The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-31 00:00:00

THA ‘IES.

ClIAIIG:•: OF MANSLAUGHTER.—Timothy Howard,
an Irish labourer, surrendered on bail to at:swer
charge of killing and slaying James Hart, a
fellow lubourer, a..; a elArcoal factory in New
Gravel-lane, Shadwel, oa Thursday night last.
Mr. Thomas Beard, solicitor for the prisoner,
said a coroner's jary had returned a verdict of man-
slaughter, and at this.: same tiros reco:nmended the
prisoner to mercy. Tnat recommendation could not
be carried out until the trial, bat it ought to justify
the magistrate in taking bail. In a quarrel
the prisoner struck the deceased on a stage
where they were bosh at work. The deceased
rolled off the stage and was killed on the spot.
'The prisoner deeply regretted th.,. calamity, and did
not strike a b!szt by until he was provoked beyond
endurance. The primer was committed for trial,
bail to be accepted.
George Moss, a young man, was brought up on
remand, charged with stealing a watch, value £5,
from Mr. Travers, a seafaring man, dwelling at
Pemberton-cottage, Gurney's road, Leytonstone.
Ou Thursday last the prosecutor was looking at
a conjuror in the Mile-end-road, and the prisoner
came behind Lim and adroitly slipped his watch
from a black ribbon to whiclt it was attached, and
made off with it. The presecater's brother went

in pursuit of the pawner, took him into custody,
and recovered the watch. The prisoner then offered
the prosecutor money to release him, which was re-
fused.

The prisoner was not known to the police, and
the magistrate sumn.arily convicted him and sen-
tenced Lim to four mouths' imprisonment and hard
labour.

THE RECEAT HEAVY GALE.

CAISTEn, near Great Yarmouth, Dec. 29.
While the wind was blowing very hard yesta-
day evening, several lights and rockets were seen
in the direction of the West Scorby Sand by the
beachmen (writes the 1.1(-.v. G. W. Steward.) The
large lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institution
at this station, went off and found the brig Bllbra
of Seaham, bound from London to the north iu bal-
last, striking very heavily in a most dangerous
way, so that if the wind and weather continued
bad she must soon go to pieces. The sea was ter-
rible, and the vessel could not ba approacued very
closely. Toe crew, however (six iu number), were
fortunately saved by means of ropes front the life-
boat. After rescuing the men, and while the boat
was on its way to the shore, signals were seen from
a vessel on the South Scorby Sands, and the lifeboat
proceeded in that direction. A Gorleston boat,
however, was seen approaching the wreck, and the
Caister lifeboat therefore returned to its station.

FEARFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

WIGAN, Dec. 31.

A terrible explosion occurred at noon yesterday
at the Hayduck Colliery, in the Queen-pit, belong-
ing to Richard Evans and Co., near St. Helen'.,
seven miles from Wigan.
Twenty-twa lives were lost, and several ma
severely injured.

Mr. Higson, the Government Inspector, says the
mine was excellently managed.
The cause of the 'explosion is not known, although
it is rumoured that there had been an illegal re-
moval of the brattice cloth.

The shock was very violent, shattering the rails
and the tubs into splinters.

THE ROBBERY ON THE, LONDON AND

NORTH wEsTERN RAIL IVA Y.

At the Police-office, Birmingham, yesterday,
Thomas Bagnall, late in the service of the Loudon
and North Western Railway, was again brought up
on the charge of assaulting Thomas Carte, a rail-
way guard, under circumstances which have already
been described in The Sun. Mr. Motteram, of the
Oxford Circuit (instructed by Mr. Soars, for the
London and North Western Company), appeared
for the prosecution. Mr. Godson, also of the Oxford
Circuit, appeared for the defence. A number of wit-
nesses were examined, including guards and other
officials in the service of the company. Evidence was
adduced proving that ou the day of the robbery the
prisoner purchased a shilling's worth of creosote at
a chemist's shop in Northampton. The assistant
who served him remembered that the man wore
a fur cap and carried a breakfast can in his
hand. Articles of the same description, it will
be remembered, were found at the prisoner's
house, and the lid of the can in the guard's
van. The assistaut further deposed in reference
to a cork produced and found in the prisoner's
possession that it vas one of a peculiar sort used by
his master. Mr. Oliver„Peinbazon, surgeon, stated
that the bliudn :63 of the guard had been caused
creo-sA, an his asEitaut gave evidence that the
clothes worn b 1." the prisoner at the time of Lis ap-
prehenoti mi. At etrongly of creosote, as did also
the prisoner's hands. A p,:euliatly damaged six-
pence found among the tuo►.ey taken from the pri-
soner formed another link in the chain. A. station•
master said he remembered taking a sixpence re-
sembling the one in question a few days before the
robbery, and he believed the coin produced to be
the same one. The whole of the money bags, it
was shown, were ripped open with the exception of
one, which. was in the cash box when found. The
prisoner • ras agai❑ remanded till this day, when het
will be I pinmitted to the assia 03 for trial.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Timesebservea that the political tranquillity which,

,_*otwithstanding the occurrence, of the election, has pre
. nailed throughout the United Kingdom is not to be attr;
buted to exceptional prosperity. The commercial dapres
sion which has kited since the spring.' of 18G6 still con.
Unites, and the rate-of interest indicates both the stag.
nation of regular trade and the natural indispOsitien of
capitalists to embark in speculative adventures. In the last
days of the year the announcement that the. Lancashire
Cotton-mills ar about to work half-time proves that one
of the chief branches of English industry is still suffering
from want of demand. The traffic returns of railw•-yr
exhibit a similar want of elasticity ; but the gradual ce-;:m.
tiou of the controversies on revenue and capital which
were eagerly prosecuted in the early part of the year
represents an improvement in the condition of the corn-
panies,-as the financial confusion of their affairs has been
gradually disentangled. While an unusually productive
harvest has cheapened food and diminished the necessity
for purchases of foreign grain, the hot and dry summer
which ripened the wheat crop was extremely unfavourable
to the production of roots and fodder, though even this
shortcoming has been much • alleviated-by the unusual
mildness of the weather up tb the new yeir.

