The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1867.

strike itt building trades," says our author, " means

a delay in the execution of works, public or pri-
vate ; a strike in other trades means not the post-
ponement of work, but the loss of it entirely."
Consequently it is easy for the London builders,

who know their work is waiting for them,

to urge upon the northern operative the
maintenance of a struggle in which he risks
not only his present work but his future
chances. Even the building trades, however, may
carry their confidence too far. Many parts of the
interior of houses, such as window frames, doorways,
&c., are now imported; and so great is the difference
between English and foreign wages that this can be
done at less cost to the employer, besides the advan-
tage of knowing that he can depend upon the punc-
tual fulfilment of his orders. The greater prudence.
and sobriety of the foreign workman enables him to
make more profit out of his lesser wages than the
thriftless Englishman, so that the apparent advan-
tage of the latter is often really nominal. An in-
stance which forcibly illustrates this is before us.
"In consequence of the exorbitant demand and
uncertain work of the navvies employed on a rail-
,way in Kent, Messrs. Waring, the contractors, bad
over a number of Belgian navvies at the same wages
they were paying the Englishmen ; these men kept
themselves in working condition, and actually re-
mitted to Belgium more money than their whole
wages would have amounted to in that country."
The hard-won increase of wages very often pro-
duces no increase in the comfort of the workman's
• .
home, since the publican and the gin-palace are the
largest gainers. It has been ascertained that the
men employed on one large fiFrn spent on a*average
1:05. a'week each in drink,: and though we need not
accept this as a fair estimate of the industry of the
whole country, we fear that the difference" between
English and foreign wages is more profitable to the
publican than to any one else.
Two very serious evils have resulted from the
pressure put by the men upon the masters.
One is that the large employers are fearful of
undertaking contracts which are limited as to
time, and which consequently go abroad. The
other is, that English labour is no longer either the
cheapest or the best. That punctuality is the soul
of business is a good old saying, but punctuality
in the execution of a contract is what no large
employer can now guarantee. The policy of the
Trades Union leaders to advise a strike directly
the masters have a large contract on hand may be
very effective for a temporary success, but it is in
the end most disastrous. A Welsh firm were
offered a contract for 4,000 tons of rails for Russia,
but knowing their men would demand an advance
of wages as soon as they knew of the contract,
they were obliged to make so high an estimate that
the order went over to Belgium. The letters
which Mr. LE FEUVRE recently addressed to a con-
temporary fully confirm the impression created by
these facts. Owing, he says, to the unsettled con-
dition of your iron trade, one of our chief railway
companies lately invited a foreign firm to make a
tender for the ironwork for a new terminus. From
the same cause his own firm are obliged to ship iron
from Belgium to London and re-ship it to Bombay,
to enable them to execute works to time, so as to
be delivered before the monsoon. A large quantity
of manufactnred iron was lately brought alongside
a vessel loading in the docks for Bombay,
within seven days from the despatch of a telegram
from London to Belgium. The "Manchester Man"
confirms all these statements. " Belgium and
France," he says, " carry off our contracts for loco-
motives and rails; France builds the iron fleets for

foreign nations ; locomotives and steam engines
havp been delivered in. England for one of our
English railways from CREUSOT'S in France ; from
Zurich, from BOIST'S works in Berlin; from the
works at Seraing, near Liege ; a house in Carlsruhe
has supplied locomotive; for our Indian railways ;
a large firm of English iron merchants and coal
proprietors have lately ordered a pumping engine
iu Belgium for one of the Northumberland col-

All these orders have gone abroad, be-
cause the foreigner could take them at a lower
price and execute them with punctuality."
The immense extent of sonic of the foreign
establishments is not at all understood in

deries.

this country. CREUSOT'S works, referred to in
the passage just quoted, are on a very large scale,
while KRUFF'S works at Essen, in Prussia, turn out
100,000,0001b5. of steel per annum. Mr. COcKERELL,
an Englishman, founded works near Liege, which
employ 7,000 men ; and there are many others in
France, Belgium, and Prussia on a similar scale. It
is not difficult to understand the reasons which have
given so great a stimulus to foreign competition.
Coal in Lancashire has advanced from 4s. 6d. a ton
to 7s. 6d. in seven years, while in Belgium it has fallen
from 18s. to 13s. In 1863 the iron-workers of Great
Britain succeeded in getting their wages raised 40
r.er cent. ! As a natural consequence the price
of iron rose during that year from £7 per ton to
£9 10s. In France the price of iron kept declining,
and since 1863 it has fallen nearly 50 per cent.
Skilled labour is in England at the present moment
twice as high as in France and Belgium, and three
times as high as in Prussia, Austria, and Russian-
Poland. Unless, argues our writer very forcibly,
we can make as good an article and sell it as cheap
as the foreigners they will take the market from us,
and this is but the natural effect of the laws of
demand and supply. " Ten years ago we could beat
the foreigner on any terms, because our material was
cheaper and better, our labour more skilled and our
work superior; but great changes have been at work
"since then both at home and, abroad, and one of the
effects of the discontent fostered by_ trades' unions
'is inferior and wasteful work." Surely, then, those
who, talk so much about the rights of labour are not
going the best way to work to secure the interests
of labour itself.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

PARIS, Wednesday Evening,

The Emperor presided yesterday at a Council of
State at the Tuileries at a general meeting to dis•
cuss the proposed project of law on the press.
_ _ .

