The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

" A CONSPIRACY EXPLODED.

After having waylaid me, by his spies, these three
years, M. Bonaparte now sets forth, through the news-
papers and foreign correspondents in hi 4 pay, that he
has at last caught me in the very act of plotting against
According.to him the charges are so crushing that
noLhing less than my extradition is at stake.
" idle boasting ! fit at most to betray the rankling
terror inflicted on tyrants by certain names that stand as
a living conscience and faithful guardians of.right.
"No evasion, then ; no false pretences. It the sea, is
not a sufficient barrier between M. Bonaparte and me
to allay his pangs—if at a distance even be dreads the
republic in the person of one of its founders, I am very
sorry indeed to disturb his rest, although he must not for
that imagine that he is lawfully entitled to demand my
extradition.
"I will not now deal with that question as closely
interesting the honour. of England, whom he insults
wantonly in thus trying to drag her down lower still,
than Belgium, nay, lower even than poor SNitzerland,
who preferred running to arms rather than delivering up
M. Bonaparte himself.
"I shall t.l-erely confine myself to examining the ques-
tion abstractedly in itself, and, by a stretch of imagina•
tion, I will go the length of supposing extradition pos-
sible in political matters, albeit truth lies tile other way ;
still, in this ex'reme case' to obtain it something more
would ultimately be required than uneasiness and fears, -
however imperial ; in other terms, proofs and a sentence
would be wanted.
" Well, as to proofs. I challenge M. Bonaparte to
produce any—any at all.. I say 'more. Servile to the
utmost though his judffes may be, who, after having ar-
raigned him for ,high treason, are now worshipping his
success upon their knees, I defy them to involve my
name in a judicial sentence—indispensable preliminary to
that extradition so ardently wished for.

"Perhaps it will be asked—in manifesting so much
confidence, do I not apprehend the hired approvers aud
false witnesses of Tiberius and his famous Law of Ma-
jesty ?
"False witnesses ! I most solemnly declare to be pos-
sessed of such informations as would enable me, -before
hand, to designo.fs theth by the-very number by which
they are inscribed on the police-roils in Paris. And there

is nothing surprising in that ; for no tyrant has ever
raised himself throbgh means of treason, who was not, in
the long run, dbonled to be sold by the treachery of his
own tools.

"No, indeed. The match between us is not an equal
one, and M. _Bonaparte had better not have ventured on
so perilous grourids. I positively affirm he does not hold
anything emanating from me, not a mortal word, not a
fainting syllable ; whereas I, on the contrary, actually
keep in my hands the proof—no fictitious, spurious proof,
such as might call to one's mind the much-spoken-of
bank-notes of
.Boulogne expedition notoriety—bat true,
lair, and undeniable evidence that the pretended pht,
to Rhich so many respectable citizens have been immo-
lated, was invented, imagined, worked, and directed in
M. Bonaparte's own cabinet.
"To strike 400 famil.es through mere fright, for the
sake of a shadow, would appear an improbable crime
were it not with him who has already driven to despair
100,000 of them. Besides, in default of great and noble
ideas which might impress and impassion the multitude,
what other means has- he left of dizzying them, short of
an incessant variety of dissolving views and effective
strokes of theatrical display 9 Above all, there must be
no pausing of the performances. The heart-moving
drama of war gives place to religious pomp and pagean-
try ; masquerades, industrial exhibitions, raree-shows of
princes and sel.ect animals, congresses and paternal ar-
bitrations, caravans of strange-looking. and far-coming
embassies, have their turn ; anything and everything
is welcome, not even excluding legerdemain and
necromancy, lest the stage might be vacated for a single
moment.

"Tae law of contrast would require this time the buf-
foonery to be followed by the tragical. Thus, for variety's
sake, our indefatigable juggler just fancies a big plot
coupled with some known name—mine or any one else's
—might afford a useful diversion of mind from the dilapi-
dations above and the shrieking misery below, the sinis-
ter prcoccupations of depopulation and bankruptcy, the
hatred of popular feeling arming itself for the impending
elections. This popular feeling especially he was anxious
to terrify by some means or other. Therefore the plot
in question emerged, and was asserted in his programme.
" Plaiuly, to him who is never haunted by any vulgar
scruples of right or wrong, of crime or virtue, there did
not appear on the surface of it anything else but a new
part called forth by circumstances. He deemed it use-
ful to his interest, and ordered it .to be played. That is
all.. Tenaciously sticking to what he fancied to be his
trission,' he must allow me now to discharge mine by
showing that, in spiteof innumerable Seids and bayonets,
the matamore is beset with fears, yea with great fears,
and moreover, that our conspirator of long standing ex-
hibits an unmistakeable decay of invention and working
out, since he was not able to avoid being taken—and
helplessly taken—An the very snare laid by him, and
wherein he so confidently hoped to see me entrapped.
" Ais for his misdeeds, Victor Hugo, Schcelcher, and
Ribeyrolles. have abundantly pointed them out. Thus
far the: exposure is complete, and the pillory stands mas-
terly erected for all eternity. Should he now aim at his
share of ridicule he may have it. He has simply to speak
out ; the chance is auspicious, and I undertake to prove
him to be as thoroughly mystified as ever trap-layer
happened to be. Let him, then, bring forward his de-
mand of extradition, and an opportunity will be afforded
of throwing such torrents of light on his secret schemes
and underhand practices as to convert it int. an unparal-
leled sample of farcical grotesque. Truly I cannot for-
bear laughing at thinking of it ; and if I had any thanks
to offer to his charlatan Majesty it would certainly be
for having afforded me, by his burlesque contrivance, a
few hours' recreation during my eight years of exile.
"London, April 6." "LEDBIT ROLLIN.

