The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-30 00:00:00

MR. MONCRIEFF, M.P., ON PARLIA-
MENTARY REFORM.

In accordance with the request of his constituents
Mr. Moncrieff, M.P., Dean of Faculty and late Lord
Advocate of Scotland, addressed a second public
meeting at Leith, on Monday evening last. •
The HoN. GENTLEMAN having alluded to some
other topics, came to the subject of Parliamentary
reform. He said—l stated at the meeting which
was held the other day here, that I was not inclined
to follow new leaders on this matter of reform ;
that I saw no reason for it ; that I did not profess
myself a disciple either of the Derby Government
or of Mr. Bright on this matter—(cheers and hisses)
—because it seemed to me that I had far safer
guides to follow; and that on this very matter of
reform exertions had been made, and measures
introduced by those whom I have been accustomed
to follow on such questions, and that they in truth
were entitled to take the head of the question of
reform. I felt that as regards Scotland, considering
the measure introduced under Lord John Russell's
Government, and of which I was the hand, that wo
really had little occasion to learn political opinion
on this question on the other side of the Tweed—
that we had been beforehand with them—that in
truth, if they had followed when Lord John
Russell gave the signal in 1852, we might have had
much less trouble on the question—much less
agitation at the present day. And, gentlemen, this
bill introduced in 1852 was a bill introduced for
the purpose of lowering the franchise, both
in the counties and burghs. In counties
We proposed to reduce the franchise to £2O, and
by the subsequent bill introduced in 1854 we pre-
posed to reduce the property and the occupancy
franchise, I should say, to £lO. In regard to pro-
perty franchise, we proposed in 1852 to reduce it to
£5, and that, I think, would have been a very ma-
terial and very available gain and accession to pro-
perty constituencies. (Hear, hear.) At the same
time it is right to explain, as I explained the other
day, that my subsequent study of this question has
led me to be of opinion very clearly that it is not so
much property qualification as occupancy qualifi-
cation of counties that we are to look to for the
most available accession to the constituencies.
(Loud applause and murmurs of dissent.) In re-
gard to the towns, in 1852 we proposed a £5 occu-
pancy franchise. I cannot sav we had any great
encouragement to persevere in that proposition ;
and, in particular, I do not remember that when
_ --- _ .

