The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-29 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.

Yesterday information was obtained of a MestAame-
ful outrage, which might have been attendeerveitti fatal
consequences, having taken place on the night of Tues-
day last on the line of the Eastern Counties Railway,
at Brentwood. It appears that shortly after twelve
o'clock on the night in question, one of the ballast
engines was drawn up alongside the Brentwood station,
and the engine drivers and stokers had left her for a
short time in order to get their suppers, prior to raking
the fire out for the night. They had been gone but a
few minutes, when a man named Thorogood, a carpen-
ter, residing at Brentwood, who had been drinking
with several other companions, and was much intoxi-
cated, determiuecl, to use his own phrase, "on having
a bit of? lark." He got over the palings of the station,
and having mounted the engine, turned the steam on,
and then leaped off and ran away. On hearing the
noise, the engineers made the best of their way towards
the line, being convinced one bad been started off.
The Brentwood station is situated about 500 or
GOO yards on the London side of the present ter-
minatio.: of the Eastern Counties Railway, where the
Company arc cutting through an immense bill leading
to the estate of the Right Hon. Lord Petre, through
which it is intended the line shall pass to Chelaisford
and Colchester. Fortunately the engine went in that
direction. In its progress it dashed a horse box and
truck laden with coke stationed on the line literally to
atoms, and then continued its course onward until it
reached the bill alluded to, where its further progress
was impeded, but its velocity was so great that it was
imbedded in the earth and quicksand, of which it was
composed, to the depth of several feet. Had the en-
gine gone in the contrary direction there is little doubt
but it would have continued its course until impeded by
the terminus at Shoreditch, and a large loss of human
life must have been inevitable, as tetween Brentwood
and Ron: ford there are hundreds of workmen em-
ployed on the line during the night. On discovering
what had happened an immediate pursuit was made by
the engineers, and Thorogood being found in the neigh-
bourhood, was accused, and admitted the fact of having
set the engine going. He was given into custody of the
police, and it is understood he will be prosecuted by the
Company. The damage sustained is estimated between
401. and 501.

The rapid succession of accidents on this line, it may
be hoped, has now ceased ; but how to tranquillise the
public mind, and restore confidence, is a question. The
trains, which before the Brentwood accident were so
much crowded, now pass to and from the lire with but
few passengers, whilst every coach and omnibus on the
turnpike-road is crowded. The railway lus increased
the true into the Eastern Counties teufold ; and nsw.
by the late deplorable accidents, the traffic is thrown
back on the turnpike-road far beyond what the old con-
veyances can accommodate. This state cf things is
much to be deplored, a!:d has occasioned considerable
inconvenience to the public ;• but the Company cannot
expect that the public will put themselves in harm's way,
until something is done to satisfy them that all is right.
The causes of the late frightful accidents arc variously
accounted for, and many rumours arc afloat.
Next to these accidents one circumstance in particu-
lar has tended to injure the traffic department—the re-
signation of Captain Richardson, the chief Inspector,
whose strict attention to the passenger trains, and
being alnays on the alert, gave the passengers great
confidence. Whether the Brentwood accident hap-
pened from over-driving, the construction of 7he eu-
fine, or the inclined plane, one tiring is certain, that
the accident which since cccurrcd eft Bow, areFe from
inexcusable carelessness. Fran passengers in that
train we arc assured that the train left Shored.tch in
the presence of Mr. Ball, the Managing Director, Mr.
Braithwaite, and others. with orders to stop at two
places—Stratford, and off Bat: ; at the latter place the
' Company were about to establish a new station--that,
in seven minutes after they Lad left Shorcditch, and
whilst making the second stoppage (off Bow) a second
train, with Mr. Hall, &c., which had left Shoreditch two
minutes after the first, on the same line, run into them
with great violence. Who was to blame for this fatal
and imprudent act ? Na dead engineer here to per-
plex the evidence. One thing looks well ; tire driver,
or engineer, who had the management of the second
train, has been discharged ! But was not the second
train that committed the mischief under the personal
orders and guidance of the managing Director and the
chief engineer ? It is again reported that Mr. Braith-
waite is about to resign. We feel for him, and we
arc told these repeated terrible catastrophes affect him,
as they might justly be expected to affect a man of
right feelings. It will net be sufficient for the Com-
pany to adopt measures of future security, but they
tnuA fully satisfy the public that they have done s-, aro
they can expect the return of that confidence they had
acquired.—Essex rcury.

THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES.

