The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-21 00:00:00

THE 316TROPOLITAN GAS QUESTION.

DEI'UTATION TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
Yesterday deputations from the various metro-
polii an vestries and district boards, waited upon the
Right Hon. Spencer Walpole, Secretaty of State for
the Home Office, for tie purpose of presenting a
memorial and calling for the aid of the government
with respect to the present supply of the metropolis
with gas.
On the arrival at the Home Office, the deputa-
tions were introduced by the Hon. Geo. Byng,
M.P , for Middlesex, and amongst the metropolitan
members present wire—Mr. Hanbury, Sir John
Shelley, Viscount Ebringtcn, Sir C. Napier, Mr.
Locke, Mr. W. Williams, Mr. Roupell, Mr. T.
Duneornbe, and Mr. Ayrtoe. Mr. Cax, M.P.,
regretted his inability to attend. The deputation
consisted of nearly 100 gentlemen.
The Hon. Mr. Byng, in introducing the deputa-
tions, observed that they were the representatives
of most of the public boards of the metropolis, and
their object was to present amemorial, and address
the Home Secretary on the import ant subject of the
recent division of the metropolis into districts by
the several gas companies, and to urge the govern-
ment to induce the House of Commons to grant a
committee of inquiry into the whole metropolitan
gas question.
Mr. Greeuwell, the vestry clerk of Marylebone,
read the memorial, to the effect that the gas com-
panies, most of whom had obtained their acts of
parliament on the district basis of competition, had
recently partitioned the metropolis amongst
themselves, thus crewing a monopoly by destroying
competition, and one of the principal evils of which
be ng that the consumers veers placed entirely at
the mercy of the metropolitan gas companies in re-
spect of price, quality, and quantity. The effect
of this arrangement lied already been an increased
price in the tenders to some of the metropolitan
parishes, for the supply of gas to the public lampe,
and no doubt, as existing contracts expired in other
parishes, the same result would follow. In order
to show that gas isnot merely a luxury the memo-
rial pointed to the report of Mr. Lowe, civil engi-
neer to the Chartered Gas Company, stating that
the annual consumption of coal for gas making in
Londox was about 840,000 tons, which would yield
7,728,030,000 cubic feet of gas, the value of which,
at 44, 63. per 1000 cubic feet, was 1,738,0001. and
that the annual sum paid to the various gas com-
panies in London was nearly 2,000,000/. per an-
num. After stating that some of the gas companies
are not bound to supply gas to parishes or consu-
mers, even at their maximum price, and that
others claim to have the gas owing for by an out-
going tenant paid by an incoming tenant or refuse
the supply, a principle they considered most unfair
—the memorial prayed the Government to support
an inquiry by a committee of the House of Com-
mons inA) the existing arrangements for the supply
of ges similar to that made respecting the supply of
water to the metropolis, and the Home Secretary
would be pleased to support any measure tending to
destroy the evil effects of the monopoly and other
grievances complained of.
Mr. Hattersley, of Marylebone, and Mr. Young,
of St. Pancras, pressed the matter ou the conside-
ration of the right hon. gentleman.
Sir John Shelley and Lord Ebrington urged that
this was a grievance, felt not only by the parishes,
but by the private consumers.
Mr. Redfern, of Newington, said the grand point
was, to enforce upon the companies quantity,
quality, and price.
Mr. Walpole said he confessed that a very strong
prima facie ease had been made out, both by the
memorial and the statements made ; but what he
would suggest was, that the deputation and the
metropolitan members should agree as to the
grouses and details of the inquiry they wished a
committee of the House of Commons to enter into,
and then he would bring tl.c whole question before
Lord Derby. (Cries of "Hear, hear," and marks
of approbation.)
The Hon. Mr. Byng, on the part of the deputa-
tion, thanked the Howe Secretary for his sugges-
tion ; and it then retirel, highly satisfied with the
result of the interview.