TEE LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR
BARNSLEY.

The coroner's inquiry into the circumstances of this
explosion, by which no .less than 189 persons have lost
their lives, was resumed before Mr. Badger at the
Brampton Bull's Head Inn on Thursday, when Mr.
Joseph Coe, the viewer and underground manager of
the colliery, was examined. Mr. Morton, the Govern-
ment Inspector of Mines, the proprietors, and other
gentlemen were present, as at previous sittings. The
inquiry has now occupied seven days, during which 47
witnesses have been examined.
Mr. Coe, examined by the coroner, said he was ap•
poir;ted viewer of the Lundhill Pit in October lest,
and Lad the entire control, management, and supervision
of the eoderground workings. He was in the pit on the
day pneeeling the explosion, when be examined the ven-
tilating co ,z and found them circulating in their
usual. quantiti;:s. Mr. Cue then detaddd with great
minuteness the particulars of an examination which he
made of the whoLe of the workings on the north side of
the pit on that day, niade with unusual care, because of
an intended absence ,!..of a few days. The whole of the
workings, including the '-caves, he found well ventilated,
perfectly free from gas, pfeperly bratticed, and in every
respect in the best working L.Neder.
The Coroner—Are you enabled to state what, in your
judgment, was the cause of the mlosion ?
Mr. Coe—l have thought the otatter very carefully
over. It has occupied my serious attention, and lam
utterly at a loss to account for it.
Mr. Morton—Although you may not be able to ac-
count for the explosion, have you not formed some
notion oa the matter ? _ _

Mr. Coe—l have formed a notion, but it is merely a
hypothetical one. We have a very tender zoo' above
the coal, about six or seven yards thick, which falls in
the goaves very freely. Above that is a much stronger
roof, nearly ten yards thick, which I -presume will
support the weight above it after the lower roof has
fallen fur a ccnsiderable distance. Immediately above
that strong roof are some seams of coal and a seam
of what is generally known as " black shale," from
three to four feet thick. The seams of shale and coal give
out gas in considerable quantities. After the bot-
tom roof had fallen down by the extension of the rat,
the stronger roof above may have given way and libe-
rated the gases in the meespres above. That being the
case, the gas may have come out in large quantities and
suddenly, in which case it Would necessarily explode on
cowing in contact with the nearest naked light. I merely
give this as a theory, and cannot be positive as to the
fact.
Mr. Morton—lt is a very probable theory. Do you
consider this the most probable cause ?
Mr. Coe--I do not form a belief on the matter, but if
I did that would be the cause to which I should attn.
bute the explosion.
Mr. Morton stated that it would take eight or ten
Bars longer to empty the pit, and eight or ten days more
elapse before any one could examine it and be
won.—
prepared,_egive evidence before the jury.
expressed a strong desire that some mea-
The foreman _ 'ed to relieve the jury from the die.
statedo of
ii e
Health
ab
sure should be adopa. task of viewing the bodies, and
agreeable and dangerous -•• e. wb,icthheitßwoaarsa
t
valuable sug-
a conversation ensued, dumb
Dr. Ilollard, Sanitary Inspector
removal of the had visited the pit, and given some iLL".IIIY
tthe jury as gestions with regard to the recovery ant,
bodies ; and the coroner promised to task
litt!e as possible, in viewing the bodies.
The inquest was then adlourned to the 3011 inst.

GOOD FOIDAY AND THE EXCURSION TRAlNS.—Yester-
d,q being Good Friday, an immense number of the fa,..li-
day folk ava:led tlitunlves of the cheap hares and the
duo weather, and the who)e of the trains on the vary: u t
railways were) crovird;A by pa,oe2gers from the metropolis.
The Eager: Counties hue conveyed several thousands
to Epping ... ()testi anti other rural parts, while vast num-
bers of respecta,l4y dressed. persons travelled on the South-
Wegern to Putney, Kew, Ricirmond, Frampton Court,
and Windsor. Greenwich-park and Blackheath were •
thronged with visitors from an early trout in, the morn- •
ing, while others passed on to the pictureole parts of
Chariton and other portions of the county of Kent., The
Great Western, the Great Northern, the South-Easton,
and the Blackwell Railways were well filled with pas-
sengera during the day. ' The trains to Gravesend,
Margate, Chatham, Tunbridge Wells, and nearly all the
parts throughout the line, were similarly thronged by
the Londoners, who were evidently determined on spend-
ing a day of innocent pleasure. No accidents worth re-
cording occurrtd on either of the lines.