The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-03 00:00:00

Etz_* lig FEBRUARY 3 .1847,

at the apex of the welded V-piece first inserted, and a new
piece of welding put in. The different stages of this process
are all performed at separate heats, and they are so contrived
that the facilities for effecting a good weld •are greatly in-
creased, while the operations being multiplied, the
chances are that a sufficlynt number of them will be successful
even though others may fail to secure an adequate strength.
•• He had at Swindon, as an additional precaution, adopted
means, by iron bands, of placing the resistance nearer to the
strain during the process of welding.
The CORONER then briefly addressed the jury.—lt was quite
clear, he said, that no blame attached to the railway people,
and that there was none with reference either to the engi-
neer or the driver. After reviewing the . evidence, he said
that the object of their inquiry ought to ;be to prevent the
recurrence of such a calamity. It appeared to him that they
could come to no other conclusion than that the deaths of
the deceased were strictly accidental. At the same time,
however, such an accident held out a very useful lesson. In
this case two lives were lost; there might have -been fifty.
In fact, when they considered the speed at which an express
train travelled, there was no knowing what might be the ex,
tent of the- calamity if anything went wrong. The tire
might have flown off at a platform crowded with passengers,
and killed sixty people. Therefore, it gave him great satis-
faction to see persons of such high repute present, and all
agreeing that it would be a safer and better plan to adopt
the fastening by screws. Common sense told them that the
recommendation was a good one. He hoped that wherever
steeled tires were in use, the screw should be also used as a
fastening; and after that :recommendation, if any engineer
had the hardihood to go on with the old -practice, and• any
calamity arose tlie:efrom, as in the present _case, such an en-
gineer would incur a fearful responsibility at law. The Co-
roner concluded by thanking the jury for the patient atten-
tion Which they had given to the case.
A juryman—Is railway travelling limited as to speed?
. The CORONER—No, sir; not bylaw.
Juryman—That appears to me a great omission,- for if a
coach or. other vehicle is driven furiously the driver is liable
to a penalty.
The CORONER—There is no such limitations as to railways,
and the public are principally to blame for it, if it is a fault.
Directors find that they can scarcely satisfy the public in
this respect. A gentleman got into the quarter to I.o,o'clock
expresa train 'to Exeter some shott tlint- tgO, and almoer
immediately fell as'eep. He did not awake till the train had
stopped pt Exeter at a quarter past 2 o'clock, when, pulling
out his watch and seeing the hour, he called out to the
guard, " God bless me, can't rou manage to go a little
faster?"—(Great laughter.) I believe in a short time there
must be some arrangement on this head.
Juryman—l don't think there can be a better man than
the Hon. Member for Finsbury to forward such an object.
The jury having retired for 20 minutes, on their return
the foreman delivered their unanimous verdict to the follow--
ing effect That the deceased came by their deaths acci-
dentally in the manner described, and that it was advisable
that in future the tires should be fastened on the wheels in
the manner recommended by the engineers who had been
examined."

DESTRUCTION OF EASTON
LODGE.

