The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 24, LS69

of fanatical antagonism which in former times has so
often and so lamentably kindled the flames of insur-
rection and civil war. For once a religious question
has been argued calmly, dispassionately, and with
the most equable deliberation. The contest—manly,
strenuous, and:prolonged—has come to an end. At
this the first important stage of the Bill's advance-
ment, it has had its issue. The result is even beyond
our hopes or our most sanguine expectations. But upon
the side of the victors there is no sign whatever of
irritating exultation. The Liberal Party are so
strong and so united upon this question of the Irish
Church, that they have no inducement to wound the
feelings of antagonists so completely vanquished
as, within doors, the members and, out of doors,
the supporters, of the Conservative Opposition.
Lengthened and outspoken though the debate
has been, upon both sides of the House of Commons
not one unfair word has been uttered by either party
throughout the whole discussion —not a single sar-
casm has to be regretted—not one solitary shaft of
acrimonious ridicule is left behind to rankle where it
was ungenerously driven home. The last night of this
memorable and historical discussion was worthy in every
sense of its three remarkable predecessors. Commenced
by the Right Hon. Member for the University of
Cambridge, in a speech that appears to us not simply
foreshortened, but absolutely truncated and re-
duced to a very torso, probably by reason of the
consideration enunciated by Mr. WALPOLE last
evening, in his very first sentence, when he said,
" After the remarkable character of this
debate, already prolonged for three nights,
and especially after the speeches of the right
hon. and learned gentleman the member for
Dublin University and of my hon. and learned friend
the member for Richmond, 1 feel it would be unjus-
tifiable in me to make any lengthened observations
on the question before the House"—the debate was
sustained with admirable effect immediately after-
wards by the Right Hon. Member for Tamworth, in a
speech which has been described by one of our con-
temperaries as a historico-philosophic disquisition,
but which was more than that, especially towards the
close, when Sir HENRY BULWER addressed himself
to the subject under discussion in words befitting at
once the orator and the statesman. After nine
other members had taken part in the debate,
the last of them perhaps the most zealous
and impetuous among all the leading an-
tagonists of the measure before Parliament, the
discussion was worthily closed by an elaborate ora-
tion from the First Minister of the Crown—an
oration not inappropriately preluding as swingeing
a majority in as large a House as ever endorsed the
°Onions of a Prime Minister or sustained the policy
of his Government. •

WE do not suppose that any one of our readers is
likely to confound two different things, admiration of
Sir ROUNDELL PALmEa and admiration of Sir
ROUNDELL PALMER'S arguments. In these days of
dishing political opponents, by taking leaps in the
dark, personal self-denial is too rare for us not to
eulogise it; and the member for Richmond has per-
formed an act of great self-denial. It is something to
have surrendered the highest prize of the prof ession just
as it came to his hand ; it is still more to have severed
himself from the party and from the leader with
whom he has acted, and with whom he in the main
na go rt ee
required . The a
e These
manyr sacrifices e
en
,for w
thhi c
eh
many
would fortunately
onlare
d not
be able to make them. We cannot altogether regret
that they have been required in this instance, because
thewill alacrityd o
something
o restore the r eqthuei r nol erna
lt haston
eb e
ofe n met
the
eplo.elinttice of 1800-8. And
al world, which hasbeenyestoreilty lioswedrieffidenblyt theto
understand how Sir ROUNDELL could have deemed
the sacrifice necessary. After reading his speech,
and noting the small amount of divergence there is
in it from the Ministerial plan, we can remember no
sacrifice so great for so inadequate an object since
the day when Mr. GLADSTONE left Sir R. PEEL'S Cabi-
net on the Maynoothquestion. Sir ROUNDELL PALMER
approves of disestablishment, approves even of partial
disendowment, so that the question at issue between
him and his former colleagues is one of pounds,
shillings, and pence only. lle endeavoured, indeed,
to shew that there was a principle involved in his
dissent from the bill. But the principle is so evanes-
cent, so etherial, that it vanishes like vapour before
the light and heat of debate. In fact, so far as
there was any force in the argument at all,
it rather made against him who used it. For
instance, if it is right to take away the endow-
ments of the Church from the parishes where there
are less than 200 Protestants—where, that is, the
Protestants are too few to maintain a church and
services by voluntary contributions—a fortiori, it must
be right to take them where a Church has
a large number of adherents capable of
supporting the Church. Mr. GLADSTONE'S bill has
nothing to do with numbers. It simply takes the
revenues in a lump, leaves the Church with such
portion as properly belongs to her (the funds accruing
from private endowments), and, finding that these are
amply sufficient for the wants of the Church, appro-
priates the remainder of the revenues to a work as truly
religious as preaching sermons, and which offers this
great advantage, that it enables them to be administered
in a way wherein Irishmen of every creed can parti-
cipate.

