The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-02 00:00:00

SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON A RACECOURSE.

The morning papers give the following account
of an accident which occurred yesterday at Tallaght
races :—" Yesterday, between three and four o'clock,
the stand-house at Tallaght racecourse, which was
at the time occupied by from 300 to 400 persons,
came down with a sudden crash, severely injuring
several persons. Prior to the start for the race for
the challenge cup, the great event of the day, when
all was excitement on the stand-house and the race-
course generally, the stand was observed to waver
for an instant, and then to come down en masse,
amid an expression of general consternation from
those who were fortunate enough to be spectators
only of the occurrence. There was an instant rush
on the part of these to tke scene of the disaster,
when every possible exertion was made to afford
rescue and assistance to the sufferers. It was dis-
covered that upwards of 30 persons were injured,
and seven of these seriously so. Among the latter
are, we regret to say, Mr. Wilson, sporting corre-
spondent of a morning contemporary, and Mr.
Flanagan, of the Dolphin Hotel. Mr. Wilson was
removed to his residence in town on a spring van,
and on being subjected to surgical examination it
was found that he had sustained a severe compound
fracture of the right leg. His case was promptly
attended to by Dr. Nedley and Surgeon Banon, and
it is hoped that he will progress favourably. Five
other persons were removed to Madame Steevens's
Hospital, among them • being Sergeant Farrell, of
the G division, who is said to have sustained a
severe injury of the spine. The occurrence of the
accident is attributed to the effect of the heavy gale
of the previous night, which is supposed to have
disturbed the principal joinings of the structure.
Fortunately up to the present no loss of life has
been the result."

BANQUET OF THE LORD MAYOR OF

DUBLIN.

DUBLIN, TUESDAY NIGHT.

At Lord Mayor Lambert's inaugural banquet
held to-night 600 sat down ; and the Lord
Lieutenant, in replying to the toast of his health,
expressed his attachment to the viceroyalty, and
hoped he would never see it abolished ; he believed
that none of the great parties in the State desired
its suppression. He hoped many successors would
fill his place. In alluding to Ribbon and seditious
societies, he said that in the early part of the
winter outrages of an atrocious description were
perpetrated, and he could not attempt to express
his horror and detestation of that brotherhood
of murder, which was banded together in secret
and in blood; but he trusted, in fact he believed
he had a right to say that the measures
which had been taken by the Government
had not only repressed those organisations
but for the moment subdued them, and no outrages
of a similar nature had for a long time taken place.
There is nothing but the spread of education (Lord
Eglinton continued) that will ever eradicate this
curse of Ribbonism. The secret societies were
revolutionary in the highest degree, and if allowed
to gain head would have led to tumult and blood-
shed. He thought he might add that the common
powers of the law were sufficient to meet this crimi-
nal confederation. He further stated that the
great body of the Roman Catholic clergy had ren-
dered assistance to the Government in contending
with these societies.
Among the other episodes of the meeting was
the proposal of Archbishop Cullen's. health after
Archbishopthatobfiltlsheontheone
hanofd Dublin.
coaxing
Choi
a.
The RECORDER, in his speech, deprecated coer-
cionbills on the
other.

LORD-LIEUTENANT during a second address
in introducing a toast, spoke warmly in favour of
the Lever line, and was most enthusiastically re•
ceived.

Yesterday a special general meeting of the dele-
gates from the various metropolitan vestries and
district boards took place at the Marylebone
Court House, for the purpose of making arrange-
ments for a renewal of the campaign in the
ensuing session of Parliament in reference to the
alleged gas monopoly and recent districting of the
several London gas companies.
Mr. Lines Peacock, representative from Blooms-
bury, was called to the chair.
Mr. BEAL, in reply to questions, said that many
of the vestries and district boards had already re-
sponded to the appeal of the managers of the pro-
ceedings before Parliament for funds. He believed
that they would require altogether about £1,500 to
fight the-battle before the committee" of the House
of Commons. It was fully the impression of the
managers that they could • complete the investiga-
tion before the committee of the House of Commons
in something* like twelve or fourteen days, unless
the gas companies, who boasted_ that they had a
fighting fund of some £30,000 or £40,000, drove
them into unnecessary evidence and prolonged the
inquiry to five or six weeks. They fully believed
that they. could fight the battle of the metropuii.
against this 'gigantic monopoly at the rate of £lOO
.a day, and they had suggested to each of the ves-
tries and district boards that a farthing rate would
be amply sufficient, and be money well laid out in
carrying this most important question to a success\
ful issue. The scientific as well as other evidence
they )would be able to produce would, it was true,
open a wide field, but it would make out :such a
case as he believed would prove irresistible before
Parliament. (Hear.)
The managers havini, made their report, their
functions were considered at an end ; but it was
unanimously resolved that they be re-appointed,
with the exception of Mr. G.A. Young, who ceased
to represent St. Pancras, being no longer a member
of the vestry, and Mr. H. Farrer was elected in
his place.
Mr. BEAL then moved—" That the managers now
appointed be authorised to take all the requisite
steps in the conduct of the Parliamentary inquiry,
to engage all requisite assistance and officials, and
to take all such measures as they may deem neces-
sary, provided always that no expense is incurred
beyond the amounts from time to time subscribed
by the various vestries and district boards."
Mr. FETTER seconded this motion, and it was
carried nem con.
The remaining business was then disposed of,
and after a vote of thanks to the chairman, the pro-
ceedings terminated.

