The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, S EPTE VIBE R 1861.

throwing off this responsibility—that of getting rid
of the debt, and purchasing the railways out of
Indian funds. If no other benefit arose from extin-
guishing the debt by the sale of the land-tax than
that of relieving this country from any liability
whatever for it, this, in the eyes of a statesman,
ought to decide. No one can doubt that, however
Parliament may refuse now to acknowledge liability
for the Indian debt, if the day of trial come, it
would be impossible to resist the demands of the
Indian creditors.

Happily the state of things in America is
arousing the attention of a class who will not let
the Indian Government at home, and the adminis-
tration at Calcutta, sleep on, We are compelled to
think now of Indian improvement by the fearful
prospect of a famishing little kingdom in the North.
It is a Cotton Rot, which is threatening to repeat
in Lancashire the dire work of the potato rot in
Ireland. Much distress will almost inevitably be
occasioned this year, but a second year of a short
supply would be intolerable. We only fear that
the difficulty of the case, unless India can be opened
by the next season, may drive us to acknowledge
prematurely the independence of the Cotton States,
and induco our statesmen to insist, whether the
North be willing or not, on access to our old
sources of supply. Then, farewell to emancipation
for the negro, and to the enrichment of our Indian
Empire by the most profitable of our commerce.

While an this subject, we may commend to the
notice of our readers an admirable pamphlet, pub-
lished by SMITH and ELDER, and written by
R. BENSON, Esq., entitled "Indian Resources Ap-
plied to the Development of Indi I." It will repay
the perusal of all who are interested in our Indian
financial policy, and in cotton cultivation in con-
nection with it.

FRIGHTFUL COLLIERY ACCIDENT.

TEN PERSONS SUPPOSED TO BE KILLED.

It is our melancholy duty to record a fearful calamity
which took place on Thursday at the South Mostyn Col-
liery, by which it is feared that ten human lives have been
sacrificed.

From particulars which we gathered at the scene of the
'disaster, we learn that the accident was occasioned by an
explosion which it is supposed took place through the fan
on the surface which is used for ventilating the mine, as the
shed and buildings belonging thereto were destroyed. At
the time of the accident (five o'clock in the morning) the
night men only were in the shaft, and from all appear-
ances were on the eve of finishing their work and coming
up on the surface. Had the explosion taken place in
the day time the consequences would have been much
more serious. Ihe explosion was heard at a considerable
distance from the colliery, and in the immediate
neighbourhood the shock was particularly perceptible. On
Thursday afternoon (when our parcel left) five of the un-
fortunate sufferers only hail been rescued, and the scene at
the colliery pit can be better imagined than we can describe.
There, friends and relatives were to be witnessed in the
deepest agony, awaiting the recovery of the lifeless forms
of those dear to them, and in one or two instances the scenes
were particularly heartrending.
All that human aid could render to ameliorate the suf.
ferings of the survivors was considerately performed by
Mr. Eyton, who, with his agent, Mr. John Williams, and
assistants from the other collieries, were indefatigable in
their exertions to extricate those remaining in the pit, and
carefully providing due and proper attention to the unfor•
tunate sufferers as they were brought to the surface.
The names of the bodies brought up from the pit when
we left were :—Hugh Rowland, Mostyn Square, unmar-
ried ; William Parry, Mostyn, wife and child ; John
Roberts, Tai Trevor, wife and large family ; Thos. Jones,
Penybryn, wife and three children; Henry Roberts,
Mostyn, wife and one child. The following are still in the
pit :—John Williams, Gwebnant, wife and five children;
Moses Dennis, Mostyn Square, wife and six children;
Kendrick Roberts, wife and family; Edward Hughes,
Mostyn •square, unmarried ; Edward Twist, Mostyn, wife
and seven children.

The bodies of the poor fellows we have named above were
not in the least • burnt or disfigured, and evidently must
have been suffocated by choke-damp.
The real cause of the accident is as yet not known, but
an inquest was opened on Thursday afternoon. Several
attempts were made to recover the five remaining men, but
the noxious gases would not admit of it. The last body
found was at least 350 yards along the level from the bot-
tom of the pit, the four others being much nearer. It is
supposed that the remaining five must be in the extreme
end of the level, and it was doubtful when their bodies
could be had.

