The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-24 00:00:00

THE GRAND SWINDLE.

The case of the Central Gas Company was before a
select committee of the House of Commons on Friday
and Mr. Denison applied for powers to raise an additional
capital of £lOO,OOO for new works. The requirements of
the company since its formation had necessitated the
erection of additional works, and at the present date
£30,000 was owing under that head, The company would
have been enabled to have discharged the debt of £36,000,
to which he had alluded had it not been for the frauds of
Mr. Higgs, the late secretary of the company, which were a
matter of common notoriety, his defalcations having
amounted to twice that sum, or something over .C 70,000.
Higgs had carried on this sy2tem of fraud since the year 1862,
and the result had been the astounding deficiency named. It
would be asked where was the system of audit under which
such operations could have taken place. Higgs had been in
the service of the company for seventeen years, and the
directors had considered that they could place great confi-
dence in him ; and, with reference the auditing of the
accounts, there was an act of Parliament of 1851 which
empowered the Corporation to appoint auditors on their
own behalf, sech officials to be paid by the company.
Directly the Act came into operation they appointed two
gentlemen, namely, Mr. Chatteris and Mr. Begbie, who
were both members of eminent City firms, for the purpose,
and those gentlemen had continued in that °ince ever
since, so that the Corporation were as much to
blame in that matter as the directors. These frauds went
on under a system of running audit, and under the super-
vision of auditors appointed, tot by the company, but by
the Corporation. He did not know how his learned friend
would deal with this matter in opposing the bill, as he
declined to chew him (Mr. Denison) his cards ; but
at present, at any rate, he thought that the Corpora-
tion
of London did not come forward to oppose the bill
with cleaner hands than did the directors who were pro-
moting it.

Mr. Henry Chatteris was examined. He said :I am
a member of the firm of Chatteris, Nicholls, and Chatteris,
public accountants, and I was appointed an auditor of the
Great Central Gas Company in 1851, in which office I con-
tinued till the end of 1860, being annually reappointed
by the Common Council. At the end of 18601 became an
auditor of the company, appointed by the directors, and
have continued so up till the present time. Mr. Begbie,
of the firm of Begbie, Robinson, and Hockley, was my
colleague. He was appointed in the same manner as
myself, and has continued so up till the present time.
The Corporation never appointed us after the year 1860.
I knew Mr. Higgs, who was a clerk in the accountant's
office of the gas company. There were six or seven clerics
in the office. Ido not know whether he held a leading

position. I believe he had been in the company's employ
for sixteen or seventeen years. It was one of the rules
of the office that the accountant should receive from
the company's collectors their lists. The collector
was to take the money he received direct to the bankers,
and then take the list and receipt to be passed into
the company's books. I have ascertained since Higgs has
absconded that that course was not pursued since 1862,
but that Higgs persuaded the collectors to take the lists
and money to him, and he would pay them into the bank.
The accountant has told me he did not know of this pro-
ceeding. The late investigations spew that Higgs was in
the habit on some occasions of keeping the whole of the
money, and in other cases making out smaller lists, and
then paying in the smaller sums.
After some further important evidence had been taken
the committee adjourned.

THE ACCIDENT AT THE DELABOLE

SL ATE QUARRY.

