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COAX MINES OF

of contingencies required for rendering eachplan safe, that I am sorry to observe it does notelucidate any greater or more permanent meansof safety than were before known. We are allvery well aware that, if a candle is extinguishedpreviously to the mixture of the inflammableair up to the firing point, an explosion willbe prevented ; that, if a furnace at the bot-tom of an upcast shaft is put out, before anaccumulation of inflammable gas is forcedthrough its cylinder, no accident can hap-pen ; and that if miners could, and would,always depend upon the indications of theircandles, many accidents might be pre-vented. This is all plain sailing : but wemight as well say that, f a bomb-shell didnot burst, it would be perfectly harmless. Thefact is, that long experience has proved themines of this district to be in such a state,that no dependence whatever can be placedupon these contingencies; and I appeal toMr. Buddie himself why, if so much securityis provided by the system of management inuse, have we the dreadful explosions and con-tinual accidents which are so perpetually oc-curring ?

But, as it has very properly been observed by