The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-15 00:00:00

Mr. FITZGERALD had yesterday an opportunity of
testing the respect and esteem in which he is held
by the people of Horsham, and he bad no reason to
be dissatisfied with the experience he gained. He
presided at the dinner given on the occasion of the
annual prize show in the neighbourhood, and a
numerous gathering of the gentry of the county ap-
peared to do him honour previous to his departure
for Bombay, to which he is appointed Governor.
In the interesting and impressive speech which he
made, Mr. FiTzGEnALDTleclared that nothing was so
grateful to a man as to meet with the support and
the sympathy of his friends, and this he felt
on the present occasion. Not only does he realise
the advantage of this in trouble and anxiety, but
also in prosperity. " It makes success doubly
brilliant, it makes prosperity doubly welcome, when
a man knows that he has the kind and cordial sym-
pathy of his friends around him." Mingled with
this sentiment of satisfaction was, of course, the
pain of separation from those with whom he had
been so long associated, and Mr. FITZGERALD dis-
coursed upon this in a very feeling manner. It was,
as he said, with mingled feelings that he received
the intelligence that his friend and colleagues
had selected him to fill an important post
in India, because he regretted so much having
to sever the tie which so long connected him with
that neighbourhood, and also he could have wished
that he might have had another trial of strength for
the honour of being its representative again.
Mr. FITZGERALD has, however, no real cause for
regret on that score, for he has gained laurels
enough in the House of Commons, and his memory
will long live there in the recollection of friends
and foes as a ready debater and an eloquent ex-
ponent of the intricacies of foreign questions. It
appears that before this opening to the ap-
pointment in Bombay appeared he had been
requested by Lord STANLEY to take an active part
in the commission for the revision of our neutrality
laws, and the consideration of the changes that
it would be most advisable to make in them. This
was a very congenial occupation to him, as he be-
lieved that great alterations could be advantageously
made in these particulars, affecting not only the
condition of our laws, but also of the international
relations and an improved condition of our inter-
national laws. Mr. FITZGERALD believed, and with 1
great reason, that this work might, if successful,
tend to set forward an important thing—the
better understanding that should exist be-
tween our country and that of America. Our
increased commercial intercourse is likewise to be
greatly desired for England, and this great object
he bad also trusted to further and promote. Still
when the opportunity offered itself for the accept-
ance of the Indian appointment he did not feel
justified in refusing it, both on account of its being
a great mark of confidence, and because of its
chances of usefulness. We are very glad that he
did agree to its acceptance, for we are in great want
of men to fill the ranks of our Indian Civil Ser-
vice, who are like him spirited and determined, and
who are also experienced and well informed in all
essential points.
" Thank Heaven," as M. FITZGERALD exclaimed,
" the time is now passed when we see a series of
wars waged in India for the extension of our ter-
ritory and increase of political power ;" but there
is a wide field open for the ambition of any man in
every department of legislation in the extension of
education, in bringing down the hitherto almost in-
separableal I t h at
cal: be
eiers of caste and creed, and in doing
done still further to develope the
almost illimitable resources of that great and
countr,
gw r'eaatlutillaytion. thaYt.oneWwrehothiisnktoioteicsuapymsaottiemr
poofrctoannt-
a place as that of the Governor of Bombay
onimbued with such high
should setfoo liiirnttdhon
e m
excited hiso mission
st part
with such elevating desires.
India has
been ruled to:rauch by
aspirations
men who have gone out there with old prejudices,
and refused to see the different turns that events
were taking, and what is greatly wanted there is the
presence of those who have the will and the oppor-
tunity to render able and efficient service in the
great work of consolidating our Eastern Em-
pire. To secure and to improve what pos-
sessions are really ours is of far more
consequence than to be seeking out new fields for
conquest ; and the laurels that should be reaped in
India should be won in the council-chamber and
not on the field. For this reason we consider the
appointment which Mr. FITZGERALD has just re-
ceived to be a very suitable one ; and we shall
expect, if time is given him, to hear of many im-
provements that he will be able to effect in his new
capacity in the distant spot to which he is bound.
Referring to home matters at the conclusion of his
discourse, the Chairman briefly said that, from
the long experience he had had of the House
of Commons, and the study he had made of the
question of Reform, he considered that it was im-
possible for the extreme parties either on the Gee
side or the other to have it all their own way.
Affairs are in such a state that either of the two po-
litical parties may prevent the other from settling
the matter which has now become so urgent. " It
is only by a combination of moderate men, by mu-
tual concession, and by considering the matter im-
partially, that a solution of the question can ever be
arrived at. As a necessary consequence, it follows
that the settlement in the details must be one
conceived in no party spirit ; and I will only add one
other thing which is absolutely necessary, it must
be so conceived that it shall be final." We think
tchoautldMrn.oFt 1 tg.ikvi .eni
hiso n f
rt
iheen
de Ns'
ih- razvoee
he has done ; and indeed hisipeaer tt uh sae,:
poebleoittfiteehari:addve
opponents
may well profit by it, for much as some may sneer
and scoff at it it contains the only true and wise
advice on the suNect. Mr. FITZGERALD finally
declared that he hoped, if spared, to
come back among them, that he should

