The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-08 00:00:00

ITALY.

ROME, May 7.

The official Journal of Rome states that there are
omissions and additions in the account published
by Signor Celestino Bianchi, of Florence, relative
to the audience granted to him by the Pope.

SPAIN.

MADRID, May 7 (Evening).
The Queen of Portugal has left this city for

BA:

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—The maxim de mortuis nil nisi bonum is
right, but King Ferdinand 11. is as much entitled
to its protection as Mr. Pocrio. I therefore beg you
to publish, together with this letter, the enclosed
statement of Petrucelli della Gattina, the well
known Italian Liberal M.P., regarding the Poerio
case, in justice to the deceased King and for the
vindication of truth.

I must, at the same time, call the attention of
your readers to a debate which took place in the
House of Commons last Friday.
Statements were made of horrible cruelty prac-

Used at Portland and other prisons towards Fenian
convicts. Two Cabinet Ministers, the Secretary for
Ireland and the Home Secretary, denied the truth
of all those statements, and offered to produce offi-
cial reports, showing them to be false.
Now if those charges had been brought against a
foreign Government there would have been no
official person to meet them, and they would have
passed current as truth.
I am certain that the assertions made about cruel,
unjustifiable treatment of Poerio are groundless, and
so are the stories about the Bourbon Government
and the Neapolitan prisons, a great part of which
Mr. Gladstone himself was obliged to retract.
But, at any rate, the debate of last Friday ought
to make people careful how they receive accusations
against foreign Governments.
Your obedient servant,
GEORGE BOWYER.

On January 17, 1861, Signor Petrucelli della
Gattina wrote a letter from Naples, and published
in the Unione of licrin on January 22, in which he

said :

" Poerio is a conventional invention of the
French and English press. When we were agitating
Europe and stirring it up against the Neapolitan
Bourbons, we felt the necessity of presenting every
morning to the credulous readers of free Europe a
living, palpitating, visible victim, whom that bug-
bear Ferdinand was devouring raw at every meal.
It was then that we invited Poerio. Poerio was a
man of talent, a gentleman, a baron ; he had been
one of Ferdinand's ministers, and his accomplice in
some juggling tricks in 1848. Poerio had been a
deputy ; he was the brother of Alessandro. He
seemed to us a fit person to be manufactured into
the antithesis of Ferdinand, and the miracle was
worked."

" The French and English press stimulated the
appetite of that distinguished philanthropist, and
Statesman William Gladstone, who, repairing to
Naples, wished to have a closer view of this new
sort of Man in the Iron Mask. He sees him. He
is moved with compassion ; and Gladstone did as
we did--he magnified the victim in order to make
the oppressor more odious, he exaggerated the
punishment in order to rouse greater anger; and
Poerio—Pocrio who now has his finger in every
pie—was created from top to toe."
" The real Poerio has come to believe seriously
in the Poerio whom we manufactured for twelve
years in articles at three-halfpence a line. Men
have come to believe seriously in him, who read
about him, without knowing the man. That part
of the press has also come to believe seriously in
him which made itself our accomplice, believing
us on our word ! But, good gracious ! think of oven
Count Cavour having come to take him seriously !"

The Origin of our Volunteer Army.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

did not intend to seek to trespass on
your space with the enolosed letter's addressed to one
of your weekly contemporaries. The letter signed
"F. G.," in your paper of Saturday, makes it in-
cumbent on me to do so. But first I would say a
few words in answer to "F. G's." communication.

The " Incident of the late Review" was not, as
"F. G." cautiously insinuates, "if he mistakes
not," copied from the Times. Lord Ranelagh did
not quote a garbled extract from one of Captai❑
Busk's works. The extract is given in my letter,
and is to be found in Captain Busk's book previous
to April, 1859.

I did review Captain Busk's book favourably, as
he was constantly asking me to do so. I little
dreamt then that he would ever advertise himself
as " Founder" of the great Volunteer movement.
Captain Haiti Busk, in his own " Syllabus," stated
that his friends were about to reward his exertions
with a testimonial. He may have refused it after
it had c.)llapsed.
Captain Busk lectured for hire !

