§ MR. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to a report which appeared in the "Western Mail" of the 17th instant, which purports to be an account of the investigation which took place before the coroner's jury on its last day's sitting in respect to the explosion which took place in the Weigfach Pit, by which eighteen lives were lost, near Swansea, a few days ago, and if, more particularly, the evidence of Mr. Wales, the Inspector of Mines for the district, and the portion which runs as follows:—
It is lamentable to think that persons placed in such responsible positions can be guilty of such conduct as not reporting the true state of the colliery, upon which so many lives depended;whether he will order such of the persons to whom the Inspector refers as may be alive to be prosecuted; whether, considering that the manager admitted while under examination that he knew there was gas in the mine, that he will order an investigation to be made into 323 his conduct for allowing men to make reports which have turned out to be incorrect; and, if the board or magistrate find him guilty of gross negligence he will see that his certificate is withdrawn?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said he thought it was in the interest of all parties, both employers and employed, that a prosecution should issue according to the finding in the verdict of the coroner's jury, and, therefore, all persons implicated with that finding would have proceedings taken against them. He did not think it right that the Secretary of State should take proceedings against any persons connected with the mine that would prejudice the proceedings taken in consequence of the finding of the coroner's jury. When that prosecution was over, he could state what would be done.