THE REPEAL OF THE WATERMAN'S

COMPANY S ACT.

Yesterday a meeting of gentlemen interested in
obtaining the repeal of the Act 7th and Bth Geo.
IV., c. 73, commonly termed the Waterman's Com-
pany's Act, which, as they allege, impose arbitrary
restrictions upon the navigation of the River Thames
as respects goods traffic, was held at the Bridge-
house Hotel, Southwark. A bill has already been
deposited with the House of Commons, for the pur-
pose of accomplishing the object in view, and the
meeting yesterday was convened in order to facili-
tate the attainment of the desired end. Mr. E. P.
Sells, of Limehouse, occupied the chair, and there
was an influential attendance.

Mr. 0. S3IITH proposed the first resolution—
" That this meeting entertains the opinion that the
monopoly of the navigation of the River Thames
as exercised by. the Company of Watermen and
Lightermen is injurious to trade, and that the same
should therefore be abolished, in accordance with
the recommendation of the Royal Commissioners
appointed in 1853 to inquire into the affairs of the
Corporation of London."
Mr. J. G. BARRY seconded the motion.

The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. S. SIDNEY then moved " That a bill repeal-
ing the Act under which the Company of Water-
men and Lightermen continue to exercise their re-
strictive and injurious monopoly having been de-
posited with the House of Commons entitled, " A
Bill for the better Regulation of Watermcn,
Barge•owners, and others connected with the
Navigation of the River Thames between Yus-
lett" Creek and Windsor, this meeting is of
opinion that every endeavour should be made to
, secure the passing of such bill during the ensuing
' or any subsequent session of Parliament; or such
modification of the same as will best secure the
opening of the goods traffic upon the river Thames
to free navigation."
Mr. BEALE seconded the motion, and cited nume-
rous instances of the loss and annoyance to which
wharfingers were subjected owing to these re-
strictions.

The motion was carried unanimously, as were
others, nominating a committee, agreeing to a peti-
tion to both houses of Parliament, &c., moved and
seconded respectively by Mr. Phillips, Mr. Eley,
Mr. Hicks, Mr. Cory, and Mr. Barry.

A MAN CHARGED WITH SETTING
FIRE TO HIS WIFE.

On Saturday night last a middle-aged man named
Benjamin Meredith, residing at Bridge-terrace,
Maidstone' was taken to the police station, on the
charge of having brutally assaulted his wife, and
attempting to set fire to her. The prisoner, it
appears, has latterly been employed as foreman of
the carpenters engaged in the erection of the new
railway station at Maidstone, and frequent dis-
agreements have taken place between him and his
wife (who is most respectably connected), both, it
is said, being addicted to intemperate habits. On
Monday the prisoner was brought up at the Town-
hall, before 11. Argles and T. W. Allen, Esqs.,
when the following particulars transpired:—
Detective Sergeant Hills deposed that on Satur-
day night, at about half-past ten o'clock, he was
told that he was wanted at the Bridge-terrace.
He accordingly went to the prisoner's residence
there, and in the parlourhe found the prisoner's wife
lying on a sofa, apparently dead. Her dress was
turned up, and some of her under-clothing burnt.
The room was " swamped" in blood, and full of
smoke ; and the things were thrown about hi the
greatest confusion. Witness took hold of the
woman, but was obliged to get a candle before he
could see whether or not she was alive, when per-
ceiving a movement in one of her eyes, he sent for
medical assistance, and Mr. Sanders, police-surgeon,
with Mr. Furber, house-surgeon of the West Kent
Infirmary, shortly arrived. In the meantime the
prisoner had come in, and on witness asking him
what he meant by burning a woman in that way,
he replied, " It served her right ; she ought to be
burned alive." (The prisoner here denied this.)
Prisoner also said, " It has now come to a crisis ; I
wonder it wasn't a murder ; I'm sure it will end in
that." Full ten minutes elapsed after witness got
amnudchonsewoofllhoner,
inches long, another cut by the side of the left car
iTnitieortehme,arsooamcubtefaotrtehtehbeac.kvoomfahlrbheecaaameabsoeuntsitb‘lveo.
an inch and a half long., and a third by the side of
dhwtimes
lis:rosee afterbnhiaafd before.
thercsee
ed.t
continued—Therel
fireTatophs
The prisoner
porri ofhis abouteonin.
lers was much burnt so near the knee, that a large
seweerrlafls:h,haaaaans tdflreaanithvnfoianthaolatioffunrartegbh,qoheumuee•ttonsliauatbkllildydoe
•of skin hung down from it. Witness several
tashewnaosse
piece also Thetlie leftup p seird el Po
f wast face y;
justify him in treating his wife in that manner,
a madman. He was drunk.
Prisoner—l was not drunk.
broken off and lying on the floor; also a candle-
stick, the table cover, and the sofa cushions.