The fan in which it is supposed the explosion took place,
and which is about 100 yards from the mouth of the work-
ing pit, had only recently been erected as a substitute to
what was considered the dangerous process of ventilating
by a furnace.

An appeal has been already made to a sympathising
public on behalf of the widows and orphans now left desti-
tute.

THE EARL OF DERBY.—We are gratified to say
that the noble earl has recovered from his cold, coupled
with the gout. His lordship will entertain a large circle of
friends at Knowsley, where there is a prospect of excellent
shooting.
The Marquis and Marchioness Cholmondeley
arrived in town yesterday from Houghton Hall, Norfolk,
on their way to Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire.
THE BISHOP OF RIPON.—We are sorry to Bay
that the right rev, prelate is not in the health his friends
cou'd desire ; but there are strong hopes of his ultimate re-
storation.
Count Lansdorff hds left Claridge's Hotel for
Paris.

The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland are enter-
taining a select circle of friends at Dunrobin Castle.
Count and Countess Schouvaloff have arrived at
Claridge's Hotel from Torquay.
The Earl of Clarendon, who is appoinfed Ambas-
sador Extraordinary at the coronation of the King of
Prussia on the part of her Majesty, will leave town next
week, accompanied by his staff, for Konigsberg.
It is with much regret that we hear of the serious
illness of the Right Hon. Sir Edward Blakeney, G.C.8.,
Governor of Chelsea Hospital. Few officers now alive have
seen such long and varied active service as Sir Edward,
dating so far back as the capture of the West Indian Islands
in 1796.--Army and Navy Gazette,
Two good•service pensions of £lOO a-year each
have been placed at the disposal of his Royal Highness the
General Commanding-in-Chief by the death of Gen, Dennis
Tlerbert,—Arnty and Navy Gazette.
Lord and Lady Stuart de Decies have left the
Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Dromana, county
Waterford.

We announced last week the resignation of
Colonel M'Dougall as Commandant of the Stpff College.
His successor in that office will be Colonel W. C. E. Napier,
now Superintendent of the Cadet's College, who will, in
turn, be replaced by Colonel T. E. Lacy, late Assistant
Adjutant-General at Gibraltar,-,eirmy and Navy Gazette.
Ernest Tilley Ward, who was convicted, on
Thursday, of stealing the sum of £509 from his masters,
Messrs. Hennant and others, was sentenced to six years'
penal servitude.

PLYMOUTH ELECTION.—Friday, 10 p.m.—The
Hon. William Wells, Addington, of Venn Ottery, eldest
son of Viscount Sidinouth, arrived this evening as the can-
didate in the Conservative interest, in opposition to Mr,
Walter Morrison.

WRECK AND Loss OF 800 MEN.—" The Russian
navy;" says the Pays, "has sustained a severe loss on the
coast of Japan—that of the Swellana, line-of-battle ship,
100 guns and 800 men. All the crew are said to have
perished."
The first manumission of slaves under the recent
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somneath4
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tpLhroueucsillsaa.mv east i na
de of

The Union prisoners in Richmond now number
nearly 1,400, and are confined in five tobacco warehouses.
Newspapers are denied them, and the supply of coffee and
sugar cut off. Extracts from official reports in Richmond
show that 75 guns aro mounted at Fort Macon, near Beau-
fort.

LAUNCH OF THE CELESTIAL—Messrs. T. A. Gibb
and Co.'s new paddlewheel steamer, the Celestial, was suc-
cessfully launched on Wednesday, the 25th inst , from the
shipbuilding-yard of Mr. Charles Lungley, at Deptford ;
and from her handsome appearance and fine lines, will no
doubt prove a favourite in China. The machinery is ready
to be put on board, -so that she will bo ready to leave for
Hong-Kong by the Ist of Dec?mber. She has only been
three months under construction, and is a proof of how
Much can be done in iron shipbuilding in a short time, as she
is a vessel of 800 tons and 200 horse-power, and has been
built to meet the requirements of Lloyds' rules.
The movement of the Bank of France to 51 per
cent. is attributed partly to a rather rapid loss of bullion
since the publication of the last monthly return (the value
of the foreign wheat purchased since the results of the har-
vest
became known being estimated at about £11,000,000),
and partly to an expectation that this ellux of specie is
likely to be further stimulated by importations of general
goods that may take place after the Ist of October, when
all the provisions of the Coracaorciel Treaty ;MAO into force.