The Express.
London, England, 1860-07-30 00:00:00

THE METROPOLIS GAB BILL.

As this hill now stands, it Contains, among other
provisions, the following :--The Gaa Work Clauses Act of
1847 is incorporated with it, but it is proposed to be enacted
that " it shall not be lawful for any pa company, by the
application of any of their profits or funds, to make up to
the prescribed rate, or the rate of 10 per cent, where no
such rate shall be prescribed, any dividend which shall have
been payable more than six years previously." The district.
ing of the metropolis by the companies is proposed to be
sanctioned, and coloured maps of the several districts are to
ba deposited with the respective clerks of the peace of the
counties of Middlesex, London, Surrey, and Kent ; and
should, the consumers he dissatisfied with the manner in
Which such districting is carried out, on a requisition signed
by twenty consumers, the Secretary of acme for the Horne
Department shall be empowered to appoint parties who
I shall investigate the cause of complaint and report thereon,
and such report the Secretary of State has power to see en-
forced- The same authority will have power, ou the requi-
sition of any local board or vestry, or on a memorial signed
by twenty householders, to appoint inspectors to inquire
into any complaints that may be made se to the distribution,
the quantity, and quality of the gas. Any company dis-
obeying any order of the Secretary of State for the Home De-
t will be liable to a penalty of 501. for every offence.
rthemlsth clause the companies are compelled to lav down
pipes and supply any consumer with pis, provided his
threllieg door is within fifty yards of the pipes of the com-
pany, and shall also be bound to supply him with a meter,
for which the company will not be permitted to charge
more than ten per cent. rental on the net cost of tho
meter ; and if the company fail to supply gas after being
required, within fourteen days from the application, they
will be liable to a penalty of 40s. for every day's delay.
Clause 25 regulates the amount of illuminating power of the
gas. It is proposed to be enacted that gas taken one
thousand yards from the works shall be of such quality as
to produce from an Argand burner, having fifteen holes and
a seven-inch chimney consuming five cubic feet of gas an
hour, a light equal in intensity to the light produced by not
less than twelve sperm candles of six to the pound, each
burning one hundred and twenty groins per hour. Clause
27 provides that local authorities shall have power to ap-
point inspectors or examiners, for the purpose of testing
the quality and quantity of the gas, and to inves-
tigate complaints, and gives these bodies power to
pay these examiners for their services. By the 40th clause
it is proposed to be enacted that the companies shell be per-
mitted to charge 4s. rid. per 1,000 cubic feet for gas ; but
that they cannot Menses the price without giving a niouth's
notice to the consumer, in order to allow the consumer to
appeal to the Secretary of State for the Home Department,
who will be empowered to institute an inquiry as to whether
there is any just reason for raising the price, but in no case
shall any company, under any circumstances, be allowed to
charge more than se. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet for common
par, and 7a. &L for cannel gas. hitch are some of the chief
provisions of the bill am it now stands in the House of Lords.
The delegate* and Sir John Shelley have not been able to
obtain all that is required on the part of the consumers, but
they have compelled the companies to grant infinitely more
than was expected when the opposition against the comps.
idea commenced.

THE PROPOSED EMBANKMENT OF THE
THAMES.

