The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-10 00:00:00

E `',__°!mi.. , TOWN COUNCIL-YvittRDAY. SPECIAL MEETING ON THE GAS QUESTION. a special meeting of the Town Council was held in the Town•hall, yesterday, at eleven o'clock, for the purpose of taking into consideration the report of the special com anittee upon the supply of gas, presented to the council on the 30th of October last, the consideration of which was :postponed; the reply of the directors of the United Gas light Company to such report ; and the further proceed ings of the council thereon, including reports from Messrs. Clegg and Taunton. The chair was taken by his Worship the Mayor. The council summons contained the following reselm tions, which it was announced would be moved fur . 1 adoption :-.... Ist 4flas. That i That be to th r ecommended to the council to propose e Company that the share property of the company be converted into bonds of the company, bearing a fair and eq auaguitabl b e rate of interest, an d that the undertaking be tned y a board of tine directors, three of whom shall be appointed by the 'council, tbrce by the consumers of gas, and three by the bendholders. 2nd. That this committee be re-appointed, with instruc tion to make the above prop osa l to the company, and to confer arr with ith them on the t erms upon which the same shall be cie into effect, and to report thereon to the council, aad vitth further instructions to recommend to the company, That an immediate reduction be made in the price 6: That the Borough Engineer for the time being shall &have access to all Departments of the Company's works, with every facility f or test i ng the quality of t h e G as and Ascertaining the pressu re at which it is supplied. c. That the Company consent to the at Officers responsibl e to the Coancil appointment , to test examine of and adjust the M eters, on behalf of the Consumers. d. That the powers of the Auditor be extended, so as to enable him to have access to all documents and accounts Which he may think necessary, to en the financial positi on of the Co enable mpany, and to him to report ascertain fully the that all mort ies*are paid o u t of and carried to the credit of pro p e r accounts. - Tau Th e minutes of the last meeting of the gas committee nt,ad, and comprised reports from Messrs. Clegg and ns of which we publish the following:— . ~ .• y, near London, 2nd ec., 1855. Dear sir,—l beg toPutne s end you the following D observations !upon those points of the reply of the Liverpool United `-Gas Light Company to the Town Council, which have ,reference to the flow of gases, and to the leakage from 4treet mai ns, B, e. I stated both in my report, and in my evidence, that 'a lighter gas would, coeteris paribus, issue through an ° Pening with greater velocity th an one of greater specific gravitY• This fact has for very many years been so clearly established, and so universally accepted, that I am_sur prised to find it contradicted. I assum e that the directors of the gas company had Mr. I.•ing's assistance iu framing their reply, and that that gentleman Was cogn i zant of all contained therein. I there f ore further assume that Mr. hat Kin is 'r ignorant he of the laws which g overn the motion o g f fluid eithe s, or t has contradicted me for the sake of doing so. The circumstances in which lam avoi dable that I should substantiate my statement by 'ex p la ining the m ec h anical laws I have referred to. Sir Isaac Newton, Drs. Hutton Gregory, and - Roison age, in England , Dubuat, Bossut, Birnoulli, Eytelbwein,, and ethers, on the continent, have es t a b lished these eitt ramely simple p r i nc i ples : 'I. The velocity with which same under pressure issues from an orifice, or pipe, is theas that which a heavy 'body would acquire in falling through a space equal to a tcolumn of the fluid, required to produce that pressure. 'thy2. That of different fluids under the same ress e e specifically li g h ter must acquire a greater velocity, and their different velocities will be to one another as the roots of the specific gravities of the fluids. The height of a column of the fluid which would pro duce a pressure p is =ll The theoretic theoretic velocity v, acquired by a body falli ng an y space, h, i s expressed by v V 2 g g bei ng t h e fo rce of gravity, viz., 32.19, we have v 8.02 ° _. 2 2g F.• Friction, however, is an 'element that must be taken into act:oust in obtaining practical results ; and first, it is proportionate, to the extent of the rubbing surface of ti le PiPe through which the fluid passes; or to the length Illeltiplied by the circumference (1 c). 2. It varies with lee ' ve locity to so ave extent. 3. It is proportionate to the specific gravity of the fluid. If P represent•s the force required to overcome friction F=--l c S v 2 . ° It is necr J ssary to ascertain by ex p er i ment a certain distant oluantity M the " co-efficient of Friction," and F 4Th ' add itional force re qu i red to produce motion may be t he area of the pipe;i p- a is eq ua l to F . • iLleß v or At / c v 2. and get by takin g gravity again into the equation p x p' 2 JII c Sv2 which is the general equation for the j - i vt a motion of a fluid in a pipe. The value of the " co-efficient of _friction" Mims been thoroughly established by experiments on a working scale, thboth in Paris and London ; and the formula for calculating e act ual passage of fluids through pipes has b een dili ently investigated by Mr. Hawksley,.;M mr. W. Pole, M. qtrrard, and m y son. I make my calculation in accordance NI ith the foregoing Principles, and give the following examples, taking the case of pure hydrogen gas and atmospheric air. in_slteequired the quantity of atmospheric air that would be harged by a pipe one inch diameter and 100 yards I.l g , with a pressure of half an in head of water. 1.000. The formula is 1350 d? Vh--d Q ` - and i give the computation:- 1 x 1350= 1350 V sxl 1350 x =---- 17.--- 1 xiuo leo 707 =------ 954.45 cub. ft. per hour =--Q. disch2 Requie'', the quantity of p ure h ydrogen gas that would be .rged, under the same circumstances as the last. S ...-..- 0691 =707. 1 1350 1350 0691 x 100 -- V 0691 ----' 848 ' 3350 x 848 ' 144.80 cub. ft. per hour =--- Q. Se that the lighter fluid acquires a greater velocity than the heavier one, urged through the same pipe with the ame pressure, the increase of velocity, . giving an increased discharge of 190.35 cubic feet per hour.:, 1 therefore repeat that a lighter gas passing through the same meter, and through the same burners, urged V'forward by the same pressure, will travel with greater v elocity, and cause the m e t er t o revolve more quickly than heavier gas. Another part of the same question : Consumers, having been:accustomed to the light given by a heavier gas, would naturally turn on their taps, so as to get the same quantity of light from the lighter gas. This would increase the openings through which the lighter gas would flow, and be an additional cause for the meter to revolve with greater rapidity, which the gas company say "is so evident, that it hardly required to be confirmed by any testimony." I say that the burners are turned higher, to get the same quantity of light from the lighter as from the heavir.r,.gas, which is a natural thing for a consumer to do ; and 1 do not admit what the gas company say, that " a diminution iu price always produces a less careful use of the article." It may in some cases, but it is the exception, not the rule; and I adhere to my opinion, that the two circumstances com bined will account for the gas bills of the consumers being larger with cheaper than with dearer gas, their burners b eing the same in number and size. With regard to the loss by leakage from the gas com pany's mains, The gas company say, in their reply, that " no evidence 'was given to me, as a comm i ssioner of Woods and Forests, in the Liverpool Gas Inquiry in 1847, which can justify MY assertion, that the loss or gas, through leakage and otherwise, is at least 20 per cent." The following is part of Mr. King's evidence, before me :—" The total q uan tit y supplied by the Gas-light Com pany to private consumers by meter is 171,203,000 net ; the quantity made was 245,000 ,000, the quantity lost was 31,000,000." And I the meters i s may conceive th a t t h e i naccuracies of not taken into account. Mr. King, in his evidence before Mr. Lowe, on the Bth ef February, 