The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-24 00:00:00

2----Z._,t7

/".
ten v ado ydo d the latter opt' for reasons Y.\
ggit
which were .doubtless thought go Alt the time. .-:-4SsN
" The same course wasiadopt cI by sour- otbet.
towns in England, for
.*hosemmodation an
expenditure of £20,486 Bs.. 7 o
ryas - incurred.
~PICIT
Similar objections were .raised b "those towns to Y
the repayment of this amount, .and
compromised . for £12,526 ls. ld., orl. n r4Amd
numbers thrce-fifths of the original claim,-of which
a large portion has been repaid, and the residue in
course of repayment.
" My lords are ready to admit that', under the
circumstances which have occurred, the ratepayers
of London have not had thefull benefit which was
contemplated at the time when the Commissioners
of Sewers asked for the survey, and therefore they
are quite ready, as in the case of the towns referred
to, to entertain a proposal for an equitable compro-
mise, _but._ unless_ such a proposal be made,
they would feel it to . be their duty to
take steps to enforce the claim, 'as they do
not consider they could recommend or justify to
Parliament an abandonment -in favour of the me-
tropolis of a clear and undoubted right which re-
sults from a distinct bargain made with the Go-
vernuient by the body representing the ratepayers
on their own application; anilLwith_ a full _know-
ledge of the facts, and which has been enforced in
the case of other towns in the country similarly
circumstanced.—l have the honour to be, sir, your
obedient servant,

" GEORGE A. HAMILTON."

This matter was referred to the Main Drainage
Committee, and after some further business the
Court adjourned.

A YRSjiIIII? ;ELECTION.

Mr. James Campbell; of Craigie, the Liberal can-
didate for the representation of the county of Ayr,
addressed a meeting of the -electors•and non-elec-
tors of Kilwinning on -Thursday, in the United
Presbyterian Church. The attendance was large,
comprising some of the principal inhabitants of the
'district. Mr. Knox was called to the chair..
Mr. CAMPBELL said that in .looking,over the ad-
dress which he had made to theni 20 years aho he
saw nothing in it whatever to alter. He stood to
everything.he said then, and he had no reason to
repent of what he had said, because the measures
which he then advocated had. been carried, not to
the damage of the nation's well-being, but greatly
to its advantage. Let them look .to what they
possessed now compared with what they had 20
years ago ; how much the comfort of every indivi-
dual was increased—whether high or low. Look
to the enlargement that had been given to trade,
and the increase of employment which had been
thereby afforded. All were now better every way
in respect to the comforts and necessaries of life
than what they were then. He thought they had
therefore cause ior rejoicing, not only for the past,
but he trusted also for the future, and that what
had been effected demonstrated that"they ought to
carry out the same system still further that thereby
they might have a greater increase of comfort and
happiness to every individual. (Applause.) As he
had said, he could not go into details 'of reform,
because it ,was not possible for him to do.so until
the opinions of all interested in the subject IN ere
fully obtain 'd. But he had told them the chief
'mints on which his mind was Made up. He con-
sidered it essential to the well-being of the State
not only to carry out those measures to which he
had referred, but also to get that supervision of the
expenditure of the country, and its application to
proper objects, which was necessary to the happi-
ness of this country. (Applause.) And he trusted
that they would have such a reform as would give
those earnest men who were labouring in the cause
power to carry their object into effect. (Mr. Camp-
bell concluded amidst great applause.)

Sir James Fergusron, the Conservative candidate,
in a note to the chairman of the Conservative com-
mittee, Colonel Ferrier Hamilton; clatadiesterday,
says, " I beg to intimate my grateful acceptance of
the invitation conveyed ,to, me, by you,, to offer
myself as a candidate on this occasion for the re-
presentation of the county of Ayr." Sir James has
also issued an address to the electors. Ho says :
As a Conservative, I am opposed to sudden and
organic changes in the settled institutions of
the country-'--to a distribution .of- political power
which our mixed constitution has arranged. But
you are aware, I hope, that I desire' to promote, as
far as my influence extends; -safe and, wal-consi-
dered measures of national progress and social im-
provement." - With regard to the extenslon- of the
franchise, Sir James desires to see the privilege
placed within the reach of educated industry, but
not lowered to the unimptoving or irresponsible;,
and he will rejoice if the bill •promised by the pre-
sent. Government—being of that tendency—shall
be such he can cordially suppot t. Sir Jam a com-
menced his ,canvass .yesei-day by
.addressilg tie
electors of the Kilmarnock district, in the George
1 Inn Hall there, atone o'clock. •