(From the Essex Herald of yesterday.)
Another of the proud and noble mansions of England has
fallen by fire—Easton Lodge, the residence of Lord Viscount
Maynard, which possessed a peculiar interest in this part of
the kingdom, not only from its presenting a noble pile in
the Elizabethan style of architecture, modified by the taste
and the luxury of the present day, but .as forming the
" stately horns" of the lord-lieutenant of Essex, the highest
official representative of the Sovereign in the county. It is
now a heap of black ruins, beneath which lies buried much
costly and valuable property.
This calamity, which has laid the main body of the fine
old house in ruins, occurred at an early hour on Sunday
morning, and the first signs of the fearful destruction that
followed appear to have been discovered by his Lordship
himself. It seems that at three o'clock in the morning,
while the Noble Viscount and Lady Maynard were in bed,
their attention was attracted to a strange crackling noise
in some of the other apartments ; and the first thought
that suggested itself being that thieves were endeavouring
to effect an entrance, his Lordship rose and proceeded to his
dressing-room. There he found an enemy far more formid-
able than human robbers. The whole apartment was
filled with a dense smoke, and the flames were already curl-
ing up the walls of one side of the room, though the imme-
diate cause of the ignition did not appear, and it seems from
all the accounts that have reached us that even up to this
time it remains unknown. His Lordship, with great promp-
titude and presence of mind, endeavoured in the first instance
so to apply the carpet as to smother the flames; and all the
household being aroused, the servants set vigorously to work
with buckets of water to endeavour to check the first progress
of the debtroyer. This •it was soon found was vain. The
older part of the mansion was built chiefly with timber, and
the flames taking a stronger and deeper hold of the ponder-
ous beams of the ancient architect, defied all the efforts of
the family to arrest them in their early stage. It was then
resolved to summon the aid of the neighbourhood by means
of the alarm bell, when it was found in this they were foiled.
The rope of the bell had become entangled, and thus render ed
useless; but the situation of the mansion was soon after an-
nounced to the in itant§. of the district by ti red glare
t
that illumined the y.,,' ... vrr
When it was seen hat ail the efforts of the parties imme-
lt
diately around the mansion were vain, and that the small
engine belonging to the lodge was useless to stay- the
flames, Mr. Griggs, his Lordship's butler, was dispatched on
horseback for the large engine at the police-station at Dun-
mow, which was instantly got out by the force, well manned,
and nromptly on its way to the scene of conflagration, fol-
lowed by the two smaller ones from the same place. Hun-
dreds, too, began to flock in from the surrounding country,
farmers, tradesmen, and labourers, all evincing deep regret
at the prospect of destruction, and all anxious to put forth
every effort to save the house and property. Another engine
shortly arrived from Thaxted, and every exertion was made
to get the engines into play. But in the mean time the
wteimreeadscesecnednidngingantdo
gd
he
thefea roof,fearful p progress. eas
the hall, the drawing and dining-rooms, and ruthlessly ts . the They
h samee y
con-
suming those elegantly fitted-up apartments, with their
costly contents. The whole middle portion of the mansion
flames
snhg atdhr no'ua
was one entire blaze, and the south front presented a scene of
destruction terrifically grand. Anticipatingire directed their this,
ti:n] rn3erfrpoerrts-
sons who had reached the spot early had
in which they hap-
articles in the library and billiard-room,
valuable paintings, with few ex-
*lv succeeded, so that the
pi
.and a large
quantity and placed in the granary,
ceptions, were save
d costly furniture stowed in the coach-
quantity of plate au
to the saving of the books, pictures, and other valuable
der to make room and preserve
turned into the park in or
houses and other buildings, about twenty horses having been

going on the Noble
them from danger.
Viscount was busy
firemen and assistants, and Lady
efforts of the
atistitgatiwonithwgarseat calmness and fore-
thought Hon. Miss Maynard, notwithstanding the
Mayna-d and the
morning, maintained their place upon
Id blast of a wintry
co
watching
thedestruction of their princely home,
the lawn,
bat consoled, we doubt not, by witnessing the
and somewhat
efforts made and the deep feeling which the cala-
mity
excited in the multitude, hundreds of whom had so
mity
bad their wants relieved and their sorrows cared fur at
often
At daylight a heavy rain drove the fair sufferers
thet li e workeffo oof
directing
refuge in some apartments of the building. distant
to t take
e While
scene of desolation which then presented itself; for
the continued play of the engines, and in defiance
ofitnrhfoesniLllittoteldlieguofea.ian effort, room after room of the main or centre
part, the most ancient of the whole, was consumed; roof
after roof fell in, and the whole was a mass of blackened
ruin. At a quarter before five the handsome old turret clock
caught fire, the hands stopped, and enshrouded in a sheet of
flame, the whole fell into the burning mass below. Of this
portion /of the building nothing was left except the curious
and antiquated brick chimneys.
About six o'clock all efforts were directed to cutting off the
communication over the billiard-room, and thas saving the
part not then ignited. By the incessant labour of a strong
body of persons this was effected, by a large stream of water
being poured by the engines upon the burning rafters of the
centre ;owns, and wet blankets placed to deaden the effects
of the flames. This, with the left wing of the building, is
the only part left standing.

