§ MR. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, It there be any prospect of the Royal Commission which was appointed to inquire into the prevention of accidents in mines several years ago making a Report this year before the close of the Session; and, whether he is aware that a similar Commission was appointed some time ago in Belgium, and that the Belgian Commission reported in one year and six months from date of its appointment?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT,in reply, said, he had a letter from the Secretary of the Commission, who said that before the end of the Session he would present a preliminary Report, along with a valuable body of evidence. The Secretary gave as a reason why the proceedings of the scientific inquiry had been so much prolonged that it had been necessary to repeat the experiments on the safety lamps and coal dust in various districts. With reference to the Belgian Commission, it only indicated the inquiry, and suggested the employment of a permanent Commission.