The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-12 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1851.

Notwithstanding the decision arrived at on the day
of the prorogation, against reporting the evidence
taken before the Select Committee on the property
and income-tax, portions of that evidence have al-
ready oozed out, and it is almost certain that they
will be quite familiar to the public generally before
the Committee resume their labours. The absurdity
of attempting any degree of mystery on such subjects
will be thus rendered apparent. Sir CHARLES W OOD
will not be permitted to hoodwink the public, to sup-
press the testimony unfavourable to his own
distorted views, and publish that only which
is agreeable to himself. ne may through
the exertions of " the whipper-in" command a
majority in a thin House, a portion of that majority
N
consisting of " the waiters on PROVIDECE, who are
at all times at the beck and call of the Minister, being
actuated by a lively sense of favours to come, and
ready to vote black white, or white black in obedience
to the behests of the "patronage secretary," and
others, who, with honester motives, are yet afraid to
oppose the Government in any matter, lest they
might aid in procuring the advent of a Protectionist
Ministry, or to endeavour to obtain a more fair
and equitable assessment of the income-tax,
fearing that by doing so they may endanger the per-
manency
of the impost. These doctrines are even
more dangerous than those of the thick-and-thin Mi-
nisterialists. The motives of the latter will be
thoroughly understood, and the evil thus be neu-
tralised. But a person of unquestionable honesty,
although he may be mistaken must be respected, and
many will be induced to follow the mischievous pre-
cedent who would otherwise repudiate such doc-
trines. It has been truly said that a strong
and vigorous Opposition is essential to the
welfare of the country. Why is it so ? Simply be-
cause
the officials are thereby held in check, and pre-
vented from attempting to force by the strong arm
unjust and inequitable measures on the country,
being well aware that they would be unhesitatingly
exposed by their opponents, and very probably
defeated by the aid of the independent Members, who
would never lend their aid to perpetrate a job, or to
carry a measure that could not bear the closest in-
vestigation. The slavish doctrine that Ministers
should be supported, right or wrong—that they
should be permitted to drag their friends
through the mire on every occasion, would
deprive the country of this salutary guarantee for
the preservation of its liberties, and confer despotic
authority on the Prime Minister for the time being.
Never was there a more wise or judicious proceed-
ing than that of the veteran Member for Montrose,
who proposed the renewal of the tax for one year, in
place of three, as demanded by Sir CHARLES WOOD.
This suggestion was not put forward because JosEru
HumE was the advocate of indirect taxation, or be-
cause he desired the renewal of a bread-tax, which
might be rendered necessary, if the impost on pro-
perty was abolished. No, there is no man
in either House of Parliament whose fiscal principles
are sounder than those of the staunch Reformer who
advocated the most liberal doctrines before a borough-
mongering and ultra-Tory Parliament, and who in
his advanced years is enjoying the respect and honour
earned by the conscientious and efficient services of
his youth and middle age, and continued through a
green old age—as we trust they may long be—with
credit to himself and advantage to his country. He
was, therefore, desirous of making a direct charge
on property the principal source of national
revenue ; but, in order to do, so he must be well
aware that it should be fairly apiiortioned so, that
every man should contribute to the liquidation of the
public liabilities and the support of the national esta_
blishments, secundum status et facultates. He knew
that the equal assessment of all descriptions of
income, no matter how derived, was so unsound in
principle and unjust in operation that it could nut
possibly be continued without inflaming the public
indignation, already sufficiently excited to the highest
point, and endangering the entire fabric. To preserve
the whole the rotten timbers should be removed, and
it was with that object that the Member for Mon-
trose brought for ward his amendment.

IVe confess that we should also desire that the tax
should only be continued from year to year. We
have already pointed out the vast advantages that
would result from the Executive being dependent
on the legislative authority, not merely for the
supplies, but for the ways and means to pro-
vide for these supplies. If a difference should
unfortunately occur between the Crown and
the Parliament,—such a contingency is not alto-
gether without precedent,—and the money was in the
exhequer, it would be forthwith seized, the delin•
quests trusting to the chapter of accidents to justify,
or at least escape the penal consequences of the mal-
appropriation, whereas, if the collection could only.be
enforced when all parties were d' accord, it would not
only prevent the possibility of such a contingency,
but it would give to each estate of the realm
its legitimate authority. The popular, or, as
it is usually termed, the democratic element
would be especially strengthened thereby.
It is also in strict accordance with the principles of
the British Constitution, and although it has been
infringed upon, partly to suit the convenience a
place-holders, and partly from the necessity
of having import duties on foreign com-
modities invariable, we are yet, despite the
chidings of Ministerialists, or of Ministerial toadies,
disposed to take our stand on the ancient principle,
and to say that the taxation of the country must be,
wherever practical, under the control of the Com-
mons House of Parliament, and not subjected
to the revision of the other branches of the
Legislature, as it will be, if all the sources of re-
venue are made permanent, and that every tax may
be levied until annulled by a new statute. We have
an annual Mutiny Act, annual Stock-in-Trade Ex-
emption Acts, and other subjects on which Ministers
must appeal in each and every year, to the repre-
sentatives of the people. Why not also have an an-
nual reimposition of the property-tax (we trust
such a thing as an income-tax will soon be unknown) ?
It would be by far the most valuable and important
topic to be submitted to periodical revision.

