The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-24 00:00:00

DUBLIN POLICE BILL.

This Bill was ordered to be read a third time after
the other orders of the day were disposed of.
FEVER (IRELAND) BILL.
The report oa this Bill was read, and the Bill was
ordered to be read a third time to. morrow, at twelve
o'clock.

WESTMINSTER IMPROVEMENTS BILL.
This Bill went through Committee, and the repot
was ordered to be received to-morrow, at twelve o'clock

MONEY ORDER BILL.
The Lords' amendments to the Post•office Money
Order Bill were considered and agreed to.
The House adjourned at Four to Six o'clock.

The House resumed at Six o'clock.
CHELTENHAM ELECTION.

Sir WILLIAM CLAY brought up the report of the
Cheltenham Election Committee, declaring Mr. C. F.
Berkeley to have been unduly elected, and the election
to be a void election.

POOR REMOVAL (IRELAND) BILL.
Mr. CLEMENTS stated that it was not his intention
to persevere with this Billt and the order for its committal
was directed to be discharged.
PETITION.

Sir C. LEMON presented a petition against the re-
moval of the duties on copper ore.
Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition from the
Reform League of England praying for Par-
liamentary reform, and complaining that many
of the evils the country was at present suffering from,
arose from a defective Parliamentary representation of the
people. The petition also prayed that the House
would be pleased to address the Throne, praying that
her Majesty would not prorogue Parliament till the
House had provided means to remove the distress which
prevailed throughout the kingdom.
Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the
medical officer of a union in Pembrokeshire,
complaining of the conduct of the Poor•law
Commissioners. The Honourable Member also
presented a petition from four medical men of Worthing,
praying for the abolition of the Act of Charter to the
College of Surgeons.

(LEFT SITTING.)

THE EXPLOSION IN ALBANY-

STREET.

Last evening the inquiry, adjourned from Monday last,
concerning the death of Mary Bentley, one of the sut-
ferers by the explosion in Albany.street, was concluded
by Mr. Wakley, at the Chester Arms, in the above
street. A model was fixed in the inquest-room of nearly
the same dimension as the meter destroyed, and the Co-
roner and jury here viewed the situation; and the mode
adopted by the boy Lucas in putting in and taking out
the bhutti rs was explained to them.
S. May said he was a gas. fitter, and worked for Mr.
Howell, in Albany-street, and had been frequently to
No. 60, Albany-street, to take water out of the gas
pipes. There was sometime s too much water in the
meter. He thought dry meters the best.
H. Larkin, an inspector of the London Gas Company,
said—l have been twice to Mr. Loten's to inspect the
gas; the first occasion was in June last, and I went to
take the register of the meter by order of the office. No
complaint was made. I went again on the 20th of July
in consequence of an order from the office on account of
want of light. I found there was not sufficient water in
the meter. I put some water into it, and the gas in the
union burnt very well then, but the light of the side
burner jumped. I sent Mr. Cogan, gas-fitter of Mun-
ster-street, to see what was required.
By the CORONER—I made no complaint about the
position of the meter. We use both wet and dry meters.
The choice of them generally depends upon the tenants.
The most modern invention is the dry meter. I should
recommend the water meter myself. There are more
of the latter used by the company than dry meters.
When I was at Mr. Loten's the second time no complaint
of the gas escaping was kmade. If there had been an
escape I must have discovered it, because I had a candle
with me.

