The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-27 00:00:00

members suppose that the members of the Reform League
do not mean what they say ? I tell them that they do.
What I have to say is this •: that these gentlemen them-
selves regret extremely that the misunderstanding should
have occurred with regard to the communication made to
them by the right hon. gentleman. They are certain that
the misunderstanding is in no way imputable to him.
Their interview with him left on them a most favourable
impression of his character, and disposition, and feelings
(cheers)—and there is nothing which they would more
regret than to say anything in the slightest degree offensive
to him. This being the case, it is unnecessary to enter
into the circumstances, though I might state some which
might account for the misunderstanding. The very same
motives which induced them to exert themselves to
prevent last night what they firmly believed would have
resulted in bloodshed besides other horrors—these same
motives preclude them from taking any advantage of or
acting on what is now shown to be a misconcep-
tion. Whether they will accept the offer of Primrose-
hill, or consider that at present it is better to abstain
from any meeting altogether, I am not authorised to
state, and perhaps they do not themselves feel autho-
rised to give a decision on that offer without consulting
the council of the Reform League ; but so far as the influ-
ence of those gentlemen goes nothing will be done that can
possibly cause any danger to the public peace. (Cheers.)
The subject then dropped.
Lord NAAS, in answer to Mr. OSBORNE, said it would be
necessary to introduce a bill as soon as possible to prolong
the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland.
The adjourned debate on the Holston Election was re-
sumed, and on a division Mr. Lowe's resolution, which
affirms that when the votes are equal the returning officers
ought to return all the candidates, was carried by 135 to 6.
Major JERVIS moved an address for the appointment of
a royal commission to inquire into the condition of the rail-
ways in this country, particularly as to their ability to tulfil
their engagements to the public, having due regard to the
interests of all parties concerned.

After some remarks from Mr. Childers (who insisted on
the necessity of providing some means for winding-up
English railway companies), from Mr. Selwyn, Mr. Whal-
ley, Mr. Scourfield, and Mr. Goldney,
Sir S. NOIITHCOTE pointed out that the Board of
Tiede had already power to institute an inquiry into the
material condition of any railway, and promised that it
should be exercised on due complaint being made. He de-
clined to appoint a commission, but engaged in the recess
to consider the expediency of introducing a bill for the
winding-up of English railways.
The motion was withdrawn, and the house went into
committee of supply.

A vote was agreed to of £4,970 for the purchase of gun
metal to be employed in the construction of the Prince
Consort's Memorial.

Mr. LOWE moved the British Museum estimate, amount-
ing to £102,704, being an increase of £4,580 on last year's
estimate. This increase, he explained, occurred in the
items of salaries, house expenses, and purchases, and the
increase in salaries was caused chiefly by the superannua-
tion of Mr. Panizzi, who, after 34 years' service, had re-
tired on full salary. After mentioning some of the prin-
cipal acquisitions made during the last year, Mr. Lowe in-
sisted strongly on the necessity of enlarging the Museum,
showing how inadequate the present accommodation was
for the display of the collections.

After a brief conversation, embracing the topics usually
discussed on these occasions—the necessity of enlarging
the Museum, the separation of the collections, and the
expediency of opening the Museum in the evening, &c.—
the vote was agreed to.

The remainder of the votes in Class IV., relating to
Education, Science, and Art, and a largo number of
Supplementary Civil Service Estimates, including a vote
of £2,000 for Lord Palmerston's monument, were also
agreed to.
Various orders were forwarded a stage, and the house
adjourned at half-past two o'clock.

Terrific Explosion at a Druggist's Shop in

Bolton.