The fearful accident to the Delabole slate quarry which
took place on Wednesday, and which we have already
mentioned, is described by the Western. Morning Ems.
The Old Delabole Quarries, which have been famous for
centuries for the slate which they produce, are situated in
the parish of St. Tenth, about two miles and a half from
Camelford, and give employment to between 300 and 400
men and boys. The quarries form one huge pit, which has
an area of fifteen or sixteen acres, and is in parts 350 feet
in depth. From the surface of the ground to the top
of the immense slate rubble heaps which surround the
quarries, is over another 100 feet, so that the workings
extend nearly five hundred feet perpendicularly. The
elate and refuse is raised from the bottom by draw-
ing engines, each of which is in connection with a wooden
framework overhanging the pit. These frameworks are
called poppet-heads, and have pulleys in their upper por-
tions, over which the drawing chains work. Beneath these
pulleys are tables communicating with tramways, which
are moved backward and forward by means of windlasses.
On these tables truck carriages, or "cradles," are run,
and they are then pushed out to the extent of the
framework, in order to receive the material drawn up.
On Wednesday afternoon, about five o'clock. the L.:rgest
poppet-head on the works gave, way, with scarcely a
minute's warning, the tremendoas crash being heard at a
very great distance. In its fall the lead carried with it
all who were at work upon it, and buried several men who
were in the pit beneath, about 330 feet below. Several
persons had very narrow escapes. One of the men who
fell from the top had ouly a broken arm and a few other
slight injuries, and was able to walk home with the assist-
ance of two of his fellow-workmen. Another escaped with
his life, but is seriously injured. A little girl who had
come with her father's tea also fell into the pit with the
debris, but was very slightly hurt. A Mrs. Wallis, who
had brought her husband his tea, was likewise on the
poppet-head when it gave way, but, fortunately, was
standing just where the ground opened, and saved her life
literally by climbing up the falling rubbish. There were
sixteen men working just under the head on a level in the
side of the cliff. One of them heard something above,
which he describes as a " crack," and called out to his
comrades, "For God's sake ram, the cliff is coming.''
They accordingly ran to a projecting rock or shed, and
were all saved. A minute later and they must have all
been buried alive. Up to a late hour on Wednesday
evening the following had been dug out of the rubbish,
dead :—Thomas Courtis, Thomas
and William Henry
Langdon, two brothers aged respectively six and nine
years, who were on the poppet-head, having come there
with tea to their brother. Their father was killed some
years ago in the same works. 'William Langdon
grandfather to the boys—this old man some time since
was discharged from the pit, and had only begged himself
on again last week— William Toms, Joseph Hosken, and
Thomas Avery. 'William Prout was taken out alive, but
died while his comrades were taking him to his home.
James Penfound was also very seriously injured, and there
were many others who were more or less hurt. The con-
tinual falling of the rubbish Ereatly delayed the operations
of the men who were working to rescue their fellows,
and they had to desist from operations for the night.
Meantime every assistance was rendered to the injured
by Dr. Pearce, the medical man of the company, and his
assistant, who were quickly on the spot, and were kindly
aided by Messrs. King and Newsom, of Camelford, and
Mr. Wade, of Boscast le. At the time of the cessation of
operations on Wednesday night very wild rumours pre-
vailed as to the number killed. It was known that there
were several more to be accounted for, but amidst the con-
sternation which prevailed it could not be certainly ascer-
tained who who were missing. Among those thought to be
killed were a young woman named Fanny Wallis, who,
having come to the pit with tea to her father, fell in with the
poppet-head, and was supposed to have had a child in her
arms ; a young matt named John Henry Bone, a shoemaker
by trade, who was performing his first day's work in the
quarry; and Matthew Mitchell, of Camelfcrd. The scene
at the pit was most heartrenei ig—parents weeping over
their children, and children over their parents. Too much
cannot be said in praise of some of the men, who risked
their own lives to save those of their fellow sufferers,
especially of a workman by the name of James Kellow,
and two companions, who worked with a will amid the
falling of large stones and rubbish, and thus succeeded in
saving at least one life. Two of the men killed belonged
to Wadebridge, and had only begun to work in the quarries the same day. A large number of men were again at work by daybreak on Thursday,
and had not laboured long before they heard
some one groaning beneath their feet. They went to work
more heartily than ever in the direction from which the
sound proceeded, and in the course of an hour they cam€
near enough to hear the man speak, and to recognise him
as William love. A message was at once sent to his
almost broken-hearted wife, informing her that her bus
band was still alive, and it was hoped not much injured.
It should be stated that the system of working the quarry
by poppet-heals has for some time past been under-
going a change; some that were formerly worked have
been abandoned, and in a short time the whole quarry wil.
be worked by means of inclines and tramways, whicl
have been constructed, and found to be safe, efficient, ane
economical.

Late accounts say that no less than sixteen person.
have lost their lives through the accident. These include
thirteen men, two boys, and one woman. One man it
reported to be dying through the effects of the injuries
which 'lle received. Tour bodies have not as yet beer
recovered.

HARD NAMES.—For some time there has been
a reaction in America against the early custom of tin
English settlers in superseding the Indian names of places
The process of restoration, however, does not promise tc
be an umnixed good. A newspaper published in tin
region of Lakes Memphremagog and Winnepesauke.
remarks that " the fish in Lake Holleyhunkemunk
Maine, are superior to those ( f either Lake WeeleyoLacoo
or Moosetockmegantm. Toes of Ci auhung( gungamaun
were very fine, but they a'l got evized to death in tryin,
to tell where they lived."

of bill."