W. Cogan, a gas•fitter, examined—Went to No. 60,
Albany street, at the request of the last witness, to ex-
amine the meter and repair the pipes. That was about
three weeks before the accident. The complaint made
was that the gas-lights at the side of the ~hop jumped.
That was caused by the collection of water in the pipe,
which was corrected. Nothing was said about the gas
escaping.
Mr. Hinde, the secretary of the London Gas Com-
pany, put in a lever received from Mr. Loten, complain-
ing of being nearly without gas for a whole week, but in
it he made no remark about the escape of gas.
Cogan was directed to examine the model, and in
answer to a juror said that it was p••rfectly possible for
shutters drawn in and out against the meter and the
main gas-key to turn the gas off; a violent blow might
break the cock. In answer to the Coroner, the witness
said that he never complained to Mr. Loten of the dan-
gerous position of the meter. Knew plenty of places
where there were meters situated as Mr. Loten's, but he
could not say if the shutters were placed there in the
same way.
By Mr. Hinde—l am positive there could not have
been any escape of gas at the time I was there, because
I tried all the pipes, and used my blowpipe to solder a
part where I took water from.
Mr. Hind° begged to observe that the company were
desirous of showing that there had been no complaints
made of an escape of gas.
Mr. Wm. Douglas, collector to this company, proved
that he called on the 28th of July for payment, but no
complaint was then made. It was his custom, if com-
plaints were made, to make a memorandum of them and
report them to the board.

George B. Petitt deposed to fixing up the gas fittings
at No. 60, Albany-street, about nine years ago. lie
fixed the meter under the shop-board by direction of
Mr. Hatfield. He had fixed many meters like it, but
could not say whether the shutters were take❑ in and
out of the shutter-box. When Mr. Hatfield suggested
the placing of the meter, be told him that some protec-
tion of wood-work would be necessary, and he said he
would do it himself.

Mr. Richardson, the superintendent of the Imperial
Company, said he had caused the main pipes of the
London Company and also the imperial to be uncovered,
and ho could assure the coroner and jury that there was
not the slightest escape of gas discernable.
This being the whole of the evidence,
The CORONER addressed the jury. lie trusted that
the melancholy event would teach a useful lesson to
those who were in the habit of burning gas, and that the
moment an escape was found means would be imme-
diately taken to remedy any defect. With reference to
the fixing of the meter, it was a matter of congratulation
—if, under the circumstances, they could congratulate
onnoeoathr meter similarlyneother—thatal fixedthoughs couldtrictse beu
archhafodbnd in the
been made,
neighbourhood.

The jury, after an absence of half-an-hour, returned
the following special verdict—" That the death of Mary
Bentley was caused by a mortal fracture of the skull, oc-
casion by the accidental explosion of an admixture of
coal gas and common air in the house No. 60, Albany-
street ; and that whether the said coal gas escaped into
the said shop in consequence of an accidental blow given
to the meter or fitting thereof, by the removal of a cer-
tain window shutter, there is not before the jurors suffi-
cient evidence to show."

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1) PIRACY
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11,
who for a length of time has been manager of thesfiirl w
of Orr and Barber, well-known merchants of this port,
was placed ut the bar, before Mr. Rushton, the stipen-
diary magistrate, under the following circumstances:—
In the book found at the house of Murphy, who was
committed for conspiracy on Monday last, amongst other
names appeared that of the prisoner, and this circum-
stance, taken in connexion with other information in pos-
session of the authorities, induced them to issue a war-
rant for his apprehension. The warrant was executed
yesterday at the office of his employers, in South Castle-
street, and he remained in custod. y until he was brought
before the magistrate this morning, when the evidence
against him was produced.

Mr. Rushton said that the prisoner must be com-
mitted for trial, and stated that he much regretted to
see a young man occupying such a position as he did
placed in such circumstances. He had been connected
with a society which had for its object an extensive and
deeply laid scheme of conspiracy. His handwriting had
also been spoken to, which proved that he had been a
member of the society up to the time he was taken. He
did not doubt that he had been made the dupe of older
and more designing men; but he (the magistrate) had no
alternative but to commit him for trial, and he did so
upon the evidence which had already been brought for-
ward against the prisoner Murphy.
The prisoner was then fully committed for trial at the
present assizes.
There is a rumour in town to-day that Cuddy, who
was last week committed for conspiracy, has deter-
mined to turn approver, and some curious disclosures
are expected. Preparations are now being made for the
trial, which is expected to come on at the latter end of
next week.