UNITED STATES POST-OFFICE.

The report of the United Mates Post-office department re-
cently presented to the President, is this year of more than
usual interest, as it gives the experience of the first twelve
months of the new system (based on the plans of Rowland
Hill), adopted on the Ist. of July, 1845. It appears that the
annual average income for the ten years preceding the above
date was 4,364,624 dolls., while for the first year of the new
law it was 3,487,199 dolls., showing a diminution of 877,425
dolls., or about '2O per cent. The receipts for 1844-45 were,
however, less than the average above-mentioned, so that the
actual diminution of income under the alteration as compared
with the preceding year was only 802,624 dolls. "No incon-
siderable portion of this deficiency," it is alleged in the re-
port, "may be traced to other causes than a reduction in the
rates." The system, as adopted in America, does not embrace
a uniform, but a graduated rate (five cents under 200 miles,
and ten cents for a greater distance) and hence the temp-
tation still still exisis, as regards distant points, to send
letters by private expresses, " which still continue to
be run between principal cities with as much regularity as
the mails." It is also common to enclose more than one
letter under a single half-ounce cover, " and even packages
of letters, addressed to different individuals, are collected
together under a single cover and directed to some third per-
son for distribution, by which means 109 letters, weighing
eight ounces, are charged under 300 miles 80c., and over 300
miles 1 doll. 60c., when the department is entitled to receive,
under the law, 5 dolls. or 10 dolls., according to the dis-
tance." The immense mass of dead letters, averaging an-
nually between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000, besides an excessive
number of unclaimed newspapers, is also greeatflytecoTxliatintbe
single letter to one quarter instead of the.
of; and, to remedy these evils, it is pro
d. An ncrease
require that all newspapers should be pre-paid. half-ounce,l)and to
reference to their
accord-
ing to certain vexatious conditions, with
d.
size and weight, is likewise recommended.
In never been looked
In the United States the Post-office
on the rates of postage on newspapers to be gulated
for
,000 dolls.,
the 10 years preceding the new law was about
_,O _
97 dolls., the
and nutter the alteration it has been 597
with what
smallness of this latter deficiency,
to as a source of revenue. The average
as
compared to the might have been anticipated, being attributable
expenditure having
some-
what remarkable circumstance of the
adoption of the new
been reduced concurrently with theannual
1 deficiency3s
increase of letters which
measure, and despite the great incerce
ff ted in the letting of
arose from it. The reduction was e
the mail contracts; but it is acknowledged that the service of
occasionally greatly
the department has, in consequenc% beentaken in many instances
impaired, the contracts having been
by persons of doubtful characte
Another effect of
incapable of fulfilling their
obligations.
character and means, altogether
over-economy is also reported in the fact; that of the 14,793
post-offices in the United States, nearly one-third of the
post-masters have voluntarily vacated their appointments
since the passage of the new law. These officers were paid
by a per-centage, !and when
the system was put in force
which reduced their
receipts while it increased their work,
in their mode of remuneration.
Finding, however, the
no alteration was made
universal
flight
that was taking place,
and that it would s," b
e impossible to get any person of the
slightest respectability )I'
to assume the office, the Attorney-
General construed thoa l w as enabling the department to in-
crease the compensation - to the ...me ~... ant as that of the
year preceding the alteration, and thus succeeded partially
in arresting the resignations.

P rc Et SD.

