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. Taylor, haring 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 longth.
It appears that the city of London is supplied by two
companies, who by arrangement partition the ground
between them, and that the Commission( ra of Sewers
have always objected to the entry of any other company
into the City, by which means a fair competitioqlbs
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 c mpany, and
after considerable trouble and a delay of 12 months
the reduction of Is. pc r 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 ls. 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 Sewers, who, after hearing the
petitioners, and the directors of the Gas Company, de-
ci'ied upon not interfering in the matter. A decison 'so
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 piice obtained for coke plaCes the City Gas Compa-
nies in as gooi 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
Irmstrtaiiielt;et etdwrreu'itetielnlit.iasaihnaimtnthuetedhe inasmuch
ect
to show
one ton produces 9,000 feet of gas.
City
noCwotn2ht hapatatnPl taehisde yh elsewhere,awveil ditto
take an
reducedahau t,una
fstaLii
ref
l
advantage of their position, they have. advanced the
although they have not done So imanaclehefi
meter charge from 4s. to Gs. annumo within the City,
districts.
sion ers of
.e of the
Some strong remarks were ,
protectedt he fact t
h ethat"
ir
fetlalonvir-citizens S speakersvv worn had u upon
nt
impositions. It was. also remarked that the fromc such
sinners might have made an arrangement fur p uramisg•
their own gas-pipes, and then have contracted nwsisith'ssini
company they pleased fur a 'supply to the citizan. any
resolution was proposed that a petition, •
hwhich was
read to the meeting, should be presented t the Court of
Common Council, requesting them to use'
influence that the citizens may be 4uPplietaeivr,lutmost
urn the lowest terms. It was carried uaanirn Kith
gas
It was also resolved that the representatives°us Y.
of the
ward in that Court be requested to support the prayer
thereof.

A aub•committce to carry out the object in vivv,
having been appointed, and a vote of thanks given to the
chairman, the meeting separated.

THE COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT WIIITEIIAVEN.
An inquest was hold on Saturday, and concluded on
Monday, at Cleuton Moor, on the bodies of eighteen of
the sufferers, by tho above accident, mentioned in our
paper of Tuesday. Another inquest was held on Mon-
day, at liensingham, on the bodies (f five other :V-
-ferns. Each inquiry resulted in a verdict of "Accidental
Dezt• ." _ _ _

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