§ MR. SHERIDANasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to a Petition presented to this House, and signed by many hundreds of persons living in the borough of Dudley and its neighbourhood, asking for some further inquiry on the part of the Government into the practicability of recovering the body of Thomas Shaw, which lies in a coal mine called the New Homer Hill Colliery at Cradley, Staffordshire, where he was killed in the performance of his duty; and, whether he will endeavour to give effect to the wishes of the Petitioners, and to the prayer for a speedy and searching inquiry into all the facts of the case?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, the last information he had received from the Inspector on this subject was that the mine was in a dangerous state, so that it was not safe to open it. He had directed the Question of the hon. Gentleman and also a Petition he had received on the subject to be laid before the Inspector, in order that further inquiry might be made.