The year 1866 has been fruitful in disasters.
Opening with the hurricanes which wrecked the
London, and played such havoc among our coast
shipping, desolating so many homes among our sea-
faring population, it has witnessed, among succes-
sive troubles at home and abroad before it closes its
record, one of the most terrible disasters ever known
in an English mine. Five years ago the Hartley
Colliery disaster aroused the sympathies and shocked
the feelings of all throughout the country, arousing
the QUEEN herself from the first grief of her widow-
hood to pity the hundreds of new made widows and
orphans. But the Hartley disaster, terrible as it
was, and great as was the loss of life which it occa-
sioned, was far behind the present catastrophe.
209 lives were estimated to have been lost on that
occasion, while at Barnsley there is, unhappily,
little reason to doubt that nearly 400 men and boys
were killed by the first explosion, and that between
20 and 30 gallant volunteers sacrificed their lives
in the vain attempt at rescue. It is said on credit-
able authority that 430 lamps were issued to the
miners on Wednesday morning, and as only two or
three were returned, there is too much reason to
fear that the loss of life is rather greater than less
than the estimate. Of the 19 brought up alive
some have since expired, and few are able to give
an intelligible account of the catastrophe. For the
most part they can remember nothing but the blaze
of fire and cloud of dust which knocked them down
and rendered them insensible till brought to the sur-
face. Such unconsciousness of their awful position
was indeed a blessing, but in some cases it was not
granted. Most touching is the account of a lad
of thirteen, who died after being taken home,
only saying, " Oh dear, will nobody come and take
me out ?" The scene at the mouth of the pit was of
the most harrowing description. Wives and mothers
and children in agonising suspense, unable themselves
to assist the rescue, unable to do anything but
linger at the fatal spot in maddening inaction. It
is no wonder that the brave Englishmen around,
looking on at their sufferings and remembering the
total desolation most probably awaiting their little
homes, should push gallantry to the verge of reck-
lessness, and should volunteer to continue search
after search only to add more valuable lives to
those already sacrificed. One of the last band of
volunteers was marvellously rescued after all
hope was abandoned, and this unexpected pre-
servation has renewed the hopes of the people
and made them unwilling to abandon further effort.
No doubt it is most painful to all concerned to de-
cide upon doing so ; at the same time we must
remember that a meeting of the most eminent en-
gineers of the day were unanimously of opinion that
the workings were probably all on fire, and that no
one in the mine was likely to be alive. This
opinion Is confirmed by the experience of the volun-
teer who was so unexpectedly saved, since during
his stay in the pit he heard no moan nor sign of life.
However much we may admire the gallantry of the
men who are willing to risk such a terrible death
for the merest chance of rescuing their fellows, we
must remember that it is not like more open and
combatible dangers, where a fresh comer has a ten-
fold chance. No human skill or strength can with-
stand these deadly explosions, and if there is really
no ground for hoping that any are left alive, it
would be merely adding to the catastrophe and un-
necessarily increasing the distress to keep the mine
open. Those whom the first explosion spared
were but too probably sacrificed by the second, in
which the land of volunteers perished, and the de-
solation of the district is almost unparalleled.

