§ SIR EARDLEY WILMOT (for Mr. TATTOTT EGERTON)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the Gelli Colliery explosion, and whether he is aware that on September 11th 1882 a similar explosion took place, due 1752 to the use of naked lights, in which loss of life took place, and whether he has read the report of Mr. Wales (mining inspector), page 241, with the strong recommendation it gives; whether his attention has been called to Mr. Bell's report of the compressed lime cartridges, showing they possess all the advantages of gunpowder with absolute absence of danger; and, whether, next Session, with the Report of the Royal Commission on Mining Accidents before him, he will legislate to forbid the use of naked lights, gunpowder, or other spark-producing compounds?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT,in reply, said, the Report of this particular accident had not yet reached him. With reference to the part of the Question relating to the use of naked lights, he had for a long time been pressing upon Inspectors of Mines the desirability of enforcing, as they had the power to enforce, the use of closed lamps wherever they thought open lamps unsafe. He did not believe that fresh legislation was necessary. The Inspectors had power to insist upon arbitration, and the result of such recent arbitrations had been to compel the use of closed lamps. Unfortunately, the principal opposition to the use of such lamps came from the miners themselves, in whose interests the precaution was taken. The other day an indignant deputation of miners from South Wales waited upon him and remonstrated against being compelled to use closed lamps. He told them that, on the evidence before him, it was necessary for the safety of their lives to insist on the rule requiring the use of closed lamps. He believed that the instructions he had given to the Inspectors would have the effect of enforcing the use of closed lamps without recourse to further legislation. He could give no opinion about the use of lime cartridges, as he was not sufficiently well acquainted with their character.