The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-01 00:00:00

FLANDERS MAIL.

BRUSSELS, OCT. 28.—The average price of wheat last week was
5:31.39c., and that of Rye 16f. 95c.
The King's Attorney-General for the arrondissement of Brussels
has addressed a circular to the local authorities, directing the
organisation of night patrols during the winter.

The municipality of Bruges deliberated, in its sitting of Saturday,
ou the means of procuring emplo)ment for the poor workmen of
the city. It was resolved to undertake the cleansing of the basin.
The expense will be 46,000 f., of which the city will pay
20,000 f ; the Government will pay the remainder of the sum.
We are assured that the special commission has proposed another
plan, the object of which is to procure employment for the
weavers.

A letter from Posen states that in some districts of that province
attacks on property already began to assume an alarming character.
It is said that an armed band is organised on the frontiers of Poland,
which commits robberies and depredations of every kind. This
band has a chief, of whom acts of atrocity, mixed with acts of
generosity, are related, which call to mind deeds of the famous
bandit Rinaldo Renaldine. This band is said to be composed of
unhappy Poles, who are driven to these excesses by the dreadful
distress which prevails in Poland.

In the month of September, the Rhenish Railway Company
conveyed 54,250 travellers, and 243,640 cwt. of goods. The
total amounted to 65,752 dollars, which is 1,391 dollars less than
in September, 1844. The difference arises from a considerable
diminution in the quantity of goods. The receipts in the first
nine months of 1845 amounted to 449,609 dollars, or 35,400
dollars more than in 1844.

The price of corn has risen very considerably at Munich within
a few days; potatoes have risen to an exorbitant price. The same is
the case with fire-wuod and other kinds of fuel, which caused a ge-
neral feeling of uneasiness.

MR. JUSTICE COLERIDGE AND

THE AGRICULTURESTS.

The annual meeting of the Honiton and the Ottery Agricultural
Association was held at Honiton, on Tuesday. After the show of
stock, the members of the Society dined together at the London Inn.
Mr. Justice Coleridge was in the chair, supported by Sir E. J.
Prideaux, Batt, E. S. Drewes, Esq., High Sheriff of the county of
Devon ; Sir J. Kennaway, Bart., Col. Honeywood, Col. Land, and
many others of the principal landowners of the district.
After the customary toasts were drunk,

The CHAIRMAN gave "Prosperity to the Honiton and Ottery
Agricultural Association." The Learned Judge said—Although I
have always taken some interest in the welfare of societies devoted,
as this is, to the promotion of practical improvements in the cultiva.
tion of the land, and am free to confess that I myself am ignorant of
agriculture generally, strictly speaking, I cannot besaid to be a land.
owner, nor am I either a tenant farmer or a labourer. I, therefore,
subscribe to the old familiar adage, " that the cobbler should not go
beyond his last."—(Laughter.) I shall, therefore, not presume to enter
upon a discussion as to the relative merits of short-horns or long-
horns, nor shall I venture any opinion upon the advantage of under.
draining. These, in my opinion, are all matters for practical
agriculturists to discuss, for they alone can discuss them with bene.
ficial effect. Still every man of common sense—every man who
regards dispassionately what is passing in the world, must come to
the conclusion that these are times when the agriculturists must
exert themselves, and rely more upon their own efforts, if they hope
to prosper. They must, like the manufacturers, look to the
sciences for aid , and we all know that the application of science has
already done much, and might, I am confident, do much more
towards the advancement of agriculture. It may be said that the
improvements to which I more particularly refer cannot be accom-
plished without considerable expense; but that, I am certain,
would be amply repaid. The landowner who has capital is the
proper party by whom experiments should be made. Ido not say
that he ought to take up every rash scheme. He should make a
judicious selection of those suggestions which are most ap.
proved of by practical and welt-informed persons. Where
the experiment is found to succeed the tenant-farmer should give
up his old prejudices and adopt the new system. Holding the
office that I do, I am anxious to steer clear of politics—a wise rule
in these societies—but there is one pcint upon which, without in-
fringing that rule, I may be permitted to offer one or two remarks.
In the course of a not very long life, and with somewhat limited
experience, I have observed that there has been scarcely any great
public measure which has not been represented, on the one hand,
as pregnant with more evil, and, on the other hand, as being likely
to produce more good than had been found, upon experience, to be
really the case. This• is owiag, possibly, to the fact, that the
effect of many public measures has teen mistaken or over-rated. Ido
not pretend to be a prophet, but only speculating, as other men
do, upon the probability of any material alteration in the
corn.laws, I am bound to say that I do not apprehend the
harm would be so great, or the benefit so extensive, as some
persons are disposed to anticipate, either the one way or the
other.— (Hear, hear.) I have said already that lam not a prat.
tical agriculturist, therefore my opinion may be little worth your
attention; but I think that, with the blessing of God upon your
industry and skill, good may work its way out of that which you
now regard as evil ; and that in a little time you would not find
yourselves so much worse off as some of you may possibly antici.
pate. Let us never forget that there are in this country two mighty
interests—agriculture and manufactures—both are essential to the
well-being of the State. It has, I regret to find, been but too much
the fashion to set the one against the other. It seems to my
mind that these should be co-existent, for they have a common
interest. The greatest consumer is the friend of both. I must
remind you also that our population is steadily increasing, and it is
to the agriculturists that we must chiefly look for food to meet
this growing demand The population was already in-
creasing at the rate of 500,000 per annum; should it con-
tinue to advance in the same proportion we must have addl.
tiopal produce to feed the additional mouths. Under these cir.
cunistances, I feel confident that the British corn-grower will find
customers at tolerably remunerative prices. Before I sit down, I
would respectfully but earnestly beg to impress upon you the im-
portance of improving the moral and social condition of the labaur-
ing class, with whose well-being your own interest is very closely
identified. Many amongst them are wretchedly lodged. From my
own experience as a judge, the gainful conviction has been forced
upon my mind, that very much of the crime which disgraces our
country is mainly attributable to the mixture of sexes and of ages
in the dwellings of the poor—a practice that debases and demo-
ralises the human mind, and which, unless counteracted, must
effectually neutralise every effort made towards the elevation or
improvement of the people. —(Cheers.)