" TILE light warn't gone out none the more in
Heaven," said STEPHEN PAGE, in the Brierley coalpit,
when the last candle was extinguished. The event
justified the feeling of trust with which the rough
collier, when the hope of earthly aid had vanished,
confided himself and his beleaguered companions
to a more infallible protection. Thirteen men and
boys were engulfed five days and nights in the depths
of a coalpit without light, food, water, or even air,
and yet twelve have been brought up weak, but safe,
to the surface. Late on Tuesday night the workings
of the Brierley Colliery were inundated, access to the
shaft closed up, and six men and boys on one side, and
seven on the other were imprisoned. The former
party were informed of the inundation by a rush of
choke damp. They hurried to the bottom of the shaft,
but were cut off and driven back by the flood, which
rose higher and extended furtherup the passage which
led to the opening. The choke damp conveyed no
warning of the flood to the larger party on the other
side of the shaft. They worked on, finished their turn
on Wednesday morning, turned their steps to
the mouth of the shaft to be drawn up as usual, and
found all access to the means of escape blocked by
the rising water. The flood rose for fifteen hours,
gradually driving the men back into the recesses of
the pit, where the ground was higher. Then it ceased.
The race for life had previously commenced. The
catastrophe was known above before the party of
seven were aware of it, a vast concourse from all the
region round about gathered on Tuesday night at
the pit's mouth, and from that time until
Sunday morning the steam -pumps furiously
strove to overtake the water. For fifteen
hours the water gained upon the pumps. The
prisoners had to recede step by step, for they kept
close to the edge of the flood. They knew that the
; pumps were at work, and the splash of the
. machinery every now and then refreshed the polluted
air. The last candle died out after the thirteenth hour;
but the light " warn't gone out none the more in
Heaven." The pumps began to gain upon the flood,
and then the dreary task of watching its subsidence
commenced. The water rose by feet, but went down
by inches. The men were without sustenance; and they
marked the ebb of the water by bits of coal, measured
the time by a watch which one of the men had, and
calculated the chanches of getting out—speedily
giving themselves up for lost, as their friends above
had. One man went mad, broke away from his
party, and perished, The rest preserved their reason,

and spent their time in hopelessly watching he sky 7
work of the pumps, and hopefully praying, in prep: 1-
ration for what they felt must be the end. They all
held many prayer meetings ; and the consolation of
religion, they tell us, did much to support -them
through this time of despair.

Meanwhile the race for life went on ab eve. The
crowd had little hope that any of the prisol aers would
be brought up alive ; but the work went on, and the
water slowly went down. At times it doereasFA at
the rate of five inches an hour, but more often four;
and one hundred hours were past before the bottom
was reached. Then the men could not be reached.
The foul air prevented the rescuing par' ,;y from
reaching the bottom, and defeated several attempts.
At length the subterranean lifeboat—a l'aft which
was taken down in the cage—reached the 1. wel of the
water, and the gallant crew pushed out into the side
of the pit where the ground was higher anol the water
lower. Here they found four men and one boy sitting
on a rampart of coal just clear of the water ; and, the
whole party were brought up safe to the top, amid
the frantic applause of the multitude. The man who
became insane completed this party. The raft went
down again, but the other division of seven on the
opposite side of the shaft could not be 'reached until
Monday morning. Then they, too, were all saved ;
even one man who had been left behind when his
companions moved from one place to another, and
who was thought to have perished, was brought
up—the last of the twelve, But for the
mental derangement of the single lost collier, this
most marvellous story would have ended without
the loss of a single life. Human nature could endure
no greater suffering than was experienced by these
men dying slowly of hunger, cold, and the poison of
the atmosphere. Human nature could exhibit no
greater fortitude than that which preserved in these
uncultured colliers the hope of mercy when the hope
of life was gone.

t -
EiWzips,
iuirt 111111 N-T.

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, March 23.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice,
and attended by the Duchess of Roxburghe, drove
out yesterday afternoon.

Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Louise,
walked and drove in the grounds this morning.

Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice also went
out.

