§ MR. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he has ordered or will order that efforts be made by the owners of the Home Farm Colliery, near Hamilton, to recover the bodies of the four persons that lost their lives there by an inundation of water some weeks ago; and, whether the leakage of the water was well known to the manager for several days before the men were shut up in the mine or drowned; and, if so, whether he has ordered proceedings to be taken against him for neglecting to protect the lives of the men employed in the Home Farm Colliery?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, that in the first place he had no power to make such an order as that referred to in the Question; and, in the second place, he thought the owners of the mine did not at the present time contemplate making a search, and ho was informed that the Inspector would object to any such search being made. The hon. Member had made inquiry as to the accident about the time of its occurrence, and he (Mr. Cross) had informed him that he had placed the whole matter in the hands of the Procurator Fiscal, in order that he might investigate the matter and report to the Home Office. He was glad to say that he had now received the Report, which said that the inquiry did not disclose any case of culpable neglect on the part of anyone connected with the management of the mine. Further inquiries had since been made, and the last Report was that no blame was to be attached to any person responsible for the proper working of the mine. Under these circumstances, no prosecution could take place. The owners objected to making search for the bodies, as it would expose others to needless danger.