1847, says the leakage is rather better than eleven per cent. Therefore it is quite true that the evidence of Mr. King went to show that the leakage was not 20 per cent., as I state it to be. During my experience of fifty years (which, I think, w il l b e admitted even by Mr: Ring has townnot been without g oo d fruits), I have never met with a street mains s h owed less than 20 per cent loss. And whose the following extract from the report of Messrs. Ellison and Lowe, on Liverpool Gas Inquiry, will show that Mr. Lowe is of the same opinion ,With myself concerning leakage::— " Vih regard to the leakage, we have no hesitation in reporting that Mr. Cox's estu is lower than what the practical experience of the o mi tscondcd works shows to be the actual loss from that cause; and we would dwell the More upon this point, because, whilst tile leakage is only , yea are perfectly well estimated at 10 per cent. by Mr. Cox satisfied that 20 per cent, would be nearer the mark ; the which allegation we are justified in making, th e more par ticularly from all the evidence upon the subject Ri vet , to us throughout the whole of the investigations we h ave coo. ducted in the course of these inquiries. I must apologise for not sending this reply earlie r , b ut i ndisposition has prevented me from giving the_ matter a ttention befor e .--I rema i n, dear sir, yours, very truly, SAMUEL CLEGG. Mr. F re d er i c k Taunton's communication is too volu ruinous for p u bli cat i on i n extenso ; but the followingis an abstract :—He begins by expressing his astonishment at the way in whi c h h e was attacked by the gas com pand. whi cy, in their r e pl y; an d, explaining the circumstances une r which he came to Li verpool, and the manner in whih page nm .he tested th e me t ers, h e proceeds to say--" On e of the company's reply, the directors say they cannot admit the correctness of the charge that the examination of the meters have been neglected, as they employ persons for this speCial duty; and in order that they may be perfettly - competent, they are instructed at the works of the company, and not allowed to undertake the examination Of the meters until they have been reported to the engineer as fully gualified. Now, in order to prove whether this is a correct statement of the Gas Com pany, I shall first refer to Mr. King's own statement, made at Compton-house, in the presence of Mr. Smith, a gentle man connected with that establishment, and /,` Mr. King's deputy. Mr. Xing tat the men the compan in any way ned his opinion that Mr. Taunton was a perfectly honourable man. He agreed to all the teats, and all the proposals, and he evinced great satisfaction that they had appointed a man evidently so well up to the mark, entrusted with a business which he understood so thoroughly, and which he performed seemingly, as I say, to Mr. King's own satisfac tion. Now, 'With regard to the inspectors of the meters, it seems to me that, notwithstanding all the engineering evidence, they must have neglected their duty. Out of forty-four meters which were tested, thirty-one were found to be fast, more or less, twelve were found to be slow, more or less, and only one correct out of forty-four—and that:was short of water. When it was filled up to the water mark, with a proper quantity, as it ought to have been, then it went 2 5 1 per cent. too fast. Those are results to whidh there can be no denial, It requires no engineering know ledge to comprehend them. In one establishment, the errors ranged from 91 per cent, slow, up to 10 per cent. fast ; that was in the establishment of Mr. Macfie, a Well, now, let us just come to calculatewhat the effect of that which I have stated may be upon all the meters of Liverpool. It is stated by Mr. King in his report, that there are 29,000 metes in the town. Now, if it only happens that there should be one in forty-four correct, how, many would there be right in the whole of Liverpool ? Out of 29,000 meters, but 650 only would stand correct. With regard to the overcharges of water, and undercharges of water, 183 were examined, and of these seven were correct—and it must be borne in mind; that a great many of those were discovered to have been visited and regulated by the gas company's inspectors, only a day or two previously to Mr. Taunton visiting them. Now, if the inspectors of the meters employed by the gas company, attempt to regulate the meters, and do not make them right, either from ignorance or from neglect, „why, surely, it is but reasonable that some one should be placed in a position to see that the meters are made correct, and that they are properly attended to. (Hear, hear.) Now, there is a case in Dale-street, to which Mr.. Taunton drew my attention particu larly, a house at the corner of Moorfields, and if it has not been altered since, I should be glad if any gentleman would see it for themselves, where there is a meter in which the service pipe was placed directly across the screw, so that it ewes impossible the fact could be ascertained whether the meter was undercharged or overcharged; in fact a test could not be made without cutting the pipe. If, therefore, such things as these are in existence, it surely requires some one to be appointed to superintend them, and to see that they are made correct. Now, with regard to the testing of the meters, I distinctly put it to Mr. Clegg—after I had heard that Mr. King was going to make ,an objection to the mode--while he was i n the room giving his evidence, whether the mode of testing the meters most proper to be adopted, was to test them where they stood, or whether they should be cut off and taken to the gas committee's apparatus. Mr. Clegg dis tinctly stated that Mr. King knew of a better than that, and he said the most correct mode which could be adopted was to take the meter on the spot where they stood. And this is only reasonable. If a meter is out of level in one way or another, or if it is undercharged or overcharged with water, and that you cut it off and remove it, it will be naturally difficult to place it again in just th.i same level. Therefore, as the consumer is charged with what goes through the meter as it stood, it is only fair that the meter should be tested as it stood, in order to come to a clear and accurate return of the results. With regard to the question of the quality; it is of course . impossible for m e t o go into details, because it is a question of so scientific a charicier, that I must leave it between the two engineers, But I may state here, that upon the point of the quality, I am sorry the gas company did not treat that portion of the report with more consideration, as it appears to me to be exceed. ingly important with reference to that matter. It is stated in our report that we have some reasons for believing that gas has been supplied of an inferior character and qua lity. We referred to the fact of the revenue having increased to a large extent, while at the saute time the cost of the manufacture had been so nearly the same, jwhich we conceived, corroborated the suspicions entertained by Mr. Clegg. Well then, sir, in their reply they give us figures to deal with. No w, what are the results of these figures, Mr. Mayor ? In 1849 their rental was £91,231. In 1854, it increased to £126,112. Now, in 1849, it was stated that the number of tenants was 23,486. The cost of manufacture per tenant was £1 18s. The rental of each tenant would amount to £3 17s. 6d. In 1854 we find the cost of manufacture reduced to 1 16s. 6d. per tenant. We find the tenants then paying £4 7s. 61. each, so that while the cost in manufacture:has reduced, the amount which each tenant paid has increased. Well, now between the years 1849 and 1851, there was an increase in the number of tenants from 23,486 to 28,979, makin g 6493 increase. The increas e o f revenue during the same period was, according to the figures I have already quoted, £34,881. Now, it is a most extraordinary thing that in 1854 the additional number of tenants was paying £6 7s. each, while in 1849, the tenants were only paying £3 17s. 6d, Therefore, I think the committee have had very good grounds for coming to the conclusion they adopted in refer ence to the quality of the gas. I would ask Mr. Alderman Cooper, or any other gentleman, a director of that company, why the company did not account for that fact. I think they ought to have paid particular attention to that part of the