The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-29 00:00:00

NOTICES OF MOTION.

Mr. HUME gave notice that he w, uld bring forward
his motion on the Rut .of Porni o on the 28th of May.
Mr. HENRY BERKELEY gave notice, on bahmlf of
Mr. Grantley Berkeley, that he would move on the 13th
of May the continuance of the differential duties on
foreign sugar for five years from July 1851.
Mr. BANKES gave notice that on a future day he
should move for a return connected with the differential
dutiesimposed by Spain on British shipping.
Mr. H. BERKELEY gave notice that on the 20th of
May he should renew his motion on the subject of the
Ballot.
Mr. HUME gave notice that on Friday he should
move that the income-tax be continued but for one year
only.
EXAMINATIONS AT SANDHURST COLLEGE.
Colonel REID asked the Secretary at War whether
it was intended that the examination of candidates for
commissions inithe army:should continue to be conducted
by the professors at Sandhurst College, who were the
authors of manuals and other publications of a similar
character, upon subjects in which the candidates were
required to be examined; also, whether he intended to
propose to the House, during the present session, the ap-
pointment of " Captains of Instruction" in regiments of
Cavalry and Infantry; also, what will be the cost of this
addition to our military establishment, and whether it
will not amount to the sum of 30,0001. per annum?
Mr. F. MAULE said he entirely disapproved of the
practice of those examinations being conducted by the
authors of the manuals, and he had represented the state
of the case to the authorities, and the attention of the
Horse Guards was now turned to the matter. As to the
other question, the Commander-in-Chief did not intend
to make it compulsory on officers to undergo an exami-
nation, though he would not object to such an examina-
tion of officers who wished to bring their names more
prominently before the public.
INCOME-TAX.

Mr. J. B. SMITH gave notice that he would move a
resolution to the effect that all appointments under the
Income-tax Act should bo of persons above twenty-one
years of age, and that the appointment should be subject
to the approval of the Treasury.
PERAMBULATING VANS.

In reply to Mr. W. WILLIAMS,
Sir G. GREY stated that there was no special clause
in the Act having reference to perambulating advertising
vans, but they could be removed, under the head of dan-
gerous obstructions, by the police.
MERCANTILE MARINE ACT.
. _ _

In reply to Mr. WAWN,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said it was his intention to in-
troduce the Mercantile Marine Act of last session at as
early a period as possible cf the present session.
LIGHTHOUSES.
_ _

In reply to Mr. HUME,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said, a measure with respect to
lighthouses was at present under his consideration; but
he was not prepared to say when he could introduce it.
ST. ALBANS' ELECTION COMMITTEE.

