The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-02 00:00:00

GAS MONOPOLY.

On Wednesday evening last a meeting numerously
attended by many of the most influential gentlemen of
the Ward of Bishopsgate, was held at the White Hart
Tavern, to take into consideration the best means to be
adopted for the purpose of removing the existing mono-
poly in the supply of gas in the city of London. Shortly
after seven o'clock Mr. G. Tayler, having been called
upon to preside, in a very able address stated the pur-
pose for which the meeting had been convened.
Several gentlemen afterwards addressed the company
at considerable length.

It appears that the city of London is supplied by two
companies, who by arrangement partition the ground
between them, and that the Commissioners of sewers
have always objected to the entry of any other company
into the City, by which means a fair competition has
never been permitted. As long since as the spring of
1845, it came to the knowledge of gentlemen in the
ward that the company supplying it with gas was
charging a higher price to consumers in the City than
it was charging without the City boundary. A deputa-
tion waited upon the directors of the company, and
after considerable trouble and a delay of 12 months
the reduction of is. per thousand feet was obtained. Soon
after cause of complaint was again given to the citizens,
it having transpired that the company had made a fur-
ther reduction of Is. to all their customers, except those
within the City; another application upon the subject
was then made from the ward to the Chartered Gas
Company, which, not proving successful, after consider-
able delay, a petition, signed by 260 inhabitants, was pre-
sented to the Court of Sowers, who, after hearing the
petitioners, and the directors of the Gas Company, de-
cided upon not interfering in the matter. A decison
extraordinary led to further inquiry on the part of the
petitioners, when it appeared that in consequence of the
great number of lights upon a given length of main
within the City, the supply might be afforded to it at a
lower price than to any other part of the metropolis ;
indeed that it might be supplied at 4s. per 1,000 feet.
It is well-known, that although the price of coals
is higher in London than in some other towns, yet the
high price obtained for coke places the City Gas Compa-
nies in as gool a position as companies now in the
immediate vicinity of coal pits. The fact is that the
price of coals is altogether a trifling consideration in the
matter, inasmuch as one ton produces 9,000 feet of gas.
It is true that the Gas Companies have since reduced the
price within the City to that paid elsewhere, but, as.if
still determined to show that they will take an unfair
advantage of their position, they have advanced the
meter charge from 49. to Gs. per annum within the City,
although they have not done so in other districts.
Some strong remarks were made by some of the
speakers upon the fact that the Commissioners of
Sewers had not protected their fellow-citizens from such
impositions. It was also remarked that the Commis-
sioners might have made an arrangement for possessing
their own gas-pie,
and then have contracted with any
company they pleased for a supply to the citizens.
Cr eoamd
in t o o
n the
e omu meeting,
requesting
resolution was proposed that a petition, which was
g,lshueosutildn betpbreemsetnotedusteo
tthheeirCuourt of
influence that the citizensgmay be supplied pi'le mithltmgo:ts
wastecarrerpierdesuenn
taantiiTeosusorthe
pitn
I.t. theas
laolws
nesrt
etsenrlmv
esd.
thlatt the
ward in that Court be requested to support the prayer
thereof.
A sub-committee to carry out the object in view
having been appointed, and a vote of thank • w s given to the
, chairman, the meeting separated.

TRH COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT WHITERAVEN.
An inquest was hold on Saturday, and concluded on
Monday, at Cleaton Moor, uu the bodies of vi,;:hteen of
the sufferers, the above accident, mentioned in our
paper of Tuesday. Another inquest was held on Mon-
day, at Ilensingbam, on the bodies of five other suf-
ferers. Each inquiry resulted in a verdict of" Accidental
Deat!'."

CORNWALL FISHERY.—At St. Ives, the drift boats
during the past week have been taking from 100 to 6,000
fine mackerel, which said at Bs. per hundred; herrings
from 1,000 to 3,030, sold at 2s. 9d. to 3s. 6d. per hun-
dred; pilehardi, ls. 2d. per hundred. The Mount's Bay
week,
having have also been very successful this past
having taken from 200 to 4,000 mackerel every night,
which sold at 9s. per hundred.—Westera Luminary.