His Highness the Prince Hassen Pacha and
suite, accompanied by Colonel Gamble, honoured
the Royal Christy Minstrels last evening with their
presence at the St. George's Theatre.

LATEST INTELL LGENCE

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

ARRIVAL OF TROOPS.
PORTSMOUTH, March 24.

The Indian troopship Serapis, Captain Soady,
from Alexandria and Malta with troops, arrived
here this morning.

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, March 23.

Gold closed at 1311 ; the highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 1311, the lowest 131. Sterling
exchange on Loudon, 108-; 5-20 Bonds, 1882, 118 ;
1885, 116 ; 1865, 113 ; 10-40 Bonds, 1051 ; Illinois,
140 ; Erie, 351; cotton, midland upland, 28i ;
Petroleum, standard white, 31 ; Flour, extra state,
$5.95 6.55 ; corn, old mixed, 89.

QUEENSTOWN, March 24.

The National Steamship Company's steamship
France, from New York, arrived off here at 6.30
this morning. She landed passengers and pro-
c:eded for Liverpool. All well.

ITALY.

BRINDISI, March 24.

Ihe Adriatic and Oriental Company's steamer
Brindisi has arrived here from Alexandria, after a
passage of 89 hours, having experienced very bad
weather. She brings 20 passengers, 11 of which
are English.

Emperor presided at the Council
of State,
PARIS, March 24.
which occasion he delivered the follow-
ing
Yesterdayon t he
address :—" It is the duty of the Government
resolutely to satisfy the just desire for improve-
ment, and firmly to repress all subversive
theories which are both unlawful and culpable.
Many improvements have already been effected,
but when the hidden wounds of the most prosper-
ous wounds are probed beneath an appearance of
prosperity, many undeserved cases of distress are
discovered. Great problems still remain to be
salved, and their solution requires the co-operation
of the whole intellect of the country. The suppres-
sion of the system of workmen's books (liyrets) will
complete a new series of measures in favour of the
working classes. Ido not anticipate being able to
overcome all prejudices and to diarm all ill feeling .

I do not reckon upon increasing my popularity,
but I hope to acquire fresh energy to resist evil
passion. When all useful improvements have been
effected, when everything has been done, order can
be maintained with more authority, since rower
will then lean on reason and the satisfaction given.

to public conscience.
BouRSE, March 23.—Three o'clock.—The market
closed as follows :

4i per Cent.

Bank Shares 2875
Itea'an Fives 's6 10
End of month —
Mexican Loan
Do. Bonds
Spanish Threes 321
Home Debt —
Deferred —
s.

Ind of month —'
3 per Cent
End of month 7O 23

Credit Mobilier 280
End of month... 280 --
Credit Fonci©r _1482 50
End of month... --
RAILWAY

Cash.
Orleans ... 960
Northern ..... 3170
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southwrn..... 6l2}
__,..

5981

Western .
Eastern ••
Sardinian
Austrian 6574
Lombard ..................................... 468-1
North of Spain 65
Saragossa
Roman

7HE EDINB URGIJ MUSEUM.

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh has received in-
timation to the effect that the Government are pre-
pared to insert in the estimates for the ensuing year
a sum of £lO,OOO towards the extension of the
Museum of Science and Art, on the understanding
that the ultimatecost will not exceed £53,335 17s. 2d.,
and also under certain conditions with regard to
properties in the neighbourhood of the building.
On Monday, at the High Court of Justiciary, James
Ashley and John Wynn were found guilty of steal-
ing a number of articles of jewellery from the
Museum in February last. Ashley was sentenced to
eight and Wynn to seven years' penal servitude.
The prisoner Wynn, in his declaration, described
the way in which the theft was committed. He
stated that Ashley cut a small hole near the lock of
the jewel case, and inserted the blade of a pair of
scissors, with which he forced the lid ; that while
so engaged Ashley leant over the case, as if looking
at the articles; that the operation lasted about ten
minutes, and that at the time two policemen were
standing near talking to two young ladies.

ROYAL GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION. —MR. AND
MRS. GERMAN REED'S ENTERTAINMENT.—Two novelties
will be brought out hero on Easter Monday—the first
from the pen of Mr. W. Gilbert, under the title of "No
Cards ;" the second by Messrs. F. C. Burnand and Arthur
Sullivan, which is called a new triumvirotta, and named
" Cox and Box." Mr. and Mrs. German Reed reappear
with Mdlle. Rosa D'Erina, and an engagement has been
entered into with Mr. Arthur Cecil, whose talents are
spoken of in very high terms.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK ON
CHARLES DICK) NS

Tho Archbishop of York, in declining an invitation to
the banquet to be given in Liverpool, on the 10th of April,
to Mr. Charles Dickens, writes:—"l much regret to say that
being engaged with my confirmations, it is quite impossible+
for me to be present to do honour to oue of the greatest
writers that have adorned English literature. Mr. Dickens's
genius naturally commands admiration; but, if I am not
mistaken, he has another claim upon his countrymen
quite as strong, for I do not believe that any writer has
done so much to promote kindly and charitable feelings
between the different classes of society, and thus, in the
great popular movement which is taking place around us,
Mr. Dickens has performed indirectly a considerable politi-
cal service. This I should have been glad to say in public
in your great town, but I cannot make the opportunity."

LOSS OF THE BARQUE CHINA AND NINE
LIVES.

Intelligence has been received in Liverpool, from New
York, of the loss of the barque China, nine lives, and the
fearful sufferings of the crew. Captain Leward, of the
British barque W. H. Jenkins, on December 29,
when in latitude 40.46, longitude 20, fell in with the
wreck of the barque China, of Cardiff, apparently
abandoned, whole seas sweeping' her decks, and a heavy
gale from N.N.W. blowing at the time. Some men
were discovered sitting on the forecastle deck. The
vessel was then hove to and the boats lowered,
and six men and the second officer were rescued, after
a hard struggle against the wind and sea, the
unfortunate men having to be lowered over the jibboom
into the boat, as boarding the wreck was impossible.
The second mate died two hours after, from exhaustion,
he, poor fellow, having been on the wreck
fourteen days, living on nothing but a piece of
pork, and what water they could catch. They
saw three vessels pass them within hailing distance, but
none of them offered to render assistance. The captain
of the China, the chief officer, and seven of the crew were
washed overboard and drowned some days before the W.
H. Jenkins came in sight.

MILITARY COLONISATION FOB NEW
ZEALAND.

A project for the establishment of military industrial
settlements in New Zealand is, it is now under
btood, under the consideration of the Government,
which, it is stated, seems peculiarly adapted to
the present exigencies both of the mother country
and the colony. The project before the Govern-
ment is, in a few words, substantially as follows :—lt is
proposed to establish a small colony, or several small
colonies on the frontiers of such portions of the North
Island as are most in danger of inroads from hostile
natives ; these colonies to be at once industrial and
military, containing " within themselves all the necessary
force requisite alike for their own defence, and, therefore,
also for that of existing British settlements in their rear; the
force to be under the orders of the local Government, and
capable of co-operating with other forces in the event of
any serious outbreak in their neighbourhood." The
proposed colony would be composed half of soldiers who
have seen five years' service in the army, and half of
young men from the artisan and agricultural classes, the
whole body being enlisted for five years and commanded by
officers selected from the army and militia. Each
colonist would have a grant of land according to his rank.
For the first year pay and rations would be allowed ;
for the second year rations only, except for
such periods as the men might actually be under arms,
when they would be entitled to pay as before. After the
second year there would be no pay or rations at all,
except during active military service. Moderate advances
would be made on the security of the land, and repayable
by easy instalments over a number of years, for
the purpose of enabling the settlers to cultivate
their holdings effectually. At the expiration of the
five years' enlistment each man would be a freeholder
of the land allotted to him, provided he had brought a
certain portion of it into cultivation ; in the case of pro-
tracted military service, unfavourable seasons, &c., the
period allowed for the fulfilment of this condition might
be extended. Mr. W. Fitzherbert, Colonial Treasurer of
New Zealand, when recently in this country, expressed
his cordial approval of the scheme, as " well-devised and
adapted for New Zealand."

THE LOCK-OUT OF MINERS.—The dispute at the
Denaby Main Colliery, where nearly 400 men are locked
out for joining the South Yorkshire Miners' Union, con-
tinues with no prospect of a settlement.
ABDUCTION FROM KING EDWARD'S SCHOOL—On
Tuesday morning bills, offering a reward of £2O, were
circulated for information as to the whereabouts of a
schoolboy, named Alfred Cotton, who was taken away
from King Edward's School, Mile End, in September last,
by his stepsister, and has not since been heard of.