,rd Jolin Russell introduced his bill in 1852, we
received from those who are now very zealous re-
formers any very great amount, of encouragement
or support, or that that proposition, which, I sus-
pect, is about as liberal as any that have hitherto
been, or are likely to be, made, met with the sup-
port and encouragement to which it was entitled.
(Cheers.) We are told that there is now about to
be .a rating franchise. (Applause.) I own I don't
quite understand what a rating franchise is or is to
be—(hear, hear)—but I know this, that in 1852 we
were very anxious to find some mode by which upon
a valuation already in existence, the franchise
might be determined, in order, if possible, to avoid
the necessity of parties giving in claims and prov-
ing the value of their subjects, and in order, if
we could, to assimilate the mode of registration
to that which had been adopted in England,
where overseers for the poor both in county and
burgh made out the lists of voters. Well, at that
time, gentlemen, we considered very carefully
whether the poorrate as then and now levied could
be made available for that purpose. (Hear, hear.)
Gentlemen, it was impossible to do so—(applause)
—because, so far from being like the English poor
rate, where unluckily they have had an able-
bodied poor law for many years, which I trust is
not one of the importations from Scotland into
England—(a laugh)—l say it was found impossible
because, in the first place, the English poor rate
was universal, in Scotland it was only partial—in
England it was imperative, in Scotland it was not
imperative; thirdly, because in England it was
confined to a rate upon real property—a man's
lands and heritages—while in Scotland it was not
so confined, but might bo levied on personal pro-
perty. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, in 1852, it was
found impossible to adopt the poor rate—to make
it the means of valuing the subjects which were to
give the franchise, and it was not proposed at that
time to do anything of the kind. (Hear, hear.)
Well, gentlemen, that bill in 1852, as you well
know all of you, met with but a cold reception from
the country, and the resignation of Lord John
Russell's Government necessarily put an end to it.
(Applause.) Well, the Derby Government entered
in 1852 ; but in 1853, under the Government of the
Earl of Aberdeen this question again came to be
considered, and in 1854 Lord John Russell brought
in another Reform Bill, in which, as I have already
said, he proposed to reduce the county
franchise—occupancy franchise to £lO a year, and
occupancy in burghs to £6, of rating fran-
chise, in England ; and lie proposed also to enfran--
chise every one who paid 40s. of assessed taxes to
the Government. (Applause.) Gentlemen, I re-
gret to say that the bill met with no more support
from our now ardent reformers than the'fornierene
had done. (Hear, hear, and some hisses.) I also
had been instructed to draw a Reform Bill for
Scotland. I am not at liberty, as it never was kid
on the table of the House of Commons, to say any-
thing as to its terms, except this, that, along with
the Reform Bill, there was another measure that
Lord Aberdeen's Government introduced into Scot-
land for that year. It was a measure intended to
do away with the inconvenience we found arose
from having no general valuation of counties and
burghs. He introduced the Valuation Bill, and
that is now passed into law, and instead, therefore,
of parties now being obliged to draw upon the poor
rate assessment, or the prison-rate assessment, or
any valuation made for mere taxation, there is what
England has not—there is the valuation of this
country, of all lands and heritages, houses and lands
in burgh and county, with the annual value of each
made up year by year, with the name of the pro-
prietor, and the name of the occupant ; and there
—if you really wish to have a household franchise
—there and there alone is the place where a states-
man ought to find it. (Cheers, azd marks of dissent
from the back of the room.) Not only so, gentlemen,
but the poor-rating—the rate for the support of the
poor by law—must be made up from the valuation
roll. The value that is set down in the valuation roll,
wherever the assessment is laid on lands and heri-
tages, must be taken from the valuation roll; and after
the poor-law assessor has got his valuation, then in
one parish he takes off a certain amount ; in another
parish he may take off less—and so the old assess-
ment under the poor-rate goes on—(hear, hear)—
but they are all based upon this valuation roll.
Well, then, I say, what is the reason why these
gentlemen who came down from the London Reform
Association choose to encumber us with a rate
franchise ? (Cheers.) It is utterly impossible to
carry it—(renewed cheers)—while they have ready-
made to their hands a machine infinitely more
convenient and perfect than any they have had in
England for their very purpose. I'll tell you why.
Why the proposal was made by men who, probably,
knew nothing earthly of what the Scottish Poor
Law was, and who never had heard of the Scottish
Valuation Bill—(hisses and cheers)—and you may
depend upon it that this is the fact_ It is not the
first time by any means that we have been offered
presents of this kind from the other side of the
Tweed—(a laugh)—and I am only sorry that there
arc many on this side of the Tweed who don't look
more scrupulously at these presents. (Applause.)
I;have known in the course of my political life five
.or six instances in which propositions have been
got up—got up with some degree of support in
Scotland—to introduce English institutions hero,
when in reality, when we came to look more closely
into the matter, we were far better off ourselves
than our brethren who were inclined to be so
benevolent and humane to us. (Hear, hear, and
laughter.) For instance, there is the bankruptcy
law. I remember one year there was an im-
mense agitation in Scotland to introduce the
English bankruptcy law into Scotland—a great agi-
tation and great pressure. Well, we resisted it as
well as we could, and iu time it was found that the
English bankruptcy law was about four times as
expensive as our own. (Hear, bear.) In 1856 I
introduced a measure which cleared away a good
many obstructions that had gathered round our
own system ; and I believe it has now brought our
law to a state which it is admitted in England is
much preferable to their own. (Cheers.) And
yet, for the time the storm waxed very strong, and
it was all we could do to resist the apparent pres-
sure which was brought to bear. (Hear, hear.)
Then, again, as to sheriffs' courts, people were found
who said, " Give us the English county courts
here. They are a great improvement introduced
into England. Give us English comity courts."
Why, gentlemen, English county courts were just
an imitation of the Scotch sheriff courts upon a
very reduced and insignificant scale, and the men
who now clamour for the English county courts
seem not be aware that in Scotland we have the
full benefit of those institutions, and have had for
many years, with a great many advantages that
the English fain would have, and I have i
doubt will soon adopt. (Cheers.) And so, gentle-
men, this matter of the rating franchise stands in
the same way. (Hear, hear.) To take in the poor
assessment as an element its, Us matter is the
greatest blunder any party could commit. (Hisses
and some applause.) The question is a
household suffrage—at all events suffrage depend-
ing on the occupation of tenements within the
burgh. Well, then, let us fix where the line is to
ba drawn. " I am not disposed, nor am I prepared,
to go the length of household suffrage. I don't think
household suffrage would be of any benefit to the
people; but I am quite prepared to consider the

