The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-29 00:00:00

THE ACCIDENT AT EDINBURGH.

On Wednesday three additional bodies were re-
covered from the ruins, making the number of per-
sons ascertained to be dead 32. The first of the
three was taken out in the forenoon, and proved to
be the body of Agnes Gardner, an unmarried
woman, aged 50, who maintained herself by uphols-
tery needle work, and who lived alone in an apart-
ment in the third flat. The other two were
recovered at 10 o'clock at night, and were the
bodies of John and William M'Donald, young
boys, whose parents, sisters, and brother had
escaped by flight. No further attempts were made
on Wednesday to take down the remainder of the
eastern gable. In the course of the excavation a
large portion of the middle wall of the building
was found lying athwart and bent over. This wall
ran parallel with the front and back walls, but was
not carried into the gables, and consequently stood
unsupported by the other walls; and a portion of
it had been removed some years ago in the shop
floor, in order to open out the shop from front to
back, as much being left as to form pillars to sup-
port the weight above. These pillar's were dis-
covered to have slightly yielded on Saturday, and
an examination was made, but the opinion was
given ►hat there was no danger. The excavations,
it was expected, would last for at least another day
and night, for the cellarage and a portion of the
street floor remained to be cleared. It was found
that the building had given way to its very founda-

tion—that until these were laid bare there could be
no certainty that all the bodies had been recovered.
A strange fact elicited is, that a large number of
beds have been turned over in the fall of the house,
the bodies having been generally found below, and
not above the mattresses. It would seem as if the
deflection of the middle wall had, in loosening and
dropping the rafters at one end, opened a chasm
into which the contents of the different floors were
hurled. A great many of the funerals took place
on Wednesday, and created a painful interest. The
occupants of another old building in High Calton
have been warned out since the accident. On Wed-
nesday evening a large audience assembled to hear
a lecture from Dr. Begg on the necessity of pro-
viding new houses for the working classes.

MEETING FOR THE ABOLITION OF CHURCH-
RATES.—On Wednesday evening a well-attended meeting of
the inhabitants of the parish of St. George-the-Martyr,
Holborn, was held at the School-rooms, Fisher-street, to
decide upon the course to be taken for the abolition of
church rates in the parish. The chair was taken by Mr.
W. Hanson. Mr. Hutchinson moved the following resolu-
tion :—" That an association be formed for the purpose of
considering and taking the necessary steps to abolish
church rates in the parish of St. George-the-Martyr, Hol-
born, the same to consist of voluntary contributors." Mr.
E. H. Burton, in seconding the resolution, said that the
question at issue was a very important one ; it embraced
all classes, from the mightiest down to the most humble.
In rural districts, where there was only ono church, it Was
not so hard upon the inhabitants, but in a mighty city like
London, containing a population of something like three
millions, embracing every sect of religion, it certainly was
most unjust that the Dissenters should be taxed to
keep up the Church. The resolution having been adopted
it was also resolved that a thorough canvass should b•
made of the entire parish to meet the expense in carrying
out their object. A committee was accordingly formed,
and, after some further discussion, a vote of thanks to the
Chairman terminated the precool:l4lp,