§ In reply to Mr. Serjeant SHERLOCK,
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, that a Report had been made to the Board of Trade in reference to the accident that happened to the Irish mail train on the 21st July last. The accident appeared to have been caused in this way. The Irish mail train was an hour late at Chester, and the foreman at Bangor blameably, as the Inspector thought, allowed a train of empty goods waggons to go on before it at an interval considerably less than that allowed by the company's time table. That train of waggons, from insufficient steam, appeared to have stopped in going up an incline near Holyhead, and the mail train ran into it. The immediate cause of the accident was the neglect of the lad who was acting on that occasion as breaksman, and who did not take the proper means to go back and stop the approaching mail train. The Inspector added that had the absolute block system been in force, this collision would in all probability have been prevented; but he stated that the absolute block system was being substituted for the permissive system by the company as fast as the arrangements could be perfected.