The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-10 00:00:00

ems
THE WILDERSPIN TESTIMONIAL-
On Monday last a select party of Mr. Wilderspin's
friends met in Stratton street, Piccadilly, for the pur-
pose of presenting to him a time-piece, purchased by the
Teachers and Children's Penny Tribute Fund. It
was the workmanship of Mr. J. Bennett, Cheapside,
* simple and extremely handsome article, with a group
of children, at study on the top. The inscriptions

were—
" The Teachers' and Children's Gift to Samuel Wilderspin,
nventutls Amator et Amor. June 7, 1847."
el Foe thee, kind trainer of the infant mind,
Teachers and taught, in grateful love combined,
Would bid this votive diai's silvery bell
Record the hours by thee employed so well,
And friendly memories o'er thy future shed,
Whose life's long-past in love's best work has sped."
The Oft Was preSfmted by Mr. DANIEL GASKELL.
He said--Mr. Wilderspin had been engaged more than
• quarter of a century in promoting the improvement of
infant education, and in the laborious occupation of
opening infant schools. In this cause he had made
a great sacrifice both of health and property; and
having been so eminently successful in the art of
teaching, and having introduced a system so be-
neficint in its results, it did appear to us that in his ad-
vancod age lie was fairly entitled to some valuable proof
of national gratitude. Under this impression a sub-
scription was entered into. Mr. Wilderspm had been no
sectarian in his views—he had opened schools for all
without distinction of sect or party; and on the list of
subscribers will be found the names of persons of almost
every phase of political and religious opinion—many of
the highest rank, both in Church and State, and ma'ty
amongst the humbler classes of society. The subscrip-
tions received up to this time amount to nearly 1,800L—
a small sum if regarded as a compensation for the labours
and services of -Mr. Wilderspin; but, coupled with the
pension of 100/. a year which her Majesty has graciously
conferred upon him, it will be sufficient to relieve him
from much present anxiety, and prove a great comfort
p
in his declining years. In presenting this offering to
you, sir, I know you will not estimate it according to its
pecuniary value, but that in your estimation it will de-
rive its chief value from the source whence it proceeds.
Teachers and taught have long been the object of your
peculiar care, and thi, tribute of affection and respect
irora them will often recal to your mind the sweetest
recollections. I hope it may descend to your children's
children, and may prove a stimulus to them to employ
their talents (as you have employed yours) in promoting
the improvement of mankind.
Mr. WILDERBPIN replied in terms of affectionate gra-
titude to the donors, and giving a slight but most inte-
resting sketch of the progress of his early career—how
he had suffered from the persecution which so frequently
Attends those who stand aloof from party, who hold all
in the wide embrace of Catholic humanity. lie alluded
to the result of his labours. Ile saw on the roll before
him, inscribed with the autograph or name of 1,000
children, the sympathy of th 9 Church of England, the
Wesleyan, the Independent, the Catholic, the Unitarian,
the Jews (who in one poor school had subscribed 160
farthings), and the Friends. He hailed the prospect of
an old age, not of poverty nor yet of affluence, but of
ease and comfort, and he thanked the Source of Every
Good for the prospect.
Mr. MoNcicrox MILNEs, though all he felt had been
so ably and clearly expressed by Mr. Gaskell and Mr.
Wilderspin, could not withhold the sympathy he had in
the object of the meeting. Mr. Wilderspin was a man
of genius, and he had devoted it to the highest object
—the cultivation of the human race from its earliest
youth. Every day added conviction of the importance
of his mission, and every day unhappily added a sense of
its difficulty: obstacles to any plan of general education
seemed to increase with the knowledge of its necessity,
the persecuted were becoming the persecutors; but he
would not despair, for on looking around him, and find.
ing the subject was becoming one of universal interest
and perpetual discul-sion, hope brightened the horizon of
the future.

Mr. CHARLES Dtcazxs regretted that a severe cold
and hoarseness would prevent hi o saying half he felt.
He was grat,ful for the information he had received, not
being aware of the ex:eur. of Mr. Wilderspin's
labours and services. He rejoiced that a subject su con-
nected wit:, .he wants of infancy, and the threatened des
titution of a public benefactor, was brought forward by a
weinan, and with the expression of his cordial satisfac-
tion he uniod his hopes that Mr. Wilderspin might long
live to enjoy his well-merited honours.
Mr. TliJaN-rox HUNT bri,,fly, but most heartily, con-
gratulated 31,. Wiiderspin's friends on the success of
their persevering labours and untiring exertions; after
which the party s, parated.

THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE
3.•; 0 ItTII-NV ESTE it Zi RAILWAY.
WOLVERTON, TUESDAY NionT.—lmmediately after
the termination of the inquest on Munday, Mr. Rodgers,
the surgeon, assisted by Mr. Freeman, of Stoney Strat-
ford, in pursuanre of the order of the coroner, proceeded
to make a post mortem examination of the bodies, in
order to ascertain the precise cause of death. On ex-
amining the body of Clifton, one of his arms was found
fractured, z..ts also hii ankle, but not so severely as to
cause death. The leg of the gentleman supposed to be
Smith was also found fractured, the bone nearly pro-
truding through the skin. On opening the heads of both,
the brai,, and the ventricles were found gorged with
blood. T ,vo other bodies were afterwards examined,
when the appearances of the brain were similar. The
other three were not opened, but merely examined ex-
ternally, the medical gentlemen being satisfied that the
cause of death arose from suffocation, the whole of the un-
fortunate p rsons having been pressed so closely together
as to deprivt, the respiratory organs of all power of ac-
tion, and prorlucing instant death.
This morning Mr. Blot!, the station-master, for-
warded to Taondon the followinz official report of the
names of we persons killed and injured by the acci-
dent

" PEP.SONS KILLED.
"No. 1. Cope, Loudon or Wolverhampton.
"No. 2..1. B. R ittrey, Dundee.
"No. 3. Mina-, of London.
" No. 4. A person unknown, linen mat ked H. Smith.'
"No. 5. Clifton, of Coy« ntry.
" No. 6. i'. Makinson, Balton.
" No. 7. J. S, Sherratt, Lichfield.
" PERSONS INJURED.