SPIRIT or THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Saturday Review regrets that when the reason 9 for
the remission of any capital sentence are made knevin!
they will remain, as they must do, open matters for ecser
meat, criticism, and possible objection, or even PreP.,..
condemnation. Neither the Home Secretary nor ti;
public ought to occupy this sort of relative position;aii_
is unfair both ways. The carrying out of the ext 'ta;
sentence of the law ought not to be left in this accidental
and unknown state. As it is, after every solemn tri`,
of justice, accompanied by the most impressive dets_altiso
we are all pretty much where we started. I,,nt
accused to be sure is condemned to death ; uife,
whether he will be hanged, imprisoned for life,
or pardoned, depends upon a whole train of matters, con
ducted by nobody knows who, and settled for seas° ri.3;
nobody knows what. Sheward is condemned and executed
Wiltshire is condemned and imprisoned for life‘;
Smethurst is condemned and pardoned ; Constance
five years after ccnunittieg murder, gives herself nll
justice, is convicted, condemned, and not executed'
Sheward, eighteen years aft& r committing murder, git, es
himself up to justice, is convicted, condemned, and
.
executed. In each and all of these cases a fierce and ni!°_
chievous controversy arises. If Parliament happens top::
sitting, we get, as we have just got in Sheward s cue'
satisfactory explanation from the Home Secretary ;
that explanation is, of course, open to exception and crisis
cism. If Parliament is not sitting, the newspapers tar
their sides, and the public follows suit, and we hear:
great deal of the caprice of the Home Office, the unclilf
severity or the undue leniency of the Secretary, all °f
which may or may not be justifiable. But what rest:lB2lli?
is a reasonable objection to the uncertainty of crinaie;
justice. It may be all right, but we have no ground!
upon which to be satisfied ; it may be all wrong, bet We
can never prove it.
The Spectator says that, according to his own account of
the matter, Mr. Lowe on Tuesday night sprang a mine
s
upon a new Tower of Babel, which the lawyers have beeP
conspiring to build on the rather prosaic site of Care/;
street, Lincoln's-inn. The proceeding, however, resernbie-
more closely a new attempt to found a Cave—and this
;
time, it would seem, in the heart of the Government, a°
merely in the Liberal party. Government after Goverin‘
meat has submitted the policy of which Mr. Lowe made
such fun on Monday night—the policy of concentrating
Law Courts so as to introduce the highest degree of unit,'
and efficiency into our distracted modes of procedure-'to
select committees and commissions, and notably to thei
commission called Sir George Lewis's Consinissiony
which the present Lord Chancellor, Lord Hatherley,
a most active and important member, and every report s
made has insisted on the vast importance of the policy of
which Mr. Lowe makes so light. The report of the
Judicature Commission just issued, the importance of
which, supported, as it is likely to be, by the legal
authorities on both sides of the Houses of Parliament,
cannot be exaggerated, insists on this policy of concentra;
tion as the central point of all our legal reform; and it
cannot, indeed, be carried out without such concentration
The "frenzy for concentration," over which Mr. Les°
makes so merry, has been shared by persons not lesg
prudent and cool than the late Sir G. C. Lewis, Lord
Hatherley, Sir J. Coleridge, and an almost indefinite
number of other Ministers and lawyers, who are not usuallY,
supposed to be given to wild and extravagant freaks 0'
humour or caprice. No doubt it is contrary to all true
principles of economy to leave the execution of sad' a
scheme as this to irresponsible commissioners, who lisve
no motive for economy and efficiency, because they have
nothing to lose by extravagance and inefficiency. So PI
we go with Mr. Lowe. But we do earnestly protest
against the penny-wise and pound-foolish counsel
proposes an irretrievable policy of insufficient accommaa•
tion on the most inconvenient sites, in the hope of savieg
for the moment a sum far short of what we shall certainly
have to spend in repairing our error in future years. it
is all very well for a responsible Minister to say, "I ar,
responsible for this ; if I am in error you will have me
blame, and I can pay the penalty." But by the time we
are feeling the consequences of such an error as this seems
likely to prove, Mr. Lowe will probably no longer De
Minister ; before we can feel the worst consequences of his
blunder, it is scarcely possible that he can any longer 1)e
Minister ; lie will have the satisfaction of saving a milli°
or two sterling now, and the next generation will ilsce
the satisfaction of paying many more millions as a fine fOl.
his error and a penal tribute to his memory.
The Examine). and London Review, in discussing the
professional beggar, remarks that it is very hard to induce
people to abandon the cruel kindness of promiscuous alias,
giving. They will not look to the fact that the professions'
beggar absorbs the money which ought to go to the really
destitute. The ordinary complaint is, "We have n°
means of telling whether a beggar is an impostor or not;
and under the circumstances it is better that we should he
cheated nine times if on the tenth we gain the chance a`,
relieving some abject creature's misery." 'That is to saY'
for want of information we are compelled to spend niiie
shillings in fostering deceit, that the tenth shilling Inald°
a walk of charity. What we should like to see dons
would be the spending of the nine shillings, or part of i:
in obtaining the required information, and the conseVeii:
extermination of the professional beggar. Now tn"
Society for Preventing Pauperism, Mendicity, and Griine
offers an admirably simple method of achieving this des''
rable end. The means are not expensive ; they involve but
little trouble ; and they have been found thoroughly enuiPe
tent in an experiment which has just been made, we lea°,
at Blackheath. It is proposed to apply the same principle
to the metropolis, but there will obviously hei great difficill-
tics in the way of working the system satisfactorily iII
London, for without general and concerted action it would
be comparatively valueless. But that such a systeo
would multiply the chances of real destitution being re•
lievecl and greatly reduce the chances of successful in3Pcs'
ture, is apparent at the first glance. Among the deserving
poor there is frequently a great disinclination to make
public their poverty by seeking workhouse aid. A society
which could prudently and efficiently investigate such
cases of genuine distress as are not relieved by our present
methods of affording charity, would do a most humane
and deserving work. The system, if applied to London,
would have to be wholly decentralised, and there must 11°
offices in various districts, within easy reach of the Inajaci
rity of the inhabitants' houses. 'Cases of hardship
injustice must, unquestionably, occur; for officialisre'
when it comes in as the protector of philanthropy halve°
the charitable and the applicant for charity, invariably
assumes an attitude of suspicion, and is apt to become too
zealous and too literally exact in its demands. But these
cases would bear no proportion whatever to the alarming
injustice at present inflicted by the method in which sv°
dole out our private charities. It is the really deservi"
poor who have no chance. It is the bold and obstinate
beggar who invariably carries the day.
The John Bull thinks that the debate in the House °I
Lords on the increase of the Episcopate will, at first sight'
be very disappointing to Churchmen, and loud murmurs
will no doubt be heard against the conduct of the bishea
No one can fail to sympathise with Lord Lyttelton.
has devoted himself with such earnestness to bringing
about some practical measure for the increase of the EPie:
copate, and he has been so frequently unsuccessful, the
every peer and Churchman reg e's to oppose him. Never
theless, it does seem unfortunate that he should not 101:-
communicated with the Episcopal Bench. The 11°I)'6
lord may well complain that in whatever shape he bring°
forward his bill, their lordships cavil at its details. But
the real lesson to be learnt from this debate I°'
that Parliament, while admitting the necessity for
an increase in the number of our dioceses, "Wl'
not give its consent to anything but a definite
tangible scheme. 'Their lordships were only one:
roused to enthusiasm during the debate, and that
was when reference was made to the probability of an;„
endowment being seized on by a Government which, a'
Lord Westbury said the other night, talks of not brealci"
the law as if it was a virtue. But we think the endosr'