question upon the valuation we now have, how low
the occupancy .franchise should be reduced. In
18.32 we proposed ayeduction to £5 in the franchise
for burghs, and to £lO in the counties. I still
remain of opinion that this was a perfectly safe
proposition. (Applause.) I don't mean to tie
myself down to figures on either one side or the
other, but all I say is, that on the principle upon
which in 1852 I was ready to support and did
support it, I am still ready in Parliament to con-
sider how the franchise—a great boon in itself, and
of great service to the institutions of the country.
—may be best and most safely and liberally ex-
tended to those classes of the community who can
independently and intelligently exercise it.- (Great
applause.) Gentlemen, I. have thought it necessary
to say these few words—to make these few ex-
planatory remarks—because perhaps what I said.
the other day was somewhat concise and curt upon
this matter. I don't think you will expect me to
go further upon the question of the franchise.
(Hear, hear) It is very plain that an extension
of the suffrage is an experiment that at all events
may be made with perfect safety. (Cheers, and.
marks of dissent.) It is impossible to deny that
outside the pale of the present franchise there lies
a vast amount of intelligence quite as able to wield.
that political weapon as those in whose hands it is
placed at present. (Loud cheers.) About this I
can have no doubt at all ; and Igo further, because
I say that outside the pale of the present fran-
chise there is a class which, for "intelligence and
independence also, is peculiarly
.well fitted to
wield it—cheers)—l say the class—the upper
class of our working people—(renewed cheers and
hisses)—the artisans—especially the skilled artisan
—all of whom are persons of as much mental culti-
vation certainly, and often more, than those who
nominally now are within this magic circle of the
franchise. (Applause.) And. I know no class,
gentlemen, which has increased more—l don't mean
merely to say in education and intelligence, but in
a steady and steadfast view of publieaffairs. I know
no class that has gained more position during the
last ten years than the class of which I speak.
(Cheers.) I say it rests with the working classes
themselves ; and I trust some day or other—when
it may come I know not,--by an voluted effort among
themselves. they will restore to Scotland its old.
reputation—restore to Scotland the position whiclt
it held in the eyes of Europe, as not only a nation
intolerant of tyiafiny_ and prbud of its freedom, but
a nation that holds the education of the people,
down to the very lowest, to be a blessing beyond all
price and value. (Loud and general cheering.)
And there it is I would found the franchise. Not

that I see my way to an education franchise in the
direct mode—although even in that matter I am
not so sure that means might not be devised by
which the possession of intelligence itself—of intel-
lectual acquirements—might be made, without the
test of property, the foundation of the franchise. I
am not prepared to say that is hopeless, at least, in a,
limited degree; and I trust and hope it may be tried
in a limited degree, or in some degree or other, for I