report, and to that point in especial, and to have satisfactorily explained it in such a way as would be intelligible to the public, and to the council. It is only in that way that we can account for the overcharges in bilis. We find iu almost every instance that bills have increased, notwithstanding the reduction in price. Instead of the numbers who were examined by the committee, I believe, sir, that if the committee had sat every day for three or four hours, as they did, up to the present day, we would have had quite a sufficient number of consumers before us to have kept us fully occupied. The excuse which the company have made with regard to the frost seems to me to be entirely out of all reason. Is it possible that the frost continued up to the 30th of June ? We all know that in the early part of 1855 there was a very hard frost, the same as in 1854, and therefore similar circumstances would of course apply to each. But the bills up to the 30th of June, the quarters corresponding in each year, showed the same results. Therefore, to say that the increase, was caused by frost during the quarter, will not, of course, account for the increase of hills during that time. Another point which the company has referred to is in reference to the days in one quarter being longer than in another. Bat tho committee have not overlooked this fact. Wherever there was a difference in the number, or in the lengtheof the days, the committee always accounted for it in their calculation, and Ido not Oleic, indeed, there is any point connected with the question which we did over look, nor that if the witnesses load been examined by Mr. King, or by any of the gas company's officers, they would have had any other questions put to them but those which were put to the witnesses f or t h e purpose of eliciting the ti nth. Now, Mr. Mayor, the company state that the reduc tions in the price of gas have always been made voluntarily. Let us refer to the facts with regard to that question. They make this statement in reply to our having stated that all their reductions-were made in consequence of pressure froin without. They deny this, and they give us a list in their reply of the reductions which took place, and the causes and consequences. Well now to begin with 1844, the price of gas in that year was 75., in 1841 the price was 10s., or Bs. 6d , according to the quantity consumed. The Dale-street Company reduced their price to Bs. and 7s. The Queen-square Company did likewise, which had also previously charged -10s. This was done in consequence of a deputation preesing on them to do so, and one of the companies having done so, the other compa n y f oun d i t necessary, unless they would lose their customers, to follow the example. The Dale -street Company sought to intro duce a bill into parliament to raise additional capital, and also to enable them to distrain their tenants without the intervention of a magistrate • to charge for th e remova l o f gas pipes and ot h er matters of that kind. The consequence was that there was an opposition to the bill, upon the part of gas consumers, and I believe Mr. Radley, who was not at that time a shareholder, was one of those who most actively opposed. The result was that a reduction was made from 73. to Gs. In 1844 and 1845 there were two other companies in the field, one, the Guardian Gas Company, and the other the Gaslight Company. The consequence was, that, in 1845, you find immediately two reductions, from 6s to 6s, and down to 4s 6d. Well, then in 1855, when they made the reduction to 4s, within the borough, we find that it was also in consequence, no doubt, of pr e s sure f rom w i thout, as, we steted 1.- Alderman Cooper : Nothing of the sort. (Laughter.) _ Ed;irards, distinctly that sent to e mine the meters did not iponthE —.win what effect the water would have This statement was made in consequenc being discovered in the large overcharge o that eatAblishment meters of and it will; no doubt, be in the e reeollee- r. King sent for and questioned strict upon that point, and Mr. neover, he did not wish them to know sugar refinery g about it, 1, it was only haring, oy nuance, Mr. Taunton t from the shop' to give details of everal eia- minatione of the I dearly which ; he coniende4-;h;;;I - et and ignorance of th e Company ' s in spectors. He ridicule's the idea that the 'company have I never clainied the exclusive right of supplying meters, and that there are many persons who use their own meters. • He remarks, "In what part of the town of Liverpool this class of consumers may reside I know not, for, out of the number I visited, I found but one that claimed the meter as his own, and that was a Mr. Kane, of —, Dale-street, carver and gilder ; it was a ten light' meter, and was overcharged with water to the amount of 80 cubic inches. This would be but a small per tentage—one out of lOW' Mr. Taunton thus con cludes his communication :—" The editor of the Journal of Gas-lighting (a paper that has from the first espoused the eaase of the Liverpool Gas Company), asked for and obtained from the meter-tester for the district south of London a table of testings from June to Sept. 29, 1855, to be published in that paper on the 10th of December last, when the editor in question found that they fully established the accuracy of the Liverpool testings, then only a garbled report a pp eare d , b ut wh i ch was given entire in the Gaa and Water 7imee of the 15th of that month." Mr. Kitchen, as chairman of the gas committee, rose and said--Mr. Mayor, I rise to move the confirmation of the, proceedings of the gas committee, and in doing so, I apprehend that this involves the passing of the resolu tions which you have all had submitted to you in the cir cular sent to you, and which it will, therefore, be unnecessary for me to read, as you all have them. in the first; place, Mr. Mayor, I should wish to tender my acknowledgments to the council for having appointed a day for the express purpose of discussing this question, and I do trust that whatever may be the result, it shall be such as will be generally satisfactory to the public. After all the pains which the committee have taken to arrive at the truth, I trust the council will treat the subject with that consideration which I am confident the importance of the subject deserves. When the report of the gas committee was first presented to the council, I stated in detail a great many points upon which the committee had arrived with reference to that report, and, therefore, I do not propose, upon the present occasion, to travel over: the same ground—l propose more particularly to confine my observations to the reply which has been sent by the gas company. In the first place, Mr. Mayor, the gas company complain of the circulars being sent round, for the purpose of eliciting complaints from the consumers. Now, sir, in doing so, it must: be recol lected that the gas committee came to the determination of sending about 100 Circulars to each ward, so as to get as fair a return as possible Pram the consumers. The circulars were delivered by the police, and it is not tru e , as •is stat e d i n th e gas company's reply, that they were collected by the police. The objection was made by Major Greig, that the police had changed their districts, and consequently, as they had no list of the parties to whom the circulars were delivered, they did not know whom to call upon to get the returns. But there were other reasons why the returns were not so numerous as might have been expected. In general, the lists of the parties to whom circulars were sent, were made out from the parliamentary lists of voters. It turned out, that many of these parties were freemen, and not gas consumers at all. A great many had removed, and a number did not get the cireulars delivered to them, until after the time specified for their return, and therefore no doubt these parties thought it was too late to return them. However, 293 circulars were returned. Now, M r . M ayor, 1 shall have to trouble the council with a good deal of details, and I hope if I draw largely upon the indulgence of the council in doing so, they will pardon me upon the present occasion, because it is necessary, in order that the council should come to a fair conclusion, that all the facts should be brought fairly before them, and I intend to confine myself strictly to those facts which are within my own know ledge. Of the 