The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-13 00:00:00

711 E CM GAS QUESTION.

A numerous meeting of the inhabitants of the
ward of Furring -on Without W 45 held last even-
ing in the Sessions House, Old Bailey, convened by
Alderman Sir James Duke, M.P., in the following
terms :

"In pursuance of the following requisition,
numerously and respectably signed, addressed to
me, as Alderman of the ward of Farringdon With-
out, I hereby appoint a meeting of the inhabitants
of the said ward, to take the same into considera-
tion, on Tuesday next, the 12th day of November
inst., at six for seven o'clock in the evening pre-
cisely, at the Sessions House, Old Bailey :
„

"' To thelVorshipfal Sir James Duke Bart., M.P., Alder•

man of the Ward of Farringdon. Without.
" We, the undersigned inhabitants of your ward, re-
spectfully request that you will call a wardmote at your
earliest convenience, to take into consideration the increase
in the price of gas.
" ' Dated this 7th day of November, 1861.
" JAMES DUKE, Alderman."
The chair was taken by the worthy alderman
precisely at seven o'clock, at which time the build-
ing was crowded in every part.
The CHAIRMAN said that in consequence of a re-
quisition directed to him, be felt happy in comply-
ing with the request EO made at the earliest oppor-
tunity. He was glad to see so many gentlemen
present to consider and discuss an important ques-
tion, and had only to express a hope that if any
one were present who entertained a different opinion
he would get a fair and impartial hearing. (Hear,
hear.) He then called on the Ward Clerk to read
the requisition.
Mr. PONTIFEX having done so,
Mr. POTTER said he rose in consequence of that
requisition to ask a question of the worthy alder-
man. That meeting purported to be one of the in-
habitants of the Ward of Farringdon Without, but
he saw many faces there from Bow and elsewhere,
who were not inhabitants, and he wished to know
whether it was proper they should take a part in
the proceedings.

Sir JAMES DUKE, M.P., replied that those who
were strangers now present must have been ad-
mitted by the carelessness of the beadles at the dcor,
but he hoped no gentleman unconnected with the
ward would have the bad taste to take any part in
the business of that meeting.
Mr. POTTER observed that under these circum-
stances he should move that those not connected
with the ward should immediately withdraw.
(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
Mr. STANBOROUGH seconded the motion, because
he believed that the strangers present were almost
to a man connected with gas companies in the city
of London, and were there to interrupt the pro-
ceedings. (Hear, hear.)
The CHAIRMAN put the motion, which was carried
by a great majority, and he then requested strangers
coweteously to withdraw, but they declined doing
so; upon which

Mr: PONTIFEX (the ward clerk) suggested that
the beadles be called ou to turn out those not con-
nected with the ward. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. HARTEY would not have recourse to such a
proceeding, but he severely reprehended the conduct
of those who remained at that meeting after the
courteous request made by their worthy alderman.
(Cheers.) He had been an inhabitant of that ward
for 30 years, and never saw such a scene as the pre-
sent. He looked upon it as a disgrace to the gas
companies that they should pack that court with
their men to stifle the honest expressions of opinion
of the inhabitants of this ward—inhabitants, he
would add, who were already taxed too severely.
(Hear, hear.) He was ashamed of those of his fellow-
men who would come into that ward to interfere
with the feelings and opinions of the inhabitants.
(Cheers.) Their conduct was most disgraceful, and
he should, under the circumstances, move that that
wardmote be dissolved.

Mr. Deputy OBBARD suggested that they might
go on with the business of the meeting, and they
need not allow any strangers to take a part in it.
(Cries of "No, no.")
Mr. LUSTIER thought it would be better to dis-
solve the wardmote at once, and he should therefore
ccrdially support the proposition of his friend Mr.
Harvey.

The question was then put, and being almost
unanimously carried, the wardmote was dissolved.
On a vote of thanks being passed to the Chair-
man,

Sir X. DUKE returned thanks, and said be should
be happy at all times to comply with the wishes
of his fellow wardsmen, especially on so important
a question as that which they had met to discuss
that evening. He was sorry for what had occurred,
but hoped steps would be taken to prevent a recur-
rence of it hereafter.

Mr. G. WALTER wished to know from the
worthy alderman when it was his intention to
convene the next meeting.
Sir ,TAMES DUKE replied that he could not mane
a day until he got a requisition, but he would do so
immediately aftr.
A requisition' was at once prepared in the ante
room, and presented to the worthy Alderman, to
call another meeting for the same purpose, and
Tuesday next was fixed, when it is understood such
measures will be adopted as will exclude all persons
who have not any right to be present according to
the terms of the requisition.
The proceedings then terminated.