By a most singular coincidence, which, perhaps,
men of science can explain to be something more
than a coincidence, another terrible accident of a
similar character occurred on the very next day in
another part of the country. In North Stafford-
shire, on Thursday, an explosion took place in a
coal mine surpassing in fatality any yet known in
that vicinity. One hundred and fifty men and boys
were working at the bottom of the mine when the
explosion took place. Only thirteen-of these were
rescued, and some of those few died after reaching
the surface. Fifty others were working in a higher
seam, when they heard the rushing of the gascoming
towards them with a noise like thunder. Know-
ing too well the deadly enemy at hand, they hurried
to the shaft, and all were drawn up in safety, with
the exception of the man who placed the others in
the cage, and who, waiting till the last, was struck
by the gas and killed. The same terrible scenes as
at the Barnsley colliery are going on in Stafford.
The mourning widows, the rows of dead, the deso-
lated homes, alas! too, the want and destitution
consequent upon the sudden stoppage of the bread-
winners' earnings. Surely here is a case in which
the public will help promptly and liberally, in
which there is no doubt whatever of the genuine
nature of the distress or validity of the claim. It is
little enough that can be done to mitigate such
sorrow, but we who " live at home at ease," pro-
fiting by the labours of these poor men, whether
in our manufactories, our steam vessels, or even by
our Christmas firesides, may well remember how
bitter is sometimes the price of honest toil, how
mournfully the close of the old year will darken
down over hundreds of humble homes.

is Akusofvfonr.thAe origin
t sof carelessness
s disastersness witha s yet
onenothing
e
many lamps in the mine will of course explain it,
but the two explosions at Barnsley, and the
almost simultaneous explosion in Stafford-
shire, seem to point to an exceptionally
dangerous state of things at that time. There are
more things both on the earth and under the earth
than are as yet grasped by any philosophy, and the
mysterious agencies at work are sometimes
scrutable as uncontrollable. Nevertheless it is alike
our duty and our interest to prosecute our researches
to the uttermost, to endeavour as far as possible to
discover fresh precautions against accident, to im-
press upon the miners the necessity of rigid care,
and to ascertain whether any of the new designs,
such as those for improving the ventilation of mines,
for registering the effect of fire-damp, cannot be
employed to diminish the risk of disaster. HEAvEN
helps those who help themselves ; and whil. bowing
to the decrees of au inscrutable PROVIDENCE, we
are yet bound to do everything within the limits of
human exertion and ingenuity to lessen the proba-
bility of a recurrence of such frightful catastrophes.

ROYAL CALEDONIAN HUNT.-THE RACE MEET-
ING Fon 1867.—At the annual general meeting of the Roya
Caledonian. Hunt, held at Edinburgh on the 11th curt., it
was resolved that the Race Meeting of the Hunt in 1867
shall be held at Perth. The following members were
nominated office-bearers for the ensuing year :—Mr. John
Whyte Melville, proses; Mr. John Anstruther Thompson,
treasurer ; Mr. Alexander Learmouth, Mr. Archibald A.
Spiers, Sir Norman M. Lockhart, Bart., councillors ; Mr.
John Gillespie, secretary.

The exact number of the population of Paris is
now 1,825,374 inhabitants. The following is the
progress of the population of this capital for some
centuries past :—ln 1292 it was 215,861. In 1553,
260,000. In 1718 it was 509,000 inhabitants. In
1755, 576,000. In 1784, 660,000. In 1800,
517,756. In 1817, 713,966. ,In Is4l, 935,261.
In 1846, 1,053,897. In 1851, 1,053,262, and in
1861, 1,696,131.
Rossini has completely recovered from the acci-
dent which I nuntioned. The news of his illness
excited general sympathy and anxiety on account
of the illustrious artist.