298 circulars returned, I find that 252 were decidedly in favour of appointing a meter inspector. Thcre were 251 complaints of irregularities of meters, so that it seems to me that out of these returns a very large majority, undoubtedly, is in favour of a person, an inde pendent person, being placed between the company and the censumers, so that the irregularities might be checked in regard to meters, showing a desire upon the part of the consumers, as I look upon it, only to pay for what they actually receive, neither more nor less. Then, Mr. Mayor, the next thing, I think, upon which I should remark, is with reference to the meters. The gas company complain that the mode of testing adopted, was not a correct one. Now, Mr. Mayor, when Mr. Taunton arrived here, the committee wished me to intro duce Mr. Taunton to Mr. King for the purpose of setting him at work to test the meters. I went with Mr. Taun ton to Mr. King. and after a long conversation with the latter, we went down to where the testing apparatus was placed, and Mr. King went through several experiments, but the meters did not act correctly, owing, as he said, to their having been just painted ; but the following day was fixed, when Mr. Taunton was to take his meters to the gas company, and the meters went through a most severe test—the most severe Mr. King could possibly put them to—and after testing, and cross-testing, it was ultimately decided, and a test agreed upon. I may here observe with regard to the testing that Mr. King was anxious, in the first instance, that Mr. Taunton's meters should be tested by him after he had completed his testing of the meters. I immediately objected to this course, and stated that I considered the most satisfactory course would be to agree upon the tests before the commencem-nt. Mr. Taunton agreed upon this, and, ultimately, Mr. King gave way, and the first testing of the meters which took place was the Compton-house. I think there are eight or ten meters there. The first meter tested was a one hundred light metre. It had been placed there upon the 26th of December, 1854, so that it had been there only about six months. The meter was out of level, it was overcharged with water, and the result of the testing was, that it was 7t per cent fast. This meter, like others, went through a most severe testing— the most severe which Mr. Edwards, the deputy of Mr. King, could possibly suggest. Several cross-tests, and Mr. King himsqf, when he came down to see it, asked questions of Mr. Edwards whether such and such different tests had been tried, all of which, and even more than he suggested, had been tried. I believe the same course was adopted in regard to ail the meters visited by Mr. Taunton. Every suggestion which the officers of the company made he adopted in his tests, and, therefore, in my opinion, there was nothing left undone which could be done in order to secure a complete and correct return of the testing. Well, sir, after that, I think the meters of the Town-hall were the next which were visited, and, like the others which had been previously tested, they were all fast. I happened to be down to hear the result when Mr. King came. I can confirm what Mr. Taunton says in his report, that Mr. King did say that if the meters were in his favour he should say nothing about it, but that if the meter went against him he should make an objection to the mode of testing. I immediately recalled Mr. King's attention to the expression which he had used, and requested him, if he objected to the mode of testing, that he should immediately make the objection, and that if he showed any more proper way of testing, it should be adopted. He said he should make no suggestion, but that ho would make an objection at the proper time. Under these circumstances, and having an assurance from Mr. Taunton that the meters were correctly tested, and that there was no other mode which could possibly be adopted to secure a correct result, I immediately stated that it seemed to me to be the best course to continue the same mode of testing which had already been adopted and approved of. Now, with regard to the approval of the mode of testing., I waa particularly careful, throughout, that everything should be done in such a way that thera would be no room left f. r cavil hereafter; and wu.'i that view, and knowing that Mt Smith; the r. _ Mr. Kitchen : Jnst so. so meth , 11,8 , _ , „, sent during tu e tests there, and knowing also that he took a very stringent account of the tests, I called upon him, and put to him the following questions in writing : " Were you present during the testing of the whole of the meters in Compton-house, in June last ?" His answer was, " All of the meters in Compton-house were not tested. I was present during the trials of such a s were t este d . " " Who tested on behaf of the gas company ?" He replies, " Mr. Edwards regularly." "Did you, during the progress of the testing of your meters hear Mr. Edwards make any observations in regard to Mr. Taunton's test meter, or mode of testing ?" His reply is, "No; Mr. Edwards appeared to be perfectly satisfied with the tests, and repeatedly expressed to me his satisfaction at Mr. Taunton's honourable course of proceeding." " Did Mr. Edwards suggest any cross-tests, and were they adopted" ? His answer is—" There were cross-tests suggested and acted upon, but I do not remember from whom they emanated."", Were you present when Mr. King attended ?" " I was." " Be so good as to state what he said and did upon that occasion." His reply is, "Mr. King expressed his extreme surprise at the result of the tests, also at hearing that the meters were overcharged with water. Mr. King requested Mr. Edwards and Mr. Taunton to try some others in the vicinity. They did so and told me..upon their return that they were also over charged. Mr. King was desirous to prove that the inspectors thehe gas company could have no motive in overcharging ter meters. He expressed his belief that the inspectors i,gnorant of the effect of there being too little or too much Water on the consumption, The inspectors' books were brought in to prove the system adopted, but the books almost invariably shewed that the meters were reported " a s correct, or that water had been added to hem. Taunton thati\TMorw: air, I may state in regard to Mr. King repeated to me over and over again, Mr. Kitchen: There was another consumers' company in the field, and they were also pressed, I believe, by a deputation of consumers. As soon as ever they found that a company was again registered, down goes the price again. leis now reduced to 4s within the parliamentary boundary, and 43 6d in the suburbs. Therefore, I say that we are perfectly justified in making the remarks we did, that all the reductions made in the price of gas, have been entirely in consequence of pressure from without. Now, in regard to leakages : Mr. Clegg stated, in :his evidence, that there were 246 million feet of gas manufactured, 171 millions con sumed in private meters, 43 millions consumed by the lamps, and a loss of 31 milli ons . A l oss o f 31 m illi ons upon 171 millions, is something like 31 per cent. Now, Mr. Clegg states, that he does not take into account the over -registration of the meters. Therefore if the meters, upon an average, over-register something like five per cent, it is perfectly clear jthat we make out a deficiency of twenty per cent, which Mr. Clegg stated, in his evidence was the amount of leakage in the Liverpool distribution. Then with regard to the suburban districts, there can be no doubt that the reply of the gas company does not meet the case at all. There is no analogy between the distribution of gas and the distribution of water, and therefore I presume the company must have passed over that question, upon the principle of "the least said is the soonest mended." It seems to me also that they have perfectly admitted the impropriety of charging the consumers in the townships and the out-townships the same price, from the fact that they reduced the price from 4s 6d to 4s in the borough, leaving the out-townships to pay 43 6d still. It therefore requires no argument on my part to show that there was great injustice in making an equal charge, for it requires an jrnmeuse amount of pressure to carry out the gas to a great distance, and it involves great loss by leakage, which arises in consequence of having the consumption of - gas within the borough, subjected to a heavier pressure, by which means the consumers are NORTHERN DAILY TIMES.-LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1856. - subjected to a higher charge, and find their bills increased Now„with regard to the cost of rdanagenient i The ctim; pany state,:and express great astonishment at it, and that the palpable variation:in the niode of Stating the accounts, should not have been seen by us. Now, wo have no other accounts; we take those which were published by the axcountants: The company get out in their reply; that the accounts were differently made tip at one time, to the way a 'opted subsequently. To a certain extent they are, but I find no account mentioned by these gentlemen, in their report of any reduction by bad debts upon the credit side, while I find upon the other side of the account debits for collectors' salaries, and other salaries the same as the account subsequently. Therefore, assuming their return to be right, there has been an omission in not stat ing it all. Itowever, while upon that siihjedt, let its take the figures as you please and adopt them. We give them dredit for 1.200/. additional for the year • 1848, making altogether their cost of management, 15,3861. In 1849, the first year after the amalgamation, the'ambunt increased to 17,0151. In 1850, 17,4761. In 1851, 15,7801. In 1852, 15,962/. In 1853, . 15,9551. In 1854 the last year for whidh We Wire a return, 17,662/ Now, sir, on look ing further into the accounts, we find, according to their statement, they had put down 2,0081. to the other company for bad debts previous to the amalgamation, making alto gether 4,0221.. for bad debts. Now, in 1854, the year I have just alluded to, the bad debts are only 1500/ odd, so that they must have increased the expensea of the management. In 1848, previous to the amalgamation, the expenses of the management were 15,300/. In 1854, they have mounted up to 20,000/. In repairs for 1849 we find the company have expended 3,167/. The repairs were exceedinglyi mode rate, and the expenses exceedingly moderate after that period, because the dividends did not seem to have made up the full amount, but immediately that the dividend came up to ten percent., the mark required, we find the. expenses beginning to increase ; and up to 1854, we find that the repairs have increased 300 per cent on 1849. They have got a very large amount of land on hand, which it seems they had had previously to the amalgamation. This land, it is stated by some per sons, amounts to something like 34,000/. Whatever may be the valueof the land, when it is sold—and it is perfectly clear that at present, it is but a mere nominal value, and it may be many years before it is sold at a profit—they have, in retaining that land, something like an expense of 1,5001 a year in interest, which the consumers of gas have to pay, and which I think a perfect injustice. Now, Mr. Mayor, I shall riot trouble the council long, but shall just refer to the bonded debt of the company. It is per fectly clear that if` he company would use their 'borrow ing powers, (as Mr. Beloe observed,) to a larger extent, it would be much more beneficial to the consumers, and why they do not do so I am quite at a loss to understand, and I, therefore, consider that the consumers of gas have great ground of complaint upon that head. Now, Mr. Mayor, I do not know that there is any particular point further which requires any observations from me. But having had occasion to address Mr. Clegg in reference to the losses upon leak age, he writes to me in reply, stating, in reference to the report presented by the gas committee to the council— "l think the report of your committeee to the council is drawn up with much judgment and truth, and I entirely agree with the remarks contained in it." Now, that report was not submitted to Mr. Clegsr4, or any other person, before it was presented to the council, and I was very much pleased to hear that we stated nothing in it but what could bear the investigation and receive the approval of such an authority as Mr. Clegg. I mention this to show the council that the report has his entire approval. Mr. Mayor, I shall not trouble the council any further, but any explanation which may be required, I shall be happy to give. I shall now merely move the confirmation of the proceedings. Mr. A. C. Stewart seconded the motion, reserving to himself the right of reply. The Mayor: The first of the resolutions placed before us is one of a very important character, and Mr. Kitchen has given no reason to recommend it to our approval. He has explained the report of the committee, and the reply of the company, but I am not aware that upon this impor tant resolution one word has been said, but that all has been left to inference. _ _ Mr. Kitchen : Each of the resolutions will be put separately. With regard to the first resolution, it is not a proposal that the council should buy the gas works. It is just simply a proposal that the gas shareholders be placed in the same position as the dock bondholders. We do not say the gas company would accept such a proposal, but the adoption of these resolutions will empower us to put ourselves in communication - with the company, and to see whether any arrangement beneficial to all parties can be secured. The resolution commits the council to nothing, and the arrangement will involve them in no expense, for it would be arranged that the inspector of meters should be paid by fees, on the same principle as in the case of the inspector of weights and measures. Mr. Alderman Cooper : What is the security to be given to the bondholders ? Mr. Kitchen: The same security that they have at present. - Mr. Robertson suggested that it would be better to put the resolutions separately. He had no objection to some of them, but he was opposed to all. After some further conversation, Mr. Kitchen withdrew his original motion, and simply proposed the first resolution. - Mr. Holt said he did not understand the object of the resolution. He wished to know if it were intended that the corporation should enter into a co-partnership with the Gas Company ? The Mayor : No. Mr. Holt : Must we have an act of parliament? Town Clerk : Certainly. Mr. Holt: But what is the object ? What is to be gained?. Is the property to como under the management of this corporation? The Mayor : No ; It is proposed that there shall be a board of directors composed of three members of the council, three bondholders, and three persons appointed by the con3urners. Mr. Holt : Then the security of the bondholders is to rest on the gas estate, and they are not to be guaranteed out of the corporate estate? cid:). bel Mr. A. C. Stewart seconded the resolution. He thought it was very plain and simple. The property would be the same under the new conditions as it now was, but the management of the property would be much more popu lar. They all knew that the consumers of gas, according to the company's own showing, had an interest in the management of the affairs of the company, because the moment that the dividend reached 10 per cent. the surplus money should be in the reduction of the price of the gas. The committee thought that the company as at present con stituted, or rather that the managers of the company had not so much interest in adopting new and scientific modes of manufacture, and cutting down the expenditure in every way, as a new management on the bass of the reso lution would have. Another advantage in the plan pro posed, would be this—that if the resolution were carried out, they would be relieved from any opposition by a new company being established, because the bondholders, the corporation, and the whole body of consumerq, would then have an interest in its management and prosperity: It would also do away with the incessant tearing up and laying down of the streets—an evil which would be much increased by a new company being established, and the security to the bondholders would ,be the same as at present, without the fear of opposition; because, if the interest could not be paid with gas at 3s or 4s the thousand, the price would be raised, in order that the interest on the bonds might be paid, and the company carried on. He thought, then, that the (proposition was very simple, but it was another thing, whether the council would adopt it or not. Mr. Charles Turner : Will you guarantee the bond holders ? Mr. Stewart : The