--~. ~-

We have now, it is said, in various pasts of
England, societies combined for the difias:on of
-infidel and imnioral sentiments. Who ought to be
the most active and isfleential opponents of their
pernicious movement '['he Established Church Cc-.
slimily. But does its constitution make it so ? What
is the statement which is found most commonly in the
mouth of every sulg4r infidel, and which is best calcu-
lated to produce a strong impression upon that portion
of the populace which is anxous to burst the bonds of
moral (md civil order ? It is that religion is
the invention of the rich for the purpose of securing
the subjection of the poor. There is much in
the minds of the class cf whom I am speaking,
to incline them to receive this assertion with boisterous
acclamations of approval. But is it not lamentable
that the Established Church should furnish a colourable
proof of the truth of the assertion ? The Chartist
Delegates will ask of ou, whether your opinions are not
under the con!rol of an Act of Parliament ? And it
is easy for them to expand this in a manner injurious to
our character. They will remind their %sillier, auditors
that the Articles of our Church were drawn °up in dis-
taut ages, when learning was not diffused, and when
liberty was not undo stood ; this alone can be repre-
sented with popular di...AA as a presumptive ground for
suspecting the truth of these articles. But they will
go on to remark, these articles are now maintained
by Parliament, not becaufe they arc true, but be-
cause it is not felt worth while to examine them,
more e.pceially as they' suffieieutly assert the
duty of subjection
,to themselves and ti e civil
magistrates. Anti they will support their assertion on
grounds sufficiently p!ausible for popular improsion.
A vast number of the Members of Parliament (they
will observe) are so far from professing belief in these
articles, that they unhesitatingly and openly proclaim
their dissent from them ; and 3et it is by the act, or by
the forbearance of this assembly that these articles are
enforced upon any portion of the community. The
civil powers then do not even pretend to believe these
articles; they only enforce their subscription. When
this is said, as Laid it Las often been, we must be com-
pelicd to acknowledge the truth of the latter.fact ; and
it is a fact which tells on the public mind, whatever
eloquence may be :employed in rcfuting the inference
built on it.—.l Pamphlet on Church Government.

ILL-TREATMENT OF A WORKHOUSE Boy.
—On Monday se'nnight John Stokes, porter at Kidder-
minster Union Workhouse, was charged before H. Brie-
ton, Esq., Mayor, and W. Bo}cot, Esq., with an assaultupon a child named Perks, aged about eight years, an in-
mate of the workhouse, by tying him up in a bag, by way
of punishment fur makinr; water in his bed, the boy having
a complaint over which he had no control. Cl.arlotto
Guest, wife of an inmate of the workhouse, deposed to
finding the poor boy tied up in a dirty potato bag, so that
be could not stand upright. The bag wit; hung upon a
pair of steelyards,-xneLthe bottom of it was. about a yard
from the ground. She informed the Governor, who went
and, cutting asupder the knot which fastened the mouth of
the bag, liberated the poor prisoner. In his deknen Stokes
said he was very sorry for what he had done, but Perks
was a very mischievous boy, and, besides wetting his bed,
he hid thrown his shoes and other things into the privy,
The Mayor read the defendant a severe lecture on the in-
humanity of his conduct, and, in consideration of the con-
trition he had expressed, moderated the fine to 11. and 12s.
Stokes
ha as
expenses, in default of payment to undergo two months'
-7
imprisonment. The money was inin !lately paid. At
the weekly
dismissed meetingfr oin of the
situation, Gnattdiars,
porter, in co,ians, on Tuesday.sequeneo
of this gross cnd cruel misconduct.

NEW REGULATION BY TIIE GREEK GO-
VERNMENT RESPECTING THE PR,CE OF CURRANTS,--110
following is an extract of a letter received at Lloyd's, from
their agent at Patras, unler date the 12th Sept., 1840:
`` On the ith instant GreLk Gore. omen gave orders
to prevent any currant laden vessel leaving the port of
loadi :g until the price of currants was fixed between the
s'2ller alia buyer, and vcsJels which bad begun lcading in
faith of the old law, and which arc ready for son, are thus
detained. In this predic anent arc the Despatch,
Titania, Post-boy, Tepula, Watcrlily. 6 ',111:,f
which alci
Candidate, Shannon, Parga, and Pence, all of which ar
Candidate, Siiarnon, Parga, ar.d Pence,
es. The em.
nearly loaded, but cannot get their clears
to any amount."
hori.ics, and off:red to deposit the du les
signecs have entered protests against t. anGoverninent au-

the supet in .
COLONIAL BREAD.—We yesterday had the
pleasure of receitirg from the Manager of the S-:uth
Australian Company a fine wheaten loaf, the produce of
the colony, end sound excellent bread, we rejoice to s:-,y, Lc
was. The wheat was raised from seed grown, we believe,
i.i the colony, and was produced on the South Australian
an theba keTdournred nesr,
inimeaiately
aCcv
ep a
the
's t boewanti fgurl 0
tflalT nnl
tendencc of the family of our worthy friend, Mr. Randall,
the Director of the Company's agricultural operati
Some of our readers may smile at the
.importancejrlZ,
attach to what they may corceive a trivial event ' -
our estimation, the first step towards th
...2 DI.I • ; but in
redence of the province—the first opening physical inde7l
great sources of its eventual wealth--is_r'f one of the
being thus recorded. It is with tru,, - well clulervingn
can and, judging from the extmt er s..tisfaction that we
pared or in the course of pi.e`e,r .-' grc,und Oroady pre-
blessing, we may expect to .1.0-tia.,:loo, that, under God's
sca ;on, 100,00 bush, Is of !)' '' e d'-;.itig. the ensuing
maiz.,, barley, ar.d other - • wit 4 alone, independent f
glains,___, , o .
vister. South Australian Re..