It is our melancholy duty to record another fatal
colliery accident, which occurred at Bedminster on
Saturday morning, by which five persons have lost
their lives directly, and one indirectly, the last being
a poor old man named Tuomas PARSONS, whose son
was in the coal-pit, and who died of fright when he
heard of the accident. It appears that shortly after
three o'clock on the morning of Saturday last five
men entered the bucket at the Malago-vein pit, Bed-
minster, for the purpose of descending to the lower
vein, which lies at a depth of 240 fathoms from the
surface. They were lowered by the engine until
they got near the vein, when suddenly the rope broke
at the top, and the five unfortunate men were precipi-
tated to the bottom of the mine. Intelligence of the
catastrophe quickly got abroad, and apprehensions
were entertained for the safety of the other persons
in the pit, who might be in danger from the water,
and the engine was at once set working, and prepa-
rations made for descending into the bottom of the pit.
" This," says the published account of the accident,
" owing to the great depth of the shaft, was a work
of difficulty and time. A flat rope of 150 fathoms
was borrowed from the north side pit, but this was
not long enough, and the length had to bo made out
by splicing to it a hundred-fathom rope of the ordi-
nary round twist—a work to effect which, and adjust
it to the drum, occupied till ten minutes to eight
o'clock. At this time, in order to test the working
of the machinery, a bucket with lights, but no one in
it, was let down nearly to the bottom and drawn up
again. Great care was used to work well, and at
half-past eight o'clock two men, named JOHN REY-
NOLDS and HENRY LOVELL, entered the cart and de-
scended. All was now breathless attention, while
h the
r anxiety
r fo greatlyar
stoppages increased
in
from
the t e
descent f c t o
,f
which seemed to indicate that sornAnn3. g was Omits.

After the cart had descended to about three-fourths '
of the extreme depth the signal was given for haul-
ing up, and the men were drawn to the surface.
They stated that, owing to the twisting of the round
rope it would be impossible for them to descend to
the vein in safety, but they brought the melancholy
tidings that they had conversed with the men in the
vein, and learnt that the five poor fellows were all
dead. The engineer states that he observed the de-
fect in the rope as it passed the wheel, but that be-
fore he could stop the engine the rupture took place.
It being impossible to work with the round rope, the
men proceeded to splice another flat one, which had
been lent from the Dean-lane Colliery, and at about
three o'clock in the afternoon the first two bodies,
those of PHILIP PRING and JOSEPH MOFFATT, were
brought up. They were dreadfully crushed by the
falling of the iron bonnet of the cart. MOFFATT had
his throat cut, caused by his neck being driven
against the edge of the iron cart. In about another
hour the three remaining bodies were recovered, but
they were only slightly bruised, and had evidently
lost their lives by drowning in the water at the bot-
tom of the shaft. We have been informed that the
rope had been spliced only four days previously in
the very place where it parted, and it is alleged by
some persons to have always been a defective one."
We have observed that of late, whenever a colliery
accident has occurred, there has been exhibited an eager
desire to throw all the blame on the unfortunate victims
of the accident, who, according to the statements
usually made in such cases, have been almost uni-
formly the victims of their own rashness, and to
exonerate the proprietors of the colliery, who have
as invariably been represented as the most humane,
and generous, and prudent of individuals, whose
only object was to preserve the lives of those en-
gaged in their service. In the present instance,
however, no such excuse for the conduct of the pro-
prietary of the colliery can be put forward. With-
out entering at all into the question as to the alleged
defective state of the rope, a question to which, as it
must necessarily become hereafter the subject of
judicial investigation, it would be improper further
to refer, we have abundant evidence in the facts
themselves to show that the proprietors did not exer-
cise that degree of vigilance and care, and did not
make those preparations which it is the bounden duty
of all persons situated as they are to make for the
preservation of the lives of those who hourly risk
those lives in their service. How comes it that the pro-
prietors had on the spot only one rope of sufficient
length to reach to the bottom of the pit ? Had not
the occurrence of this accident proved the fact, would
the statement have been credited that there could be
found persons so careless as to risk the lives of their
workmen, and the value of their property, upon one
rope alone, and that, if the rope broke, all communi-
cation between those above ground and those under
must cease for hours, perhaps for days ? In this
case we find that five hours elapsed before, by splicing
together small ropes, any attempt could be made to
descend into the mine, and even these ropes were
" borrowed ;" they were not on the spot ready for
service, in case of accident ; but this is not all, the
spliced rope was not sufficiently perfect to enable the
men to get to the bottom of the pit, and it was not
until another rope had been borrowed from another
colliery, and another splice had taken place, that after
a lapse of nearly twelve hours from the time of the
occurrence of the accident, any communication
with the bottom of the pit could take place ; whereas,
had a second flat rope of proper length been at hand at
the time, it might have been at once rigged to the
drum, and instead of a lapse of twelve hours, a lapse
of not as many minutes would have occurred, before
another cart with assistance would have descended,
in which case the probability is that the lives of the
three men who were drowned would have been saved
We hope that all proprietors of coal mines will take
warning from this fatal accident, and will take care to
have always on hand at the pit's mouth an ample
supply of flat ropes, so as to be always enabled, in
the event of accident, to at once restore the inter-
rupted communication between those above and those
below.