ment might be secured from the most sacrilegious ;P°ll3;
tors, and, therefore, if wealthy Churchmen will find the
means, a moderate increase in the number of our chief
pastors may at once be attained. But the House °f
Lords will not encourage subscription or cheap bishol
certainly open to the abuse pointed out by the Bishop °
Gloucester and Bristol, and the rota system is universalbr
condemned. The Archbishop of York hinted at a scheme
for making deans coadjutor bishops ; but we warn those
Pro Poling this scheme that, whatever its merits, it Wll/
undoubtedly have very different and more extended results
than they imagine. Let us hope that the delay, taritly
lising and disappointing as it is, may result in some defi•
nite and practical scheme being adopted. The qtleAi°°
cannot remain in its present position.

The Emperor of Austria is likely to visit Cori"
stantinople during the summer.
The C'a tt.; announces the appointment of Sir,
Michael Shaw Stewart to the Lord-Lieutenancy of Ib
frewshire, in the room of the late Earl of Glasgow.
MR, NEWDEG ATE AND DR. MANNING. —1111?
Tablet says: "For ourselves, we are bound to say Ow'
Mr. Newdegate always edifies us, and we have taken
pains on t occasion to gather from authentic sourer:
the particulars which his mode Sty declined to give.
appears that the Archbishop of Westminster really be'
been in the tea-room with a friend, who, being inspired
with mischief, said, There's Newdegate; shall I intr°..
duce you to him ?" With all my heart, if he likes it, ,
once,' replied the Archbishop ; and his friend went over,
o the godly man, but soon came back laughing,
istoo strong, it's too strong.' Mr. Newdegate had escape
-flare of the fowler, and no doubt fled away, reflect•.
a:;other victory over sin, a victory over the