bondholders will be guaranteed on the property of the company, and if the managers cannot pay the amount of interest settled on, they will have to raise the_ price of gas. Mr. C. Turner : But it is not incumbent on them to raise the price. Mr. A. C. Stewart : Respectable and proper men will be placed on the direction, and they will raise the price if it be necessary. Mr. C. Turner : Then all the danger is to be risked by the bondholders. Mr. Alderman Parker observed that, if the council went to parliament they would find it very difficult to get a bill for the contemplated purpose. He gave the committee every credit for the zeal and time they had bestowed on the inquiry ; but, before they submitted the resolution, they should have considered the consequences of the position which the council took, on the occasion of the amalgamation in 1846. He, at the time, had been an advocate for the Guardian Gas Company, because he did not like monopolies or amalgamations ; but the corporation were parties to the amalgamation—Conies of " no, no"),—and it was therefore carried. The arguments for that amalgamation were, that it would be a l y.ielit to the town, by saving expense in a variety of ways ; and if they now went to parliament for a new bill, they would be met by their own arguments of 1816. He thought the council had acted wrongly in the course they took in 1846, because, in such a large town as Liverpool, he thought that there should be opposition ; but, remembering the arguments of 1846, he should oppose the present resolution. The committee, however, should not run away with the idea that all the public spirit and patriotism in the town was:centered in theniselves. He would he as ready as any of them to do what would be for the interest of the town • but their labours in this matter reminded him of those of the mountain which long groaned, and then gave birth to a mouse. (Laughter.) Mr. Bradley observed that Mr. Parker was in error in stating that the council had been parties to the amalgama tion in 1846. At that time various resolutions were come to in the council, and though there was a disposition in the minds of some to support the amalgamation, others were opposed to it. The council eventually took up the position of watching the bill, and he believed their only interference was the introducing of a clause for the protection of the Consumers. Mr. Alderman Bennett said that if any party would be benefitted by the carrying out of the resolution as proposed by the committee, that person would be himself, because being a manufacturer of a great number of articles which cheap gas would be the means of introducing to the public, the cheapness of that article would confer a greater advan tage upon him than perhaps any other person in the com munity. He also would be benefitted, as an iron -founder, by the establishment of a rival company ; so that upon every ground of personal feeling he should be in favour of any scheme which would reduce the price of gas, or which would be brought before the council for the establishment of a rival company ; but he should say, that after a careful perusal of the committee's report, and the reply of the com pany, he could not; like an honest man, stand up to advo cate the adoption of the resolutions. The company were tamed all through the report with habitually doing that Which was not honest towards the public. Now that, qualify it as they would, or insinuate it as they would, was a very grave charge against a body of directors, because they were the only parties that could be supposed to be benefitted by any nefarious computation in the amount of the gas consumed. The company's servants would not be benefitted by it; the company's workmen would not be benefitted by it; it was only the revenue which would be benefitted, and over that the directors had the control. Who would suppose that Mr. S. H. Thompson would be a party to give such instructions to his servants as would possibly raise the price of the gas? or that Mr. E. A. Lzwrence would do it— A Voice: Who said they did it Mr. Alderman Bennett dontinuel man Cooper, or Mr. Hardman grrie, c any of the othPr gentlemen on the dir guilty of such dishonesty ? Again, there was Mr. ki the respected urinager of the company. He v kv his fellow- Mr, Fusberry, or melon. would be H ast valuable men for reference in the town—one whose character stood as high as that of any gentleman's, and whom to know was t ) respect. There was not a man who knew him, who would suspect him of doing anything that Was dishonourable, or dishonest, in the se rv ice of the edasparty he represent e d. When he Or. Bennett) read the committee's report, he went immediately to the office of the company, and desired that he might be allowed to see the different methods by which the testing of the meters wa conducted, as that was a matter constantly referred to in th report. Mr. King at once consented, and they went a every departmeut of the concern, and Mr. Taunton e. Clegg could not have gone there with a greater determi nation of detecting anything that was wrong, than did he (Mr. Bennett), but. much to the credit of the company's servants, and the quality of the workmanship, everything that he examined, showed the greatest excellence and accuracy. He particularly examined the meters, and it was shown to him that there was not any inherent defect in them, but that they were inaccurate in the degree in which too much, or too little, water was poured into them. He went into the testing-room, where there was a large number of meters lying for .he purpose of being tested, and he saw that while a great many of them were marked with chalk as correct, others of them were set aside as incorrect, in order that they might be returned to the manufactory for adjustment. He tested the meters that were marked as correct, and he found that they were so, and that they were incorrect only in the degree in which too much, or too little water was put into them, or the level disturbed; and the explanation given by Mr. King was so full, so complete, and so satisfactory, that he (Mr. Bennett) was convinced that if the statement had been made in the Council-room, even the members of the committee would be satisfied of the honesty of the intention, and the purpose, and the way in which the registration of gas by meters was carried out in the town of Liverpool. If a perm put too much water into the meter it registered more gas than he consumed, while if too little water were put in it would register against the company ; and he should also tell them that almost every error that could arise in the meter from de fective construction was against the manufacturer. Any leakage from defect in the article, or any wearing of the material, showed a decrease in the quantity of gas consumed against the maker, and in favour of the public. A great deal had been said about the flow of inferior gas through the meter. Great stress was laid on it in Mr. Clegg's report, but so much was the public in the dark on the subject, that several gentlemen were under the impression that inferior gas flowed with greater speed through the meter, and that that speed caused the meter to register more than was- consumed. No idea could be more pre posterous. The meter only registered the quantity of gag, whether _good or bad, which was consumed. That was a very important point, and one in regard to which the public should be set right; bat even if it were true, the committee gave them no figures to show that the quality of the gas was below that which the company were bound to produce. There were statements certainly of a very vague and unmeaning character on the subject, one gentleman saying that the quality of the gas before the amalgamation was equal to twenty-one candles, and after the amalgamation to eighteen candles, but the latter quality was what they were bound to supply to the public lights, and if the gen tleman admitted that gas of that quality was given, then the company fairly supplied what they were bound to produce. At page four of the report the committee stated that they sent out 1,600 circulars, and only 298 were returned. It was only yesterday that one of those circulars had been put into his hand, and if there was anything that could cause the consumers to be dissatisfied with things as they at present existed, the wording of the circular supplied it. The public were asked so many questions, all of them