The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-04 00:00:00

CirriErt 0, „

HER MAJESTY.

BA L M ORAL, Tuesday.
Prince and Princess Christian drove in the after-
noon yesterday.
The Earl of Derby left Balmoral.

The Marquis and Marchioness Townshend arrived
at their residence in Dover-street, on Tuesday, from New
Mar Lodge, N. 8., where they have been staying with the
Earl and Countess of Fife.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Kildare and

family leave Kilkee Castle in a few days for Carlton House,
Maynooth, the seat of the Duke of Leinster, with whom
the noble marquis and marchioness intend to spend the

winter.

The Earl and Countess Fitzwilliam and Ladies
Fitzwilliam have arrived at Wentworth House, Yorkshire,
from Coollatin, the family seat in Ireland.

The Earl and Countess Delawarr are entertaining
a select party at Buckhurst Park, Sussex.

The Earl and Countess of Westmorland, who are
at Apethorp Hall, Northamptonshire, go in a few days to
Gopsall Hall, to pay a visit to the Earl and Countess Howe.

The Earl and Countess of Verulan and Lady
Harriet Grimston have left Gorhambury, Herts, for Bourne-

mouth.

The Earl and Countess Grey and the Countess
Poulett, Mr. and Mrs. Marlay, &c., are amongst the visi-
tors at Buxton.

Lord and Lady Otho Fitzgerald have arrived in
own from a tour of visits in Scotland.

The Right Hon. W. F. Cowper, M.P., and Mrs.
Cowper arrived in Dublin on Monday from visiting Vis-
count Palmerston's estates in the county Sligo, and are
daily expected to join the family circle:staying with Vis-
countess Palmerston at Brockett Hall, Herts. '

The Right Hon. Thomas Milner Gibson, M.P.,
arrived iu his yacht at Cowes, on Tuesday afternoon, from
a cruise to Bordeaux and Gibraltar.

Sir Francis Graham Moon and Lady Moon have
left Portman-square for Brighton.

The marriage of Captain Hayter, M.P., son of
Sir William G. Hayter, and Miss Hope, daughter of
the late Mr. Adrian Hope, and niece of Mr. Alexander
Beresford-Hope, M.P., is fixed to take place on the 29th
instant.

MR. FAWCETT, M.P., ON EDUCATION IN THE AGRI-
CULTURAL DISTRICTS.—Professor Fawcett, in the
course of his address in Manchester on Monday evening, at
the annual meeting of the Union of Lancashire and Che-
shire Mechanics' Institutes, contended that these institutes
had not failed. They had not accomplished all the great
expectations of their founders, but they were doing a great
good, and the exact work they were suited for. The real
cause why they were not more useful was the deficiency of
elementary education. If (he said) you look to any class
or any district where ignorance is prevalent, you can ex-
plain its clue in one single sentence—and it is this—that
children are permitted to leave school and go to work
at too early an age. (Loud cheers.) To give you an
illustration: I know the agricultural districts well, and I
believe - although as an Englishman I say it with a pang
of remorse and shame—that the great majority of our agri-
cultural population are growing up in a state of absolute
and profound ignorance. I know villages myself where
there are admirable schools, plenty of money and treat zeal
amongst the middle and upper classes, and yet to my own
positive knowledge there is scarcely a youth who can read
the newspaper. What is the cause of this ? Why the parents
are dragging out a miserable existence upon 10s. or 11s. a
week, and directly a tender child can obtain even a shilling a
week by holloaing a,t crows or treading over the fellows, that
child is taken away from school; and, of course, it is a
truism and commonplace to assert that everything ho
has learnt is soon forgotten. If you wish to prevent
this, you can do it in one way, and in one way effectually,
and that is to extend to every branch of industry in this
country the educational clauses of your factory acts.
Twenty years ago Lord Shaftesbury led the landed interest
in forcing those acts—l say forcing them to a certain
degree—upon the manufacturing interest. lam not sur-
prised that the manufacturers should have resisted them,
because it was reasonable for them to say that excep-
tional legislation is unjust. (Hear, hear.) But now I will
say this to Lord Shaftesbury—ho will soon be here, and

I wish he was on this platform to hoar it—(cheers)—let
him extend the zeal which ho showed in improving the
education in your own county to his own district, nay
even to his own estate. (Cheers.) I can tell him that the
ignorance of Lancashire is never to be compared to the
present ignorance of Dorsetshire. Let him come forward
and try to bring in a similar measure for the agricultural
districts ; let him test the sinceilty of the landed interest,
~thor, in advocating these factory
of their poorer fellow-countrymen: '`del;,-and
ho will find many a willing supporter in the manulaQureri,
who now know from experience what has been the
the blessed influence of this legislation ; and if he can only
extend the good work which he began 20 years since, he
will well entitle himself to be considered one of the bene-
factors of his country.

