE SIM LONDON, THTIRSD 4.Y EVENING MAX 1.5, 1862,

quires to be most narrowly watched by English
statesmen. There is no use in concealing the foot
that there is a widely spread animosity against
Great Britain in America which may overpowet the
prudence and wisdom of her statesmen. The mass
of the people are capable of believing anything
concerning the mother country, or rather the Bri-
tish aristocracy. There is a most popular pamphlet
at this time in New York, the object of which is
to prove that the whole of the civil war is the
result of a " plot" of the cotton lords of England.

and the fleet of Algeria were fixed for 1847 at
439,000,000 ; they are estimated for 1853 at
535,000,000, showing a total difference of
56,000,000 f. " Who can say, after casting a glance
at the extraordinary credits of late years, what
may be in 1863 the definitive settlement of this
budget ? "

"The pttblic works of 1847 took 177 millions on a
budget of 1 milliard 629 millions, or 10•$ per cent.;
the entire extraordinary budget of 1863 is 138 mil-
lions of 2 milliards 92 millions, or 6 per cent.
Finally, in 1847, 34 millions were employed in the
buying up of Rentes, and 79 millions we:e funded.
In 1863 the 150 millions of the Sinking Fund are

carried to the receipts

He gives a statement of the difference between
the estimated and the real expenditure dating the
period from 1831 to 1848, as compared with that
from 1852 to 1861. Thus, from 1831 to 1848,
estimated and voted expenditure, 20,569,000,000 f;
definitive do., 21,884,000,000 f; excess of real over
estimated, 1,249,000,000 f. From 1852 to 1861,
estimated, 14,828,000,000 f ; real, 17,767,000,000 ;
excess of real over estimated, 2,939,000,000 f. The
first period was 17 years ; the second 9 years.
" These figures," he observes—

" Show that if, on one hand, in 17 years of Par-
liamentary Government, now so cried down, the
financial result of an administration and a policy
controlled by the Chambers was to make France
spend 1,249,000,000 f (or a yearly average of
73,000,000 f more than estimated ; on the other
hand, in the first nine years of the new regime the
sums of which the Legislative Corps had only to
confirm the employment, instead of providing and
regulating, amounted to 2,939,000,000 f, or a yearly
average of 325,000,000 f."
M. Magno had spoken of the wars of the Crimea
and Italy as among the principal causes of the in-
crease of expenditure in France. "To justify
this," observes M. Puler,

" It is not enough to appeal to our military glory.
True, France, besides these wars, has also made war
in China and Cochin- China ; she has gone to Syria;
she occupies Rome; and she is at this moment en-
gaged in a fresh expedition to Mexico. Algeria is
pacified, and a brilliant campaign has secured the
submission of the Kabyles. To such things no one
is indifferent, even among those who reserve their
judgment as to their utility. But our memory goes
further back. It is not Imperial France alone that
has paid her debt to our annals. The expedition:of
Belgium, the taking of Antwerp, the expeditions of
the Tagus, Ancona, St. Juan d'Ulloa, and Mogador,
cannot well be forgotten. Algiers was the glorious
bequest of the Restoration ; but it is on the period
of which I compare the balance-sheet with that of
the present that the immense sums applied to the
conquest of Algeria press. Our navy was trans-
formed during the last years of the monarchy; and,
in spite of our revolutions, public opinion has done
justice to the young and generous initiative which
gave to France the most powerful fleet she ever had
till then. Since the Empire, public works have had
an annual average of only 70,000,000 f; the nine
last years of the previous reign show an average of
120,000,000 f."

M. Casimir Perier, still acting on the recom-
mendation of M. Magne, institutes a comparison
with the financial system in England. " From
1830 to 1848," he says,—
" The total of the State Budgets amounted in
England to 21 milliards 680 millions, or an annual
average of 1 milliard 200 millions, while the same
period shows a similar average for the French;
From 1848 to 1861 the English Budgets show a
total of 20 milliards 268 millions, or for the 13
years an average of 1 milliard 580 millions. The
average of these same 13 years is, for France, 1
milliard 880 millions, or 320 millions more than the
English average. The increasing progression of the
Budgets has, then been more rapid with us than
with our neighbours. The average of
,these 13
years, as compared with the average of the 13 pre-
vious years, constitutes in the two countries a total
augmentation of charges; for France, 7 milliards
700 millions, and for England 4 milliards 680 mil-
lions. But this is not all that we learn from our
comparison. If England seems to have abandoned
her sinking fund, such as we understand it, and
such as she had long employed it, she continues to
reduce her debt from her surplus income."
M. Perier had already shown that, whereas,—