The other speeches were merely complimentary, and possessed
no general interest.

THE COAL-PIT ACCIDENT AT

THE UPPER SOUNDWELL.

DOWNEND, OCT. 31.—The inquest on the bodies of the five un-
fortunate men who lost their lives by the late accident at the Sound.
well collieries, the particulars of which appeared in The Sun of
Tuesday last, was held this day, at the Horse-stme Inn, in this
village, before William Joyner Ellis, Esq., one of the coroners for
the county of Gloucester, and a jury selected from among the most
respectable residents of the neighbourhood.
George Wiltshire deposed that he was a collier, and brother of
one of the men who was killed. On Saturday last he was at work
in the Soundwell pit with the other men. At about one o'clock,
when it was time to go up out of the pit, the deceased colliers got
into the cart, and he (witness) should have got in also, but that a
man behind him caught hold of an old sack, which he had put over
his shoulders to catch the water drippings, and pulled him back.
He turned round to ask him why he did it, and in the meantime
the rope gave wL,y. When it broke, the five men who were
killed were in the cart, and Brittan (the survivor) was
standing on the side of it. They had not begun to hoist
up the cart, as they were waiting for the usual signal. The rope
was a bad one, and did not look fit to haul the cart up and down.
On Saturday fortnight it broke with a cart load of coal, and since
that the men had all been afraid of It. Could not say whether
anything had been said about it to the overlooker of the works.
The men had all
Stalked about it among themselves, and had ex-
amined the rope, and said they would not go with it, but they
did go, as they had no other work, and did not want to lose their
bread. They were not prevented b' any one from complaining to
the overseer. The rope was an old rope. Did not remember at what
time it was placed on the drum. Ihe depth of the pit was about
200 fathoms. The distance the men fell was about twelve or thir.
teen fathoms.

By the Jury—Refused to go down on Tuesday week, and told
the bailiff that he was afraid, as the rope was not safe. The
bailiff told him to go down the other pit. Could not say whether
after that anything was done to make the rope more safe. They
always considered ten to be the proper number of men for a jour-
ney up and down the pit ; but since the rope broke with the cart
of coal, orders had been given not to bring up more than eight at
once, as they were afraid to to let a greater number go up and
down. The weight of eight men was not equal to that of a cart
of coal by about six cwt. Could not remember the rope having
been changed. Had worked at the colliery for more than twenty
years, and at the pit where the accident occurred about five
years.
Joseph Garland deposed that on the day of the accident he was
at work in the pit He saw the men fall, and, as fast as he could
get down, went to their assistance. Found Brittan alive; Basset
also gasped three or four times; and Wiltshire was in his brother's
arias, praying the Lord to save his poor soul. The others were
dead. The rope was at the bottom of the pit; the cart was lying
on its side, having been turned over. Witness had considered the
rope as unsafe since it broke on Saturday fortnight. The masters
did not wish the men to go down by that rope, but to go down the
other pit. Witness did not, nor did any one else that he knew of,
complain to the cverlookers of the state of the rope After the
breaking of the rope on the Saturday fortnight, some rope which
had been lying by disused for several months, was made use of to
mend it out. That rope was only intended to be used till a new
one could be obtained.

Wm. Marsh said it was his duty to be at the mouth of the pit,
where he could see the state of the rope. The men complained to
him of being afraid of the rope. It was his duty, if aught was the
matter with the rope, to report it to Charles Stone. Told the
bailiff that the men were afraid to go down, and he ordered them to
go by the other pit. Could not say that he told Charles Stone per-
sonally that he considered the rope unsafe.

Charles Stone deposed that he was foreman of Mr. Whitnell's
coa..works, and bad been so about two years and a half. Was
not satisfied lately with the state of the rope, and told the man
under him, William Watts, to tell the men, if any of them were
afraid to go up and down on that rope, that they were to go down
by the other pit. This was on the Monday after the rope br„ke
first. Told Mr. John Whitnell, a fortnight ago, that he did nor
like the rope, and should be glad when the new one was ready;
and Mr. Whitnell said, " If there is any danger, tell the men to
go down by the other pit." The-men did not like to go down by
the other pit, because they had the trouble to get 350 yards from
one pit to the other pit,