As "F. G." talks of " garbling," I ask your
readers what they think of the instance stated in
my letter? Captain Busk had nothing to do, so far
as I remember, with the enrolment of Rifle Volun-
teers made in the Temple by Mr. G. H. Deffell
and myself in 1832, whose services were refused.
When Captain Busk lectured in the provinces, it
was after the meeting in St. Martin's Hall in April,
1859, and though the movement was started, it was
still young. It is easy, therefore, to conceive that
some provincial papers endorsed his assertion that
he was the founder of the movement. With regard
to Sir Duncan M'Dougall, I have quoted his letter
with reference to Captain Busk. All these docu-
ments are at your service.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant,

ALFRED B. RICHARDS,

FEARFUL ACCIDENT.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Tuesday.

In a telegram sent from this town last night,
giving an account of the boat race between Kelley
and Chambers, it was stated that at the end of the
race a very fearful accident had occurred through
people crowding on the landing of the General Ferry
Company on the Quay side, and it was doubted that
there was considerable loss of life. Such has proved
to be the case. The facts are theso:—There were
immense crowds of people at the race, estimated at
from 40,000 to 50,000, and as most of the factories

building yards below Tyne-bridge were closed,

the down the-water villages sent a large number of
people to Newcastle by the steamboats of the Gene-
ra! Ferry Company, and as the evening was showery
and wet, a large crowd began to flock towards the
General Ferry's boats as soon as the race was over.
The landing stage of the company is moored about
15 yards from the public quay, and is immediately
opposite to the Broad Chase. It is approached by a
gangway somewhat strongly built. About 10 minutes
to 7 o'clock one boat had been sent away heavily
laden, and another one was being brought alongside
to take iu the passengers. In the meantime the gates
at the railway station end were closed. The result
was that over 100 men, women, and children were
densely packed on the gangway with a large crowd
behind them. While thus standing ten girders of the
bridge gave a crack and then bent, and most of the
people on the bridge were precipitated into the river.
The scene which followed was truly frightful.
Women and children sent up fearful screams, and
the poor struggling wretches who were in the river
were being rapidly swept away by the strong ebb
tide. Some boats which were under the bridge were
smashed and sunk by the bridge yielding. Several
seamen and one or two of the river police greatly
distinguished themselves in saving life. Lines, poles,
life buoys, and whatever could be laid hold of
soonest were thrown to the people who were drown-
ing, and most of them caught hold of them and
were saved. Several brave fellows threw themselves
into the water, and rescued children and women.

But, as is usual on such occ ohms, immense confu-
sion arose, and it is feared some lives were lost by
the excited multitude on the quay blocking up the
way and preventing those who were anxious
and able to save life from doing so. Fully 60 people
fell into the water, and as many of them were
women and children they were little able to make any
effort to save themselves. Immediately after the
accident the danger was greatly increased by crowds
of people, mostly women, who had friends going
down the water in the steamboats, rushing to the
quay edge in quest of their relatives, and as the
crowd increased and surged backwards and forwards
there was every reason to fear that some hundreds
of them would be pushed into theriveranddrowned.
A strong force of police, however, arrived, and that
danger was avoided. The persons who were rescued,
some of them very ill, were taken to the adjoining
public-houses, and under medical treatment were re-
covered. As soon as possible grapnel-irons were pro-
cured, and a number of men were employed in boats
dragging for the drowned. About 9 o'clock at
night the bodies of two little children, one respecta-
bly dressed, and the other but poorly clad, were
dragged up about 50 yards from the scene of the
accident, and the body of a lad from 11 to 13 years
of age was likewise taken out of the river. Down
to midnight the seaport towns of Shields and the
river-side villages were in an extremely excited
state, the neighbourhood of the railway stations
and the steamboat landings being crowded with
people expecting friends. Down to noon to-day no
more bodies had been found. But there aro at least
three persons missing—a middle-aged man named
George Willis, a dock-keeper at Messrs. T. and W.
Smith's shipbuilding yard in this town, and two
young women, one belonging to the High and the
other to the Low Felling. It is hoped, therefore,
that the number of persons will not exceed six.
THE

USE OF I'OLIIICAL INFLUENCE BY.
PUBLIC OFFICERS.

The following is a copy of a Treasury minute
dated the 2d of this month cautioning public officers
from having recourse to political influence in order
to obtain an increase of salary or allowances.

