The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-16 00:00:00

ISLE OF WIGHT RAILWAY BILL.

The order for the second reading of this bill having been
read,
Mr. VANSITTART rose to move as an amendment that
it be read a second time that day six months, and urged
that a railway communication in the Isle of Wight was not
required, and that the landowners generally were opposed to
the scheme, which was brought forward by private specu-
lators for speculative purposes only.
Mr. 6rooxxa seconded the amendment.
Mr. LAINO contended that there was no ground :for de-
puting from the usual course of referring the bill to a
committee up stairs to judge of its merits, and of the
grounds on which it was opposed. 1,610 ratepayers and
voters of the island had petitioned in favour of the bill, and
only 152 against it.
Colonel lIARCOURT intimated that as he found public
opinion in the island divided on the subject of the bill, he
as one of the members for Newport should remain neutral.
After a few words from Mr. Courrox and Sir R. Iriume,
in opposition to the bill, the house divided:
For the second reading
Against it
The bill was consequently lost.
LONDON AND MID-WESTERN RAILWAY BILL.
Mr. OLIVIIRA moved the second reading of this bill.
Sir R. INOLIS had no intention to oppose the motion,
Ins hoped some assurance would be given that the pro-
moters would keep the railway at such a distance from the
Observatory of the University as should obviate all danger
of interfering* with the Wenn& observations carried on
there.

lir: OLIVEIRA could enure the hon. baronet the mem-
ber for the University of Ozford that he and the proinoten
of the bill would consult the interest of the University
of °abed in every respect. He stated that the uni-
venitr eatimprities, as well as the municipal authorities,
were to the bill; mad. as • lover of scions,, he
wnbl be the er.d mesa le leaden be any way with so
motel sad veleabie SS ieetitsties es the Observatory.
The bill wee than read a second time sad ordered to be
committed.
LONDON (WATFORD) SPRING WATER
ORPA:ix,
_

Sir B. HALL sieved the illeeMi MAO Uhl* be said
Its was sorry to undentaad was le be seeing that
the object of the hill was* MOM Se the -WhabNeuM of the
metropolis that which was se mai seeded, eeetion in
the supply of water. The mem, wee not new the
house for the first time. The ems& reading bid bum w-
eird last year by 196 votes whit 66, and it bra bees re-
bored to a committee, but at too late a ceLied of eee-
Ilea to allow that committee to repast. of
Br bill on the present occasion weht three =id-
hewed in the maintenance of the exhale te4;aced
the chief of those opponents was the boa striolast lir the
?ewer Hamlets (Sir W. Clay), who was the gas= et
Me of the water companies with which this When midi
himeee. The water supplied by those essameim weather
Is PIN sad bed in quality, and by dews which they Ni
gehMlembeeed site their acts, eelegetities beams this
hes elbiemeny pseventcd. la eladeare, the hes„ geode-
s= ebeervedf that all the penmen, of tbe bill required
was that it should be read a soma time, aid sent to a com-
mittee up stain, to be there Judged of at its merits.
Mr. HALSEY moved that the bill be read a sewed time
that day six months. The scheme weld hi met itqarioes
to the landowners and nalll-mess of the district from
which the water was proposed to be taken, and be called
upon the house to protect the. not only from the direst
spoliation which such a measure would occasion, but indi-
rect spoliation in being put to the expense of opposing it in
committee.
Lord D. STUART hoped the house would not, by reject..
ing the bill, pronounce, in regard to that important neces-
sary of life, water, against the principle of unrestricted
assapetition. The existii 3 water companies had obtained
by the bill of last year much more favourable conditions
than they had any right to expect ; and it was moat statue
seeable, that because they wars compelled to go a little
higher up the Thames for their supply, that they should
desire to prevent the inhabitants of the metropolis from
obtaining water from a yet purer source at a more reasoa
able rate, in order that they themselves might continue S.
saki their monopoly and continue to poison our stomachs.
(• Hear," and cries of " Divide.")
Lord PALMERSTON intended to vote on this bill se-
seeding to the answer he had given to an hon. friend of his
the other day. It appeared to him that parliament by the
act of last session bad impoeed on the present water com-
panies obligations for the supply of the metropolis, which
would be necessarily attended with considerable expense,
and which were to be carried into effect by works that
would require a certain lapse of time for their completion.
It would not, therefore, be in accordance with the fair un-
derstanding of that act, that the house should, before the
expiration of the time within which those works were to be
completed—and until they had seen whether by means of
those operations a sufficient supply of water could be pro-
vided—it would not be fair either to the parties concerned or
the existing water companies to sanction a bill of this nature.
lie should also say, in reference to what had fallen from the
hon. baronet the member for Marylebone, that whatever
objections there might be to the quality of the water now
supplied, that which this company proposed to furnish was
not tree from objections in that respect—(hear, hear)—and
as it was proposed to draw it from the chalk formation, it
would be r.ccessiry to alter its quality by means of processes
which, for so large a quantity as was required for the supply
of this metropolis, it would be difficult to carry into effect.
Ilcsi :es this there were good ground.: for believing that th,
operations of this company %wild deprive some important
public works, of the supply of water necessary for carrying
them on. (Hear, bear.)
fht house then divided: