§ MR. ANDERSONasked the Postmaster General, If his attention has been called to a letter in "The Times" lately, in which Sir John Hawkshaw, the President of the Society of Civil Engineers, stated that suspended telegraph wires were safe only for about twelve years; if he has heard that several fatal accidents have occurred from fractured wires falling in crowded streets; if he has observed, on the house at the south-west corner of Parliament Street, a large number of wires clustered on one support very much twisted, and evidently in an unsafe condition; if he has observed one on the west corner of Richmond Terrace that looks insufficient, as well as others in various parts of the City; and, if he will arrange gradually to alter all wires in cities and towns to underground ones, or have the suspended ones carried, where practicable, in such a way as to cross streets at right angles, or make the distance between the supports at least seven feet less than the elevation, or in some other way reduce the risk?
§ LORD JOHN MANNERS,in reply, said, he had read the statement of 1580 Sir John Hawkshaw, and in reference to the first part of the Question he might state that there had been only two fatal accidents during the 17 years that telegraph wires had been carried overhead, and one of these occurred 12 years ago. He had not personally noticed the wires at the south-west corner of Parliament Street and the west corner of Richmond Terrace, but he had been assured by the proper officers that both clusters were now perfectly secure. That at the corner of Richmond Terrace would shortly be removed, and all those wires and a portion of those at the corner of Parliament Street would be placed underground. It was intended gradually to substitute underground for overhead wires in London, and to carry those which must remain overhead at right angles across the streets wherever it was practicable to do so.