The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-31 00:00:00

LOI‘DON, MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1868.

The inquest has been adjourned at Abergele un-
til to-morrow morning. The chief thing that
engaged attention at the latter part of the inquiry
was the evidence of Mrs. DtcKEN, which is indeed
of an extraordinary character. Additional import-
ance WA3 attached to it, however, from a witness
coming forward to corroborate it. In all probabi-
lity these parties are mistaken, and must be con-
fusing the carriages before and after the mail ran
in their account. The great confusion of the
scene and the terrific nature of the affair altogether
may well account for this, and indeed in no other
way can we account for the statement made, be-
cause if passenaers were in the situation desciibed
they must have made some signs which
would have been heard by those who jumped out
of the carriages directly after the collision took
place, and whose clear and concise accounts have
already been made known to the public. The natu-
ral impulse of every one would be to come oat of
carriages on fire, and if that were rendered impos-
sible, they would not have remained quiescent if
they retained any consciousness at all. It is also
evident that the flames enveloped the fatal carriages
at once, and with the smoke would have prevented
a looker on from distinguishing whether or not
they contained occupants until it was too late to

rescue them. The story may be true, if we
substitute the carriages lower down the line
for those in the front, because the occupants might
have seen that no immediate danger was at hand,
and be afraid to rush at extremes and be too
hasty for fear of increasing the evils. The Assessor
did not think much of the evidence referrred to,
and no doubt he was justified in the remark, but
at the same tune it will be as well to bring forward
to-morrow any substantial statement that may dis-
prove it, because the very notice of it must greatly
increase the suffering of the relatives of the deceased
parties. Any of the passengers who sat on the sea-
side of the mail train would do well to come for-
ward, and state what he saw or did not see on
the momentous occasion referred to.
A letter of Lord CASTLEROSSE on the subject is
worthy of notice. lie refers to some remarks made
as to the chance all had of escaping if the doors
had not been locked. " I was one of the first to
jump out, indeed I did so before the shock of the
collision was over, yet in that moment of time the
first three passenger carriages were wrapped in a
flame of fire, which, in fact, swept through them,
and rendered any approach to them impossible."
The noble lord the❑ proceeds to say with great
justice that persons should abstain from giving cur-
rency to sensational letters and harrowing details,
which can only distress still more the unfortunate
mourners. It was said that Lord CASTLEROSSE'S go-
verness heard alady call, "For GoD's sakelet us out,"
and this before the flames had reached her, whereas
the real circumstances of the case were that the
governess heard a gentlemen ask the guard for a
key to open one of the London carriages, which
were never touched by the flames. iiNo doubt the
same interpretation may be put upon other dis-
tressing versions of the affair, if the right parties
came forward. Mr. TOWNSEND, Lord HAMILTON,
and others agree in the account that the flames en-
veloped the carriages even before the shock of the
collision was over, and yet attempts are now
made to disprove this view of the ques-
tion. Great blame may no doubt be at-
tached to the want of due precautions
observable in the arrangements of the goods trains,
and the very fact of their being despatched so soon
before the Irish mail was due appears extraordinary.
But, so far as we can form a judgment from the
description of the sad event itself and the accounts
of those well qualified to give an opinion, front
their being immediately on the spot after the colli-
sion, no responsibility attaches itself to any one in
the train for not having attempted to rescue the
victims of the accident. The best proof their free-
dom from the charge is that they did not know
that any one was in the carriages owing to the
stillness that reigned there, and all chance of rescu-
ing them was over from the first.

In one of his speeches at Londonderry, the Lord-
Lieutenant referred to the question of emigration
in Ireland, and very forcibly observed that it was
the duty of all, for the common interest of the
country, to put a stop to the evil as far as it lay in
their power to do so. Increased poverty cannot be
given as the reason of this determined effort, be-
couse in many respects the Irish peasant is better
off than he used to be in former years. He feels,
however, that the state and condition of his fathers
will not suit him, and that he has a right to better
things. The only way to counteract this is to make
his condition a more favourable one in his own coun-
try,and the few but judicious observations of the Lord
Lieutenant may be considered with advantage, and
are far more likely to meet the real issue of the
question than the sweeping censures and wholesale
remedies of agitators and one-sided politicians,who
care less for finding a remedy than they do for
establishing the certainty of the ills they complain
of. The best means to improve the present state of
things are " improved houses and better ways," and
if the landlords and others would only set to work
with might and main to effect these salutary
changes, no doubt a short time would witness a
decided improvement. As for the cottages his
Excellency declared that as an Irish proprietor he
was ashamed of the average dwellings of
the agricultural labourers on his own estate, and
yet he was not able to see his way to a change for
the whole mass. The subject should, however, as
he said, be taken up in the proper manner, and
brought before the public, and the sooner it is done
the better, it may be added. The wrongs of Ire-
land, and the various schemes cennected with that
fertile subject, are dwelt upon continually, but the
fault of all the reformers is that they are not prac-
tical. Teey will not condescend to details, and
despise the consideration of matters which
are minor in relation to some, but which
should never be neglected by those who really
understand the welfare of a community. It would
be the first step in the way of amelioration to make
the dwellings of the peasants more suitable to cor-
rect notions of decent and comfortable habitations,
and the difficulties that are in the way should be an
incentive to those who take an interest in the case,
instead of retarding their exertions. At any rate
let the experiment be tried of bettering the
labourers' cottages, and if it fail at least it will be
more creditable than letting things stop in the con-
dition they are now in, which is a reproach to an
age that has witnessed so many improvements in
this respect.

According to the news brought by the Russia
from New York on the 18th inst. the uneasiness in
the Southern States still prevails. The Governors of
several States have appealed to the Secretary of
War for arms for the militia, but Gen. SCHOFIELD
has refused to give them on the ground that Con-
gress has not legislated definitively on the subject.
This is a red-tape reason, not much in accordance
with the usual spirit of American politics. Possibly
Gen. SCHOFIELD has taken warning by the difficul-
ties about his predecessors, and is determined to act
a cautious and inoffensive part. Still, if there is
any fear of armed disturbances occurring in the
States, it is unwise to run the risk of an outbreak
for want of particular powers, especially when the
whole policy of Congress has been to encourage
military action in the South. Perhaps the Secre-
tary of War thinks the apprehensions are ground-
less, and is averse to sanctioning anything like a
return to martial law ; but as it is only sought to
arm the militia, not to employ troops, there could
be little danger of so undesirable a result. In any
case it should be one great object with all parties
to restore public confidence and social security in
the South, without which there can be no hope of
returning prosperity. if the people are haunted by
the spectre of a war of races, and kept in a state of
alarm by rumours of armed meetings among the
negroes and threatened disturbances, it is not likely
that they will be able to give much attention or
interest to their business, while it is idle to hope
that under such circumstances capital will flow into
the country. It is said that the Governors of the
States who made the unsuccessful requisition to the
Secretary are preparing an appeal to Congress on
the subject, but the news is not decisively given and
wants confirmation.

Dletinwh h the fever of political excitement, if not
on the wane, is undergoing a lull. Both parties
a:a waiting very anxiously for the result of the
titumn. elections, which will of course materially in-