In the Bankruptcy Court, on Tuceday, Mr. Robt.
H art well's case came on before Mr. Commissioner Winslow.
Bankrupt was an unsuccessful candidate at the receLt elec-
tion for Stoke-on-Truit. His debts wero under £3OO. Ito
states that his agent disappeared with -£2BO, sul,scribed by
his frieLds to defray his expenses. The case was now ad-
journed sine die for the anaendmaat of his description and the
filing of accounts. Protection was granted for one month.

It is said that Lord Ravensworth and his son,
the Hon. 11. G. Liddell, M.P., have agreed to break the
entail of the Ravensworth estate. It is likely, in conse-
quence of this arrangement, that considerable plots of
land suitable for building sites along the Team Valley will
come into the market. Lord Ravensworth and his family
and the entire public of Tyneside will be benefitted by this
change.
THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACKBURN. —As at
present arranged the nomination will take place on Monday
next, and the polling on Tuesday. The hustings are being
erected in Canterbury-street, on a plot of land calculated
to hold 70,000 persons, and the Mayor has announced his
desire that, with a view to preserving the peace on the
occasion, no party colours shall be exhibited at the
hustings.
The man Michael Crowley, who was so severely
burnt by his wife throwing paraffin oil over him, at Liver-
pool, has just died. The unfortunate man suffered excru-
ciating agony during the week, and on Tuesday it was
thought necessary to take his deposition. In this the de-
ceased alleged that the accused, being enraged, threw tho
oil over him ; on the other hand the woman's story is that
she was first struck by her husland, but she has no know-
ledge whatever how the oil c:,ught fire.
Mr. Goschcn's Valuation of Property Bill was pub-

lished on Tuesday. It contains no less tl.an 77 clauses. Its
object is to provide for a common basis of value for tho pur-
poses of Government and local taxation, and to promote uni-
formity in the assessment of rateable property in England.
The bill provides for the formation of a Valuation Board in
each county, whose business will be to draw up a table for
determining rateable value. This table is to be conclusive,
and is to be sent to the ass( ssment committee and overseers.
In each parish the valuation list is to be drawn up in
accordance with this table.

Four men, charged with mobbing and rioting at
Teviot-bridge, near Kelso, on the night of the 25th
November last, when the gate and posts in connection
with the pontage on the bridge were cut down and thrown
into the river, have been put upon their trial at Jedburgh,
before Sheriff PatCson and a jury. They all pleaded
not guilty, but were convicted, and sentenced, three of
them to three monqls' imprisonment, and the remaining
one to six weeks. The r:o': occurred on the evening of the
day on which the polling for the representation of
Roxburghsbire took Vac e.
THE MALT TAX.—An item of six millions sterling

cannot just now be spared from the revenw ; but can we
not spew how a material de:;ree of relief may be accorded
to the classes interested in barley, and at the same time a
benefit be conferred on all who drink beer, without any actual
remission of taxation? As Mr. Lowe declares himself unable
to remit the £270,000 a year of taxes upon vehicles—which
remission, by the way, would favourably affect the farmers
'es breeders of horses—it is not very likely that his Budget
will propose either a repeal or reduction of the malt duty.
But without waiting for a disposable surplus, can we not
obtain, say, a transference of the six millions from malt
to the manufactured article beer, and thus render the in-
cidence of the tax far less mischievous than at present?
Would not a duty upon beer brewed for sale, accompanied
by licenses for private brewing, leavillg the processes of
manufacture perfectly free and open to any improvements,
be a great advance upon the present roundabout and in-
tolerably burdensome mode of taxing our national
beverage ?—Chanther of Agriculture Journal.
THE STRIKE AT PRESTON.—There is nothing new
to report with reference to the great dispute at Preston,
except that at one of the mills (Mr. Paul Catterall's, New
Hall lane), It few spinners have, it is stated, returned to
their work. The general body of spinners are, however,
exceedingly determined, and maintain that they will
"fi Jilt it out " to the end. The weavers are by no means
so well organised as the spinners, their number being too
large to admit of the same marshalling and order ; and
it is thought that nearly one-half of them are net in
the union, but the whole will have to be maintained
by it in the event of a general strike. Business, which has
been bad in every branch of trade in Preston for about
four months, is getting worse, and pauperism is increasing.
This week the guardians have 124 more persons on their
books than they had last, and as compared with the same
period last year the book chews an increase of 1,158
paupers. The aggregate number of persons who have
this week received pariah relief (exclusive of vagrants)
,OM .