We would earnestly invite the public attention to
the meeting of the Gland National Cattle Show of Ire-
►and, which is to take place in Dublin during the present
week. As it is the only one of the three Royal Agricul-
tural Societies which will hold a regular meeting in the
provinces this year, combining implements and stock,
and every variety of farming produce, we feel confi-
dent that the crowd of strangers now in this country
will avail themselves of the opportunity of not only
visiting the show in Dublin, but of also extending
heir tour into the centre of the country. We perceive
by the programme that the proceedings are to be on
a most extensive scale. Wednesday, the 13th instant,
will be the first day of the show, and the grand ban
quet will take place on Thursday, while the meeting
will terminate with a grand ball and supper, on Friday
night, in the Theatre Royal.
At such a time as this, when every portion of this
country is crammed almost to suffocation, it is but
fair that our poor suffering sister should come in for
her share of the benefit, and that strangers should see
with their own eyes that land for which " GoD has
done so much and man so little." For this object a
❑umber of circumstances combine at the present
moment. The Parliament is prorogued, and Members
are taking flight back to Ireland. The facilities af-
forded by the different railway and steam-boat
companies are greater than on any former occasion,
and return tickets can be procured at the Euston-
:quare Station, as well as at Birmingham, Chester,
&c., expressly for the show, to Dublin via Holyhead,
returnable at the end of the week, by which parties
will see the entire meeting, under the most favourable
circumstances, and on the cheapest terms possible.
Again, if parties are inclined to extend their tour
into the country, they can procure the regular return
tickets via Dublin and Killarney, and having passed
the show-week in Dublin, proceed by the different
railways to visit the South and the West of Ireland,
returning at the end of a fortnight. To strangers
anxious to visit Ireland, we strongly advise them to
take advantage of this opportunity ; and tenant-
farmers and capitalists, whose eyes are directed to
that country, will find every facility for studying not
only the various productions of the soil, but also the
land itself, in its present state of transition.
We firmly believe that the tide has turned for Ire-
land, and that this is the critical time to take it at
the flood, and we hope to see thousands avail them-
selves of this opportunity to visit the only great
industrial meeting in the kingdom, that has not been
swallowed up by the all-absorbing influence of the
Crystal Palace.

APPROACHING MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.—We
understand that a matrimonial alliance is about to take
place between his Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimar and the Lady Augusta Gordon Lennox, second
daughter of their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Richmond.