" From 1816 to 1848 the sinking fund had not
ceased to act in France, from 1848 the buying up
of Rentes was completely suspended,except in 1859
and the first six months of 1860 ; and all the funds
from that source were carried to the account of re-
ceipts of the Budget, and spent. In this way 1
milliard 273 millions were absorbed from 1848 to
1861. . . From 1848 to 1862 England,witli her
expedition to the Crimea, two campaigns in China,
and the Indian war, borrowed, under divers forms,
but a little over 1 milliard, and made successive re-
ductions in her debt amounting to more than 600
millions. During the same 13 years the French
funded debt was increased by from 244,000,000 to
380,000,000, and the amount of active Rentes is
330,000,000 instead of 176,000,000. Under this
head alone more than 150,000,000 of annual Rente
have been added to the public charges. This is
more than the extraordinary Budget of 1863 ; and
it is five times the proved tax upon salt, 17 of the
31 years to which the examination of the English
Budgets applies shows a surplus-14 years a deficit.
The deficits amount to about 1 milliard 200
; the surplus to 1 milliard ; but the three
years' war in the Crimea claim 800,000,000 of that
deficit, and if we deduct these three years the 28
others, taken together, show a surplus of about 600
millions. These figures, which nobody will dispute,
which nobody can dispute, are more eloquent than
any comments. I could add nothing to this speak-
ing homage in favour of the financial administration
of free Governments."
M. Casimir Perier concludes as follows :
" I can draw from the reflections which the Bud-
get of 1863 has s uggested to me no other conclu-
sions than these—that, for the public fortune, as for
private interests, there is no guarantee but liberty,
and for Governments no safeguard but in discus-
sion and control. Abroad, the influence of a coun-
try is based less on the multiplicity than on the jus-
tice and the utility of its enterprises. Good policy
does not consist in being everywhere, or in trying
to have influence on all, but in acting with consis-
tency, and morally and materially in consulting
only really wants and durable interests, At home,
nothing is more fatal than uncertainty and insta-
bility. After having innovated much, overthrown
much, and essayed much, it is now seen that we
have gone back instead of advancing, for mere rest_
lessness is not movement. We are not, as regards
wealth, industry, and confidence, at the point we
were after the Crimean war. It would perhaps be
unjust to limit too much, and still more unjust to
extend the responsibility of such a change. Each
one of us has the right to accept his part of that
responsibility only so far as he has contributed to
create it, or as it was possible for him to prevent it.
What passed yesterday belongs to history, and
history will pronounce its decision there where
we have only found a lesson. Let us, then,
look forward and occupy ourselves with the
morrow. France once warned and offered the
alternative, would be henceforth without excuse
if she did not give to the direction of her interests
the attention she bad too much withdrawn from
them; and if, with a view to preserve some influ-
ence on her destiny, she did not exercise the right
which the constitution gives her."

The following is an extract of a private letter from
Sydney, dated the 19th March :—" Don't sell or let any
Sydney property until wo know more of the Larhtan Dig-
gings, for it is now Rt....t proved that they are the richest
ever yet seen. Last week the escort brought down 11,000
ozs., and left 5,000 ozs, behind."
RELIC OF ANCIENT LIVERPOOL.—A curious
tunnel has been discovered in James-street, during the ex-
cavations being made under the direction of the borough
engineer to ascertain the cause of the sinking of the road-
way. The tunnel is about 30ft, in depth from the surface
of the ground, 9ft. in height, and seven and a half in width.
It contained a quantity of refuse, which is now being
cleared out, but its length cannot yet be ascertained. The
tunnel was first discovered in making one of a series of
excavations near St. George's Church, and it takes a direct
tion from that point down. James-street towards the river.
Tho supposition is that the tunnel may be a remnant of the
works connected with the old castle, which at a remote
period stood near the site now occupied by St. George's
Church,—,Liverpool Ilierpury.

ir)
2HE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE ./ t. -
DON, CHATELAII, .AND DOVER RAILWAY