"My lords have observed with much regret a
growing practice on the part of gentlemen employed
in the public service to endeavour to influence this
board to accede to their applications for increase of
salary or additional retiring allowance by means of
the private solicitation of members of Parliament,
and other persons of political influence. It is the
duty, as well as the wish of their lordships, to give
the most careful consideration to every representa-
tion made to them in the recognised way on behalf
of any public servant (whatever be his social status
or his official rank), with regard to his position,
salary, and prospects of promotion, and also with.
regard to the amount of.his retiring allowance on his
quitting the public service. It is the practice of
their lordships to consider questions of salary with
reference to the duties and responsibilities of the
individual or class whose case is brought before
them, and to decide upon them after communication
with the heads of the department concerned. In
fixing the amount of retiring allowance in those cases
where the legislature has left them a discretion, my
lords arc in the habit of proceeding upon certain
principles which they have described for themselves,
and within the limit of those principles they en-
deavour to deal with each case impartially upon its
merits. It appears to their lordships that any at-
tempt on the part of an officer to approach them on
these matters through the private intercession of
persons unconnected with his department is
virtually imputing to this board either that it is
likely to tern a deaf ear to a reasonable applica-
tion, unless supported by political influence, or
or that it may be induced to accede to an un-
reasonable application if such influence be brought
to bear upon it. My lords disclaim either alter-
native, and, in order to prevent for the future any
misapprehension on this subject, they wish it to be
understood by every public officer that any attempt
made by him to obtain the sanction of this board to
his application by any such solicitation as is herein-
before referred to, will be treated by them as an ad-
mission on the part of such officer that his case is not
good upon its merits, and such application will be
dealt with by their lordships accordingly. Let a
copy of this minute bo sent to every public depart-
ment."

A meeting of the Trades' Unions Commissioners
was held yesterday, at 1, Park-prospect, Great Queen-
street, Westminster. Present : —Right 11312. Sir William
Erle, chairman; Earl of Lichfield; Right Hon. Sir Ed-
mund. W. Head, Bart., K.C.B. ; Messrs. Herman Merivale,
C. 8., James Booth, C. 8., J. A. Roebuck, Q.C., M.P., and
Thomas Hughes, M.P. Mr. J. 11. Patteson, secretar to
the commission, was also present.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT AT A LAUNCII.--INVER-
NESS, Monday Night.—Whilst a schooner, named the
Banff, of 103 tons, and full rigged, was being launched to-
day from the building-yard of Messrs. Stewart Brothers,
shipbuilders here, the vessel, with a large number of per-
sons on board, after going well down the slips into the
water, unfortunately heeled over to port, until her foreyards
and masts touched the water, beneath which she rapidly
sunk, in sight of the horrified spectators assembled on the
shore. The scene that ensued was ono of wild excitement
and distracting grief—parents weeping fur their children,
and children crying for their parents, who were unfor-
tunately on board the vessel when she sank. It is as yet
difficult to say how many of the large number of persons
on board the schooner have been saved. It is, indeed,
greatly to be feared that all may not be rescued,

Sit. J. W. RA.MSDEN AND ills TENANTS.—A
short time ago Sir J. W. Run. den, B trt., announced
his intention of applying,for an act to enable him to grant
999 years leases, tin Huddersfield estate being entailed.
The bill has now been prepared and laid boAore Parlia-
ment, arid proposes to enable Sir John tv) grant 999 years'
leases to existing leaseholders, arid to liOldUrS Of land from
year to year, and to 114 W tenants, and also to expend a sum
of .469,000 in the afferatioa of 14ringley Hall, the erection
of estate offices, the construction of market house, the
building of houses, including dwellings for the labouring
.tc. The bill also contains provisions for the con
*struction of streets and for other matters tending to the
development of the estate.

BURKE, THE FENIAN.—Tin Opinion Nationale
strongly dissuades the English Government from carrying
out the sentence of death pronounced in Ireland against
Burke, the Fenian. The writer does not discuss the jus-
tice of the condemnation, although it implies that England
is feu• from being blameless with respect to her mode of
governing Ireland ; its argument turns on the point that
smrity wald Pe impolitic in the case.