so calculated to primp out charges of defects, that it was astonishing to him how any gentleman could have sent them out. The questions should have been put fairly, and the public simply asked, " Are you satisfied, or dissatis fied?" But, no; every question was a leading question, and was calculated to elicit an unfavourable reply; but when they remembered that, proverbially, they were a dis satisfied nation, and that only 298 out of the 1,600 circulars were returned, they might take it as the best proof that could be given by Englishmen that they were satisfied with the present state of things. (Laughter.) There was hardly space left on the circular to a gentleman favourable to the com pany to express his opinion, On the same page the com mittee set forth, that notwithstanding the reduction in the price of gas, the bills ta cently paid by consumers were larger in amount than the bills for the corresponding periods of previous years, the increase varying from 10 to 60 per cent., and that no additional gas bad been consumed by them. Now additional gas had been consumed by them, for the meters registered it, but the statement was evidently based on the error that light gas flowed through the meter with greater rapidity than heavy gas. When the meters did not register, the managers did the only thing which, as honest men, they could do between the consumers and manufacturers, they charged according; to the quantity consumed in the last quarter; but on all these grounds the committee canoe to the conclusion that the present price of gas was too high. Now if they were to suppose that the present alleged overcharges were to be continued, he could understand that conclus , on, but if those overcharges fur registration were to be checked, then that would be a reason why the price of gas should be raised, not lowered. The company would receive a less revenue, and they would not be enabled to make the reduction which they lately made, when their revenue with difficulty gave them the full 10 per cent. dividend. He had not, however, heard one word from Mr. Kitchen as to the expense of manufacture ; he did not tell them how much it took to produce the revenue of £90,000 in 1849, and £126,000 in 1854 Mr. Kitchen : I will give it to you Mr. Bennett did not want it--(laughterj—but Mr. Kit chen ought to have mentioned it. In 1854, the expense of manufacture was £59,000, while in 1849, the expense was only £47,000. Mr. Kitchen : In 1851 the expenses were £48,800; in 1852, £50,000; in 1853, £51,000; and, in 1854, they increased to £59,000, the increase being accounted for by the increase of wages in the year. Mr• Alderman Bennett said, that he hal not gone into the account of the intermediate years, but he was informed that the expenses in 1854 were swelled up by £l5OO on account of rates alone. He was told that the parish authorities were in such difficulties that in that year they solicited to be paid two years' rates at the same time. (Laughter.) Mr. Bradley : Oh, I deny that. Mr. Alderman Bennett said, that he had it on paper, but that he mislaid it. He then again asserted that the com pany's meters were fairly constructed, and that two years since the company were willing that a public tester should be appointed, but justly objected to his being one of their paid officers. The directors put that resolution on their books two years ago, and the recommendation in reference to the appointment of such an officer was the only point of value in the report. He then objected to the constitution of the proposed direction, and observed that the consumers would be as two to one to the bondholders on it. If he were a gas proprietor, the fear which he would have would be that some other light would be discovered which would supersede gas; and what more likely, now that chemistry was making such rapid strides and scientific men were turning their attention to the subject? What would become of them, he would ask, as shareholders in a property of the value of something like £600,000, if a discovery were made that would supersede gas, and introduce a new system of lighting the public streets ? It was a serious thing to contemplate, if they considered the proposed arrangement in that light. From all that he had seen, he would advise the council to let well alone. They had a company supplying them with gas at a price alraost the e lowest in the kingdom, and of a quality superior, he believed, an believed, to all gas produced in the kingdom with amount of attention from the company's h servantsea r greater ges which than which they could not expect, anddd with paid he denied were exorbitant. Hhad hundreds of pounds for fittings, and he had found their bills exceedingly moderate, and the quality of the work credit able to the manager and the men. It was plain, h owever, that the object was a rival company. Mr. Kitchen : Who said so ? Mr. Alderman Bennett replied that it was apparent from the paragraph at pace 12 of the committee's report, which was as follows :—" Assuming the capital of the company, already raised and to be raised, to be as above stated, there eau be no doubt that the company are capable of supplying the increasing demand for gas. It is stated by Mr. Clegg, as the result of a most careful and elaborate calculation, that works capable of supplying the present and future demand for gas, including mains, &c., could be constructed for £300,000, and that the outlay of this amount would enable a company to supply gas of a quality superior to that now used at 3s. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet, and pay a dividend of £lO percent. on the outlay." What did that mean but the establishment of a rival company ? He denied that such a capital would suffice for the purpose, and warned the council against approving of the resolutions submitted to them. Mr. Ilornby explained that he would vote for the resolu tion, as it seemed to him that it merely authorised the gas committee to endeavour to make such an arrangement with the company as would be satisfactory to all parties. He Conceived that it in no way obliged the council to sanction any arrangement that was nob ..._ .„..ry to it. He was opposed to the constitution of the direction as proposed, but he thought that point was at present one of little conse quence, as it was of course liable to be modified. Mr. Shell, in a few words, supported the resolution arguing that the consumers were really placed by the act of parliament in the position of partners in the gas com pany, and had therefore the same right to inepeet their management, as any private individual to inspect the 'punts of his partner, no matter how honourable that "jolt be. partner Kitchen replied, repudiating any personal feeling of • to the directors of the company, or doubt of their honourable charact Vot the re it then divided upon the resolution, when there ition—Councillors Crosth wait Wood LivinE Nicholson Anderson, Horn by, Gladstone, iiitehed, ;rnihough, Aldermen ton, Parker, R o bins on , G ardner, and the ouncillors Holt mason ,rs. Earle, T.l oyd, Tirane, B ner, and Cooper, did Lyng was and resolution, with its recommendatio' ed,without discussion ..“u from the inhabitants of Newby mt-road, complaining of want of sewerage ani aemonal was re Town Clerk stated that this the road was within the bor was a case in which a; part of Ir. Gar - part moved that the memorial be referred to outs the Ith committees, and, in doing 80, remarked - e showed the importance and necessity of the boundary, which, he hoped, would ultimately take place, when all the townships, within a certain extent, would be under one head, and every town ship would bear its due proportion of the expenses. Mr. Tinne opposed the memorial being referred, and a division took place, when Mr. Gardner's motion was carried be fourteen to ten. tell and an extension of The amount of expenses for sessions' prosecutions, amounting to £2,80519 . i 4d, was laid before the council, and certified The council then broke up. COURT OF PASSAGE.---YESTERDAY. (BEFORE E. JAMES, EEQ, , ASSESSOR.) CONTRACT. E.OONEY v. HUTCHIPON.