The bulletin of the Moniteur says :

" It is stated from Florence that the Ministry has
succeeded in annulling the Langrand Dumouceau
contract, so that it will not have to submit it to the
new Chamber. _ _

" Accounts from Berne mention that the loan of
12 millions voted by the Federal Council at its last
sitting to provide for the expenses of the reorganisa-
tion and armament of the troops of the confedera-
tion is about to be partially taken up to the extent
of six millions. The Council, renouncing the idea
of negociating this loan with native and foreign
banking houses, has adopted the resolution of hav-
ing recourse to public subscriptions, the success of
which plan seems to be assured beforehand.
" Correspondence from Copenhagen furnishes
some statistics relative to the result of the elections
for the Northern Parliament in Schleswig. The
votes given in the Duchy to the Danish candidates
are to be the same number as those obtained by the
candidates of the other parties elsewhere.
• "According to documents published by the
Customs department of Russia, the exportations of
the empire to foreign countries during 1865, com-
pared with those of 1864, show an increase of more
than 80 millions of francs."
The Moniteur Beige publishes an ordonnance
according to which all the communes of Brabant
and Liege are subjected to the provisions of articles
1 to 7 of the decree of the Bth imt. relatiyo to the

cattle plague. The most severe measures have been
adopted on the frontiers of Western Flanders for
prevention of fraud.
The Government has adopted a measure which
will be of great utility and convenience to the public.
From the 15th of March apost-office will be opened
in the Champ de Mars, near the pavilion of the
Commissariat General in the Avenue de la Bour-
donnaye. At this office the same facilities will be
given to the public as at the other offices. Stamps
will be sold and letters may be paid for and
registered. Visitors and parsons having business at
the Exhibition may have letters addressed to the
Poste Restante, which will be delivered on giving
proof of identity, as is the case at the chief Post-
office.

The Legislative Body was occupied on Monday
and yesterday in discussing the decree abolishing
debates upon the Address. Some of the Opposition
members contend that the decree is illegal; irregular,
and inexpedient. The Ministers M. Vuitry and N.

Rouher defended the decree with much convincing
eloquence, and argued that the abolition of the dis-
cussion on the address WAS not only in conformity
with law, but that its discontinuance was desirable
as regards utility, and that the system of interpella-
tions saved time, and added to the real freedom of
debate. A detail of the arguments would not in-
terest the English reader. Indeed, the Chamber
passed to the order of the day by a vote of 241
against 25.
The Siecle is still in great alarm and agitation,
I think without cause, relative to the new project of
law upon the press. It says :
" We do not hasten either to rejoice or to affect
ourselves upon the matter. Let us wait till the end.
The present time is fertile in surprises. As it ap-
pears evident that unparalleled regulations, against
which we raised our voice, were really at first con-
templated by the Ministry,„ we have much to fear,
but we nevertheless persist in having hope.
" Will La France, which affects to be so well in-
formed upon the subject, complete its information
respecting it? Its silence in regard to the eventual
privation of our electoral rights is of bad augury.
Will Ministers persist in this amiable proposition ?
It may be so. If this be the case it will be for pos-
terity a characteristic trait, which will enable
future historians to judge of the extended liberal
sentiments which animate the high dignitaries of
Government."

Here is a little episode to recount of the mur-
der of the widow Blainville :—The President to
the prisoner: Your mother died two years ago in
consequence of the sorrow caused by your miscon-
duct. That must have grieved you very much ?
The murderer : Not much. When you love a
parent it always makes a little impression, but to
tell the truth I was glad when she died. (Marks
of disgust.)---You did not like work? I was always
very lazy.—You, however, had religious feelings.
You have been seen at church? I went to church
as a spectacle.—You attended the Sacrament ? I
went to see the young girls at their confirmation.
—You often went to the house of the widow Blain-
ville, to whom your father was to be married?
When I knew that they were going to be married
I said to myself, I will takke charge of their nup-
tial blessing.—Your idea was to kill three per-
sons ? Answer. Four. —Why did you wish to
assassinate the apprentice Of Madame Blainville, a
young girl only 17 ? She annoyed me, and I de-
termined to finish her as well as the others. If
my father had had 40 mistresses I should not
have troubled myself about it, but when I
knew that he was about to marry, that en-
tailed a certain amount of money which I should
lose.—Thus it was cupidity which urged you to
murder ?—Yes. And you would kill anybody who
_ _