Loss OF Two LIVES AT NIAGARA FALLS.—Uri
the afternoon of the 12th of September, while a
terrible wind was blowing up the gulf, two men were dis-
covered in a small boat in the rapids south of the Three
Sisters. They were struggling desperately withtthe waves,
but human power was utterly unavailing. Hundreds of
persons were on Goat Island and saw them, but, of course,
were unable to render any assistance. The terror-stricken
men rowed with frantic efforts to the very verge of the
precipice, and finally went over, still clinging to the oars.
Mr. Cooper, the postmaster at the town of Chippewa, on
the Canada side, two miles above the Falls, started with
Frank Leutze, the ferryman, to cross the river in a small
boat. Usually the course is to pull about two miles up the
river before attempting to cross, but on this occasion the
unfortunate men seemed to have imagined that the heavy
wind blowing up stream would counteract the force of the
current, and conse4uently attempted to cross in a direct
line. The result was the same as it has been on three
former occasions when similar attempts have been made,
and their lives paid the forfeit of this mistake. The rapidS
of the Niagara are too awful iu their power to be titled
with. It is singular that Leutze, the ferryman, who had
crossed and re-crossed a hundred times in all kinds of
weather, should so sadly misjudge the force of the current,
and over-estimated to such a degree•the strength of the
wind.

MUSIC HALL PROVIDENT SICK FUND.—The ad-
journed meeting of the ladies and gentlemen connected
with the metropolitan music halls was held on Tuesday,
at Weston's Music Hall, Holborn, in furtherance of the
above object. There was a very large attendance, com-
prising most of the leading professionals. Mr. Holland
occupied the chair. The chairman said they were all
agreed that the profession required a sick fund, and the
question they had to consider was whether they should
join the existing Dramatic and Musical Sick Fund, or
establish an independent fund. The question was now
open to discussion. Messrs. West, Allen, P. Corri, Bishop
Morris, Leggett, and others, said the general feeling in the
profession was in favour of an independent sick fund.
There were 46 licensed music halls in London, and there-
fore the profession was quite strong enough to form and
maintain a sick fund of its own. Mr. G. W. Anson, the
secretary of the Dramatic and Musical Sick Fund, ex-
plained its constitution. There were already 135 members
of the music hall profession enrolled amongst its members,
and it had a fund of £1,600. The committee w- -.:.1d be
very glad to assist all the members of the profession ; nd
if the only objection was that the music halls were not
sufficiently represented on the committee, they would ap-
point an additional member. If, however, they decided
on having a separate fund, it should have his individual
support. (Hear.) Mr. Villiers then moved, 4t That
this meeting recommends the members of the music
hall profession to join the Dramatic and Musical Sick
Fund." Mr. Charles Sloman seconded the resolution,
which was supported by Mr. W. Eburne, Mr. Mills, and
others. Mr. Morris moved, as an amendment, ,4 That
an independent sick fund be established for
the members of the music hall profession." Mr. Bishop
seconded the amendment. On the resolution and amend-
ment being put from the chair the amendment was carried
by a majority of 60. The meeting was then adjourned for
the purpose of appointing a committee, consisting of one
member from each music hall to draw up the rules, &c. ;
and the proceedings of a protracted meeting concluded
withjvotes of thanks to the chairman and to Mr. Anson.
A. MAN BURIED ALIVE.—A sad affair occurred
at Derby yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. About 2
o'clock, a labourer, named Owen, had just taken his shift
in a sewer 13ft. deep that is being made- from Otmaston-
road to Normanton-road, when, through the sides of the
sower not being propped, a great quantity of earth fell and
buried him underneath. The men engaged on the ,job at
once made every endeavour to rescue him, but just when
their efforts were being crowned with success there was
second fall of earth, and then a third fall. It was two hours
before the poor fellow was extricated, and life' was then
extinct ; indeed, he had been dead some time. He was iu
the employ of Mr. Jackson, Local Board of Health con-
tractor.

THE BOILER EXPLOSION AT NORWICH.—The in-
quiry into the circumstances attending this explosion was
brought to a close on Tuesday evening. After some experi-
ments with the plates which had given way, Mr. Fletcher,
of Manchester, gave evidence confirming his previous con-
clusion that The iron was brittle and of indifferent quality.
Mr. Bramwell, C.E., did not dissent from this opinion ;
and the coroner having summed up, the jury returnad
the following verdict :—" That the deceased met with
their deaths through the explosion of a steam boiler, such
explosion being occasioned My the improper construction
of it."