FLANDERS MAIL.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND FINANCE
—IMPORTATION, DUTY FREE, OF FLOUR FROM
WHATEVER COUNTRY IT MAY COME.=LEO-
- BING OF THE BELGIANS, &c., &c.
BRUSSEIS, JAN: 29.—Seeing the law of the 22d of No-
vember, 1846, concerning provisions ; considering ourdecree
of the 30th of the same month, authorising, till the Ist of
June, 1847, the importation, free of duty, of corn of every
kind, produce of countries out of Europe; on the pro-
posal of our Minister of the Interior and of Finance, we have
decreed and decree—

Art. I. By extension of the decree of the 3d of November,
1846, flour of every kind, the produce of countries in Europe,
is likewise declared free of duty on importation. ,
.

Art. 2. Our Ministers of the Interior and Finance are
charged each, as far as they are concerned with the execution
of this decree. Given at Paris, thin. 27
(Signed)
_ _ _

LEOPOLD.

The Chamber of Representatives commenced yesterday
the general debate on the ploject of law relative to the budget
of the War Department.
To-day the Chamber hear'd a report of the committee of
"manufacturers, which was rather important. The question
was to decide the petitions of Flan& re asking for the temporary
prohibition of the exportation of flax. The Chamber con-
fined itself merely to referring these petitions to the Minister
'of Foreign AtLiirs.
Their -Majesties the King and Queen, according to accounts
very recently received, will return from Pails to Brussels on
Sunday evening.
BKLIsSELS, JAN. 30.—The Chamber of Representatives
continued to-day the genital debate on the budget of the
war department.
Bnussms, JAN. 29.—The smallpox continues to rage in
several localities in the environs of Brussels, and especially
at Molenbeck St. Jean. It is generally remarked that the
disease this winter chiefly attacks adults, and the cause is
attributed to the tropical heat of last summer, which was
succeeded by thtt most sudden transition to intense cold
Yesterday the wind was so high that several chimneys were
blown down. A little child, five years old, going to-a free
school, was killed by the fall of one in Rue l'Arbre Benet,
AUSTRIAN TVPS.--YIENNA, JAN. 21.
-per Cent. metallseu • • -
4 per Cent:Mt/Y..
3 per Cent. ditto.. .........• •• •• •••• •• 71U
Loan, 1834 . . 15734
Ditto, 1839 11914
Bank Shares .. .•, • . • • • •• • • • . 1565
Esterhazy's Loan •• • • • •• • •• • • . • • .
RAILWAYS.
The Northern, or Ferdinand •• • • • 1744
Gloggnitz • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • • 1334
Vienna—Milan .. • •• . • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • • 11034
Leghorn• • • • • • • • • • • •
Perth ..................
Sienna
Grosetto • • ..... • • • •
Oldenburg
Pesth Bridge .• .•
BELGIAN FUNDS.—BaussELs, JAN. 30.
Actual Debt, 24 per Cent •.••••• • • • •
Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent ........ --
Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent
Ditto Three per Cent ••• ••••••
Ditto Thirty-seven Millions, ditto •
Ditto, ditto, 1840
Ditto, ditto, 1842 ••••• • • • • • 100 4
Ditto, 1844. • . .• •. .• •••• • • • • ••• 944
Ditto, 1836.. •••••• • • • • • • 95%
Ditto, 1838 .............. ••• • • • ...... 70
Ditto of the City, 1832 ........
Ditto, 1843 ........
Bank of Belgium.--
-Brussels Papers, Jan. 30.

99

............... S6O

TO THE SPANIARDS.
" Now's the day, and now's the hour," to place not only
yourselves, but your country on the high pinnacle of honow,
glory, and independence. You have-been dictated to in the
cases of your recent royal marriages, you have witnessed
howa French Prince has been forced upon your royal house—
a forerunner of an attempt at a fnture day to force a sove-
reign on your throne. France herself repudiate-; the mode
by which her executive Ministers have brought about the
accomplishment of her Sovereign's ambition. Arouse your•
selves, show your independence—call upon your Ministers,
your Cortes, to introduce a law to exclude the Infanta, and
all descendants of the marriage of Prince Montpensier from
the throne of Spain—settle the line of succession in case of
failure of issue of your Queen—you will then place your-
selves, your country, in a proud position, and rank with the
whole of the countries of Europe—yes, even with France, for
she resents the acts of her Ministers as affecting Spain
Spain will theft become noble and free.
Feb. 1, 1847.