prevented the satisfaction of your cupidity ?—Of
course, that is simple. And after tho first three
victims you wont to kill your father ?—Yes, during

the night. You premeditated your crime ?
During 18 months. This is monstrous !—I know
it. When did you intend to carry your murderous
project into execution ?—I did not intend to strike
the blow until April of this year ; but, having no
wcrk, and being short of money, I marked down
the date for the 14th of January. 1 mentioned the

fact to a friend. That friend put my father on his
guard. I therefore made up my mind to advance
the business by a fortnight. My father was to be
married on the 22d December. I therefore deter-
mined to do the business on the 20th, and you know
the result. Your victims sacrificed, what did you
intend to do ?—Take all the money of widow Blain-
ville and all my father's money, and keep up the
wedding with it in my own way. I knew I should
fall into the hands of justice. And that did not
stop you?—No, I knew I should pay for my wed-
ding enjoyment with my skin. That is the
total amount. When you murder, you may rob.
It is done at the same price. And you did
not hesitate as to the four persons, oue of whom
was your father?—Father, or anybody else, it is
the same thing. I was delighted at the idea of
being revenged. So your sentiments are not
changed ?—They will never change. If I had
spared my father I should have missed the most im-
portant person in the drama. You wished, no doubt,
to become an important personage in the annals of
the Court of Assize ?—Oh, no ; if I had had an
annual rente to live upon the Court of Assize would
never have seen me. If I had to begin again I
would adopt another plan, and I should not be
here.
The President now became disgusted, and turning
to the jury said, " Gentlemen, we =not continue
our progress through this sanguinary circle of
crime."

The Advocate-General then proceeded with his

address.
In the course of the evidence the President asked
the ruffian how many times he struck the poor
woman with the knife. He replied, "as many times
as possible ;" an answer which excited general
indignation.

Fearful Disaster on the London and
North-Western Railway.

At 20 minutes past 11 o'clock on Tuesday night
a very appalling accident happened at Clifton, near
Penrith, on the London and North-Western Rail-
way. It seems that as a large luggage train from
the south was passing Clifton the axle of one of the
waggons broke. After proceeding a short distance
the waggon ran off the rails,,and then general con-
fusion ensued; other waggons and. some vans, in-
cluding one which contained about four tons of
gunpowder, ran off the metals, and the train was
speedily brought to a standstill. The gunpowder
van, along with another containing salt, was
" slewed" upon the line running southwards, and
thus the whole of the road was entirely blocked up.
Not long after the accident happened a goods train
for the south came up, and the confusion was so
great that sufficient means were not taken to check
it, and in a few minutes the engine came into colli-
sion with the gunpowder van. Either the concus-
sion which ensued or the sparks emitted from the
engines produced one of the most terrific disasters
ever witnessed on a railway, for the moment after
the engine struck the van all the powder it contained
exploded with fearful force. The entire four tons
of gunpowder blew up in one vast cloud of smoke
and flame, the latter illuming the entire district, and
the explosion seemed to shake it fairly to its centre.
The earth quivered as if in the throes of an earth-
quake, and the shock terrified people for miles around.
Waggons and goods of all sorts were whirled about
in every direction, and a scene of destruction seldom,
if ever, witnessed on a railway was presented. The
driver and stoker of the engine which ran into the
powder van wero instantly killed. Goods contained
in both trains were set on fire, as were also some of
the waggons, and they continued to burn for hours.
The shock of the explosion was heard for 16 or 20
miles, and the windows of houses three or four miles
distant were shaken, and in some instances broken.
About six hours and a half elapsed before both lines
were cleared.

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.-0a Monday a young
man, named Henry Powell, of Cheltenham, a pupil
of Mr. Chambers, farmer, of Droitwich, went out early in
the morning shooting. He was discovered shortly after-
wards lying on the ground terribly wounded. Ho died
two hours afterwards. It is supposed that whilst getting
over a hedge the trigger was caught by a twig, which
owed the gull to explode.

LATEST INTEL LIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

- -~-

-RUN GARY.

PESTII, Feb. 28.

Yesterday evening a conference of the members
of the Deak party was held at the request of Count
Andrassy. The count, who was present, announced
his intention of presenting the new ministers to
the Diet to-morrow, And asked the members to
take into consideration some important measures
which he proposed to bring forward in the same
sitting. These will include a Bill of Indemnity
for the Cabinet, which is to be authorised to
continue provisionally the conscription and the
collection of taxes. Other bills will refer
to the reorganisation of the municipalities
and the press laws, which are to be modified, a jury
being allowed •in certain: cases. Count Andrassy
represented the necessity for passing these new laws
as soon as possible.
The members present at the conference then re-
solved that the Diet should discuss the above mea-
sures on Saturday next.