The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-10 00:00:00

THE LA UNCESTON ELECTION.

On Thursday, Mr. Henry Lopes, of the common law
oar, was elected member for the borough of Launceston,
in succession to Mr. A. H. Campbell, who has recently
retired from Parliament. The hon. and learned gentleman,
who is the Recorder of Exeter, and a younger brother
of Sir Massey Lopes, Batt., M.P. for Westbury, was
proposed by Mr. W. R. Derry, seconded by Mr. Wells,
and returned without opposition. In returning thanks,
Mr. Lopes said he desired to go to the House of Commons
as an independent supporter of the present Administra-
tion. His political opinions were in accordance with
those of the great Conservative body, and he knew
that he might be deemed a party man. At the
same time, desirous as he might be to see those
in office whose political predilections, professions, and
actions accorded with the views which he held, he was
fully alive to the importance of looking rather to the cha-
racter of the measures produced by a Ministry than to
the creed of those by whom they might be intro-
duced. Therefore he recognised the wisdom of the
motto, which was as true now as it was when
it first commanded attention : " Measures, not
men." As a proof of his sincerity in this declaration,
he would at once say that he approved the principle of the
compulsory Church Rates Abolition Bill which had been
introduced and carried through the House of Commons by
Mr. Gladstone, and which would shortly have to be con-
sidered by the House of Lords. A devoted friend of the
Church of England, he could not believe it was to her
interest to maintain the long-drawn-out contest for the
retention of church rates. The controversy had continued
many years ; at times it had called into existence many
acrimonious feelings ; and he could not but think that the
settlement proposed by the leader of the Opposition was
based on such a foundation that it could be honourably
accepted by the Church of England. He earnestly hoped
that amongst those things for which the closing session
of the present Parliament might be memorable would be
the settlement of the church rate question—a question
which had baffled the sagacity of statesmen and parlia-
ments for many years. As a further illustration of his
assertion that he should not look upon every subject
through party spectacles, he would mention his ap-
proval of the principle on which Mr. John Abel
Smith had based his Sunday Closing Bill. Mr. Smith was
the Liberal member for Chichester, but that fact would
make no difference in his (Mr. Lopes's) mind when the hon.
member brought forward, as he believed he had in this
instance, a measure which, with some little amendments in
detail, might be made to work beneficially for the interests of
the working classes. He had said that he was a devoted friend
of the Established Church, and this brought him to a point
on which much excitement had lately been engendered
and much public speaking expended, and which had led
to a great party division in the House of Commons. That
was the proposal of Mr. Gladstone to disendow the Church
in Ireland. He must tell his constituents plainly that to
the resolutions of the Liberal leader he was decidedly op-
posed. Mr. Gladstone's resolutions attacked not
only the Irish Church, but it threatened the united
Establishment, and it behoved Churchmen of all
ranks and conditions to rally to the support of
the menaced institution. Supposing Mr. Gladstone to be
successful, and his resolutions to receive the sanc-
tion of the Legislature, would the disestablishment of the
Church result in the pacification of Ireland? He believed
the reply would be in the negative. In all the rhodomon-
tade which had been uttered by the Fenians, the griev-
ance complained of was not the existence of an Esta-
blished Church, or of defective land laws, but it
was the union with Great Britain. They desired a separate
nationality, and in the face of such a demand he did not
believe that Fenianism would be satisfied with the dis-
endowment of the Church. In conclusion, the hon. and
learned gentleman assured his hearers that the interests of
the agriculturists— a class by which Launceston was
surrounded on all sides should ever have his best
attention. At all times, too, he should be ready to attend
to the wants and wishes of his constituents as far as was
consistent with the duties of their parliamentary repre-
sentative.

A vote of thanks to the returning officer closed the
nroceedings.

A NEW ANAESTHETIC.

Science, like history, seems to revolve in circles. The
fertile idea of efficient anaesthesia in surgical operations,
which has been so pregnant with blessings to mankind,
was thrown out by Sir Humphrey Davy in experimenting
with protoxide of nitrogen—laughing gas. The American
dentist Wells actually applied it in practice without
encouraging success ; his partner, Morton, pursuing the
research, was led to the use of sulphuric ether, and
became, in fact, the great discover of practical anaesthesia,
and the benefactor of his race. The decision adverse to
the use of protoxide of nitrogen gas seems at least to have
been hasty. Dr. Thomas W. Evans, of Paris, has this
week given a series of demonstrations of its use at the
Dental Hospital of London and at the Central London
Ophthalmic Hospital to crowded circles of dentists and
surgeons, and has produced results hitherto unknown
here. Given by his and Colton's method, the period
required to produce unconsciousness has been less than 45
seconds ; the operations have been harmless ; the sensa-
tions of the patients agreeable ; there has been no strug-
gling or distress. The recovery has been almost instantaneous,
and without headache, giddiness, sickness, or prostration,
such as so frequently follow chloroform. In fact, in many
instances, three minutes after the patient has expressed a
willingness to submit to operation, he has been standing
chatting gaily by the chair, the tooth having meantime
been painlessly extracted, and he having passed through a
period of total unconsciousness without any disagreeable
sensations. As will be seen, however, from the detailed
account which we give of these remarkable demonstra-
tions, it has yet to be shewn how far the unconsciousness
can be protracted, as is necessary for prolonged surgical
operations. And great caution must be enjoined in using
this agent, even by Dr. Evans's method, until we have
more of our own experience to guide us. But taken with
all qualifications the results are very surprising, deeply in-
teresting,and of great promise, as supplying that import-
ant desideratum—a painless and rapid anaesthetic suited
for those who have to pass under the hands of the den-

tist, and for the quicker operations of surgery, and of
which the effects are entirely transient.—British Medical

rournal.

ALAPIIIING RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Between f and five o'clock on Wednesday afternoon
an accidea of an alarming character occurred near the
Sandy Station, on the Great Northern line, a distance
of about f, r y-four miles from London. It seems
that the 12.10 p.m. passenger train (part par-
liamentar3 ) from York had travelled to the above
point in safety ; but on approaching Sandy a
coal train happened to be shunting at the time,
and notwithstanding that all efforts were employed by the
engine driver of the latter to prevent such a result, a col-
lision took place. The force of the shock is described as
terrible, and how the whole of the passengers escaped
with their lives is remarkable. The engine and tender
of the passenger train were forced over, nearly shattered,
and both now lie at the scene of the disaster some dis-
tance below the surface. On inspection it was found that
no bones were broken, but about twelve of the passengers
were sadly bruised and much shaken, and, with the ex-
ception of two ladies, they were all brought to London
late at night, and conveyed to their homes in cabs. The
two ladies were terribly alarmed, and nothing could
induce them to remove from Sandy that night. A tele-
graphic message was, however, sent to their friends,
who visited them, and with whom they returned to
town on Thursday. Several of the carriages have been
rendered totally unfit for service. The train was due
in London at 5.35, but more than seven hours elapsed ere
the passengers reached King's-cross. On inquiry at the
company's office, it seems the whole blame rests on the
signalmen at the Sandy Station, who, although receiving
the telegraphic caution, neglected to signal the danger.
Mr. Seymour Clarke and other officials haVe visited the
spot, and a searching inquiry will be made into the
matter.

THE LATE DIVISION.—The Weekly Register, a
Catholic organ, states, " it is very gratifying to note that
at both the divisions on Friday last every Catholic mem-
ber was present, and, without a single exception, they one
and all voted on the right side."
TELEGRAPII DISPATCH.—It is stated that the
result of the division on the Irish Church question was
known in Washington and New York about an hour after
the numbers had been declared in the He use of Commons ;
and the fact that the Oxford crew had beaten that of Cam-
bridge was known on the banks of the _Hudson in less than
three quarters of an hour after the race was over.
INSANITY OF M. FoRCADE. —A Paris letter, in

the Satut Public of Lyons, gives some melancholy details
of the manner in which the mental alienation of M.
Forcade first manifested itself. " Tie called," says the
writer, "on the Marquis de Monstier, and having obtained
a private interview, proceeded to explain his mission,
which was that the Prince Imperial should marry a grand-
daughter of the Prince de Joinville in order to effect a
fusion of the two families. lie then went to M. Magne,
and announced that the Emperor had appointed him (M.
Forcade) Minister of State, but that he felt fatigued, and
he begged his colleague to be good enough to take charge of
his portfolio. Both these Ministers treated him kindly,
and he returned home and wrote his fortnightly review for
the Bence des Deux Mendes, which he sent to M. Bulcz,
the editor. The latter had put in type and sent to the
writer, as usual, slips of the incoherent narrative, but in
the meantime had got another prepared for the forthcoming
number,"