An immense aerolite recently fell at Santander.
The diameter of the immense burning mass is esti-
mated at nearly a third of a metre. Various mole-
cules resembling sparks of fire were detached from
it as it fell, leaving after them a cloud of light
coloured smoke. The aerolite descended with con-
siderable rapidity in a vertical direction. The same
phenomenon was witnessed in other parts of Spain
at the same time.

To-day has been the most winterly one this season.
Last night the wind was exceedingly violent, and
Boreas has not drawn it very mild to-day. Heavy
showers like those of April have prevailed. The
Bulletin of the Observatory speaks of Leavy storms
yesterday at Dunkerque, Boulogne, Havre, and
Cherbourg.

An Italian paper states that great anxiety pre-
vails in regard to the Countess de Schombourg.
Two months ago she left Eughien, where she had
passed the summer, for an excursion in, Upper Italy
previous to a visit to Naples. The countess one
morning made an excursion among the mountains
with some friends, but she had not proceeded far
when some sudden omens of danger induced her to
take from her ears some valuable diamond ear-
rings and give them to one of her companions to
take care of. Soon afterwards the countess strayed
from her cothpanions, and they could not find her
again. It is feared that she has either fallen over
a precipice or has been captured by robbers. In
this latter case she will probably soon be heard of,
for, as is usual in such cases, they will claim a ran-
som. It is stated that the countess lost her husband
some years ago, and that she has been a prey to
melancholy ever since.
The funeral ceremony, yesterday, over the re-
mains of Monseigneur Coquereau at Sainte Clotilde
was a very imposing one. The Minister of Marine,
having to attend the Cabinet Council at Compiegne,
could not attend, but was represented by his staff.
The officers of all the Marine Corps joined with the
numerous friends. The Bishops of Nevers,
Rochelle, and Vaures were present, as well as many
almoners from different parts who came from a
distance to render the last homage of regret to
their respected chief. There was a detachment of
Marines round the catafalque in the church, and a
detachment of the 31st Regiment of the Line ren-
dered military honours. The absolution was given
by the Archbishop of Avignon. The remains were
interred in the course of the afternoon at the ceme-
tery of Pere-Lachaise.

ROYAL GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.—Mr. Toni
Taylor's "romantic entertainment," entitled " The Family
Legend," is to be revived with new scenery, dresses, and
appointments, on Monday evening, when Mr. and Mrs.
German Reed and Mr. John Parry will resume their origi-
nal characters. Miss Susan Galton also will make her first
appearance at the gallery in the character of the Welsh
Girl, and sing the scena of the legend of Sir Griffiths of the
Red Hand. The success which attended this entertain-
ment during the Exhibition year of 1862,' when, owing to
the crowded state of the room, many were disappointed in
gaining admission, coupled with the excellent medium it
afforded for histrionic and scenic display, the brilliancy of
the dialogue, the variety of the incidents, the romantic
nature of the plot, and the startling mechanical ingenuity,
that transformed the ghost of Sir Griffiths into his flesh-
and-blood descendant sleeping upon the couch, will, it is
hoped, make this revival acceptable to the patrons of the
gallery. The celebrated ghost scene, and the beautiful
moonlight view of the Welsh mountains, will be repro-
duced with complete effect. A new entertainment, by Mr.
T. W. Robertson, will be shortly produced.
THE LATE BARONESS FERDINAND DE ROTHSCHILD.
—One of those terrible calamities which occasionally visit
the lying-in room has just plunged the members of an es-
teemed fainily in the profoundest affliction. On the 4th
inst. the Baroness Ferdinand de Rothschild, while in the
first stage of labour, was suddenly seized.with convulsions,
and died almost instantly. Dr. Farre was in attendance,
and the assistance of Drs. West and Priestley was also ob-
tained. Delivery was accomplished, but the child was
dead. It is at least satisfactory to feel assured that no
human foresight could have prevented the sad occurrence,
and that in the hands of the accomplishedphysicians men-
tioned nothing that skill and experia9e
left undone,—The Lancet. CQ uld suggest was

