The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-03 00:00:00

COMMONS' SIMIMARY.

The House resumed business at four o'clock.
Ou the motion of Mr. GREGNE certain of the Standing
Orders on Railway Bills were suspended with respect to all

bills entitled to the privileges granted by that resolution of
the House on the ith cf July last.

Certain Railway Bills were read a second time and ordered
:o be committed.

Several petitions were presented for and against the Minis-
terial measure for free trade.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE gave notice of his intention on the
18th to move for leave to bring in a Bill to limit the hours
of labour in factories where machinery was employed.
Mr. O'CONNELL withdrew his notice for leave to bring in
a Bill to amend the Criminal Law of Ireland.

Mr. VILLIERS wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet the
vice President. of the Board of Trade whether any report
was made annually by the Board of Customs to the Govern-
ment of the amount of wheat destroyed in consequence of
being damaged by remaining in the warehouse, in coese-
quence of the importer being unab:e to pay the high duty,
and thereby introduce it into consumption. He asked
this question in consequence of being informed that a large
quantity of wheat had been lately thrown into the Severn
in consequence of it being unfit for use.
Sir GEORGE CLERK said that the Board of Customs made
no annual report upon the subject alluded to by the Hon.
Member, but if what he had stated was the fact there could
be no difficulty of ascertaining the grounds under which the
grain had been destroyed.
Mr. NEWDEGATE then moved, agreeably to the notice he
bad given, that it be an, instruction to the Select Committee
on the petition from Cheltenham, that they do inquire whe-
ther forged objections have not been served upon certain
electors for the northern division of the county of Warwick
against the claims of the electors to be returned upon the re-
gister of that division of the county.
Mr. P. Boicesiwicie seconded the motion.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE hoped the Government would oppose
the motion. If it was true that forgeries had taken place,
the House had nothing to do with it, the parties being
amenable to the law elsewhere. He had complainod of the
system of registration long ago, and he was happy to see
gentlemen on the other side of the House bad found out its
defects.
Mr. ADDERLEY supported the motion.
. _

Mr. WAKLEY hoped the Hon. Member would not press his
motion, and that a Committee would be appointed specifically
to consider the subject.
Sir R. PEEL did not think it were a precedent that a Com-
mittee appointed to inquire into a question of privilege
should be instructed to make the inquiries proposed by the
Hon. Member.

( LEFT SITTING.)

DREADFUL ACCIDENT at GREEN-

WICIL-TiIREE LIVES LOST.

On Saturday an accident of a very distressing charac-
ter, by which tkree persons were prematurely hurried
into eternity, occurred in the extensive chemical works
belonging to Mr. Hills, situate near the Pilot, East
Greenwich. From the few particulars that could be ob-
tained during the confusion that prevailed, we ascertained
that three men, named Francis Reeves, Thomas Birken,
and Richard Middleton, were employed in the factory
cleaning out a large vessel in which some chemical pre-
paration had been. The two former had hardly got to
the bottom of the vessel when the fumes of the spirit
contained therein overcame them, and they both fell
senseless on their faces.

The other unfortunate fellow not perceiving what had
happened, or else desirous of assisting his fellow-work-
men, also descended the same vessel, and almost in-
stantaneously shared the same fate. An alarm was im-
mediately raised, and several persons quickly repaired
to the factory to render assistance. Upon gaining the
ill-fated utensil, a lamentable sight presented itself.
The three poor men were observed lying in a heap at
the bottom. What to do for the best the parties present
scarcely knew, but the foreman of the factory, more
bold than the others, instantly leaped into the place,
with the hope of rescuing the men. In this praisewor-
thy endeavour he was foiled, for no sooner had he got
into the vessel than the fumes also overcame him, and
had it not been for the extraordinary exertions of others
he must likewise have perished ; as it was he was got out
alive, but in a very exhausted state.
As soon as possible the three others were got out, and
a surgeon was promptly in attendance, but not in time
to be of any assistance, life in each being extinct. The
bodies were subsequently removed to a neighbouring
public-house to await the coroner's inquest. It is re-
ported that the men had received strict ihjunetions that
they were not to enter the utensil until they had tried
the same with a lighted candle, to ascertain whether or
not it was perfectly safe. This order, it seems, was not
attended to, and the fatal coa.tequences that followed was
the result. It is stated that two of the deceased have
left large families unprovided for.
An inquest was held yesterday, at the Pilot Tavern,
East Marshes, Greenwich, on the bodies of the three
unfortunate men, when the jury agreed to the following
verdict :—" That the deceesed, Richard Middleton,
Francis Reeve, and Thomas Middleton, had met their
deaths by suffocation from the effects of sulphureted
hydrogen gas, which had escaped from one still to
another still, and that this was owing to the deceased
Middleton himself, by his neglecting to supply water to
the other still."