know no better test of a man's power to give a vote
for a member of Parliament—l know no better test
than showing thathe understands what he is doing,
that he has made the best use of his own opportu-
nities—that he has acquired that amount of intelli-
gence which a voter ought to have—a far better
intelligence in many instances than the occupying
of houses either rated to the poor or valued in the
valuation roll. (Cheers.) For, after all, it is a very
clumsy criterion of intelligence on the part of the
community that we are obliged to work with the
materials we have—that we are obliged to take
measure—l mean measure both of men and things
—by a measure not applicable to all; and we have
taken in this matter of the franchise, for want of a
better, the occupancy of a house or possession of
property as being a certain criterion of a man's
intelligence or independence—l say it is a clumsy
test in detail; but, on the whole, it works very
well. But I can conceive better tests than this—
(hear, hear)—and I say I hope to see the time when
possession of information and intelligence, testified
in a more direct way, may admit the possessor to
the franchise. (Hear, hear.) When I say I would
base the franchise on this, what I mean is, I want
to see education, by which I mean merely the
teaching of a man, the training of his faculties to
perceive, and judge, and discriminate political as
well as other truths—l want to see this so diffused.
that the Legislature shall be quite sure, in handing
the.boon of the franchise to any man, that it would
be well and duly exercised." (Cheers.)

SOUTH-WESTERN, AND BRIGHTON
AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAYS.

The facts relating to the dispute which has just
arisen between these two companies were not quite
correctly given in the notice we published yesterday
of what had occurred at Havant on the previon9
day. The correct state of the case is as follows :
For several years past both companies have worked
the Portsmouth traffic together, the South-Western
receiving two-thirds and the Brighton and South
Coast one-third of the total receipt.s. This-arrange-
ment followed the abandonment of the projected

Fareham awl Portsmouth Railway some years since,
when by an agreement between the two companies
which received the sanction of the legislature, the
South-Alrestern purchased a moiety of four and a
half miles of the Brighton and South Coast main
line, from the Cosham junction to Portsmouth, and
shared the expenses of building the present station
at the latter town. When the Direct Portsmouth
Railway was projected it received an active opposi-
tion from both the Brighton and South-Western
Companies, but the bill having passed in 1833, a
joint agreement was entered into by the two esta-
blished companies not to afford any facilities to the
new and competing railway. In the last session
of Parliament the Direct Portsmouth, then nearly
completed as a sin gle line of railway from Godalming
to Havant, sought Parliamentary powers to run
over the Brighton and South Coast main line from
Havant to Portsmouth—a distance of about eight
miles. A sharp contest took place in the corn-
mittecs of both houses ' • but at length the amended.
bill having passed the Commons, its preamble was
declared proved by the Lords, subject to an agree-
ment as to terms, which the committee ruled must
be arrived at by the engineers of both companies, or
by an arbitrator mutually appointed, before the
running powers sought could be exercised. Shortly
after this decision had been pronounced, the share-
holders of the South-Western Companycalled upon
their directors to lease the direct Portsmouth line
upon the terms it had been offered to them, viz.,
£lB,OOO per annum, and this policy was carried by
large majorities at two meetings called for the
purpose of considering the subject. As a matter of
course, the rival engineers could not agree as to
terms, and Mr. Harrison, the engineer of the North
Eastern Railway, was appointed arbitrator by
mutual consent of the three companies interested.
Mr. Harrison has been engaged on the arbitration
for some weeks, but has not yet made his formal
award. This was the state of matters last werk
when the South-Western Company advertised their
intention to open the Direct Portsmouth line for
passenger traffic on the Ist of January, at the
same time giving notice to the Brighton Company
that they would run a goods train over the new
railway and through the Havant station on the
morning of the 28th inst., and on each succeeding
day. The Brighton Company met this notice by
warning the South-Western that their passage
through the Havant station would be opposed until
the terms for using the railway from Havant to
Portsmouth had been decided upon, in pursuance
of the legislative direction to that effect.
Attempts at arrangement having failed, the
Brighton Company on Monday night removed
the down points at the. junction of the Direct
Portsmouth line with their own railway, and
placed an engine over the up-crossing---thus shut-
ting off all means of getting upon the main line.
The South-Western goods train was not ex-
pected until 9.58 a.m. ; but Mr. Scott, who had
it under his charge, took time by the forelock,
and arrived at Havant at 7 a.m., with a strong
muster of platelayers and other employes of his
company. The first step taken was to relay the
point rail, but not being able to effect a
passage
forcible ono
to the main line by this means, they n
forcible possession of the engine placed upon the
up-crossine-, and ran it into a The Brighton
and South Coast adherents had
Scott
this mus-
teredtlimeh. train strongly,aerosst
h dey hbaedfo
lifted
tAedlr.
_main line, and thus prevented anotheross
ihrai on f the
going on to Portsmouth. Mr. Scott kept hyis train
acrossna,i byoth lines of the Brighton and South Coast.
for two or three hours, during which time
all traffic up and down was stopped ; but at length,
'finding that all his efforts to get forward were vain,
he retired in order, and retraced his journey to
Godalming. circumstances considered it is
tlwild get is
very • fortunate no more serious consequences oc-
curred than the delay of the up and down pasen-
gers on the Brighton and South Coast Railway ;
for both parties were determined, and their united
forces on the spot (fortunately not called into
action) are said to have amounted to More 500
men.
'The Brighton Company are about to apply for
an injunction to restrain the South-Western from
running traffic off the new Portsmouth Railway on
to their main line; and in order to carry out their
announced intention of opening the new line on the
Ist of January, the latter company have advertised
that trains will run on that day to and from
Havant, between which place and Portsmouth
their passengers will be conveyed in omnibuses.
The Brighton Cbmpany advertise a reduction of
fares between London and Portsmouth and
Brighton, with other advantages.

