Star.
London, England, 1826-06-05 00:00:00

MR:-BUCKINGH A NI.

Saturday, a public Meeting was held at the Thatched-
house Tavern, St. James's-street, the object of
_which
was to raise a subscription to relieve (in some measure)
Mr. Buckingham from the distress which has been
brought upon him by the-suppression of his Paper, the
Calcutta Journal, by the Indian Government.
Lord Joun RUSSELL, on taking the Chair; shortly
addressed the meeting. He stated, that having atten-
tively listened to all the evidence which had been given
before the Committe recently appointed by the House
of Comm.nts, t ) ilgttire into Mr. Buckingham's case,
the opinion which lie previously entertained of the
hat dships suffered- by that Gentleman had been thereby
strengthened. The conduct of Mr. Buckingham, s hich
had drawn upon him the enmity of the Indian Govern-
ment, so far from teflecting any discredit upon him,
was highly praiseworthy, and agreeable to those ex
amples of freedom which we are accustomed to admire
and hold up as worthy of imitation by others. Mr.
Buckingh im's c tse was one-which peculiarly called for
the sympathy of the people of this country, and that
Gentleman had a right to expect support limn all who
were placed in a more fortunate situation than himself.
It was his deliberate opinion that there was nothing in
any one of il, articl,,s written by M. Buckingham, and
objected to by the Indian Government, which could
reflect the slightest stain on his character.
Mr. I). KINNAIRD stated, that Mr. Buckingham was!
at present involved in great embarrassments, owing to
the suppression of the Calcutta Journal, from which he
had expected to derive an income of 5,0001. a year,
upon a fair valuation of the property. Having had
personal intercourse with Mr. Buckingham from the
moment of his arrival in England, he could undertake
to say, that a more honourable or upright individual
did not exist. The Hon. Gentleman then moved " that
a public subscription be o2ened for the relief of Mr.
Buckingham."
Mr. HUME seconded the motion, which he said would
afford the public an opportunity of expressing the indig-
nation which was so generally felt against the despotic
conduct of the Indian Government towards Mr. Buck•
ingham.—The resolution was cart ied.
After some observations by Mr. HILL, Sir C. Finites, and Sir J.
Doris a Committee was appointed for manning the subscription,
and the meeting, which was highly respectable, separted.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT A COLLIERY.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

Tuesday morning, about three o'clock, as briefly stated in the
STAG of Saturday, one of the most dreadful explosions of fire-damp
occurred at Stella Colliery, in the county of Durham. On the cl.ty
previous to the explosion, the Colliery had not been at work, and in
the meantime an immense body of inflammable gas must have accu-
mulated ; for as soon as the men descended to their work on Tues-
day, on some of the lights being kindled, the inflammable air imme-
diately ignited, and thus in one ntoment caused a scene of death and
desolation almost indescribable. The sound of the explosion was
beard to a great distance. Corers, full of coals, were propelled with
great velocity from the bottom of the pit to a considerable height in
the afr ; and all the brattices in the colliery were sent forth in the
same destructive manner. Several horses were thrown to the top
of the shaft, and some men In the act of descending at the time the
explosion took place, were, by the force of the concussion, cast from
a considerable depth up to the surface, and sustained much injury,
though none of their lives are despaired of; but so great hro been
the calamity, only flee men belonging to the colliery have escaped
unhurt. The total number of sufferers, men and boys, is not known
with precision, but ft Is supposed to be about forty, although all
the bodies have pot been discovered. The machinery within the
range of the explosion was all blown to atoms. The colliery is the
property of Messrs. George Dunn and Sons, of Newcastle.
A • Coroner's Inquest sat on Friday, and returned a verdict of
Accidental Death, and in the afternoon the bodies of twenty-seven
of the poor sufferers were interred in Royston Church-yard.