(From the Obaerrer.),

The Thames Embankment Committee have pre-
sented their report, which wan ordered to be printed by the
House of Commons on Friday night, but which is not yet in
the hands of members in its complete shape. We are
enabled, however, to present a detail el the recolaineeds-
Cons which the committee have agreed to submit to the
home. The committee have carefully considered the several
plane which hive been brought before them, and they have re-
ceived much valuable evidence on the subject. In l'olllleXioll
with the matters referred to them they have considered it
necessary to inquire into the mode proposed for constructing
the low level sewer about to be niade by the Metropolitan
Board of Works, and they found that if that sewer were
carried under the Strand and Fleet-street ft would cause a vast
amount of injury to trade and traffic of thedistriet, which
it is scarcely possible to estimate. The importance of pro-
viding for the construction of the low level sewer in con-
nection with the embankment has been recognised by the
various angiucers whose plans have been submitted to them;
and provision is made M all these plans for constructing the
low level sewer along the foreshore of the river, and
within the embankment. The committee have had many
plans before them, out of which they have agreed to
select the three presented by Messrs. Basidgette, Bidder,
and Fowler, civil engineers. All of these comprise the
plan of including in the embankment the low level sewer
on the north side of the Thames, the emleuiktneet
to 'extend from Westminster to Queenhithe--that
is, from Wastrninsterbridge to Is. -bridge. AU
the plans comprise a railway and a roadway—in two of
them 011 the same level, and in the third on different levels.
The wharves are not to be interfered with, but, on the con-
trary, to be improved by the construction of docks and
other facilities within the embankment. The committee
has rejected the propositions to attempt to make it a publics
company, and recommend that as the legislature have al-
ready entrusted the main drainage of the metropolis to the
Metropolitan Board of Works, by the 21st and 22nd Vic.,
I cap. 104, sec. 11, and armed them with powers to deal
with the foreshore of the river in connexion there-
with, the construction of the embankments should also
be entrusted to them. They recommend that, in awl of the
funds already voted for the sewer, the coal and wine duties,
which are to expire in 1861, should be renewed for a limited
time, and the proceeds be applied to the expenses of tho
embankment. The whole expenses of the embankment,
including sewers, 4x., are estimated at a million. One-
fourth of this at least would be the cost of the length of
sewer to be made. Indeed it would be much more if it ran
under Fleet-street and the Strand. The rest is to be raised by
the renewal of the Bd. anti the id. coal tax, and the wine duty
of id., from which an annual stun of 100,000/. nay be ex-
pected and the committee recommend that the cost of the
embankment should be a first charge upon these duties.
From the simplicity of the propositions, and the manifest
indeed the preasing—necessity of the scheme, we aro glad
to see a prospect of its being carried out at length. The
money can be easily raised in the manner and in the propor-
tions proposed The conunittee have declined to ripply for
the application of the hackney coach duties to this purpose,
and have indicated a mode in which we think the funds may
he raised without iutreuching on the general tax:itiou of the
country. They recommend, however, that a public guaran-
tee should be given to secure the raising of the iweesaary
funds. They omit to take into account the rents of surplus
lauds or the profits upon the railway traffic.

ELECTION SATURDAY AT ETON COLLEGE.—The
annual festivities connected with the celebration of election
Satunlay—a day which always presents unusual attractions
for old Etonions—commenced ..n Saturday, and will he con.
tinned throughout the whole of the ',resent week until
Friday next, when the whole of the scholars, together with
the masters and aasiatant.ruasters, will leave the college foe
the usual summer vacation. From an early hour on Satur-
day morniug the parents and friends of the 800 boys now at
Eton snivel at the college, for the purpose of witness-
ing the proceedings of the day, which commenced
with a review of the Volunteer Rifle Corps, the mem-
bers of which are boys belonging to the college, additional
interest accruing to the proceeding from the circumstance
of the day having been selected for the presentation of
colours to the corps. Although the corps has only been
established about three months the mambas have made
the must astouishing proficiency in their drill, and are able
to canto a variety of military triameuvres in a manner
not at all inferior to other title corps. The minder of
members is between 300 and 400, the corps beiug, formed
into six companies, under the command of Captain Com.
mantlant E. W. Chapman. The colours, the gift of Mrs.
Goodford, the wife of the Rev. Dr. Goodfonl, lie,ul nueder,
were presented in the playing-grounds of tli.• college,
where the corps was drawn up in the form of dove sitter
of a square.
Sot-Tit KENSINGTON MIMIUM.—Mr. Loivo's com-
mittee on the South Kensington Museum will, we ((Ne.
semi r) understand, propose an additioual n,nt for public
buildings there of 27,010. a year, to be applied to the con-
struction of a building of a more beautiful soul permanent
nature, and erected so as to be part of any future plan for
a uniform collection. It is proposed to removeflora the
British Museum only the niedval part of tho collection,
and such duplicates and superfluities as cannot find room
in Bloomsbury. Mr. Gregory's committee or the British
Museum will propose several reforms and additions, and
will also put in a claim for an additional grant of money.
CRYSTAL PALACL—HALF-A-CROWN
SATURDAY, JULY V.—Admissions on payment, 1,8.'19; ditto
by season tickets, 1,543; total. 3,102; . total visitors for
week ending Setunlay, 314,437. Total minters since opening
of the Palace, June 10,1854, 8,842,626.