"Against the wrong of this premeditated attack,
which necessitated our placing ourselves in a position
of defence, we have protested to the European
Powers ; and, filled with horror at a war of Ger-
mans against Germans, we did all we could to con-
duct our army without bloodshed to the territory of
our allies in the SDuth. Our trouble was in vain !
Forced into battle, our brave army brilliantly de-
feated the Prussian troops, and added a fresh and
shining bough to its ancient crown of laurels.
" We would not permit that the heroic courage of
our warriors should be given over to annihilation
by the three-fold power of our surrounding and ad-
vancing enemy ; and therefore with a heavy heart
we were forced to sign the capitulation of Langen-
salza. Also, after the defeat of our allies, we bowed
to our inevitable fate ; and to the King of Prussia,
whom the chance of war had made the conqueror
in Germany, we held out our hands in peace, ready
to make any sacrifice which necessity required of us.
He refused our hand, and would not accept the word
of reconciliation which we addressed to him.

" The King of Prussia now declares our kingdom
to be incorporated in his monarchy. Hereby is a
political act completed which we held impossible
between two German States, who were bound by
contract, as independent imembers, to mutual pro-
tection and to national unity ; and which we ven-
tured to consider impossible on the part of a sove-
reign who, as our first cousin, is so nearly related to
us, and which, above all things, we were forced to
look upon as impossible by the assurance
solemnly given by himself a few years
ago to us and to our illustrious German
allies. Against this act of incorpora-
tion of our kingdom into Prussia—against this
violation of the rights of our land, and of each in-
dividual of our subjects, we have raised our protest
to all the Governments of the civilised States. But
at the same time we hereby, before all our subjects,
loudly and solemnly delare null and void this in-
corporation of the hereditary kingdom of our royal
house into the Prussian monarchy, and, accordingly,
all acts of sovereignty which the King of Prussia
shall issue in our land, with the consequences pro-
ceeding from them, is not binding for us and our
successors in the Government.

" We thank our beloved subjects for the fidelity
to us and our royal house, proved in the past sad
days, which has attracted the attention of Europe
and gained universal esteem. Hereby have the
bonds of the warmest love and of the most hearty
attachment been only drawn closer, and we live in
the firm conviction that the ancient fidelity and the
self-sacrificing devotion of our subjects will, after
the example set them by their forefathers, in spite
of bribes and of threats, be preserved in their hearts
as inherited and precious relics.
"As the Almighty, now 60 years ago, decreed
that the same wrong, from the same quarter, should
not continue, as, after many years of foreign rule,
with the ever glorious co-operation of our faithful
subjects, He re-established the throne under the
hereditary ruler of the land, and gave back to the
ancient House of Guelph its people, and to the people
its ancient Guelphic rulers ; so do we now cherish
the unshaken faith that He will give the ultimate
victory to right, and bring about the reunion of our
royal house with our faithful and dearly beloved
people.

"The warlike courage of the brave at Langensalza
has proved itself worthy of the example of their pre-
decessors, and the other virtues of their fathers, un-
shaken fidelity, quiet discretion, and stubborn re-
sistance, still exist in our people, and warzont that
they will not forsake our royal house, which, through
the history of nearly 1,000 years, has grown fast to
them through joy and through sorrow.
" To look forward through misfortune to a brighter
future ; to trust to the all-righteous God; and to pre-
serve the ancient love to us—this we hope and ex-
pect from cur dear subjects during the time of
separation.

" May trust in the almighty power of the Lord
fill us with consolation and hope, and at the same
time form the tie which, during the time of our
forced separation, unites us only more closely with
one another.

"We would lay these words to the heart of our
faithful and so dear Hanoverians ; pray earnestly
to the great God to hasten the hour of our reunion ;
and commit you all, out of the inmost depths of our
deeply-moved soul, to his loving care and to His
richest blessings.
" Since the unsearchable decrees of the Almighty
might call us away, before the natural time of this
earthly life, we have, according to hip OWA wish,