'HE LATE
THE

VICTORIA THEATRE.

[The following I. ti 'geared in part of our impression of last
evening
An inquest .wal ; held yesterday afternoon at St.
Thomas's Hospital , before Mr. Payne, upon the
bodies of William Cooper, of No. 7, Anthony-
street, Bermo2Asey, , and Henry Nash, aged 17, two
of the unfortunate . persons who lost their lives on
the afternoon of t h e 27th.

The jury having been sworn,
The Coroner sai, i the jury were assembled to in-
quire into the de: iths of two of the sufferers who
lost their lives in. consequence of being trampled
upon on an alarm. of fire being raised at the Vic-
toria Theatre on Monday afternoon. The other
unfortunate indivi:duals had been conveyed to dif-
ferent parts of t'oe metropolis, and that fact ac-
counted for the present inquest being limited
to the two persons above mentioned. Before
entering into the inquiry he begged to state
that, in order to set aside any notion to
the contrary that might exist, that if any
person wilfully raised the cry of fire in a crowded
assembly, and death was the consequence, he was,
without question, liable for all the fatal conse-
quences that might follow.

The jury having viewed the bodies returned to
the inquest room. The first witness called was
William Hands, who said—l am a money-taker
at the gallery of the Victoria Theatre. About half-
past 4on Monday afternoon I was in the gallery
saloon, when I saw the people in the gallery all
jump up. The morning performance was going on.
I wondered what was the matter. The audience
commenced rushing towards the staircase crying
out " Five."
Coroner—Who did that ?

Witness,—l can't say. The check-taker and
myself tried to stop them going out the way they
were going. We directed them to go down the
cross staircaoe. Some went that way, but a good
many, however, got past us and unfastened the
frontdoor. That was the commencement of the panic.
We did all that was possible to prevent fatal con-
sequences. Ile fatality took place on the third
landing. There was no fire at all, at least I saw
acne. I cannot say how the cry arose.
By a Juror—There was an escape of gas after
the people had broken down the gas pipe. That
was after the fire. The pipe was pulled out of its
place by the people trying to escape. The alarm
was given in the boxes, not in the gallery. There
are two galleries. The staircase of the top gallery
is five feet six inches wide.

Mr. John Croft said—l reside at 3, Nursery-
row, Walworth. I was at the Victoria Theatre on
Monday afternoon. I entered the house a few
minutes after two. I was in the boxes—the dress
circle—almost in the centre of the house. Every-
thing went on quietly for an hour and a half. At
about a quarter to 4 some smoke arose from the
front part of the boxes, about eight or ten seats in
front of me, and I then heard some persons say—
" you're on fire—you're on fire." The persons who
called were in the boxes, and they said it to a man
who was close to them. The man's coat was on
fire. Immediately there was a rush to the doors
from the boxes.

Coroner—Did you see what became of the man
whose coat was on fire ?

