The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-03 00:00:00

ST. ALBANS.

At the sitting of this Committee,
Mr. Sergeant IV RANG lIAM, on behalf of the petitioners, ap-
plied this morning for a turther delay on the ground that he
had only just learned that five out of the nine witnesses who
had been abducted, as it was thought by the agents of the
sitting Member, had that morning made their appearance in
the gallery, and that consequently it had been impossible for
him, by a previous examination, to ascertain the nature of
the evidence which they would give to the Committee.
Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE opposed the application.
After a dehberatiln, the Committee announced their reso-
lution of adjourning until to-morrow, at II o'clock, then to
proceed with the cases of bribery which might be ready to
lay before them.

COAL MINE EXPLOSIONS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—As it seems to be generally admitted that the
"Davy Lamp" is not an absolute preventive to explosions,
I beg to offer the following suggestions for the consideration
of those who are interested in mines.

No doubt most explosions are attributable to rashness on'
the part of the miner, who, in order to obtain a tolerable
light, frequently dispenses with the protecting gauze. Bat
it is more than probable that accidents also arise from strong
currents of air causing small ignited portions of carbon to
pass through the instertices of the wire in a condition suffici-
ently heated to fire the carburetted hydrogen surrounding it.
Besides this, the falling in of portions of the roof may, by
breaking the gauze, occasion frequent explosions.
It is evident, therefore, that a light which would not,
under any circumstances, cause accident by explosion is the •
object to be attained. This, I submit, may be accomplished
by using the electric light (and none other) in mines where
explosive gases a•e generated. By this means not only
would daylight be brought to the miner's aid, but as this ligh
burns in vacuo and even in water, no explosion can possibly z'
occur.
An objection may be started on the ground of expense, but
I apprehend that the advantage in favour of using the elec-
tric light would more than compensate for any immediate
expense that might be incurred by its adoption. For, to sap
nothing of the enormous expense attending an explosion, it •
cannot be doubted that, with this brilliant light, mining
operations would be much simplified, and consequently that
considerably more work could be got through than with the
pi esent light, which is rather " darkness visible."
In a moral point of view, it is evident that any contriv-
ance to prevent explosions would be a very great advantage.
One has only to think of the misery caused by the late ex-
plosions to become convinced of this.—l am, Sir, &c.,

ENGINEER.
8, Chapel-street, Clapham-road, March 31.

The accounts from the Amsterdam and Rotterdam
produce markets refer to the general inactivity of business.
Coffee was not positively quoted at a reduction, but there
was less disposition among the operators to hold out for late
prices. In sugar very little had been done, aad tea, rice, and
spices remained without material variation. Indigo was the
only article considered to be well supported.
Sir William White, Knt., of 5, Lothbury, WAS
on Monday fined ten shillings, by Alderman Salomons, for
assaulting Mr. E. F. Watson, a clerk in the London aad
County Bank. It appeared that the clerk had presented
bill made payable at the above address, and drawn in the
name of J. P. White; whereupon Sir William said he knew'
nothing about it; and upon the clerk serving the usual
formal notice, Sir William followed him down stairs, and
assaulted him. The assault was admitted, but the annoy-
ance to which Sir William had been subjected by partied
making bills payable at his counting-house, without his au-
thority, was urged in excuse.

At the half-yearly meeting of the Agra and
United Service Bank, the report showed 31,2411. available
for distribution for the six months ending the 31st of
December. A dividend at the rate of 8 per cent. per
annum was therefore declared, and 5,783/ was carried to the
reserve fund, which now amounts to 46,556/. A new system
of audit proposed by the directors has been almost unani-
mously approved of. The paid-up capital of the bank was
stated to be 636,450/.

With reference to a ridiculous advertisement in
the Times of to-day, signed "a shareholder" of the London
and County Bank, and calling upon the proprietary to expel
two of the directors on account of their having voted against
the Ministerial Bill on the Papal aggression, we are in-
formed that it has been traced to a person who is not a
shareholder, and who was recently dismissed from the ser-
vice of the establishment. Times.

DEATH OF MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HENRY BETRUIM
—The overland mail brings accounts of the decease, at Te•
hem, on the 19th of February, of this officer, formerly corn.
mander-in- chief of the Persian army, at the solicitation of
the sovereign of that country, !siahomed Shah.
LICENSED VICTUALLERS' SCHOOL.—Mr. White-
head, of Whitecross-street, one of the committee of this in-
stitution, at the monthly meeting, held at the school-house,
on Tuesday last, presented a handsomely-mounted pair of
globes for the use of the children on the establishment. A
vote of thanks was given to Mr. Whitehead, by his col-
leagues, for his valuable present, as indicative of the kind
interest evinced by him to protuote the progress of the
children in their studies.

We forgive the man who bores us, much more
easily than the man who lets us see that we are boring him.
—Eliza Cooh's Journal.
THE CHIPPING SODBURY POISONING CASE...-. 011
Tuesday Daniel Gibbs Hathway was indicted at Gloucester,
before Mr. Justice Talfourd, for having, on the 15th of
February, poisoned his wife, Jane Hathaway, at Chipping
Sudbury. The evidence was entirely circumstantial, And it
appears that the purchase of arsenic was not satisfactorily
brought home to the prisoner, and he was in consequence
acquitted. The prisoner was discharged immediately after
the verdict, and left the court; but on being recognised out-
side was jostled and insulted by the mob, and followed along
the streetr. He attempted to take refuge in some houses in
Westgate-street, but was refused admittance. He then
hastened, under the protection of a constable, down South-
gate-street, and after a short time returned to the Cross, fol-
lowed by the mob, who seemed determined to give him no
respite.

Mr. Henry Roe, a goldsmith, of Liverpool, ob-
tained a verdict, with 50/. damages, at Chester, on Tuesday,
against the Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire Junction
Railway Company for false imprisonment. The plaintiff had
taken a ticket by an excursion train from Birkenhead to
Bangor. On his return an attempt had been made by the
railway officials to force him to pay 2s. 6d. additional for
travelling between Bangor and Chester. He resisted this
attempt and was given into custody and taken to the
station-house at Cheater, where he paid 2s. 6d. under protest.
In summing up, Mr. Justice Maule told the jury that the
plaintiff had been imprisoned under circumstances which
could not be justified.

A man named Aubrey, a trainer of young thieve
at the Thieves kitchen, was yesterday convicted at the Mid-
dlesex Sessions, together with Jane Dunham, of haying a.-
tempted to commit a robbery, and was, with his companion,
sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.

-
[ADVERTISEMENT. J—Tne Observer and GratYß
stamped twenty-column Supplement; sixty folio columns
for sixpence. Sunday, April 6, a full report •f and on
the Budget and Income-tax; also the Quarter's Revenue
Tables, further Chancery movements in Miss Talbot's case
&c. The extensive publication of the Observer commences
at five o'clock on Sunday mornings, in time for all the Sun-
day morning railways. A Monday's edition, which is the
best for the country and abroad, at four Monday afternoons.
CRUELTY OF TUE CENSUS.—A young maiden ]ady;
aged fifty-two, who felt considerable alarm lest her age
should become known in her village, was driven to the
necessity, on Sunday last, to walk four miles to the village
of Beeston, in dirt and rain, to sleep at the house of a friend,
in order to avoid the dreadful expoaare.-2Vottingham Mr!