THE GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH.—yesterday
two Acts of Parliament were printed confirming certain
provisional orders of the General Board of Health. On
the 17th of September next, elections for local boards of
health are to take place at the following places : Dior-
petb, Bristol, Beverley, Sherborne, Bridgend, Bryn Mawr,
Norwich, Gateshead, Doncaster, Margate, Borough of
Weymouth, and Melcombe Regis, Newmarket, Romford,
Te,nby, Kingston-upon-llull, Hartlepool, Hastings, and at
West Cowes on the 4th of September. By the second
Act the provisional order for Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, is
confirmed.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SUEGEONS,..At a meetingo
the Council on the 7th inst. Messrs. Peter Redfern, of Aber-
deen, diploma dated August 18, 1843, and Edward Smith, of
St. John's-wood, formerly of Birmingham (May 10, 1841),
were admitted fellows of the college. The following gentle-
men, having undergone the necessary examinations for the
diploma, were admitted members of the college at the meet-
ing of the Court of Examiners on the Bth inst.: —Messrs.
John Bredin Posnett, Belfast ; Maurice James O'Connor.
Morpeth. Northumberland; Cornelius William Denn-hy,
Cork; 'Walter Alexis Bridge, Nicaragua, Central America;
Henry George, Kirton Lindsey, Lincolnshire; James Dick-
, son, Charleston, South America; Henry Spry Leverton,
Truro, Cornwall ; John Ansell Brown, Surrey-square, Old
Kent-road ; and Charles Bothwell, Bolton-le-Moors, Lanca-
shire. At the same meeting of the Court Mr. Robert Charles
Scott passed his examination for naval surgeon. This gen-
tleman had previously been admitted a member of the col-
lege, his diploma bearing date August 9, 1817.
SUDDEN DEATH OF D. R. Ross, ESQ..--We re-
gret to learn, by the Tobago papers, the sudden death of
his Excellency D. R. Ross, Lsq,, Lieutenant-Governor of
that colony, occasioned by his being precipitated with his
horse and gig frcm the side of the road into a ravine about
thirty feet deep, whilst returning with his servant from a
public ball. Strange to say, horse, gig, and servant escaped
uninjured.

POOR-LAW RELIEF IN IRELAND.—Yesterday a
return to Parliament was printed, from which it appears
that in the three quarters of the year ending the 28th of
June last the total expense incurred for in-maintenance was
444,4881., and for out-door relief 8,082/. ; for other expenses
402,5081., making the total expenses incurred 855,0781. The
poor-rate lodged amounted to 840,586/, and the total
14w valuatieh was 14923,4594

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
M. LEON FAUCHER, left Paris for London ou
Sunday.
The Jesuit Univers is furiously enraged with Lord
PALMERSTON for having sent to the different Courts
of Europe copies of Mr. GLADSTONE'S pamphlet con-
taining accusations against the " worthiest of Kings."
The Constitutionnel has the following on the subject
of the candidature of the Prince DE JOINVILLE for
the Presidency of the Republic :
" Let us admit for a moment that the Prince do Join-
ville should be named President of the Republic; that
all the princes his brothers, the Duchess of Orleans, his
sister-in-law, the Count de Paris, his nephew, ,should re-
turn to France, we should be in reality fully returned
to the monarchy of July—that is to say, to a Govern-
ment reckoning among its most bitter enemies the Le-
gitimatists, Republicans, Bonapartists, demagogues, and
Socialists. Some men of talent and of spirit will perhaps
devote themselves in the first days of this new restora-
tion; but what principles, what interests will be satisfied;
what security to the country will be afforded by such a
Government, sitting as it were but yesterday with all
the insignia of royalty at the Tuileries, surrounded by a
powerful and devoted army, and knowing only how to
abdicate and go into exile? The election of the Prince
de Joinville would open a vast field to fresh revolutions,
to those revolutions which ruin and destroy everything
in France. Certainly the hereditary rights of the Count
de Paris will be renounced in documents drawn up and
signed with probity ; but what duration would such
transient abnegation have? M. de Lamartine, in his
history of the Restoration, says with truth of the Duke
of Orleans, 'He must not conspire, but wait; to wait in
certain situations is to conspire."'
The Moniteur announces that, by a decision of the
Minister of Finance, the interest upon the Buns du
Tresor is fixed as follows, from and after Monday the
11th of August current, namely :
"At 2 per cent. per annum for Bons having three to
five months to run.

"At 3 per cent. per annum for Bons having six to
eleven months to run; and
" At 4 per cent. per annum for Bons of a year."
There was scarcely any business transacted at the
Bourse. The Five per Cents. opened at 95f. 95c., and
closed at 95f. 85c. for the end of the month; the Three
per Cents. closed at 57f. 40c. Orleans Railroad Shares,
8701.; Havre, 2431. 750.; Great Northern, 468 f. 75c.;
Avignon, 206 f. 25. ; Vierzon, 440 f.; Basle, 1551.; Bor-
deaux, 3961. 25c.; Paris and Strasburg, 363 f. 75e.•
Tours and Nantes, 273 f. 75c..; Amiens to Boulogne, 270 f.
BUSINESS I), ;NE IN FOREIGN KAILWAYb AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, Ava. 11.

Central of France (Orleans and Vierzon), 1758—Luxem-
bourg, VA—Northern of France, 14)(i—Sambre and Meuse,
3%.

SPAIN.

Madrid journals of the 6th have arrived. Their
contents are unimportant.
MADRID BOLSA, AUG. 6.—The folowing are the
prices of Stocks :—Three per Cents , 36k to ; Five
per Cents., with current coupon, 17k ; Coupons, 8i
to ; Passive Debt, 6 9-16 to Exchange on
London, 51.

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