§ MR. HENRY SAMUELSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, When the Evidence upon which the Report of the Royal Commissioners upon Railway Accidents, the Papers of Messrs. Harrison and Galt, and the separate Report of Earl Delawarr, are founded, will be in the hands of Members; and, whether he can account for the absence from the Report of the Royal Commission of the signature of Mr. Ayrton, one of the Commissioners?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in reply, said, that the evidence on which the Report of the Royal Commissioners on Railway Accidents was based was extremely voluminous, but he had given orders that its printing should be pressed forward as much as possible. With regard to the absence of Mr. Ayrton's signature, he only knew that Mr. Ayrton was present at the last meeting of the Commission which was summoned for the purpose of signing the Report; but that he refused, as he had a perfect right to do, to attach his signature to it. He had not received from Mr. Ayrton any separate statement giving his reasons for refusing to sign the Report.
Aferwards in reply to Mr. BENTINCK, SIR CHARLES ADDERLEY said, the Report having only just been issued, it would be premature for the Government to say whether, and how far, they could attempt to legislate upon the subject that Session.