" W. Turner, of Bythefield•hall, Staffordshire.
" Henry Shannt,e, Oldham-street, Manchester.
" Thomas aides; cook at Regent's-hotel, Leamington.
" James Finden, of Dublin."
Since this was forwarded to London the following
correct particuk:i relating to the deceased parties have
been obtAint.(7:

Mr. Cope v. a a c:urk in the London and Westminster
/link, and having obtained leave of absence, was pro-
ceeding to Wolverhampton to spend a few days with his
family, who reside in that town.
Mr. Rattrey was the principal of a large foundry at
Dundee, employing 560 hands, all of whom, it is stated
on the best authority, will by his untimely death be
thrown out of employ.
Mr. Miller was sec: try to the South London Ragged
Schools, and personally known by his zealous advocacy
of the " Industrial System of Education" to Lord Ash-
ley. He was rroc• (Eng to Manchester to attend the
funeral of his mother, which was to have taken place on
the following day. This gentleman was the only one
married, and he unfortunately has left five children, the
eldest 14 yerns, and the youngest nine months old, with
a widow, to latuerlt his loss.

Mr. Smith.—Of this gentleman nothing further is
known. Ile is not yet identified; but as ho was only
going to Birmingham, it i 9 &uppos d he is related to a
highly respectanlii
.solicitor ut that town of the same
name.

Mr. Clifton is the .on of's respectable tradesman re-
siding at Acton, Midiies,x, who this morning identified
the body. This young man was in the service of Messrs.
Smith and Debenham, linendrapers, of Crawford-street,
Marylebone, and with another young man, named
Cooper, also in the same employ, was proceeding to
Coventry, to spend the Sunday with Cooper's friends.
The latter escaped by a miracle: he was sitting next the
door, whir) when the cAli,ion took place flew open, and
he was t',rown on to the embankmeht. He was much
shaken, and now rt!inains at Coventry, under medical
treatment.

Mr. Sherratt was proceeding [lime to Lichfield; and
Mr. Makinson wa.s going on a visit to his relatives at
Bolton.

Nothing can exceed the sympathy evinced by the offi-
cials of the company in all the departments, from the
highest to they lowest, for the survivors of this melan-
choly accident. .rhose injured and who are lying at the
inn near the station are visited almost every hour by
Mr. Rodgers, the surgeon, and the greatest solicitude is
shown for their speedy recovery. This afternoon the
report was that they were progressing favourably. Fin-
den, who was much cut and contused about the head,
was able to get up. Mr. Shannon, who is about sixty
years of age, has received a severe contusion of the leg;
Mr. Turner i; much hurt about the legs and chest, and
Eades similarly cut about. On Monday a number of
the carpenters belonging to the factory at this place were
employed in making coffins for the bodies of those
killed; and after the examination by the surgeons they
were placed in them.
The Coroner,
on the adjournment of the inquest, made
out his
of
a svarrants for burial, and
on Monday night the
Makinson and Sherratt were removed to Bol-
ton and Lichfield. Those' of Miller and Clifton were
brought by the Yorkeo mail to London, at two o'clock this
day, and that of
two down train froth this
forwarded by the half-past
boats (Wolverton) station to Wol-
verhampton. The
coffined, too eompa„y body Mr. Rattrey is not yet
in havingcon,e,inehee ,3 thordered a leaden one to
place it in,
distance it will have to
travel. The body of Mr. Smith iwthilialso remains coffined,
and should it not be owned,
cbeembutied in Wolver-
ton churchyard, on Thursday, the
taken
upon themselves the expense attendants on of
ill the sufferers.
the
Newport losf
been placed in the
Fossey, the consts)-Ae who Caused the accident,
has
been of the superintendent
the Bucks censtabulary, aw
awl .s confined inv,
Pagnell station-house, where he will remain until after
the inquest.

The complaint with regard to the practice of pay-
ing double commis,i :n to the London brokers connected with
the hide trade was finally considers l by
the Court of Alder-
men on Tuesday, by whom a resolution was come to that it is
not expedient to proceed further in the matter. The present
custom, however, being at variance with the literal condi-
tions of the bond exacted from the brokers by
the Corpora-
tion, the necessary and co:ninon sense step
of appointing a
committee to cAlsider what alteration should be made in the
existing bond, and in the regula ions with regard to brokers
for the future, has baen adopted. This committee, it is un-
derstood, are desirous to receiva the advice and asL:.9.tarice of
all parties who m iv feel interested in the subject.
iIItiPROVEMENTS or GREENWICH HOSPITAL.-0H-
Tuesday workmen were emplo) ed, by o-d,r tf the commis-
sioners of Greenwich Hogpi!al, in the oem,ition s.t the Ship
Tavern, the Lerd Ligouier's Head. and other buildings in
Fisher-lane, Greenwich, to form improvements iu the line I
of, and in addition to, the river frontage of Greenwich '
Boopital.