Witness—No. I ran ont with the rest. I only
heard the words, " You're on fire," when the
audience began to leave.

By a Juror—l can't say what became of the
Man who said, " You're on fire." I only saw a
little smoke. The people ran out frantically.
Mr. Edward Bowden said—l reside at 41, Grey-
street, Webber-street. I am assistant artist at the
Victoria Theatre. At the time the alarm was given
I was standing at the back of the boxes in the
lobby. I was looking at the last comic scene when
.I took my eye off, and I saw some smoke. It was
about five feet from the boxes. It was such as
would be produced by about two or three boxes of
fusees. There was a sulphurous smell. I jumped
into the box where the smoke was. I saw a
quantity of stuff like blue-fire alight on the floor.
I trampled it out with my feet. A cry of
fire arose, and the people immediately rushed about
in a frantic manner, and began to make their
escape. I implored them to keep their seats. I
saw a man and three or four boys standing together
where this occurred. A boy told me another boy's
coat had caught fire. After the house was
empty I looked on
•the floor, but I only found
a piece of paper which smelled of sulphur. I found
no lucifer matches. My impression is that the
smoke was occasioned by fusees. No part of the
boxes was burnt. I imagine the fusees ignited of
themselves. I heard some person say, " His coat
tail is on fire." There was not a very great dis-
turbance made. I know nothing of what took
place outside.
By a Juror—There was uo person smoking.
Mr. Henry Young said—l reside at 50, Elliot's-
row, and am treasurer at the Victoria Theatre.
When the cry of fire arose I was in the box lobby.
It seemed to proceed from the left centre of the
boxes. I saw the people rise up in a mass. I
entreated the audience to keep their seats, and
asked them the cause of the alarm, when several
of them said, "There's fire, we can smell it and see
the smoke." Numbers then made a rush to the
principal staircase. After a minute or two I suc-
ceeded in pacifying some persons near me, and
then went to the staircase and told the audience
they might safely return to their seats. They
did so. I heard the commotion in the gallery. The
alarm was perfectly electric. It spread over the
whole house in an instant. There was a smell of
heifers or fusees. I looked on the floor but found
nothing to indicate
,fire. After the tumult sub-
cliclal several persons told me a boy's coat had
taken fire through having some fusees in his
pocket. I asked where the boy was, but I was
unable to find him.
By a Juror—l cannot say positively whether the
smoke was occasioned by lucifers or fusees. The
parties who lost their lives were on the gallery
stairs waiting to come in to the evening perform-
ance. That is my opinion. The persons rushing
out of the gallery must have opened one of the front
doors in their fright, and thus caused the cata-
strophe. The persons who opened that door were
cautioned not to do so. They were directed the
way out. There are three outlets to the gallery.
Joseph Holmes, 40, Salisbury-street, Bermondsey
said—l was on the top stair of the gallery near
the pay place, with Cooper (the deceased) and
Patrick Andrews ; he is also dead. We started
from home about half-past three. We had all been
waiting at the door for about half an hour. There
were a great many people below us, -wanting to go
in to see the might performance. Cooper stood
behind me, on the stair below. Andrews was on

the same stair as I was. He was on my left hand
side. I laid hold of the bannisters with my right
hand. The first thing I saw of the accident was

the gallery door opening from the inside, and some
persons said, " Get out; the place is on fire." We
all made a rush to get down stairs, and I was
thrown down on the top of the others. I looked
up, and then I saw a gas pipe had burst. We
all laid on the first landing. I called out for help.
A policeman tried to pull me out, but failed, as
I was wedged in too tight. I saw Patrick Andrews
cry until he was black in the face. There were
persons below and above him. It all -happened in
consequence of the people trying to get out. I did
not see William Cooper. I can't say where the
alarm was first given. "All I know is, that I heard
the person who opened the door say, "Get out
place is on fire." ;the
By a Juror—l never noticed the gas pipe. We
were all lying on the top of each other. I don't
know anything,more. I was carried immediately
gas pipe was fitted too
to a coffee-shop. I think the

high for the people to tread on it.
James Cooper, a lad aged about 15, said—l live
at Anthony-street, Bermondsey. Cooper is my
brother. He was turned 17 years of age. He

worked with my father, who is'a costermonger. I
went with him to the theatre. They advised me

to get out of the crowd previous to the alarm being
given. I, however, went back, when I heard some-
body say, " Get out, the place is on fire." The

people on the stairs all began to rush out. After

the alarm was over I saw my brother lying down.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT ATI I cried for help, when two policemen came. When