—ID. this ease, Gorge Patrick Rooney, a join r and builder, carrying on business in Upper Parliament-street, was the plaintiff, and Richard Hutchinson, a surgeon, residing in Upper Stanhope street, was the defendant, It was a special jury case, and the action was brought under the following circumstances. On the 1 Rh of May last the plaintiff and defendant entered into a contract, under which the former undertook to build a house and offices for the latter, at the corner of Catherine s:reet and Parliament-street, according to the plans and designs of Mr. T. C. Clarke, the architect, in a workmanlike manner, within the period of six months. The work was begun, and in August last, in consequence of the delay which took place in i:s progress, the defendant wrote'to the plaintiff, stating that, in consequence of the delay s he would set men to work and complete it himself, as he was entitled to do under the contract; and giving notice, that if his doing so should increase the cost of the erection beyond th 6 amount of the plaintiff's contract, he should hold him (the plaintiff) responsible tor the difference. The defendant acted on this notice, proceeded with the works, and the plaintiff now brought this action to recover compensa tion for breach of contract. On his behalf numerous witnesses were called, to show that no delay had occurred, except such as was unavoidable, in consequence of the orders of the defen dant or his architect. The amount expended by the plaintiff in part fulfilment of his undertaking was £294, in labour and material, when the contract was interrupted by the act of the defendant, A host of witnesses were examined for the defence, whose evidence went to show that owing to the inexperience, inefficiency and neglect of the plaintiff, works which ought to have been completed in a few days, had taken many weeks. And that such was the dilatoriness of the plaintiff, that instead of the house being finished in six months, as contracted for, it would have taken eighteen months to complete it. The real question at issue however, was whether there h a d b een such a delay as to justify the defendant in taking, as he had, the works into his own hands ? The learned assessor summed up the evidence to the jury, who, after an hour's deliberation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff for the full amount claimed. Mr. Aspinall and Mr. Conway, (instructed by Mr. J. Yates, jun.) appeared as counsel for the plaintiff, and Mr. Tindal Atkinson, with whom was M-. Scott (instructed by Mr. Boggie) conducted the defence. FALSE IMPRISONMENT.--iIAYWORTH AND WIFE If. WATSON AND WIFE. --This was an action brought by the plaintiffs, Edward and Mary Hayworth, againt Thomas and Mary Ann Watson, to recover compensation for false imprisonment. In this case the plaintiff was an iron founder, working at the Vauxhall Foundry, and the defendant was a rigger. On the 30th of July a dispute arose between the two women relative to a dog, when the defendant took a policeman to the plaintiff's house, and gave her into custody on a charge of stealing the dog. She was taken to the police station, where the case was heard and dismissed. This action was brougnt compensation for such false imprisonment. is for the plaintiff, and Mr. A , pinall for the The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff, to recover Mr. Scott w defendant, Fort BOARD AND LODOINGS.--In this action Thomas Coats was the plaintiff, and Mary Sadler, the wife of John Sadler, was the defendant. The plaintiff appeared in person, and said, I want £lO 2s. 6d. for board and lodging. She (defendant) was in my house five weeks. She had board, washing, and lodging, and I lent her £6. Tier husband promised to pay me the amount. She went home and got £3OO, and when she came back she said she would not pay me a farthing. I worked very hard for the money, and not having it to pay my rent, my goods were taken from me. The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict for the plaintiff for the full amount claimed. CLAIM AGAINST A LIFE ASSURANCE CODIPANY.---LAWTON P. THE WELLINGTON LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY. —The doneclaratiohatn John Lawt stated that t he plaintiff w as M ary Ann Law hadbTo, her husand, , insured his lif e i n the above offic prior to hi s d eath e :for 24/, and that the company had accepted the assurance and had given him a policy. For the defendant it was pleaded that the deceased had made a false representation, by stating that his age was 47, when in fact he was only 49, therefore she was only entitled to half the amount, which amount was paid into court. The defendants not being able to make out this plea, a verdict was given for the plaintiff for the remaining 121. CLAIM FOR COMMISSION.—SHAND V. j AcoEs. — ln this case the plaintiff had agreed to pay the defendant a cer tain commission, provided he procured him a certain public house. The landlord would not accept him as the tenant, but the defendant refused to pay over the deposit placed in his hands. Verdict for the plaintiff for the balance of the deposit. The court then adjourned until this morning. REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF BREAD.—On Monday morning the bakers generally throughout the metropolis made a reduction of one halfpenny in the price of the 41b. loaf. The best bread varies from 101 to 11d. per 4lbs. A proportionate reduction in the price of flour. The Press., re-publishes the following advertisement from a cotemporary :—" A young man drawn under the con. script.ion, and to join the ranks on the 18th instant, having no relish for the military profession, wishes to marry somebody who can procure him a substitute.--Address A. 8., &c." REPRESENTATION OF ROCRESTER.--MF. Bodkin and Mr. Martin are both canvassing at Rochester, and the contest appears likely to be a close one. Mr. Bodkin expresses his desire to support the government in their effective prosecution of the war. ACCIDENT TO THE EAnr:OF LIADDINGTON. - --This vener able nobleman was taking his usual airing on horseback, on Saturday last, when the animal came down on its side and rolled upon his lordship. Tho ug h very much bruised, his lordship is going on very favourably, —Berwick Warder. HEREFORD CITY.—We are informed that Mr: Thomas Evans, of Sutton, near Hereford, a local. attorney of some influence, has consented to be pat in nomination for the va cancy occasioned by the bankruptcy of Sir E. Price. Mr. Evans is a Conservativo. TILE STATE OF THE EASTERN COUNTIES LINE. ---The re port of Lieut.- col.. Wynne, the officer appointed by the Let d o of the Cormpittee of Privy Council for Trade, to in spect the line of railway between London, Cambridge, and Norwich, has . been published. The wooden bridges and via ducts on the lino between Colchester and Norwich are very numerous. " Not only," says Colonel Wynne, "do all the bridges require to be strutted, the ends of the longitudinal timbers being in many their thickness instances decayed thr oug h h a l t , but the extent of the decay requires to be fully ascertained, especially at the bearing parts, where the decay is always the greatest, and the results to bo apprehended the most - serious. This cannot be satisfac torily done, at least in the largo bridges, without relieving one half of the bridge from the traffic, while the oth er half is unde rgo i ng examination. The great deterioration these bridges have undergone from the ravages of deTaY, with the consequent reduction of original . strength, is a condition of thing s t o cause the most ser ious apprehen sion, and until every bridge has undergone a careful o ver hauling in the m anner I h ave suggeste d, I am of opinion that the publi c cannot travel over the railway bet ween Lond on . Cambridge, an d N orw i c h without ineurrtug ser ious risk. The be p r e s w of on o e ld s _ sl e e v e i p d e e r n s ee h d av b e y be t e h n e result of myexamination of the permanent way was to show that, while vast numbers along the line in different removed and replaced rs l a yi s n t g ate of decay such as I have p gr la e c a e t s r a l n es d o w f h o i l e d h s w ie e e r p e e rarely met with, numbers . yet remain in the line quite as Although this is a matter of serious moment, much gone. it is not so bad as that of the bridges; for the sleepers, ,_ though much decayed, have some soundness at the coTe, and the danger could be met for the time by maintaining a greatly reduced speed over the line. Should the perma nent way not be renewed till after the reparation of t he bridges, is completed, it will be ne cessary , f or the publ ic safcly,.to prescrib e li m i ts to the speed of the trains. A large section of the line south of Cambridge I found wet and scantily ballasted."