FAVERSHAM, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

This morning, shortly before 11 o'clock, the county
coroner, Mr. T. T. Delavaux, resumed his inquiry
as to the cause of death of James Stratton Plumb,
commercial traveller, and Wm. Harris, storekeeper
in the service of the company, whose deaths had re-
sulted from injuries received at the accident at
Ospringe, on the London, Chatham, and Dover
line, on the previous Friday. The inquest room, at
the Anchor Inn, was crowded throughout the in-
quiry, and the greatest possible interest was mani-
fested in the proceedings.
After medical evidence as to the nature of the
injuries from which death had resulted,
Matthew Simpson, of London, engine-driver in
the service of the company, deposed—At ten minutes
past seven on Friday morning last I left the Victoria
Station in charge of the express mail train, which
consisted of the engine and tender, a first and two
second-class carriages, and a break van, belonging
to the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Com-
pany, in whose employ I am, and have been so
nearly 11 months. Ido not know the number of
passengers. Nothing unusual occurred until the
accident happened. On reaching Ospringe I ob-
served that the rails were in a bad state on the off
side. The rails were out of order; that is, they
were not in their proper position. I cannot say what
caused the rails to be in that state. The engine and
tender left the rails, and the next thing I saw was
the carriages going down the embankment on the
near side of the line. The cause of the engine leav-
ing the line was the crooked state of the rails. I
could do nothing to prevent the accident. I can-
not throw any more light on the occurrence. The
average rate of the mail train is about 40 miles an
hour. At the time of the accident we were travel-
ling at the rate of 20 miles an hour, having
slackened the speed for the gates on that part of
the line. The rails were in a slippery state,
and therefore the train was slackened. It was
about thirty yards from where the accident hap•
pened when I observed the defective state of the
rails. I had no time to try to stop the train then.
I have been an engine driver upwards of 17 years.
By Mr. Round—The engine was in first-class
order on the morning of the accident. I examined
it before leaving London, and also at Chatham.
Robert Crumby, the stoker of the engine, and
Charles Henry Benham, the head guard of the
train, were also examined, and gave similar evidence
to that of the driver.

Henry Ramsden, of Faversham. in the employ of
the company as plate-layer, said—l have been so
employed for the last five years, mostly in this im-
mediate neighbourhood. My duty is to walk my
length every morning, and examine the rails and
line generally, to see that all is right, from Faver-
sham to Beaton-hill cutting. This distance includes
the spot where the accident occurred. A little
before 6 on the day of the accident I started from
Hangman's-lane, and I completed my inspection by
a little after 7. It was my duty to go over the line
once a day. The permanent way was in perfect
order. If there had been anything the matter I
must have seen it. The line was safe to pass over.
If there had been anything the matter it was' my
duty to repair it.
The witness was examined at some length as to
the state in which he found the line after the acci-
dent, and he described that some of the rails were
bulged out and the chains and trenails broken,
Mr. Joseph Cubitt, of Great George-street, West-
minster, said—l am a civil engineer. I constructed
the London, Chatham, and Dover line as far as it
is open, a distance of about 65 miles. In that dis-
tance the spot where the accident happened is in-
cluded. In every department and part it has been
made to my entire satisfaction, and hi the very best
style of construction. I know the spot where the
carriages ran off the line. It is on a curve of 70
chains radius, and on a gradient of 1 in 132, both
of which are quite unobjectionable. For the last
three years I have not seen anything of the line.
After the accident I did not find anything wrong
in the permanent way. The line has been opened
about four years or a little more.
By Mr. Round—On Saturday last I examined the
materials left by the accident. I found the broken
trenails perfectly sound, and the sleepers also. I
constructed the Great Northern line. Up to a recent
period wooden trenails were in universal use on four-
fifths of the Great Northern line. They are still in
use. I prefer the wooden trenails as a fastening to
the iron spikes. They are being very largely used
by the leading engineers of the country, The South
Eastern was laid upon the same system.

By Colonel Yolland—lron spikes are now being
introduced into the wooden trenails on this line.
This has been done in consequence of similar mis-
haps on other lines. Fishing of the joints of the
rails arc now going on.

Several other witnesses were examined, but they
threw no additional light on the causes of the
catastrophe.
Colonel Yolland, ono of the inspectors under the
Board of Trade, stated that he had gone over the
line, and gave it as his opinion that the accident
arose from the. breaking of the trenails on the off-
side rail of the down line, caused by the pressure of
the trains, there being a curve at the point at which
the accident took place, and not enough elevation of
one line of rail ever the other to allow for it. He
also objected to wooden trenails.
The Coroner very briefly addressed the jury, and
directed them that, according to the evidence given
and the opinion of the Government inspector, they
conld not reasonably come to any other conclusion
than that it was purely an accident, and there was
no blame attachable to any one-
THE VERDICT.

After about an hour's consultation the jury re-
turned the following special verdict :—" We find
that the deceased, James Stratton Plumb and
William Harris were killed by the falling of the
train over the embankment, and we further find
that the accident was caused by the improper
state of the permanent way at that particular
spot ; and that it was possible, when the plate-
layer went that way, that it was not perceived by
him. We believe, also, that the engine driver
was correct in his statement that he per-
ceived, as he was travelling along, the bulging
of the rails, but not in sufficient time to stop the
train, consequently we attach no blame to him ;
and we would recommend that, at any future acci-
dent, nothing on the railway should be replaced, if
the Government Inspector can be on the spot within
24 hours of it happening."

The Coroner said that verdict amounted to one
of accidental death; he recorded it as such, but de-
clined to receive the recommendation as part of the
verdict, but merely as a suggestion.