The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-07 00:00:00

FRIDAY.

COMMITTEE on BILL ( \VEST SCOTLAND LIST,
Lord WILLIAM BENTtNCK in the Chair,

Glasgow Waterworks Bill.—The cross-examination of Mr.
Wilson, late Secretary to the Glasgow Company was con.
tinned by Mr. Hill.
Witness stated that the compact of Company in 1/33 was in
the books; the Companies were to be united in the proportion
of 3-4tlis to 1, and I-4th division of profits, but " not as com-
panies." The Glasgow Company, as a company, divided
their own profits. Some shareholders received their dividends,
and others gave up a proportion of their dividend to the Cron-
stoun 11111 Company. This arrangement was not a transaction
of the Qompany, but of the shareholders—he meant to say the
shareholders, in their individual capacities; this arrangement
was well known. Cannot say if there were two sets of ac-
counts. The Companies were united, as far as they could
effect an union, without an Act of Parliament. There is no
statement of the joint accounts ; such statement is kept out of
the Glasgow books.
On Mr. asking a question of the witness relative to.
the minutes of proceedings in 1833, witness objected to refer
to them, on the ground that he had not had any concern with,
or knowledge of them, .0
Mr. SANDFORD objected to the question, as not tending "to
refresh the witness's memory," according to the decision of
the Committee on Wednesday, but as relating to matter en-
tirely new, and unknown to witness.
Mr. HILL replied, in support of his point, when the Com-
mittee decided that Mr. IEII should proceed with his cross-
examin ation.
On the witness referring to the minutes, it appeared that
they related solely to the value and sale of particular shares in
1833, of the Glasgow Company.
The Cranstoun Bill minutes being mentioned by Mr. M`Neil,
in a question to the witness, he was allowed to be assisted by
Mr. Mackain; the Secretary to the latter Company. These
minutes also related only to the value and sale of particular
shares.

The cross-examination by Mr. M'Neil then turned upon
the supply of water in cases of fire; upon which the answers
of the witness were to the same effect as were those which
we have already reported of this witness and Mr. Mackain.
One answer formed an exception, viz., that fires being of un-
frequent occs'rrence, the Companies had never made any
great preparation to meet such emergencies. The evidence
then turned upon the supply of water in the different quarters
and levels of tho city, and also upon the reservoirs ; but this
was literally a duplicate of the evidence given by the witness,
and Mr. Mackain, before the Committee on Wednesday.
Witness went on to say he had turned his attention to the
means of supplying Glasgow with water by gravitation ; the
total supply to Glasgow, he thinks, is under ten millions of
gallons per day; has surveyed the adjacent country, many
times, in many years, for thirty miles round Glasgow ;
sometimes alone, sometimes tiesisted by others ; has
reported such surveys to his own Company ; knows the
fame of Mr. Walker, the engineer, in London; does
not know whether that gentleman ever surveyed Glas-
gow or its neighbourhood. Witness was here asked to turn
to the minute of the 25th March, 1823, from which it appeared
that the supply was then 2,400 gallons per minute, when the
river Clyde was five feet above its ordinary summer level ;
this rate of supply will make upwards of two millions of gal-
lons per day. In the minutes of the 4th of August,
1824, it appeared that the Commissioners of police charged
a rate for watering the streets ; a copy of the present Bill was
given to them, and to every other person who asked for it ;
the estimated cost for erecting an engine of 70-horse power in
Glasgow witness cannot give at present—perhaps it would be
from 401. or 501. to 601., according to circumstances; at present
they have capabilities for making engines to the amount of
about 400-horse power. Cannot at present state the total
cost of engines, &c. ; the detail given will afford a total, of
course. The detail is in the books ; the diameter of each of
the boilers of the engines is 54 inches; cannot state their
pressure; new engines arc to be erected; their power, &c.
has not been determined upon ; that is a future calculation in
detail ; every engine can be applied to any level; cannot tell
the amount of water they will discharge ; a long calculation
would be necessary for this ; the Magistrates of Glasgow once
proposed, witness thinks, to purchase the works of the Com-
pany ; a petition was presented for a Bill to effect that ; wit-
ness was in London to oppose that Bill ; a petition was pre-
sented against it; their proposed Bill would have given the
Magistrates power to erect other works ; Company had a peti-
tion for a Bill at the same time, not persisted in ; witness
had a letter from Mr. Rennie relative to the works ; declined
to comply with the request of that letter; cannot now state
why he declined ; an answer was written to Mr. Rennie; can-

not recollect the grounds of objection, or the terms of that
answer; does not know if minutes were made of the proceed-
ing of the Company upon such letter and answer ; cannot state
the expense of promoting the two first Bills of the Company;
it was "a trifle," perhaps "a few thousand pounds."
The witness was then re-examined by Mr. SANDFORD.
Witness stated that it would take twenty minutes in case of
fire, if the main pipes were charged, to obtain a supply ; if
main pipes not charged, a much longer time would be neces-
sary ; the present Bill intends a constant supply of water,
whether the inhabitants have cisterns or not ; there aro 44,000
families in Glasgow ; the present supply would give about 100
gallons per family; it is more, on the average, than they can
want.

