The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-09 00:00:00

POSTAL SUBSIDY TO THE GALWAY

LINE.

NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA.

The news of the first instalment of the success of
the Galway line of steamers was communicated to
the directors yesterday morning. Lord Bury has
imparted the gratifying intelligence that he has
concluded the terms of a subsidy with Newfound-
land and the Imperial Government conjointly foi
that colony. It is understood that this commence-
ment has been made on the most liberal scale, and
we have reason to believe that the future opera-
tions of Lord Bury with the remaining colonies
will be conducted to a similar issue. It may there=
fore be considered that the Atlantic Royal Steam
Navigation Company is now in a position to com-
pete with all, or any, lines of transatlantic steamers.
Lord Bury is at present negotiating with the
United States Government and the rest of the
North American provinces. Considering the
manner in which the Galway Company have
itherto fulfilled all their promises, the immense
boon conferred upon Ireland by their agency, and
the fact that through them British North America
may look forward to the happy development of
her colossal resources, this intelligence will be
received throughout the empire with feelings of
unmixed gratification. It is evident that the ex-
tension of the Cunard subsidy is not intended by
the Government as a monopoly to be enjoyed by
that energetic individual, who has certainly done
much more to forward and foster the interests of
the United States than those of the British colonies,
and consequently of the British people. Hitherto,
it has been a fact, that of eight lines of steamers
leaving the Unit ld Kingdom for various parts of
the • world, not one has despatched a single vessel
from the shores of Ireland. Nor has a single Irish
emigrant been enabled, previously for the establish-
ment of the Galway line, to sail even from an Eng
lish port in a transatlantic steamer, at a cost easily
attainable by a poor man. In this respect Ireland
has hitherto been little better than a mere barren
breakwater to England. No Englishman who has
the true interests of his country at heart can desire
such a state of things. To Newfoundland has oc-
curred the good fortune of being the first to re-
spond eagerly and energetically to a claim which
every colonist must feel carries a reciprocal boon in
favour of his country and himself. So far, then, we
heartily congratulate Lord Bury on his first auspi-
cious result of his patriotic mission, and we await
with eager interest the next instalment of the noble
viscount's successful negotiation on the other side of
he Atlantic

SERIOUS ACCIDENT B 1 FIRE-ARMS,

A most distressing accident occurred on Friday
night from the use of fire-arms, Mr. Shiers, of
Greenhill, has made a practice for some time of
commemorating the sth of. November by having a
large bonfire near his house, at Greenhill, and in-
viting a number of his workpeople from the mill to
assist in firing off two cannons, and letting off some
fireworks. _ _ _

On Friday night he invited five of his overlookers
up to his house, and they, with himself and sons,
aided in firing off the cannons, as usual, and
igniting fireworks. For.the purpose of causing
the cannon to give a louder report they were
rammed hard, by the end of the cannon being placed
on an anvil and the ramrod struck with a sledge
hammer. There were two cannons about 18 or 20
inches long, one inch or one and a quarter inch
bore. the metal of the sides being one inch thick.
About a quarter-past nine, after the firing had
gone on for some time, one of the cannons was
placed on the anvil for the purpose of being loaded.
A man named Edwin Cheetham, of Moorhey-street,
a gardener for Mr. Shiers, held the cannon on the
anvil ; Joseph Buckley, of Plane-street, worked
the ramrod, and Joseph Bradley, of Side of Moor,
stood on a kind of trestle, rind struck the ramrod
with a sledge-hammer. Either a piece of ignited
wadding had remained in the cannon after the last
firing, or the blows on the ramrod struck fire, and
caused the powder to ignite, and the cannon burst.
The effects were fearful. Cheetham had both his
hands shattered dreadfully with the fragments of
the cannon, the left hand merely hanging by apiece
of skin, his left leg was broken in two places, and
he is considered to be in a very dangerous state.
Buckley was severely wounded about the thighs and
legs, and his trousers were set on fire. Bradley was
knocked off the trestle by the force of the explosion,
and lay on the ground en his back, but rose unin-
jured. John Lees, Roy ton-road, who was standing
by at the time, had the first finger on his right
hand blown off, and was badly wounded about the
face. His clothes were also set on fire. Mr. John
Shiers, jun., who was near at the time, received a
wound in the fleshy part of the thigh, but not a
iangerous one. Joseph Ward, formerly a police-
man, who was also near the spot, was thrown
on the floor by the force of the shock, but was not
hurt. Mr. Shiers and several of his children were
standing near, but, with the exception of Mr. John
Shiers, none f them were injured.
The injured workpeople, all of whom are married,
were conveyed to their respective homes in cabs,
They were attended to by Mr. Halkyard, Mr.
Thompson, and Mr. Wilkinson, surgeons, who
were sent for immediately after the accident had
occurred, and who speedily attended and used their
endeavours to alleviate the anguish of the sufferers.
Mr. Shiers and his family also paid every attention
to the wounded men.

The melancholy affair, as may. well be supposed;
caused considerable excitement in the neighbour•
hood.— Oldh anz Chronicle.