ILFRACOMB E.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

_ -
PORTSMOUTH, FEB. I.—The Netley cutter has arrived
from Plymouth this morning with supernumeraries for the
flag ship. Her commander reports that her Majesty's brig
Albatross had just anchored in the Sound, having encoun-
tered a gale of wind, and bein.4 nearly foundered. Com-
mander Farquhar had been compelled to throw several of the
guns overboard to save her. Spars and boats had been
washed away, but it 'did not transpire that any of the crew
were lost or injured.
Orders are expected to-morrow for the Belleisle to be
loaded with biscuit meal, and dispatched to Ireland.
The Medea was totleve Greenhi.the thil morning; it is in-.
intended she shall go to Lisbqn on Friday, with his Excel=
lency Sir G. 'Hamilton SeymAaafFirtlier Majendellttather
Sphynx.
T.= f3t-trz-Dix.—rlErrliii,jeetril tetriblition went this
morning to assist in endeavouring to get this vessel off. In
consequence of a survey made by Captain James, Royal En-
gineers, the director of works in this yard, of the position of
the Sphynx, and the apparent obstacles in the way of getting
her afloat, that officer has gone in the Retribution with thirty
excavators to dig the mud and sand from around a. rock
which is within two lengths of the Sphynx, directly in a line
with her cut-water as she now lies, Captain James hopes tH be
able to blast this rock with gunpowder, and rem,,ve such por-
tions as will afford a passage for her, when the great trial is
made to- morrow. At low water there is 6 feet water under her
stern, the same round her sides, but only 4 feet under the
bow. This rock, which it is desirable to remove, has only
one foot ten inches water over it at low tides. The Sphynx
must have been washed clear, during the late gale, either by
being moved on the starboard or port side, as it is directly in
the front of her. Several officers went to the spot on Satur-
day and yesterday, and describe her to be perfectly upright
with her head to the sea, and in a position most favourable
for cables and hawsers to be made fast to her bows. If it
were not for this rock, which is in such an awkward place,
there [appears no impediment to her rescue. Th'i wind and
weather continues most favourable. The Porcupine steam-
vessel, Lieutenant Tumour commanding, 'returned from her
last night, and went down again this morning with another
lump in tow. A great many additional casks have been sent
down to assist in buoying up the wreck. The Fanny tender,
having Admiral Sir Charles Ogle and Captain Milne, of the
St. Vincent, on board, went down before eight o'clock this
morning, and was followed shortly after by the Myrtle steam-
tender, second master Battiston, to tow if r quisite.
The Emerald tender arrived to-day with a number of
supernumeraries (chiefly boys) from Cork.
The Curlew, 10, fitted with a mortar upon Lieutenant
Roberts's plan, cast off from the jetty to make room for the
Rattler to-day, the latter requiring some repairs, and the
former shipped the shells, &c., for the trial at Spithead.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
LONDCX, FEB. 2.—Wind N.N.W., moderate breeze, and
fine.

11AMSGATL, FEB. I.—Wind N. to N.W.—Sld. Ruby, St.
Kit tS.
DEAL, FEB. I.—Wind N. to N.N.E., squally.—Arrd.
Theodosia, Irving, New Orleans; Campbell, Savannah. Sld.
Ervin, Bombay; Clio, Barbadoes; British Isles, Cuba; Ray-
mond, Norfolk, United States.
PLYmounr, FEB. I.—Wind N.N.E.—Arrd. Wilton, Wil-
son, Rio Grande ; Invoice, Rollings, Karamota, leaky, and
cargo shifted.