THE LA TX A CCI T E-
. ; .rov?
t;
The accident which occurred on Wednesday after.
noon on the Newport, Abergavenny, and Hereford
Railway (briefly referred to in yesterday's Sun), is,
as yet, happily unaccompanied by fatal, conse-
quences, but the lives of a large number, of persons
were placed in the most imminent jeopardy. The
down express train, consisting of six carriages
and a large powerful goods engine; left Hereford at
12.50. All went well • until tho train arrived at
about 800 yards past the station at St. Devereux,
seven miles from Hereford. At that point the
driver became Conscious that something Was.wronr-,
the engine jumping about with great violence, and
immediately leaving the rails. The breaks were
put on, but the whole of the carriages got off the
line, and, after ploughing up the earth and rails for
80 yards, the engine drove down an embankment
12 feet in depth, and turned completely over, the
upper works being smashed to atoms. The driver
and fireman were thrown with terrific force into
the hedge bottom, where they lay stunned and
motionless. By an extraordinary circumstance,
just as the engine made the plunge, the attachment
of the tender broke, and thus prevented the catas-
trophe which must have ensued if the chain had
resisted the tremendous strain, and the carriages
gone over the embankment. When the engine went
over the train stopped almost immediately. The
rails were ploughed up and twisted for about 80
yards. The passengers were not seriously injured,
which is most extraordinary, considering the tre-
mendous oscillation of the train. Several were
much shaken, but directly the train stopped all
were able to get out, and one or two proceeded to
the assistance of the wounded men. '(here being
no telegraph station at St. Dcvereux, a goods train
which was coming up was stopped and the engine
disconnected. The stoker of the express, who was
the most injured, was placed on the engine, which
proceeded at full speed to Hereford, and gave the
alarm. Mr. Macdonald, the company's engineer, and
a large staffof assistants, proceeded immediately to
the spot: They found the engine-driver restored
to consciousness. He said that the accident took
place so instantaneously that they had not time to
jump off the engine, which was going at 40 miles
an hour when it went over. Mr. Macdonald or-
dered the men to get water from the broken ten-
der, and with this, after some difficulty, they suc-
ceeded in quenching the fire in the engine.
The cause of the accident was very soon ascer-
tained. About 80 yards from the place where the
engine was overthrown, large pieces of the tire of
to leading wheel of the engine were found. The
.re broke there, and thus threw the engine off the

rails.
The scene of the accident presented a most extra-
ordinary appearance. The six carriages were
dragged across the " six-foot," and the enormous
engine was turned over at the bottom of the em-
bankment, which was ploughed up in a manner
that showed the terrific force with W hich the engine
descended.
The effects of the panic amongst the passengers
gave rise to one or two curious accidents. A young
woman, a passenger from Liverpool, was sitting in
a third-class carriage, with two children, one in
arms, and the other about two and a half years old.
Her terror was excessive when the • oscillation be.
came violent, and she seized • the eldest child and
threw it out of the window,..and was attempting to
open the door to follow, when she was stopped by
a passenger. When the carriages stopped the poor
woman hastened up the line, expecting
child dead or injures blit;although the ~ train was
to find her
going at 40 miles tart-'ibtrl,-kwhen the child was
thrown out, the little-fellow was found sitting on
the ground
with not the slightest trace of injury,
except a small cut on the left temple. The poor
mother's joy was excessive, and the rest of the pas-
sengers were much relieved when they saw how
fortunately the child had escaped what appeared
to be an inevitable death.
A gentleman passenger, as soon as the train
stopped, plunged out of the carriage and set off
running down the line, apparently unconscious of
what be was doing. Another passenger, an officer
of the 21st Regiment of Foot, stationed at Newport,
with the greatest presence of mind assisted the pas-
sengers to alight. and upon seeing the condition of
the engine-driver and stoker he put down a sove-
reign as the nuelmis of a fund for their assistance,
and we believe every passenger contributed. The
stoker was taken to Hereford Infirmary, and we
learn that, unless the internal injuries are more
severe than was at first supposed, there is a proba-
bility he may recover.
LThe line was in working order again on Wed.-
nesday night. There will be a strict investigation
into the cause of the accident.