MR. JOSEPH COWENasked the Secretary of State for the Home De- 772 partment, If there is any evidence to show that dynamite has been purchased from dealers in that article for illegal purposes; and, whether the new Orders in Council are unequally applied; if they have led to a large reduction in the consumption of dynamite for legitimate purposes; and if his attention has been called to a trade circular issued by a firm of gunpowder manufacturers showing how the stringent regulations applied to the sale of dynamite do not apply to the sale of other explosives? He also wished to ask the right lion, and learned Gentleman, Whether he intended to bring in a Bill this Session dealing with the general question of the sale of explosives as he had promised to do; and, whether he was aware that in certain mining districts the sale of explosives had decreased by one-half?
§ SIR BALDWYN LEIGHTONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the great inconvenience caused to those engaged in mining operations by the late Orders in Council in regard to explosives; also as to the dubiousness of certain words used in the Orders, such as "keeping" and "private use," as applied to miners, storekeepers, agents, instructors, and others respectively; also as to the jurisdiction apparently given under these Orders to the rural police; and, whether he will consider the propriety of some modifications or some explanatory directions to the local authorities?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTNo doubt, Sir, this is a very important question; and when I brought before the House the Bill relating to explosives I referred to the unsatisfactory state of the law upon the subject. Under the law, as it then stood, any person might have had in his possession 15 lbs. of dynamite; while a person having a registered store or magazine might have a much greater quantity in his possession, and the local authorities had no power to restrict such persons from possessing any quantity of explosives of that character. It was the general opinion of the House, at the time I brought forward the Bill, that such a state of things was not satisfactory. Under the existing law, power has been to impose, by Order in Council, such conditions upon the sale and possession of explosives of a nitro-glyce- 773 rine character as may be thought necessary. The possession of gunpowder is not regulated by Orders in Council, because it is provided for by express Statute. What has been done by recent legislation is this—Persons are not to have in store, or for private use, dynamite, or other nitro-glycerine compounds, without obtaining a certificate from the police or the Justices that they are proper persons to have it. That seems to me to be a very necessary and reasonable condition. The hon. Member for Newcastle (Mr. J. Cowen) asks me whether, under the present law, persons have not improperly obtained dynamite. Well, it is just the fault of the present law that we do not know how persons become possessed of that explosive; and that is why we have thought it necessary to obtain, as far as we can, a register of the persons who have it in their possession. There is no difficulty whatever for a decent and respectable person to obtain the necessary certificate, which is granted without any charge being made for it, and which, we hope, will prevent explosives of this character from getting into improper hands. Under the old law, it was possible for 10 persons conspiring together to get into their hands 150 lbs. of dynamite. It is quite true, as has been stated in the Question, that a circular has been issued by the manufacturers, who naturally are not satisfied with any restriction upon their trade, which, however, is a very dangerous one, and which, in the opinion of Parliament, requires regulation. The Inspector of Explosives states that the complaints with regard to the restrictions come almost entirely from the manufacturers, and not from those who use these explosives. As far as I am aware, these restrictions have acted beneficially, and in no case injuriously. The words "private use" are well understood, because they are in the Act of 1875; and as to fuller terms and explanations, the Inspector of Explosives has published a handbook, of which a new edition is in course of publication, which contains all the regulations on the subject.
§ MR. DONALDSON-HUDSONI should like to ask the Home Secretary whether it will be necessary, under these regulations, for every miner who uses nitro-glycerine compounds in mines to take out a certificate?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTI think that it is only right that miners should be required to obtain certificates. What I hope is, that we shall see done universally what is done generally— namely, that dynamite is kept in store by the mine owner, and is served out to the miner for his daily use. It is extremely dangerous for miners to keep dynamite in store in their own houses.
§ SIR BALDWYN LEIGHTONinquired whether there was any authority to make a charge for the certificate?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTNo, Sir.