Examined by Mr. Firscrt:—Witness believes there is a
minute in the books of the Company of the intended applica-
tion to Parliament for this Bill ; the compact in 1833 was that
the Companies should be united ; (as we have alone reported)
without an Act of Parliament the rates were increased by mu-
tual agreement between the Companies ; the public themselves
laughed at the low amount of the rates before that agreement ;
the rise in the rates increased the dividends; the rates were
raised from 2i to nearly 5 per cent ; nearly double the old
rates ; the dividends are about 3/. lOs. per cent. upon the ori-
ginal shares; there are 2,888 shares in the Glasgow Company;
the average price of shares is about 62/. 10s. ; the object is to
divide 7/. per cent., if possible, upon shares at the price of 501.
each ; this applied to the new purchasers of shares ; the old
shareholders would have 7/. per cent. upon their shares at the
price of 70/. each.
The witness, in the course of his examination by Mr. Fusel!,
entered into a considerable detail of the proposel dividends
on the shares, and the estimated revenue of the Company as
likely to arise from the present Bill.
The witness Was then examined by the Nonut CHAIRMAN
as to the difference between the present amount of rating and
and revenue, and that estimated by the Bill before the Com-
mittee. Witness stated that, at present, the two Companies
formed a complete monopoly. Ele also detailed an estimate,
in round numbers, of the amount of inhabitants residing on the
different levels of the city, as also the average supply of water
they received. It was calculated that the expense of supply,
under the proposed Bill, would be about 1,5001. per annum,
for every hour's supply for the whole city; at present the an-
nual expense was 1,000/. for every hour's supply. It was also
calculated that a saving of 1,5001. or 1,600/. a year would be
effected in expense by the union of the two Companies.
Mr. FINCH, on the part of the Committee, here intimated
that it would be highly desirable that some amicable arrange-
ment should he come to between the promoters and the oppo-
nents of the Bill.

Mr. M'lslEtt, and Mr. Sergeant SPANKIE expressed their
acquiescence in such a course, on the part of t ivo of the op-
posing parties.
Mr. GRAIIANI, the Parliamentary agent fur the Bill, thought
there were objections to this, which could not be surmounted.
It was recommended by several Hon. Members that a Sub.
Committee should be formed from the present Committee, to
endeavour to effect an arrangement.
The parties ultimately acceded to this; Mr. Graham and
Mr. M'Neil stipuhting that if the negociation did not sue.
ceed, all parties were to be considered in statu quo, and were
to proceed as in the usual course.
Mr. Finch, Sir George Sinclair, and Mr. Dennistoun were
then appointed on such Sub-Committee, to act in conjunction
with the agents and two parties on each side, and to meet to-
morrow morning at ten o'clock.

The Committee then adjourned until Tuesday next at twelve
o'clock, to receive the Report of such Sub-Committee.

On Thursday u young and beautiful lady, elegantly
dressed, threw herself into Seine from the Pont Marie, and
was drowned, although the act was seen, and every endeavour
promptly made to save her. her bonnet was left floating on
the surface, but her body has not yet been found.

A " NOTION It
OF BItOTIIEIt JONATHAN'S.-
The " Mechanic Association " of Boston (America), have set
on foot a novel sort of " fancy fair." It consists of an exhi-
bition of models of machinery, specimens of manufactures,
&c., all the productions of the working men of Boston at
their leisure hours, which were arranged for public inspection
something in the fashion of our fancy fairs at the Egyptian
H.lll and elsewhere, the money taken at the doors being appro-
priated to charitable purposes. The quantity and quality of
the articles shown are said to have been such as to reflect the
highest credit on the exhibitors, and the scheme proved most
successful, the rooms being continually crammed with grati-
fied spectators. It is proposed to make the exhibition annual.
_Mechanic's Magazine.

A HARDY PEAR.—At Ronald Rob, on the farm
of Balig, on Carrick Hill, a pear of the muirfowl egg kind
has remained attached to the tree since last summer up to the
present date, notwithstanding the extraordinary vicissitudes of
iceathor to which it has been exposed during the winter and
beginning of spring. It is :till round and plump, but it is
feared that its days are numbered, as the sap is now ascend.
ing the tree, and the fact will speedily be verified that " one
generation succeedeth another" in the vegetable, ar: certainly
as in the animal world.—Ayr Observer.