I first saw my brother he was lying on the floc)

thought he was dead. I put my hand to his heart,
but coult not feel it beat. He was taken to the
doctor's, who said he was not quite deal, and that
he had better be taken to the hospital. That is all
I know about it.
Mr. W. Edgar—l am check-taker to the gallery.
My box is a flight above the waiting place. I saw
the people rushing out of the theatre—they were
rushing towards the front staircase. Two or three
boys opened the door. They gave the alarm.
The people then began to rush down—that caused
the mischief. The people, as they came out of the
gallery called out " Fire." I don't know anything
but what I have been told by Mr. Boden.
Mr. iohnson Towers said—l am lessee of the
theatre. The staircase is 6 ft. 6 in. wide, with 13
inches tread. It is the same width from top to
bottom. I was at the back of the stage when the
alarm was raised. My son and one of the attend-
ants at the pit bolted the door, and no acci-
dent occurred there. The same was done with
resr2ect to the boxes. The explosion of gas spoken
of was merely a small fissure in the pipe. The
'gas-man put out the flame with his cap. It was
fixed nine feet from the floor. The gas pipe, I
believe, was pulled from its place by persons trying
to see what was the matter. Had the people gone
down the outlet they were directed, no fatal acci-
dent could have taken place.
Police constable L 168 gave evidence, but it re-
lated merely to carrying the wounded parties to
the hospital.
Sarah Bickers said—l know one of the boys
lying dead. He is my son. He was a porter. He
went by the name of Henry Nash.
Police constable 33 L said—l was on duty in the
Victoria Theatre when the accident occurred. I
fastened the gallery door, on the top of the stairs,
about 20 minutes past four. There were people
then waiting on the stairs for the evening perform-
ance. I was going to arrange the pit doors, when
I heard a confusion, and I ran back to the gallery
door, which I had fastenedfband found it had been
opened. A man told me the gallery stairs were on
fire. I saw an unusual light under the third
landing. I went to see what was the matter. I
saw a number of persons lying huddled together.
The slit in the gas pipe was about the 16th of an
inch in width and half an inch. in length. It would
not have done any harm had it burnt for hours.
George Batt, police sergeant, 9 L—l saw the mob
on the gallery stairs. I heard some of them say
" The place is on fire." I saw the gas blazing from
the pipe. I don't know whether the light could be
seen inside the house. The people were shot from
the top of the gallery like coals. I saw two or
three people jump over the side of the stairs. The
whole of the unfortunates were completely wedged
down, none could get up, not even those who lay
on the top.
Edwin Corbyn, the gasfitter, said the pipe was
quite perfect when the performance began in the
afternoon. The leakage might have been caused
by persons taking held of the pipe to climb up by.
- The gas pipe was here produced, and some of the
jurors were of opinion that the fracture was one of
old standing.
Mr. Henry Gervis, house-surgeon to St. Thomas's
Hospital, said both boys were dead when brought
to the institution. Nash had three ribs broken
on one side and four on the other. The lungs,
heart, and brain bore all the appearance of death
having been caused by suffocation. The same was
the case with Cooper, only ho had no fracture.
The Coroner summed up, and said if it could be
proved that any person had wilfully raised the cry
of fire, and death had been occasioned thereby, he
would be guilty of manslaughter.
A verdict of accidental death was returned, the
jury being of opinion that the alarm in the boxes
was the cause of the accident.

VALUE OF THE SELF-RIGIITING
PRINCIPLE IN LIFEBOATS.

