Mr. Macdonald and Mr. Burt on Friday week endeavoured to
obtain still more stringent inspection of English mines, maintain- ing that the Inspectors did not inspect enough. Mr. Cross replied that there had been enough inspection, ever since he had directed inspectors always to visit mines from which any complaint had been received even anonymously. He had invariably sent a special officer to report after any accident, with orders to prose- cute, if there were any ground for a complaint of criminal negligence,—which, however, he had never discovered. He was of opinion, with the Member for North Durham, that accidents, though their total number had declined, were more frequent than they would have been because the miners were now getting below the safe depths, and into the "dangerous zone." He was inclined to prohibit blasting where gas escaped, but it might be a costly im- provement. Mr. Cowen, we notice, was inclined to place a small tax on coal for the benefit of miners' families when the men had been lost on service, but we fear he would find that his device only increased carelessness. A certain proportion of accident is unpre- ventable, but the next necessity seems to be a safety-lamp which will give more light. The Davy lamp gives so little, that the miner is always tempted to open it.
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