LIVERPOOL, FEB. I.—Wind N.E , moderate.—Arrd.
Trial, Tiffin, St. John's-New Brunswick. Sld. Fairy Queen,
Calcutta; Lady Favourite, St. Thomas's; Sir Richard Jack-
son, Havannah ; Joseph hristell, La Guayra; Magnificent,
New Orleans; America, ditto; Agenoria, Savannah; Thus.
W. Sears, Boston. Off port, England.
ST. STUDWELL ROADS, JAN. W.—Royal William, New
Orleans; Antigua Packet, Jamaica.
CORK, JAN. 30.—Calm.—The Ann Powell and the
Horatio were in contact 28th inst. The latter lost bow-
sprit, &c.
STROMNESS, J azr. 28.—Wind S.E.—Arrd. Margaret Hardy,
Maim, Callao.

OFF MARGATE, JAN. 31.—James Dean, Port Philip.
OFF TORBAY, FEB. I.—Essex, Howard. Calcutta.
PILOTAGE AT GLASGOW, &c.
The Dean of Guild, at Glasgow, has forwarded to Lloyd's a
copy of Bye-laws and Regulations, and Tables of Rates for
Pilotage between Port Glasgow and the Harbour of Broomie-
law, to be strictly observed and enforced from and after the
13th of January, 1847, which can be seen upon application
to the secretary.

•
FALMOUTH, FEB. I.—Wind N.—Off port, an American
liner, from New York for Havre, Catherine Berlund, Parker,
St. go de Cnba.

Orr PELL, JAN. 31.—Albion, of Cork, Quebec.
WurrEHAvErr, JAN. 29.—S1d. Thomas and William, New
York.

OFF DUNDALK, JAN. 30.—Lacey, Sr. John's, N.B.
LEITH, JAN. 27. Wind S.—Std. Belvidera, New York.

HULL.—Witid N. E. fresh.—Sld. Pallas, Bombay.
Pourssiount, FEB. I.—Wind N.N.E.—SId. Tartar, Madras
and Calcutta.

LONDONDERRY.—Arrd. Marion, New York.
CLYDE.—Arrd. Ellen, New ork. Sld. 28th, Orpheus,
Batavia, &c. ; Osmond, St. Croix.

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—FROM A Con-
AESPONDENT.—Another accident occurred on the Manchester
Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway on Monday morning,
which has been fatal to an engine-driver named James
Robinson, a married man. Robinson, according to custom,
left the engine shed at Newton, about seven A at., With a
train of empty carriages for Hadfield9 where the train leaves
for Manchester with passengers at 715 a.m. They pro-
ceeded steadily, and on their arriving at the Dinting station
they came in contact with a train of empty coal waggons,which
had stopped at the station. The signal was turned on for
the passenger train to stop, but it was snowing very hard at
the time, and the engine driver did not see it until too late,
when he made an attempt to jump off the engine and fell
under it. His head was smashed to atoms; and they were
obliged to pick the poor fellow's brains off the ground and
put them in a bason. The two engines were much damaged,
and the carriages were shivered all to pieces. The buffers
were driven right through the carriages, and had they been
loaded the sacrifice of life would have been dreadful. The
fireman of the passengers' engine escaped by jumping off the
engine. The broken engi!ie, and carriages, and waggons
were caused a delay_on s
were cleared off as soon as possible,
about two hours. The train that left Manch
Sheffield at 8 A.m. did not arrive at Sheffield eater
for
until 11.54, in
in lieu of 10.6. An inquest will be held on the body to-
morrow.
TROTTlNG.—Yesterday the three miles
match for 201. a-side, between Mr. Hod trotting
Hodges'
cob belonging to Mr. Rix, of the B bay mare and a
mile and a half of road at Fig's. °rough, came off on a
.ma
The race was in harness, both rah, Mitcham-common.
their respective owners. The horsesmare
been ably driven by
e took the lead at the start,
Which she kept for two mite=and
of the mile approaching the .‘upon entering the last tutu
cob came alongside hi,:
opponent, awl the mare bec-ain"e'f fretful and broke out to a gal-
lop twice. The time legit
in puliing her in gave the cob
opportunity of making "
ground, and ultimately he trotted in
the winner by four yards, and covered •
the three miles of road
in 11 minutes and 4 monds.