456 



Chronicles of Science. 



[July, 



one hand, tlie owners feel aggrieved at the additional responsibilities 

 which are thrown upon them ; and on the other, the coUiers say 

 they receive no more real protection by this Bill than they did 

 under the old Inspection Acts. The Mining x\ssociation of Great 

 Britain is meeting from time to time to watch the progress of 

 matters affecting the interests of the coal trade, and sundry amend- 

 ments have been proposed to the Government by that body. The 

 working colliers have also had several meetings, and, by their dele- 

 gates, they urge the Government to appoint additional inspectors, 

 or to create a class of sub-inspectors. 



The principal novelty in this Bill is the clause making it com- 

 pulsory that plans of all abandoned collieries should be lodged with 

 the Secretary of State, within three months from the time when the 

 coal within the pit has been abandoned. There appears to be some 

 difficulty in the way of carrying out this excellent provision. It is 

 thought that the plans so deposited may be used to the injury of 

 the individual. This, however, may be guarded against, by enact- 

 ing that such plans shall not be evidence in a court of law, and 

 that no action can be founded on evidence obtained by inspecting 

 those plans or maps. As a means of protecting the hves of the 

 miners, it is important that all information respecting our sub- 

 terranean workings should be preserved. It is therefore to be 

 hoped that this clause may, with weU-considered restrictions, become 

 a portion of the new Inspection Act. 



Coal. — The production of coal in these islands was in 1867, ac- 

 cording to the returns given in the " Mineral Statistics," 104,500,480 

 tons. In 1868, according to the returns of the Inspectors of Coal 

 Mines, the quantity was 104,566,959 tons. Of this the exports, 

 according to the returns of the Board of Trade, were as follows : — 



Name of Countet. 



Russia 



Sweden 



Denmark 



Prussia 



Hanse Towns .. 



Holland 



France 



Spain and Canaries . 

 Italy — Sardiuia 

 United Stiitcs . . 



Brazil 



British India ., 

 Other countries 



Total .. . 



Quantity. 



Tons. 

 623J67 

 33(),099 

 835,069 

 583,450 

 767,744 

 260,048 



1,92.".,370 

 524,161 

 288,852 

 103,851 

 293,577 

 542,570 



3,752,355 



10,837,513 



Declared Value. 



£ 

 306,103 

 16->,971 

 367,721 

 239,101 

 346,393 

 126,004 

 872,492 

 294,248 

 145,.^)90 

 72.040 

 172,393 

 293,003 

 1,957,726 



5,355,791 