The Post, in surveying the results of the year)trst con•
eluded, considers that what has been done has been done
thoroughly. Looking back over the course which the
year just ended has run, we may hope that it has been on
the whole a year of progress in the way of improvement for
this country. The events which mark the advance, if few
in number, are conspicuous, and in a manner isolated
for identification, by the circumstance that they are
accomplished. Thus it appears to be matter for
congratulation that a national obligation has been
fulfilled by the successful conclusion of the Abyssinian
war, and that we have at last arrived at a settlement of
the Reform question. Also; before the year closes,we have
the satisfaction of knowing that a little difficulty with

'China, arising out of the irrepressible missionary
Activity which has sown the seeds of trouble there
,ra------ --iA elsewhere, is abated. And it can hardly be
premature to add that our differences with the United'
- States of America are composed. Trade, too, though
t, it has been dull and depressed, is, we trust, recovering,
surely though slowly, from the effects of a panic
'-,-'-'7-' - . caused by the abuse of public confidence. The result of
the appeal to the enlarged constituencies may be included
in this survey, as May the -change of Miniitry which it
has brought • about; but, strictly speaking, these are
accomplished facts in the konse that, they constitute a
certain roint of departnre. , What they now give is a
better understanding of things. We have a new Parlia-
ment and a new Adminhitration, and we are again in the
straight constitutional path.

The Herald observes that the few hours which remain of
a year are always spent in reflection upon the past, and
anticipations upon the future. There is no deception
about the year 1868. This is positively its last day: It
is not like a last appearance,-to be repeated ;it is not like
the Last Mohican or the Last Man, whom nobeyever saw,
or the Last Minstrel, whom nobody, let us hope, has yet
heard. It is not like the last opera, the last novel, the last
song, the last lion, or the last scandal, because these never
are the last, but are continually being overtaken by their
posterity. It is really and genuinely the closing of a book.
The word "Finis" is written there unalterably and
indelibly. It is going and will be, gone before the next
sunrise, with the ,vhole procession of its triumphs and
failures, its trophies and calamities, its signs and wonders.

The Telegraph. cleclaresithat the year that ends to-day
is remarkable, politically, for the virtual close of one great
controversy—that on Reform ; and for the opening up of
another momentous question, the disestablishment of the
Irish Church. Many minor improvements may be made
in the Reform Acts which were passed by the last House
of Commons elected under the Act of 1832 ; but, as
regards the kernel of the question—the main qualifica-
tions for the borough suffrage —a household franchise
has been universally accepted as a settlement for the
present generation. During the year 1868 the two
minor Reform Acts—for Scotland and Ireland—have
been placed, with slight modifications which were due
entirely to local causes, on the same 1 asis. In fact, this
lenpplemerEary task of the Ministry was so divested of
party considerations that it formed no obstacle whatever
to the introduction of the great subject of the session, the
Irish Church. It was, early anticipated that the year
would be devoted in the main to the state of Ireland.
Looking at the prospects of the ensuing season, it
remarks that the new year begins with a new
Ministry, with many new men, in office, a new
tone and policy for Ireland, and a new policy of
economy for the empire. If 1869 does not fulfil the pro-
mise of its commencement, it may have the consolation
that it will not be the first year which has behaved in the
same disappointing fashion.

The Star, in examining thp political -clianges of the
_ar, remarks that 31r. Gliadstupe's Government has been
so lately formed that it need not be criticised. Its com-
position is, at any rate in one particular, certain to prove
conspicuous in history ; unless, indeed, the recognition of
great popular principles, which has been so handsomely
and sympathetically made, should blot frtan the memories
of future annalists the recollection of long years in which
the ruling classes remained undisturbed in the conviction.
that eminence, ability, and trenchancy in a Radical were
insuperable disqualifications for responsible participation
in the government of the country..

The Dail! News, in its summary of the events of the
past twelvemonths, observes that if the year has been
one of small gains, there are few losses to count up. Lord
Russell's re. irement from active political life, and the death
of Lord Brougham, remove two conspicuous figures froin
the public scene. In :Prance, almost the last conspicuous
representativ of the cause 0e.4.8411
f Catholic and Legitimist
liberalism, as w as a great political and forensic nap,
bility, perishes in erryer.- In Rossini and Charles Rea,p,
Musical and theatrical art lose earnest and devoted
cultivators. The deaths of Dean Milman and Archbishop
Longley remove the best representatives of the scholarly
freedom and the Christian dignity of the Church of
England. The appointment of Dr. Tait to the see of
Canterbury, and the judgment given against ritualistic
practices in the Mackonochie case, foreshadow. the
'Uprising of a great Church question, which, however, like
the Irish land question and the English pauper question,
is less for the coming year than for the coming generation:
-But it will be wise to take account of these things in time,
and to begin early what must be a long and difficult
work.