§ LORD BELPERsaid this Bill was one which had become not only desirable, but really necessary, owing to the increased light which had of late years been thrown upon the causes of accidents in mines. The object of the Bill was to decrease, as far as possible, these accidents and diminish the deplorable loss of life. The Bill was read in the House of Commons, not only without a Division, but he might say with the very general consent of all parties, and of those who were conversant with the question. The provisions of the Bill were as follows: There were powers given to the Secretary of State to make regulations with regard to various matters for the purpose of diminishing the chance of these explosions. The matters included the following:—The description of lamps used in a mine, and the manner in which they might be used; the sorts of explosives that were to be used in mines, how they were to be stored, and the manner in which the shots were to be bred; the number of persons who were to be permitted to remain in a mine when the shots were being fired, and also as to the damping or watering of mines which were of a dusty character and in which it was desirable to do so. An objection had been raised that the Secretary of State had already power to make regulations such as these, but to do so some of the regulations in the former Act of 1887 would have to be modified if not repealed, and it was, therefore, thought desirable to give the power directly by 1014 this Bill. Besides this there were important powers with regard to dealing with mines which were abandoned, and in that case this Bill made more stringent regulations than the Act of 1887. There was also an extension of the duties of inspection, and there was a very important clause which gave an absolute power, apart from any appeal, for a Secretary of State, where he considered that certain explosives were or might be of a dangerous character, to prohibit the use of those explosives, or in any class of mines in which he thought it desirable to do so. He felt sure that, in view of the urgency which existed for some such Measure, their Lordships would not hesitate to give it a Second Reading. It was practically an agreed Bill, and was heartily supported by both the employers of labour and those who represented the miners, and he hoped they would pass it into law without making any substantial alterations in it. He begged to move the Second Reading of the Bill.
Read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.