The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-31 00:00:00

METROPOLIS GAS.

I A meeting of the delegates was held yesterday,
at St. James's Vestry Hall, Mr. Davden in the
chair ; and delegates from St. George's, Hanover-
square, St. James's, Westminster, St. Pancras, the
Westminster District Board, Lambeth, Wands-
worth, &c., were present on the occasion.
The Hon, SECRETARY reported, that the Parlia-
mentary committee on the bill assembled on the
Bth instant, when the following companies ap-
peared as petitioners, namely :—The Victoria Gas
Company, the Wandsworth and Putney, the Crystal
Palace District Gas Company, the Commercial Gas
Company, the Brentford Gas Company, ;the Gas
Light and Coke Company, the City of London Gas
Light and Coke Company, the Independent Gas
Light and Coke Company, the Phoenix. Gas Light
and Coke Company, the Ratcliff Gas Light and
Coke Company, the South Metropolitan Gas Light
and Coke Company, the Imperial Gas Light and
Coke Company, the Woolwich Equitable Company,
the Mitcham, Merton, and Tooting Company, the
Equitable Gas Light Company, the London Gas
Light Company, the Western Gas Light Company,
the Great Central Gas Consumers' Company, the
Surrey Consumers' Gas Company, the Woolwich,
Plumstead, and Charlton Gas Company. Mr.
Denison' Q.C., and Mr. Webster appeared as
counsel for the parishes. That difficulties had
arisen from the peculiar opposition of the Crystal
Palace, Victoria, Brentford, the two Woolwich
Companies, the Wandsworth and Putney, Mitcham,
and Eltham Companies, which had been met by
special exemption from the bill. That thefollowing
witnesses have been examined before the Com-
mittee :—On the second day, Dr. Challiee, from
Bermondsey, on the part of the Southwark con-
sumers. On the third day, Mr. Slee, Vestry Clerk
of St. Olave's, Southwark; and Mr. Warren, from
Lambeth. On the fourth and fifth days, Mr. Hughes
was examined. On the sixth day, Mr. Hughes
and Mr. Arutz. On the seventh day, namely,
the 21st May, Mr. Arutz, from Westminster; and
Dr. Letheby and Mr. Crossley. On the eighth day,
Mr. Crossley continued, and Mr. Livsay and Mr.
Robert Bell, of Rochdale, were examined ; Mr. D.
Chadwick, town clerk of Salford ; and Mr. T. A.
Hedley, C.E., of Banbury. On the ninth day, Mr.
Cleft, of Birmingham, was examined; Dr. Dundas
Thomson, Mr. Dangerfield, vestry clerk of St.
Martin's ; and Mr. Lahee, vestry clerk of Chelsea.
On the tenth and last day, Mr. W. Wilde and Mr.
Watson, representing theatres, were examined;
also the Chief Librarian of the British Museum,
together with Mr. Kintrea, from Camberwell ; Mr.
Green well, vestry clerk of Marylebone ' • and Mr.
Wilkinson, the town clerk of Walsall. With this
witness the case of the promoters was concluded.
So far as the proceedings have already gone, I think
that the committee have most attentively consi-
dered every point, and that if a satisfactory result
be not arrived at, it will be more due to the limited
means at our command, restricting the number of
essential witnesses as to price, and necessitating
reliance on local and somewhat conflicting expres-
sions of opinion, than to any inattention on the part
of the committee. The important point is yet to
come, namely, the answer of the companies to the
allegations made. I anticipate their case will pro-
bably last some five or six days, and then the im-
portant question of clauses will have to be gone
into. This will probably bring us to about the
middle of June, and the bill, as it may then stand,
will be read a third time ; and from this point com-
mences its progress through the House of Lords.
It is impossible to say what may be the duration
of that ordeal, or whether the opposition will be
renewed there. It is not likely, but it must not be
altogether left out of your calculations. Mr. Beal
then referred to the state of the finances, to the
heavy expenditure going on, and to the necessity
for a fresh fund being raised to support the bill in
the House of Lords. He also stated that certain
returns as to capital and dividends, ordered by the
committee, had been furnished by the gas com-
panies, that the case of the parishes was now closed,
and that of the companies would be opened on
Monday, the 4th of June. The committee had or-
dered the evidence to be printed, and this had en-
tailed an unexpected expense of £l5 a day. The
honorary secretary reported a large mass of corre-
spondence. He also reported further contributions
of £5O from Lambeth' £5O from Chelsea, £2O from
the Holborn Board of Works, £4O from St. Mar-
tin's, and £25 from Camberwell. He was also au-
thorised to say that further contributions would be
made by St. James's Vestry, that a vote of £lOO
would be moved for in St. George's, Hanover-
square, and also a further vote in St. Martin's Vestry.
Resolutions were passed relative to obtaining the
necessary funds for prosecuting the bill in Parlia-
ment, and the delegates then adjourned for a week.