A Cabinet' Council was held yesterday at the
official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in
Downing-street. The Ministers present were :—The Earl
of Derby, the Right Hon. B. Disraeli, the Lord Chancellor,
the Marquis of Salisbury, the Earl of Hardwicke, Mr.
Secretary Walpole, the Earl of Malmesbury. the Right
Hon. Sir E. Bulwer Lytton, Gen. Peel, Lord Stanley, Sir
John Pakington, the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, and Lord
John Manners.

Mr. Drummond Wolff, the new Private Secretary
to Sir E. Lytton Bulwer, is the son of the Rev. Mr. Wolff,
the hero of the mission of Bokhara, and himself the author
of " Rambles through Corsica," and a novel called " Bon-
delle," which some years ago made a noise in the world.
SWEARING IN OF THE LORD MAYOR FOR THE
ENSUING YEAR.—Yesterday the Lord Mayor, Lord Mayor
elect, aldermen, sheriffs, under-sheriffs, and chief officers of
the corporation met in the Court of Aldermen, and pro-
ceeded to the Guildhall, where the newly-elected Lord
Mayor (Mr. Alderman Wire) was sworn into office.
FAREWELL DINNER AT THE MANSION-HOUSE.---
After the ceremony of swearing in the Lord Mayor at the
Guildhall, the aldermen and sheriffs, the master, wardens,
and court of assistants of the Innholders' Company, the
masters' wardens and court of assistants of the Cutlers'
Company, the master and wardens of the Girdlers' Com-
pany, and the City officers, were entertained according to
ancient custom at dinner at the Mansion-house.

•
The Hon. William Ashley has been very seriously
ill in the south of France., and at one period his condition
was considered so precarious that his brother, the Hon.
John Ashley, was summoned by telegraph to join him.
We are happy to learn, from letters received by the family
at the close of last week, that the hon. gentleman had ex-
perienced a favoumble change, and that his medical atten-
dants were sanguine of his speedy restoration to health.

A THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.--A bottle was on
Monday picked up on the shore at Portobello, near Leith
having inclosed in it a slip of paper bearing the following
words :—" 1857, August 4.—Ship Lady Franklin, Arctic
Regions, all well. Dear mother, P.B. One boy killed,
p

- - -
A meeting took place yesterday at the London
Tavern, to consider the question of Bankruptcy Law
Amendment, when a thoroughly practical discussion took
place, and a committee was appointed to investigate the
merits of the two measures which are to be brought under
the notice of ti Legislature.
REPRESENTATION OF THE COUNTY OF PIPE.—
An influential meeting of electors was. held at Markinch
on Thursday (says the _Dundee Courier) to consider and
arrange for a successor to Mr. John Fergus. Mr. H. E.
Wemyss occupied the chair. After some discussion it was
resolved to support, for the Liberal interest, the worthy
chairman.

PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAIN ON. HOLBORN-
HILL.—We understand that energetic efforts will shortly be
made to obtain the-consent of the proper authorities for the
erection of the first public drinking fountain in London ;
and we believe the site selected will be Holborn-hill.

The arrivals of gold announced yesterday were
large. The Africa and City of Baltimore brought £154,000
from the United States, and the Lincolnshire £422,448
from Melbourne. The American supplies were delivered
to-day, and the whole will be taken for the Continent. Of
the Australian a portion may for a tine be deposited with
the Bank. Gold continuos to be sent from Russia, and a
parcel of £BO,OOO is now on its way. In a short•time, how-
ever, the navigation will be closed, and any future sums
must be transmitted overland.

Baron de la Noncere le Noury, the commander of
the French naval squadron on the Newfoundland station,
has just made a present to the Museum of Natural History
of a young beaver which he caught in the river St. George.
This curious animal, which is now becoming scarce, was
brought to France by the steam corvette Gassendi. During
the voyage it was kept in a large boat on the deck; it re-
mained very quiet during the day, but at night was ton-
stantly on the move, gnawing the thwarts, the oars, and the
gunwales of the boat. Its teeth are remarkably sharp and
strong, being able to penetrate the hardest wood and even
act like a file on iron. When taken out -of the boat
and allowed to run about on the deck it would
approach the sailors, place itself on its hind legs,
and hold out its fore paws, .which it uses as hands
to convey its food to its mouth. It was generally
fed on vegetables, and was very fond of apples and pears.
It would not touch fish, although, from fish bones having
been frequently found in the beavers' huts at Newfound-
land, an opinion generally prevails that fish forms part of
the usual food of those animals. Several large. Newfound •
land dogs, who were on board, used sometimes to approach
it in rather a threatening way, but without causing it any
mark of fear. Although very tame, it would- not allow
itself to be fondled, and if any of the sailors attempted to
touch it, would utter a cry like that of a child. M. de la
Ronciere has also brought with him two bustards.; a large
Newfoundland eagle ; a large sea-gull of the species called
cania ; and also several spruce plants, from which a kind
of beer is made, much used among the sailors on the coast
of America, and considered by them to be an excellent anti-
scorbutic beverage,