A most appalling catastrophe, involving loss of
life to three persons, and giving serious injury to a
number of others, happened on Wednesday, at the
druggist's shop of Mr. Alfred Langshaw, in Bolton.
Shortly after noon, Mr. Langshaw received a barrel
of naphtha, containing about 26 gallons, from a
lorry. The barrel was placed in a narrow passage
which adjoins the shop, for the purpose of being
emptied into a large storing cask, kept in a small
and very confined yard at the back. In the course
of the afternoon, Mr. Langshaw proceeded to empty
the barrel, placing a tap in it, running the naphtha
into a tin vessel, and then pouring it into a large
cask, the capacity of which was about 100 gallons.
Whilst engaged in this work he was called into the
shop to dress a man's finger, and had unfortunately
left the naphtha running into the can. Immediately
opposite where the barrel stood in the entry there
was a cottage which was then occupied by three
persons. One of them, a young woman named Nancy
Tempest, seeing that the can was full and the dan-
gerous liquid was running over on the ground, ran
for Mr. Langshaw. Both instantly returned, but
the naptha on the ground had then ignited, and the
flame was hastening to the barrel swiftly. He seized
the barrel, struggled with it a few moments, but was
unable to get it away. The fire reached it, and in
a moment the barrel was blown over a cotton waste
warehouse occupied by Mr. Lowe, and fell in a pas-
sago, which was only about a yard and a half wide.
The flames set the cottage on fire. A bed in one
corner on the ground floor was speedily consumed,
and all the furniture, flooring, and stairway were in
a blaze instantaneously. The borough fire brigade
and fire engines were speedily at the scene of the
sad occurrence, and with an immense power of
water drowned the fire, but the flaring liquid
could not be extinguished, and down the passage
a sheet of flame ran into the main sewer. As
doorwayebody
soon as the fire had been subdued, the efforts of the
firemen and others were directed to the dead and
injured.n
g
thea'
The
of
of
thel . Lo
oa
tut ga sg he aw ,
oppositespot where the barrel had stood. Every article of
clothing was burned off his body. His watch was
vas foun
theyd
lying by his side, having stopped exactly at twenty
minutes to three o'clock. His knife and other small
articles not readily consumed were also picked up.
Everything inside, the dwelling was burned black as
charcoal. In the corner, near the remains of the
bed, knelt the body of the occupier of the house.
His wife, having apparently fled upstairs for safety,
was found there; both were dead. The bodies were
taken to the infirmary. Several men who ran
down the passage to render what assistance
they could were caught by the burning liquid,
and rushed back into Deansgate, their clothes
being on fire—two of them on fire from head
to foot. The flames were smothered by persons
near, and the injured taken to the infirmary. The
names of the dead are Alfred Langshaw, druggist ;
John Spener, 55 years of age, partially a cripple ;
Ann Speller, his wife, 52 years of age, who was
engaged washing at the time of the occurrence. Of
the men who offered to render assistance, William
Cross, a painter, of Black Horse-street, was the
most seriously injured; next to him Michael Cana-
van. Both are badly burned about the middle of
the body ; Cross is not expected to live until morn-
ing. Another man, known as Tom Leth, had the
lower portion of his legs burned. Nancy Tempest
(the woman who ran for Mr. Langshaw), niece to
the occupier of the house, had her arm burned. No-
thing can pet
be stated as to how fire got to the
naphtha, but it is supposed that the
vapour arising
from the naphtha penetrated the dwelling, and
ignited on getting near the
firegrate, that the
flame flashed to the spilled liquid and spread to the
barrel. The yard door was on fire at one time.
Had the fire got to the other side of the door, there
was the 100- cask,
gallon and the result would have
f ul
been still more fear .

ln'he of Banktiie of
establishment France return shows that the situa
tio
has been further im-
proved. The bullion has boen increased £712,000,
while the notes in circulation have been reduced
e
£293,332. There has been a diminution in the
bills discounted of £900,000, and of £43,332 in the
advances on stock. The current accounts have
been decreased £40,000, and there is an augmenta-
tion in the Treasury balances of £20,000.
At the meeting held to-day of the Scottish Aus-
tralian Investment Company, the report for the
half-year ended 31st December in Australia, and
to the 30th June in London, stated that the direc-
tors propose a dividend, payable on Wednesday the
Bth of August next, on the ordinary stock of the
company, £300,000, at the rate of 10 per cent. per
annum, less income-tax, which will require £15,000,
and leave (after setting aside the above-mentioned
£1000) £126 4s. 9d. to be carried to the credit of
the reserve Fund, which will then amount to
£8,834 12s. 11d.
The Earl and Countess of Sandwich are enter-
taining a select party at Hinehingbrook, Heats, during the
Huntingdon raoo meeting.