The SERGEANT-AT-ARMS appeared at the bar and
announced that, notwithstanding very diligent exertions
had been made during the recess to arrest the two men,
Waggett and Hayward, under the Speaker's warrant,
the officers had not succeeded in apprehending them, nor
had they been able to obtain the slightest information
respecting the movements of these individuals.
Lord J. RUSSELL said, as the House was now in
possession of all the circumstances with reference to these
men, he should move to-morrow that the House resolve
itself into Committee for the purpose of agreeing to an
address to her Majesty, praying her Majesty to issue a
royal proclamation for the apprehension of John Seeley
Waggett and James Hayward, and offering such a re•
ward for their apprehension as her Majesty might
think fit.
SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE METROPOLIS.
Sir G. GREY then rose for leave to bring in a Bill
for the better supply of water to the metropolis. After
adverting to the reports of the various Committees of the
House, and the Commisions which had sat on the sub-
ject, as well as to the last report of the Board of Health,
she Right Hon. Baronet said it was now generally ad-
mitted that an extensive change in the mode of supply-
ing the metropolis was necessary, in order to insure what
was essential to the health and comfort of the inhabitants.
He did not anticipate either that upon the question of
competition any great di.cussion would arise; and then
the next point which would have to be disposed of
was what course should now bo adopted for supply-
ing the metropolis with water. The subject had
been fully considered by the Board of Health, who
had made a report of the result of their inquiry,
and that report had received the best consideration of
her Majesty's Government. The Board of Health at
first recommended, as the result of their inquiries, that
the water which should be used in the metropolis should
be rain water, to be collected in gathering grounds, and
that all existing sources of supply should be abandoned.
The Board, however, upon a reconsideration of that
scheme, saw fit to make some modification in it, which
they reported to the Government, and this amended re-
opfortthtt„he
hGigohvoesrtnemcteenottifisuobmouitttheodrittioes,thdeirceoontishigdertahtiooton
to ascertain to what extent the existing sources of
supply could be made available, and what new sources
could be adopted. The Government, however, had not
received the report of that further inquiry; but he had
no doubt that before the Government Bill on this subject
made any great advance he should be in a position
to lay the result before the House. He came
next to the question of how the water supply of the
metropolis should be managed. At present there were
nine companies, but the Board of Health thought the
present plurality of water boards should be abolished, and
the whole combined under one management, it being
understood that the works and property of the existing
companies should be purchased at a fair valuation. The
Government thought this recommendation of the Board
of Health was a very proper one, as there could be no
doubt that it would be greatly for the in-
terest of the ratepayers that the water supply of
the metropolis should be under ono distinct con-
trol, and subject only to one entire management.
This, he thought. would be infinitely more advan-
tageous than the scheme which had been pro-
posed of submitting the supply of water to municipal
authority ; because, in fact, a great part of the
metropolis which it was; sought to supply with
water was entirely without a representative municipality.
On this part of the question he would read a passage
from a letter ofMr. John Mill, who, however, claimed no
exclusive opinion on the subject, as he considered it
more a matter of public polity than political economy.
That gentleman was decidedly of opinion that the prin-
ciple of the proposition which Government meant to lay
before the House was not only admissible, but even pos-
sessed of very great advantages. Thehtetoia
proposalp td which
e
Government had decided upon adopting co
consolidation into one company of the nine existing
companies, their stock to be valued either by arbitra-
tion or any other mode recommended by Parliament.
This company would be charged with the whole supply
of the metropolis, and the shareholders would be entitled
only to a limited dividend upon the consolidated stock,
and the amount of the sewerage rates. This company
would be subject to Government iespection on certain
points, which he would further explain at a future stage.
It was proposed, in the first instance, that the dividend
should be limited to 5 per cent., and, in the next, that
the dividend should never exceed 6 per cent., the rates
being reduced as the dividend augmented. Various
Dowers would be given to the Secretary of State for the
Home Department for controlling the supplies of water
both for domestic and pubde purposes, such as baths and
washhouses.; Such a plan as this would secure an
adequate supply of the best water, and at the same time
reduce the cost of the supply, which was one of the great
objects that a measure of this sort ought to
aim at, because it would have the effect of
materially reducing the cost to the consumer.
He had communicated an outline of the Bill to each
company, and he was bound to admit that they had met
the Government in the fairest possible manner, though
none of them had absolutely given their consent to it.
Indeed some had raised objections to the proposed scheme,
but he had not the slightest reason to apprehend that
those objections were of such magnitude that they
could not be removed by future arrangement as to de-
tails. All he asked the House to do now was to give
him leave to bring in the Bill, so that it might be printed
find placed in the hands of Members. Of course,
he could not fix any day for the second reading, because
before it could reach that stage it would have to go be-
fore the Standing Orders Committee.
_ _

Sir J. JOIINSTONE thanked the Right Hon. Gen-
tleman for the anxiety which he had shown not to dis-
turb the vested interests of the existing companies,
while he had been desirous of securing an efficient supply
of water to the metropolis. He himself was a director of
one of the principal companies in the metropolis, which he
contended within the sphere of its operations efficiently
supplied all the wants of the population. The qualities
and quantities of the water supplied was inferior to none
in the kingdom, and the company itself was paying a
more satisfactory dividend. A great many insinua-
tipns had been thrown out against the existing
companies, but as the Bill was to be re-
fi rred to a Committee, that would be the proper
occasion on which to enter into those calumnies, and see
of what value they were..

rein B. COCHRANE looked at this
is taming
to strengthen the monopoly of the water companies.
He should like to know What Gentleman had
been consulted on their drawing up of this Bill.
for as far as he recollected all the Commissions which
had bees issued en the subject had recommended the
abolition of this monopoly.4For his part he should consi-
der any praise and support offered to the Bill by, water
companies as evidence against it rather than in its favour.
He had no sympathy with the water companies, for
he thought it was quite their own fault that the present
storm of public indignation had been excited against
them ; and, as for compensation, he saw no reason
why they should have it :more than any other,
interest which had ever suffered injury by the progress
of reform.
Mr. HUME deprecated the warm tone of indignation
which had been taken by the Hon. Gentleman who had
just sat down towards the existing water com-
panies. What he considered to be the real
point of the water question was whether any
new source from which water could be obtained had
been discovered. He had not heard the Bight Hon.
Gentleman
give any intimation of this in the course of
his Speech.