Prisoner—The candlestick fell off the table, and
that was how the fire was occasioned.
Hills further said that there were two candles
alight on the floor. In a pool of blood near the
door, Mrs. Hills, the landlady of the house, picked
up a razor, but it did not appear to have been
taken out of the case it was in. Witness had in-
quired that morning, and found that the woman
was considerably better, but she was still confined
to her bed. He believed she was not in danger,
though the wounds on her leg from the burning
was very severe. When witness first saw prisoner
the latter had a kettle of water in his hand, which
he had just fetched from the conduit, and which lie
was going to throw over his wife. Her clothes
were wet and steaming at the time, and prisoner
said he had already thrown one kettle full over her.
Superintendent Blundell then applied for a re-
mand, to produce other witnesses.isoner that if he
had anything to say in answer
might either do so then, or reserve it.
Well, I think
Prisoner (after some hesitation)
I shall reserve it.
-iewe the case with a good
Mr. Case (the clerk) told the p
to the charge, he
r
The prisoner, who
—South Eastern Gazette.
was then d remanded till Saturday.
deal of unconcern,

yuiour.

The following are the names of the vessels now
attached to the steam reserve at Chatham
Goliath, 80 ; the Amphion, 36 ; the Cadmus, 21;
the Thunderbolt, 16 ; the Etua, 16 ; the Trusty, 14;
the Thunder, 14 ; the Wye, 3 ; and the Cuckoo, 3.
The paddlewheel steam-sloop Argus, 6, Com-
mander Herbert F. W. Ingram, passed up Channel,
l'l, ; —lth Soutid, on Sunday evening.
The screw seam-sloop Rader, 11, Commander
the Hon. A. Pakenham, steamed from Plymouth
Sound into Hamoaze on Monday, and was moored
off the Devonport dockyard.
The Commander-in-Chief, Port .ridulfix,B.---
-R
eynolds.; went into Plymouth gourid-'n trutlay
morning and inspected the screw steamship Sans-
pareil, Capt. Rochfort Maguire. She discharged
her powder and shell on Monday afternoon, and.
received orders to leave yesterday morning for
Hamoaze, where her crew will be paid off.
Mr. Samuel Winicott, master, hoisted the pendant •
on Monday on board the screw steam sloop Gannet,
11,. at Devonport.
Great. activity prevails on board the screw steam
• ship James Watt, 91, which is being rigged and
caulked at Devon port with all despatch.
Her Majesty's screw steam-frigate Termagant, 25,
Capt. Robert Hall, fitting out at Portsmouth, yester-
day fidded topgallant-masts and sent up her lower
and topsail yards. When completed she will proceed
to the West Coast of Africa, and on her arrival there
will hoist the pendant of Commodore C. Wise.
The Nankin, 50, ComMander the Hon. Keith
Stewart, from the East Indies, entered Plymouth
Sound yesterday by the Western Channel, and,
having received orders from the Port Admiral,
sailed again immediately, by the Eastern Channel,
for Portsmouth.
The troop-ships Cospatrick and Ramilies, with
detachments, sailed from Plymouth Sound yester
day for the East Indies.
The Pique, 40, Capt. Sir Frederick Nicholson,
last from China and the East Indies, arrived yes-
terday afternoon at Plymouth, where she will be
paid off.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :

Lieutenants—N. J. Hodgson to the Gannet ; F. H. S.
Flood (additional) to the Vesuvius.
Master—Edward I'. Cavell to be agent for mails.
Surgeon—Dr. Henry Edmonds to the St. Jean d'Acre.
Assistant-Surgeon—Edward H. Evans, to the St. Jean
D' Acre.

Mr. James W. M. Ashby to be Secretary to Rear-
Admiral Hope.
Mr. George Granadidier, to be Secretary to Sir George