alive in the pit. The accident happened about eleven
in the morning. By immense exertions means were
found to introduce air into the place where they were
confined, and, in the course of the following day, they
were all dug out alive, almost exhausted from want of
air, famine and despair. It is stated that an application
will be made to the Secretary of State to send down an
inspector of collieries to investigate the causes of an
accident which had nearly resulted in so awful a
sacrifice of human life, and that that officer will also be
requested to examine the state of some other of the
West of England collieries, to ascertain if they are being
worked upon a safe principle.

SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
PROGRESS.

The Royal Orthopœdic Hospital had its seventh
anniversary festival on the 31st of May, at the London
Tavern, where about 200 gentlemen sat down to dinner.
This institution has been established for the treatment
of club foot, lateral curvature of the spine, and all
tendonous contractions, according to the method first
discovered by M. Stromayer, of Hanover, and afterwards
introduced into this country. Through its charitable
agency many individuals are annually restored to the
full use of their limbs, and thus enabled to earn their
livelihood, who would otherwise remain helpless and
burdensome cripples. The chair was taken by Mr.
Quarles Harris, the vice-president of the institution,
who took occasion to make some interesting observations
on its nature and objects. He said that clubfoot, as
everyone knew, was at once disfiguring and disabling,
amounting, among the humbler classes, to an almost
entire deprivation of the power of earning a living.
Formerly the only hope of relief lay in the slow, painful,
and uncertain method of lateral and continuous
pressure, but it remained for the medical science of the
nineteenth century to find a speedy, painless, and effective
cure in the division of the tendon, trusting to the
first intentions of nature for restoration in a more
elongated position. The cure was now, through the great
skill and attention of Mr. R. W. Tamplin, the surgeon
of the institution, reduced to a certainty. Who could
help regretting that their mode of treatment had not
existed when Byron found all his days tinged with
melancholy, in consequence of his lameness, or that
Scott should not have had the means of getting rid of
his blemish? But no such regrets need trouble the
present generation; relief was to be had, the skilful
operator was at hand, and the only other requisite was
the generous support of the public. It should be
remembered that the treatment of this defect, although
sure, was tedious, and consequently expensive; and
that, therefore, one patient relieved at the Orthopaedic
Institution represented (speaking commercially) ten
treated at any other hospital. They were at present
able to make up only thirty-six beds, while 300 were
constantly knocking at their doors for admission; and
it should be also remembered that the cure required a
supply of complicated and expensive surgical machinery.
Yet, notwithstanding all these drawbacks it would be
seen from the report that, during the past year, they
had received seventy-nine in-patients, of whom fifty-six
were discharged perfectly cured, twenty-three were
relieved, and thirty-six still remained under treatment.
The total number of in and out-patients was 1435, being
an increase over the preceding year of 160, while the
total number healed since the establishment of the
charity reached the large aggregate of 10,570.—Before
the meeting broke up, the lists were read, when it
appeared that the year's subscriptions to the hospital and
building fund amounted to the handsome total of
£2500

The National School Society held its annual meeting
on the 4th inst. The Archbishop of Canterbury
presided; and the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of
London, and ten other members of the Episcopal Bench,
a great many other Lords and influential laymen and
clergymen, were present. The Reverend G. A. Denison
had given notice of a resolution expressing deep regret
that her Majesty's government "continue to disallow
the equitable claim" of members of the Church of
England, as set forth in the resolution of the Society on the
6th of June, 1849, "That the founders of Church schools,
who see fit to place the management of their schools in
the clergymen of the parish and the bishop of the diocese,
should not on that account be excluded from State
assistance towards the building of their schools;" and
of a second resolution, declaring that the co-operation
and assistance of a parliamentary grant for education
should be accepted only if it involved "no interference,
direct or indirect, actual or virtual, with the doctrine or
discipline of the Church." The chairman opened the
proceedings with an earnest deprecation of the
discussion which the notice of these amendments prepared
him to expect. But Mr. Denison persisted in making
his motion; and it was seconded by Mr. A. J. B. Hope,
M.P. Sir John Pakington moved an amendment,
deprecating any renewal of the agitation which has
characterised the recent meetings of the society; and
he made a speech strongly urging the fact, that whether
right or wrong, these discussions have spread abroad a
feeling that it is the intention to exclude the laity from
all share even in the secular portion of the education of
their poorer neighbours. There was now (he observed)
a great movement in favour of secular education; and
Churchmen would be wise to follow that movement,
and not strengthen the arguments in favour of it by
rendering cordial action impossible. A number of
gentlemen followed with speeches on each side of the
question; in the course of which the excitement of the
meeting became considerable. The Bishop of London
rose after Mr. Denison's reply,—apologising for his
irregularity,—and earnestly deprecated a collision,
which he ventured to say would have fatal consequences.
He concluded—"And, my reverend brethren, I do
earnestly entreat you to put a stop to these discussions
in future, by distinctly negativing both the resolution
and the amendment." His short address produced a
deep impression. Sir John Pakington withdrew his
amendment, leaving the responsibility of division on
Mr. Denison. The resolution was put, and, on a show
of hands, Mr. Denison's motion was negatived by a
large majority; a result which was hailed with great
cheering.

The eighth anniversary of the Gardeners' Benevolent
Institution was celebrated on the 9th, by a dinner
at the London Coffee-house. The chair was taken by
J. Paxton, Esq., who was supported by Messrs. C.
Dickens. Douglas Jerrold, Mark Lemon, and some 150
of the subscribers to the institution. Mr. Douglas
Jerrold proposed the health of the Duke of Devonshire,
who, having been blessed with abundance, distributed
his wealth in the cultivation of science and art, and in
the improvement of mankind. The Chairman gave the
toast of the day, "The Gardeners' Benevolent Institution."
He referred to the ancient history of the Greeks
and Romans, to show that as the civilisation of a country
progressed, gardening became the favourite recreation of
its people.—Mr. Charles Dickens proposed the health of
the chairman, to whose genius, as evinced in the
designing and carrying out the Great Exhibition, he paid
a high compliment. Several other toasts were given,
after which a collection of near £300 was made.

A meeting of the constituency of Southwark was held
on the 10th, to take into consideration the government
bill for Supplying the Metropolis with Water. Resolutions,
moved by Dr. Challace and Mr. A. Pellatt, were
unanimously carried; they were to the following effect:
—"That the meeting considered the government bill
unfair in principle, and subversive of sanitary improvement,
particularly as the water supplied by the
companies supported by the bill was unfit for human
consumption, and the meeting were prepared by every
legal means to prevent its passing into law; And that
the water service of London could never be accomplished
until under the control of a representative body chosen
by the rate-payers, and the meeting would support the
principle of Mr. Mowatt's bill, which was designed to
carry this out. A petition to parliament, founded on
these resolutions, was agreed to, and Sir William
Molesworth was requested to present it.

A fancy bazaar was held on the 12th at the Hanover