(From the Lifeboat Journal.)
On another page we record one of the most fear-
ful catastrophes that has ever happened on the
seas. The burning of the emigrant ship Austria,
with 528 persons on board, of whom no less than
471 were drowned, suffocated, or burned to death.
This unfortunate vessel was foreign prOperty,
belonging to a Hamburg company, and one of a
line of steamships running between that place and
New York. We cannot, therefore, be held na-
tionally responsible for this terrible sacrifice of
human life, from whatever cause it may have arisen.
The question must, however, naturally occur to
many a thinking Englishman—Are our own pas-
senger ships any better prepared to meet such a
terrible visitation as destruction by fire, or may we
expect after a while to have our feelings shocked by
the account of some English Austria presenting the
same deplorable spectacle of panic, destruction of
boats, and loss of all on board but some small poi,
tion whom accident may have led to a better boat,
or to one more fortunately managed than the
others ?
Alas ! that our reply must be, we may, and most
probably will, ere long have to record a similar sad
tale on board an English vessel ; for we have no
reason to suppose that this unhappy ship was a
whit behind the best of our own in the provision of
boats or other means for effecting the safety of those
on board in the event of accident at sea.
The Austria was a fine vessel, of capacious
size, being 2,500 tons ; she was new, and of English
build, having been launched only a year before in
the Clyde; and she was considered to be most
complete in the supply of boats, life-buoys, and all
such appliances, after the most approved modern
custom. Yet all was of no avail to no less than
471 persons out of 528 who had trusted themselves
and their all on board her.
It will be well to consider what was the cause of
so great a sacrifice of life, and why the means pro-
vidd for the security of the living cargo so terribly
failed in the final emergcncy,iu order that we may
ascertain what steps might be adopted to prevent,
or at least to lessen the chances of such calamities
in future.
It appears from the account of the survivors that
there was considered to have been a good supply of
boats on board, although not enough to contain all
the passengers and crew ; but that accidents hap-
penened to all of them in the act of lowering or
after they reached the water, chiefly caused by the
panic which seized 'on the affrighted passengers,
who rushed indiscriminately into them, and crushed
or swamped them one after another, two or three
of them being also upset by the action of the vessel's
' screw. As a panic amongst those on board was then
the immediate cause of the greater portion of this
fearful loss of life, it will be worth our while to in-
quire how far there was reason for panic, and what
arrangements may, with advantage, be adopted to
lessen the probability of a panic in all similar eases.
The first of these inquiries is readily replied
to without other information than we are already
acquainted with. The second is one loudly demand-
ing the serious attention of the Government and
Legislature of this country.
With regard to the first inquiry, we have only
to learn that there were not sufficient boats to take
off all those on board the ill-fated ship, • and we
have at once ample cause_for a panic. For if it
were known to those on board that the boats would
take off all but five or six, or even all but one in-
dividual, that knowledge would be sufficient to
cause a panic, since the fear of being that doomed
one would suffice to raise up the demon of fear in
nearly every breast, and a panic would be the sure
result.

We may then at once proceed with our second
inquiry, viz. :—What arrangements may with ad-
vantage be adopted to lessen the probability of a
panic, with all its fearful consequences, in every
future similar case ? To this inquiry we shall
devote our careful consideration, and we hope to
show that it is quite practicable to provide such
security for every person on board the most crowded
emigrant or any other passenger ship as shall
materially lessen the probability of a panic seizing
them, and shall diminish the chances of loss of life
even when a panic has ensued.
And surely, as we have remarked above, this
is a subject worthy of the serious consideration of
the Government and Legislature of this country.
For when we consider the missiou that is evidently
in God's providence before us, to people the most
distant parts of the world, and to carry civilisation
and religion into its darkest corners ; when we con-
sider our exormous and increasing commerce, and
the vast number of our countrymen whose lives are
and will be constantly imperilled on the seas, how
can we sufficiently estimate the responsibility'which
rests on us, as a nation possessed of such great privi-
leges to lessen as far as possible the perils of the
deep,.
In the answer to our firr
stciinenqtutiroya-,tslivne
every
ship boarkin. the event
sphoiipn tteod oountv tehye
enNe,
eereys s
pi teyr
sfoo