The National Register.
London, England, 1816-07-07 00:00:00

GAS RILL.

On the motion of the id reading of the raft bill,
The Earl of LAUDERDALE Observed, that it was absolniely
impossible that any peer could state any gaud ground tut the
passing of this bill. It was as dry and glaring a job as ever had
been presented to the consideration of any legislature. The
principal upon which their lordships ought to act on such oc-
casiisis was plain and clear. N hen a company came to
them to ask for extraordinary and exclusive privilege' and
powers, it was expected that they should show that it would be
for the public advantage to grant these powers and privileges;
and also that the powers and privileges so granted should not
be of such a nature as to ruin the company itself. Now as to
the first of these points, they had shown no public art% outage
that would arise front it: on the contrary, the object was, to
procure these powers and privileges to this company, so as to
enable them to present competition by pris ate capital; and
so far this would hare the effect of a monopoly. The advantage
they had promised to the public when they obtained their for-
mer act was, that they could by this afford for the public lamas
a better and a cheaper light. Now it evidently appeared Irma
the examinationa on the committee, that they could nut continue
to perform their promise without ruin and bankruptcy. His
lordship read several passages from the evidence ; from which,
as he contended, it was clear that the concern had all along
been a losing one, and that there was not a shadow of prospect
that they could render the concern profitable without consi-
derably augmenting their prices. In this state of things, how
could their lordships, consistently with the pr:nciples upon
which they usually acted with regard to these matters, consent
to pass a bill which would enable the directors of this company
to ruse an additional 200,0001.; when they must be aware that,
if the public were thoroughly acquainted with the state of the
concernt no mao would advance his money upon it's It was in
the conhilence that the legislature would not pass bills in sup-
port of A consent which must be a losing one, that tile sub-
scribers advance their money ; he trusted, therefore, they world
see it was their duty not to pass this bill. Besides these objec-
tions, they had to consider the injury which they would do td
the whalefishery, which had reeds ell particular encounter 'tient
by no less than sic acts of parliament since 3 Geo. 111. It
was most important in a public view, that the whale-fishery
'honld not be injured by giving these extraordinary powers to
this gas company. They ought at least to allow the whale oil
to have its fair competition. Then on these three grounds—
that no public ads antage would arise from the passing this
blll—
that the proceeding would reduce the company itself to bank.
ruptcy—and that the whale-fishery would be injured—theit
lordships ought not to pass this bill, which was a mere job and
humbug upon the public.
The Earl of LIMCkiCIL said, that notwithstanding the con-
fident assertions of the noble earl, he would support the bill.
Great good had resulted to the public from this invention ; and
the company had not as yet derived nine!' profit from it,
he maintained that there was reason from the evidenee to cou-
elude, that the complain; would derive considerabli profits limn
the convent. 'I hey were perfectly ready to falai their stipu-
lations with the 'white, and supply gas on the terms which they
had promised and as to 11a: whale fishery, what had those co-
rned in it to apprehend, if this company t become bank.
rapt accoi ding to the noble earl's prediction r But granting that
sane injury might lie done to the public in that may. it would
be inure than compensated by the increased eonsumptihn of
coals, the cual trade being notoriously the best nursery for sea-
awn.
The Earl of H maownv ARK that though his noble' friend
had the -age to mount the breach, he had not been able to
resist the fire. He had not showu that any public ads antage
would arise from the passing of thill bill. Ho thought the whale-
fishery of public importance, though not of so much impottiwee
as some conceived it to be. He would not theta fore discourage
this new and beautiful invention merely to support the whale-
fishery ; hut then the oil ought to be 14.6 to its fair coutp-titidn :
:and e'en with a view to the advantage to be dcrised front this
very discovery, no extraordinary powe s ought to be granted td
any particular company.. Tins would on!y a liable. them tat
drive aumpotttors from the market by whiereelimg them