The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-30 00:00:00

THE LATE EXPLOSION IN Ci

REPORTED LOSS OF 800 LIVES.

The Hankow Times, in speaking of this explosion, which
took place on the morning of the 11th of December, says
that it was composed of three distinct discharges, and from
the direction of the report no doubt was left in the minds of
the hearers that the powder magazines at Wuchang had ex-
ploded. A rushwas immediately made for the locality of the
magazines, when its site as well as a considerable area
around was seen to be covered with one undistinguishable
mass of blackened and smouldering ruin, whilst as far as
the eye could see there was not a house or temple but
showed signs of having been severely shaken from roof to
basement. The streets were scarcely passable for theheaps
of debris scattered about, and of every house there merely
remained the broken and disjointed framework, tottering
threateningly over a heap of tiles, rafters, floors, furniture,
&c., mingled in one tangled mass below. Immediately
upon and about the site of the explosion there was of
course nothing left standing, but the numbers of charred
and mangled corpses lying about presented a sickening
spectacle. A curious feature in the extraordinary scene
was the number of bullocks standing about amongst the
debris, alive and perfectly quiet, but utterly denuded
of all hair, and in some cases of skin likewise. The
powder is ground in mills turned by bullocks, and doubt-
less several were in harness and at work at the time of the
explosion. The extraordinary part of the story, however,
remains yet to be told. The amount of gunpowder lying
in the Pao-gan-keuh at the time of the explosion was
but trifling, for, as a rule, it is never kept there when
made, but forthwith removed to the magazine, called
Yung-gan-koo, which is distant some 300 yards from
the Pao-gan-keuh. On Wednesday this Yung-gan-koo
is reported to have had stored in it 170,000 cattieu
of gunpowder, or about 100 tons foreign measure-
ment, and, curiously enough, although there was no
communication between the two establishments, and the
magazine was more carefully enclosed and isolated than the
manufactory, the explosion at the Pao-gan-keuh by some
means or other fired the Yung-gan-koo, and hence the third
and most violent of the discharges which we all heard.
The loss of life is put down by the Chinese at fully 800
souls, but it is to be hoped that this estimate is above the
mark. The origin of the accident, it is reported, has been
discovered by the mandarins. A number of workmen, it
appears, had been occupied with their usual employment
in the Pao-gan-keuh, and then retired to the room allotted
for smoking. One man, contrary to orders, returned to
work with his pipe alight, but concealed under his cotton
garment, and it was whilst he was shifting powder that his
pipe is reported to have burnt a hole through his robe, and
caught some loose powder lying about him.

The Hon. G. Denman, ALP., writes to the papers to
deny that he has given an opinion to the effect that by the
common law of England women possessing the necessary

property qualification are entitled to the suffrage. Al;

;hat he has stated is that the point is one to be

argued.

Mr. Coleridge, M.P., in presiding at the annual meeting
of the Exeter Licensed Victuallers' Association, con-

demned our present system of granting licenses. With
respect to the Permissive Bill, the hon. and learned gentle-
man said no man would ever induce him to lend himself to
anything which had the semblance of class legislation.
When it was said that the man who wanted a glass of
beer on the Sunday in a public-house was not to have it,
he (Mr. Coleridge) asked himself the question, " How can
I go to my club and take a glass of sherry, and at the
same time consistently interfere with what, for aught I
can tell, may be a most reasonable, proper, and excellent
relaxation for the working man ? " It could not be said
that the present system of licensing was at all satisfac-
tory. He had practised as a barrister at quarter ses-
sions, and, with all respect for constituted authority, he
could conceive that the licensing system might be better
conducted than by the magistrates at quarter sessions.
The drunkenness of this country was most discreditable to
it. Free trade with respect to the granting of the licenses
had been adopted in one part of the country, but he did
not think that complete free trade would answer. The
magistrates of Liverpool, declining their jurisdiction, had
given licenses to all comers, and the results had been most
disastrous.

Lord E. P. Clinton, M.P., in addressing some of his con-
stituents at Mansfield, expressed his satisfaction at seeing
that South Kensington was coming more into the country.
London had hitherto monopolised more than its fair share
of science and art. Closely connected with this question
was the solution of the painful struggle between labour
and capital. He had no objection to trades unions so
long as they confined themselves to legitimate and
proper objects. He saw no reason -why the system of
arbitration introduced into the hosiery trade should not
be extended to other trades, and he trusted the time
was not far distant when the employers and the em-
ployed would cultivate more intimate and friendly
relations with each other. There were in this country, he
regretted to say, two or three millions of people without
any education, and technical education could make little
progress until we had a niore perfect and general system
of primary education. The religious difficulty, he thought,
had been greatly exaggerated on both sides. If the diffi-
culty were met in a charitable spirit, it melted away. The
subject of local rating was, perhaps, beset with more diffi-
culty; but he felt compulsory attendance was absolutely
necessary.

