The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-12 00:00:00

THE GAS MONOPOLY.

The gas monopoly has determined to die hard.
That its doom is sealed can no longer be doubted,
after the report of the Select Committee over which
Mr. Sotheron Estcourt presided, and which sat for
three weeks continuously during the present session.
There had been two previous select committees on
the subject, the result of whose labours, in a great
mass of evidence relative to every branch of the
question, was before the committee of this year on
the first day it sat. Notwithstanding this advan-
tage, it was found impossible to restrain the power
of professional frustration within a narrower limit
than that of nineteen days ; at the end of which
time, finding it unavailing for the purpose of de-
feating the remedial bill, supported by all indepen-
dent interests in the metropolis, counsel for the
companies were instructed to perform what was
meant to be the imposing ceremony of withdrawing
indignantly from the contest, leaving the devoted
committee without farther molestation or admoni-
tion to work its wicked will. Without betraying
any symptom of being thunderstruck by this awful
rebuke, Mr. Estcourt and his colleagues continued
to sit for two or three days more, and proceeded to
settle, according to their judgment, the forms and
details of the measure whose essential features had
been so elaborately investigated, The maximum of
legal dividends having been fixed by the act of 1847,
when competition existed, at 10 per cent., was re-
duced to 8 per cent., competition being now abolished
by the companies themselves. Some reduction was
demanded by the promoters of the bill ; and instead
of leaving it undecided, counsel for the companies
had suggested that it would be better to put it at a
lower figure ; yet no sooner have the committee
done so, than the change is made a principal ground
of complaint against them in the House of Com-
mons. The bill asked for a reduction of price, and
the committee agreed to recommend the adoption
of four shillings per thousand feet as the ordinary
standard ; but this is declared to be ruin and rob-
bery, although, if we are not much misinformed,
compromises have been more than once negotiated
on the subject of which this condition was to have
formed an essential part. The great grievance of
all is said to be the appointment of inspectors, and
the establishment of summary proceedings for the
trial of disputes between the producers and con-
sumers of gas ; yet it is clear that without resort
to some such measure all legislation on the subject
must be practically useless. We need not go into
further details here ; suffice it to say that the terms
proposed by the Committee are upon the whole ex-
ceedingly moderate, regard being had to the great
and governing fact that the supply of artificial
light to the inhabitants of London has within the
last few years ceased to be by competition, and been
converted into a strict and permanent monopoly.
On Tuesday evening Mr. Staniland undertook
to prevent the further progress of the Bill in the
House of Cote Mons, upon the ground that the vested
interests concerned had not yet had a full and fair
hearing before a Committee upstairs. The candour
of the objection thus raised may be estimated by a
passing admission made in the coi.:
rse of a somewhat
lengthy speech by the hon. member ice?'Boston. In
his desire to impeach the finding of the pazliamen-
tary jury, he declared that they had gone far' be-
yond what tke promoters of the bill had asked for.
"If the Committee had given only what the pro-
moters of the bill had asked, little or no harm would
have been done, and the gas companies would have
been perfectly satisfied, for they were not opposed
to what was called uniform legislation." Little or
no harm would have been done; then how did it•
happen that as soon as the Committee were em-
panelled a formidable array of forensic forces pre.
sented briefs, took close order, and for the space of
nineteen days contested every inch of ground
claimed in the preamble or included within the scope
of the bill ? The combined Companies, who for three
years have baffled every attempt at settlement,
would, we are now told, have been perfectly satis-
fied with the bill promoted by the associated ves-
tries of the metropolis ; then why do they not
agree to it ? Or why, after the first week's dis-
cussion, or after the second week's discussion, or at
the end of the third week's discussion, would they
come to no terms of compromise ? We say it
plainly and fearlessly—because they do not yet
despair of being able to retain their irresponsible
hold over the public and private comfort of three
millions of their fellow-subjects, and of turning the
same to acccunt in exorbitant exaction. Mr. Stani-
land had the coolness to tell the House of Commons
that it was quite a mistake to suppose that the
supply of gas in London was a monopoly, because
it was quite in the power of any one who chose to
make and sell as much of that commodity as he
was able. As well might he argue that the car-
riage of letters by the Post-office was not a mono-
poly because any young man who has nothing else
to do may spend his time in carrying letters
from house to house or from town to town if
he pleases. But laws are required to be made to
meet the reality of things as they stand, not to
square with the silly quibbles of sordid interests,
however great. Ep_ally wrong in judgment and
in taste w the reckless impeachment of the 091/q