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

" A CONSPIRACY EXPLODED.

"After haiing waylaid me, by his spies, these three
years, M. Bonaparte now sets forth, through the news-
papers and foreign correspondents in his pay, that he
has at last caught me in the very act of plotting against
him. According to him the charges are so crushing that
nothing 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 be 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 Switzerland,
who preferred running to arms rather than delivering up
M. Bonaparte himself.
• "I shall rierely 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 toe other way ;
still, in this extreme 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 judges 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 ajudicial 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 Jaw of Ma-

jesty ?

"False witnesses l I most solemnly declare to be pos-
sessed of such informations as would enable me, before-
hand, to designate them by the very number by which
they are inscribed on the police-rods in Paris. And there

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

"No, indeed. ThUrtatch between us is not an equal
one, and M. Bonaparte bad better not have ventured on
so perilous grounds. 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—but true,
fair, and undeniable evidence that the pretended plot,
to shich so many respectable citizens have been immo-
latecf, was invented, imagined, worked, and directed in
M. Bonaparte's own cabinet.
"To strike 400 families through mere fright, for the
sake of a sh'adow, would appear an impro•aable 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 ? 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 select 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.

"The 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 diiapi-
dations above and the shrieking misery below, the sinis-
ter preoccupations 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 emerlt d, and was asserted in his programme.
" Plainly, 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
mission,' he must allow me now to dischar'g'e mine by
showing that, in spite of 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—in the very snare laid by him, and
wherein be so confidently hoped to see me entrapped.
" As 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 into 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." " LEDRII ROLLIN.

THE LATE COLLIERY EXPLOSION NEAR
BARKSLEY.

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 ❑ow occupied seven days, during which 47
witnesses have been examined.

Mr. Coe, examined by the coroner, said he was ap-
pointed viewer of the Lundhill Pit in October last,
anti had the entire control, management, and supervision
of the underground workings. Ho was in the pit on the
day preceding the explosion, when he examined the ven-
tilating currents, and found them circulating in their
usual quantities. Mr. Coe then detailed with great
minuteness the particulars of an examination which he
made of the whole of the workings on the north ride of
the pit on that day, made with unusual care, because of
an intended absence for a few days. The whole of the
workings, including the goaves, he found well ventilated,
perfectly free frcm gas, properly bratticed, and in every
respect in the best working order.
The Coroner—Are you enabled to state what, in your
judgment, was the cause of the explosion ?
Mr. Coe—l have thought the matter 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 on the matter ?

Mr. Coe—l have formed a notion, but it is merely a
hypothetical one. We have a very tender roof above
the coal, about six or seven yards thick, which falls in
the goat-es very freely. Above that is a much stronger
roof, neatly ten yards thick, which I presume will
support the weight above it after the lower roof has
fallen for a considerable 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 god,
the stronger roof above may have given way and libe-
rated the gases in the measures above. That being the
case, the gas may have come out in largo quantities and
suddenly, in which case it would necessarily explode on
coming in contact with the nearest naked light. I merely
give this as a theory, and cannot be positive as to the
tact.
Mr. Morton—lt is a very probable theory. Do you
consider this the most probable cause ?
Mr. Coe—l do not form a belief on the matter, but if
I did that would be the cause to which I should attri-
bute the explosion.
Mr. Morton stated that it would take eight or ten
days longer to empty the pit, and eight oa ten days more
would elapse before any one could examine it and be
jury.
The to give evidence before the
The foreman expressed a strong desire that some mea-
sure should be adopted to relieve the jury from the die-
agreeable and dangerous task of viewing the bodies, and
a conversation ensued, during which it was stated that
Dr. Holland, Sanitary Inspector to the Board of Health,
had visited the pit, and given some highly valuable sug-
gestions with regard to the recovery and removal of the
bodies ; and the coroner promised to task the jury as
little as possible in viewing the bodies,
The inquest was then adlourned to the 30th inst.

GOOD FRIDAY AND THE EXCURSION TRAlNS.—Yester-
daq being Good Friday, an immense number of the holi-
day folk availed themselves of the cheap fares and the
fine weather, and the whole of the trains on the various
railways were crowded by passengers from the metropolis.
The Eastern Counties line conveyed several thousands
to Epping Forest and other rural parts, while vast num-
bers of respectably dressed persons travelled on the South-
Western to Putney, Kew, Richmond, Hampton Court,
and Windsor. Greenwich-park and Blackheath were
thronged with visitors from an early hour in the morn-
ing, while others passed on to the picturesque parts of
Charlton and other portions of the county of Kent. The
Great Western, the Great Northern, the South-Eastern,
and the Blaeltwall Railways were well filled with pas-
sengers during the day. The trains to Gravesend,
Margate, Chatham, Tunbridge Wells, ani 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 I
re-
cording occurred on either of the lines.