The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-23 00:00:00

bodies was found.

Mr. FINLAY remarked upon the excessive punctiliousness
of the men employed at the ruins under the district sur-
Veyor in leaving off work in the emergency at 3 o'clock on
Saturday afternoon, and not resuming it until Monday
morning, the remains being allowed to lie in the ruins in
the interval.

Mr. BOWRING said that this was not the first occasion
on which a search had not been made for the remains of
persons who had lost their lives in a fire in the city of Lon-
don on some pretext of want of power.
The subject then dropped.
THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO THE CITY.

Mr. HAINES, the chairman of the General Purposes Com-
mittee, brought up a report on the reference to them of
Nov. 17 last of certain petitions presented to the Court from
the inhabitants of various wards in the city complaining of

the present supply of gas, which they alleged to be insuffi-
cient, costly, and inferior in illuminating power. The cora-
mitte&reported that the companies now engaged in the sup-
ply of gas to the city are the Chartered Gas Company, in-
corporated in 1810 ; the City of London Gas Company, in
1817 ; and the Great Central Gas Company, in 1850. Prior
to 1823 the first two companies competed in the supply, but
in that year, under an act of Parliament, the city was
divided between those two companies, and, as a necessary
consequence, a monopoly was created. By the repeated
action of the Commissioners of Sewers the price of gas,
which was originally 15s. per 1,000 cubic feet, was gradu-
ally reduced to 65., which was the charge in 1847. Inves-
tigation, however, proved that even this amount was far
aboite a reasonably remunerative price, and the failure to
induce the two companies to make a further reduction led
to the organisation of the Great Central Company, which,
with the countenance and support of the city, obtained in
1851 their Act of Incorporation, and as the result gas was
supplied to the citizens at 4s. per 1,000 cubic feet. This
continued until 1860, when, in consequence of a previous
action on the part of the gas companies surrounding the
city, and with a view of reinstating the principle of dis-
tricts (which existed before the establishment of the Great
Central Gas Company), and thereby stopping competition,
the Metropolis Gas Act was passed. Under that act the
three companies supplying the city raised the price of gas
to 4s. 6d., and, notwithstanding a contract entered into by
the Great Central Company, on the 12th of February,
1850, to supply gas at a price never to exceed
45.,. and to be reduced under certain circumstances
to Bs., the company was successful in proving their legal
right to increase the charge to 4s. 6d.; and this abrogation
of the contract was estimated, as between 4s. and 4s. 6d.per
1,000 cubic feet, to give an excess charge of £25,000 upon
the private consumption of gas in the city. With regard to
the gas itself, the deputations that had attended before the
committee had agreed in stating that it was impure and de-
ficient in illuminating power. A standard of purity was pre-
scribed by the Metropolis Gas Act, and though in many
provincial towns a far higher chemical purity was now
maintained, Dr. Letheby reported that the prescribed stan-
dard for the city had scarcely ever yet been attained,
excepting recently, by the City of London Gas Company.
As to the illuminating power of the gas, it would appear
to be the general opinion that it was even less than it was
before the passing of the Metropolis Gas Act, though that
act provided a minimum power which appeared to be for
the advantage of the citizens. The committee recom-
mended an application to Parliament for a modification of
the Metropolis Gas Act of 1860, as far as it affects the city
of London, and especially with the view of obtaining for
the citizens gas of a higher illuminating power, of greater
chemical purity, and at a cheaper price than that now sup-
plied, and such other powers as might be beneficial to the
ratepayers and gas consumers.
On the motion of Mr. E. D. ROGERS the report was re-
ferred back to the committee with instructions to confer
with the Law, Parliamentary, and City Courts Committee,
to consider as to an application to Parliament at the earliest
possible period for an act to empower the Corporation
either to purchase the existing mains, plant, and works in
or supplying the city of London, and to contract for the
supply of gas into those mains, or to erect works and enter
into the manufacture and distribution of gas to the consu-
mers, as was now so-successfully carried on by the Corpo-
ration of Manchester and other towns.
HOLBORN VALLEY IMPROVEMENT.

Bonds (149 in number)from the Mayor, commonalty, and
citizens of London, were sealed for securing payment of
various sums of money, amounting in the whole to £76,800,
raised under the powers and for the purposes of the Hol-
born Valley Improvement Act, pursuant to an order of the
Court of Common Council of the Bth Dec. last.
CONCENTRATION OP THE COURTS OP LAW.

The IiZILEXBRAXOER(Mr. (Jerrie) read a letter he had
lust received from the Lord Chancellor 04. this isubJect.

The Lord Chancellor stated that the acts for the concen-
tration of the Courts of Justice having become law, instruc-
tions are being given for issuing a Royal Commission in
the matter. The Government had advised her Majesty to
issue a Commission, constituted in the main as follows :-
1. The Lord Chancellor and one or more of the Equity
judges, with three of the officers in Chancery, to be from
time to time selected by his lordship. 2. The chief justices
of each.of the three common law courts, and one of the
puisne judges, with one of the officers of each court, to be
selected by each chief justice respectively. 3. The judge
of the Probate Court and one of his officers. 4. The Ad-
miralty judge and one of his officers. 5. The Attorney-
General, Solicitor-General, and Queen's Advocate. 6. One
of the benchers of each of the Inns of Court. 7. The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer. 8. The Chief Commissioner of
her Majesty's Roard. of Works and one person to be named
by him. 9. Three solicitors, to be selected by. the Incor-
porated Law Society. 10. A member of the Corporation
of London, the Lord Chancellor suggesting that Mr.
Alderman Lawrence, M.P. for Lambeth, would be a fit
person for the purpose. The Commission would hold its
first meeting befor the Judges leave town on circuit.
Alderman GIBBONS, agreeing that Alderman James Law-
rence would fitly represent the Corporation on the Commi-
ssion, thought it an extraordinary proceeding for the Lord
Chancellor to dictate to the Common Council whom they
should nominate to represent them.
Eventually the Court appointed Mr. Alderman James
Lawrence to represent them on the commission.

Lord Ardmillan agreed with their lordships on the first
point as to the question of jurisdiction; but on the second
question, as to the proper forum, he had felt some difficulty.
He thought it would have been more fitting and more ap-
propriate, under all the circumstances, to have tried the
case under English law; but there was no sufficient reason
for dismissing the action; and after the view which their
lordships had taken he was not prepard to suggest what
otherwise he would have been much disposed to do, that
the action should be sisted until the pursuer had tried her
cause in the English courts, where the defenders proclaim
themselves to be ready to meet her. That course would
have been very much according to his feelings of the ex-
pediencies and proprieties of the case, but he did not feel
entitled to recommend that course after the opinions which
their lordships had expressed.