In dealing with the testimony of the approver Mullany,
the Times reminds the public that we have no right to as-
sume that what he says is true. Such evidence must
always be taken with the very greatest suspicion, and
should, indeed, be rejected unless it be generally confirmed
by more independent and trustworthy witnesses. At the
same time, every one will do justice to the energy and

sagacity of the police who have investigated this crime.
Their labours have been incessant since the hour of the
explosion, and it is hoped they will not be fruitless. The
patient process of English law will, we have reason to hope,
eventually carry punishment to the guilty. Whether it be
these men or others who have done the deed, there will be
no relaxation of inquiry until all the truth is revealed.
THE PRISONERS IN MAIDSTONE GAOL.—Sillee
the detention in the Maidstone Gaol of the three men
apprehended at Deptford on a charge of complicity in the
Fenian movement, it has been thought advisable to place
a guard at the outside of the gaol building. For this pur-
pose a guard of eight county constables armed with six-
barrelled revolvers has been placed each night round
the gaol ; but in the daytime the guard is reduced to
four men.

THE NEW FACTORY ACT. —The large increase to
the duties and staff of the factory department having
necessitated its reorganisation, two assistant inspectors
have been appointed, and it has been decided that it shall
eventually be controlled by one inspector-general and four
inspectors. The sub-inspectors who have been appointed
to the office of assistant-inspectors are Mr. Daniel Walker,
of the Dundee district, and Mr. Joseph Ewings, of the
Preston district.

Tax REFORM LEAGUE.—A public meeting, con-
vened by the council of the Reform League, has been held
in St. James's Hall, for the purpose of advozating the re-
peal of the ratepaying clauses of the Reform Act, an
equitable redistribution of seats, and vote by ballot. Mr.
Edmond Beales presided, and commented on Mr. Hardy's
declaration at Bristol, that he and his colleagues had de-
termined to fix the franchise upon a basis which they
believed to be permanent and durable—namely, the pay
went of rates. Why, he asked, should this be the basis ?
What was the virtue of this alleged permanent and durable
principle, and why not give the franchise to every house-
holder without distinction, for there was not one house-
holder who did not bear his portion of the p bile burdens ?
One result of the ratepaying clause was the raising of rents
by the landlords. Several resolutions affirming the
necessity of amendments in the Reform Act were then
proposed and adopted.
MR. MILNER GIBSON AND HIS CONSTITUENCY.—

Mr. Milner Gibson addressed a large meeting of his con-
stituents at Ashton on Tuesday night ; the Mayor presid-
ing. The right hon. gentleman expressed his views on all
the prominent topics of the day, his speech occupying an
hour and a half. He believed our commercial difficulties
were but temporary, and attributed them in part to our
neglect to stipulate for free exchange in our colonies when
we granted them self-government. He feared the new
Confederation would extend the Canadian protective
duties to the adjacent colonies. He criticised the manner
n which the Conservatives had benefited by the Reform
question. They obtained power by opposing Reform, and
retained power by supporting it. By conceding household
suffrage they virtually admitted themselves t<i have been
mere truly " educated " by the open advocacy of Mr.•
Bright than by the mysterious tuition of Mr. Disrael.
Mr. Gibson characterised personal rating as a delusive
attempt at restriction—the £l2 county franchise to a limit
that could not be maintained ; and the minority vote an
unconstitutional innovation which he hoped would speedily
be removed. After advocating the ballot as urgently re-
qu!red, he proceeded to review the education questions,
and expressed his desire to co-operate with Mr. Bruce,
preferring for his own part a rating system and secular
schools. Respecting Irish affairs, he would favour a closer
union than ever with England. He would abolish the
useless Viceroyalty. He deplored the undue ascendancy
of classes in Ireland, and regarded Fenianism as the bitter
fruit of Irish misgovernment, and of our mistaken course
during the American war. He believed the Alabama
controversy would be reserved for settlement by a new
Government both in America and in England, who would
be unpledged and unfettered by the past utterances of
their predecessors in office. The right hon. gentleman
received a unanimous vote of confidence.