Yesterday again, at a meeting of the Commis-
sioners of Sewers, held at Guildhall, Deputy Christie
in the chair, the question of the supply of gas to the
whole city, under the new Metropolis Gas Act, was
brought prominently under consideration. A report
was read from a special committee of the commis-
sion to whom it was recently referred to consider,
with particular regard to the Great Central Gas
Consumers' Act of 1851, a letter, dated 2d of Sep-
tember last, signed by the chairmen of the three
city gas companies, intimating that on and after
Michaelmas their charge would be increased to 4s.
6d. a thousand feet for ordinary coal gas. They
had also to consider whether the interests of the
gas consumers are sufficiently protected by the Me-
tropolis Gas Act, and, if not, whether it is desirable
to apply to Parliament for more efficient means to
remedy the complaints as to the quality and purity
of the gas, and for authority to test the illuminat-
ing power at the place of consumption, instead of
at 1,000 yards from the works, as required by the
new Act. The advantage of conferring with the
Law and Parliamentary Committee of the Corpora-
tion. A conference had also been had with the
directors of three of the companies supplying the
city with gas; the City of London Gas Company
being represented by Mr. Gray, the chairman ; the
Chartered Gas Company by Mr. Howe Browne,
deputy•governor, and Captain Giffard ; and the
Great Central by their chairman, Alderman Dakin,
and by Deputy Virtue, Mr. Warren, and Mr.
Rowe. The question was put to those gentlemen—
whether, if the corporation were to introduce a bill
into Parliament to exempt the city of London from
the Act of 1860, the companies would oppose it.
To that the representatives of the Chartered Com-
pany and of the City Gas Company, replied that
they should decidedly feel it their duty to oppose
any such measure. Alderman Dakin, for the Great
Central, said he was not in a position to give a
decided answer to the question. They were then
asked whether they were prepared to withdraw the
notice they had given of their intention to increase
the price of gas to 4s. 6d. a thousand feet. They
all replied that they could not do so. To the next
question, whether they would consent to the test-
ing being made within the city, instead of at 1,000
yards from the works, the representatives of the
City Gas and the Great Central Company cordially
agreed to do so, while the directors of the Chartered
Company said their testing place was already in
Coleman-street, the very heart of the city. A ques-
tion was then put—whether, assuming the advanced
price was conceded, they would agree to abandon
the power given them by the new act for districting
the city. The deputation stated that, as such a pro-
ceeding could not be taken until August, 1863, they
were not in a situation to answer the question, which
they thought premature. The committee had subse-
quently placed before them by the Ci ty of London and
the Great Central Companies the subjoined proposi-
tions, the probability being that the Chartered. Com-
pany would also assent to them :—First, that they
would undertake for five years to come not to charge
a higher price than 4s. Gd. a thousand feet, nor
charge any rent for the use of meters ; nor that
cannel coal should be used, except by special agree-
ment with the parties consuming. This was the
substance of the report of the committee, and yes-
terday Deputy Christie, their chairman, said it was
ns iomrpelsyo l au
tsitoant eomn e
tn of facts,
ht
e subject. ando that
On
th they
e motion came
riteo-
puty Harrison the report was ordered to be entered
on the minutes of the Court. Dr. Abraham had
given notice of his intention to move that the Com-
mission of Sewers do not enter into any contract
with the Great Central for the public lighting until
the
ee notice issued by the company to raise
price of gas to 4s. Gd. a thousand feet had been
unconditionally withdrawn ; but the City Solicitor
expressing an opinion that the Court could not fairly
entertain the question, the motion was withdrawn.
A petition from the ward of Bishopsgate-without,
complaining of bad faith on the part of the Great
Central in raising their price to 4s. 6d. a thousand
feet, was, on the motion of Dr. Abraham, referred
to a committee to consider and report. Dr. Abra-
ham then, in a speech of considerable length, reite-
rated all the objections he has so.often expressed in
this court against the application of the new Act to
the city, and against the Great Central Company
for raising their price from 4s. to 48.
g
regard to their pretensions in 1851, that their
price 1m
was to crush a monopoly, and reduce their
of gas to the consumers. He moved, pursuant ,

to notice, that the Remembrancer be instructed to
give the necessary Parliamentary notices that
application will be made to Parliament by this com-
mission for leave to introduce, in the next Session,
a Bill to amend the Metropolis Gus Act, or to ex-
empt the City of London from its operation. Oa
this a long argument ensued, but it lay in a nut-
shell, so to speak. By Dr. Abraham and other
members it was contended that, although tile Great
Central at their commencement in 1851 not only
gave a guarantee that their maximum price should
never exceed 4s. 6d. a thousand feet, but that it
might possibly be reduced to 3s. 6d. or 35., had re-
cently determined upon raising the price to 4s. 6d.,
which would entail a serious loss to the citizens,
especially the numerous class of small tradesmen.
Alderman Dakin argued, on the other hand, that
the circumstances were now wholly altered, and
that the Great Central, by the recent Act, within
the purview and operation of which they were
brought, were compelled to raise their illuminating
power 14 per cent. at least, and that to recoup
themselves they had increased their price an addi-
tional 6d. a thousand. The motion, after being
supporte
Mr. Frisker, supported by Deputyree, and Deputy r Fry, Deputy)uty Farrar,
Jones, lVnld
anal
Saunders,
showopp oi.
handsosedb and carried.yDeputyEl
Elliott, was submitted to a

TEE PROPOSED ROAD ACROSS HYDLP

PARK.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the representative
vestry of Chelsea, under the presidency of Mr. J.
Miles, a communication from residents in Bayswater
was submitted, asking for an expression of opinion
frcm that body on the proposed new road across the
pa►k, north and south.

Mr. LAME (vestry clerk) read the communica-
tion. which was to the effect that the parishes of
Paddington and Kensington had been induced to
commence an agitation for this much-required roed,
and a public meeting would be held shortly on that
side of the park ; and the, object of the communi-
cants was to request the active members of that
vestry to take up the question simultaneously, as
they thought that such an array of opinion would
certainly carry the point, which was very desirable,
for London generally, and especially for Chelsea
and adjacent parishes.

A long letter from Messrs. H. and R. Powell, of
Bayswater, also accompanied the above, stating the
expediency and urgency of the scheme being imme-
diately carried out in time for the forthcoming
Great Exhibition ; and containing their plan for the
said road, which has been already pretty generally
published. It proposed that the road should enter
on the north, at the foot of Westbourne-terrace, and
running along the ditch on the east of the
brick wall which enclosed Kensington -gardens,
passing over Kensington-bridge, into the main
road opposite Exhibition-road, at an expenditure of
£25,000 or £30,000.

The CHAIRMAN and others expressed t heir opinion
that the road was much needed for the convenience
of the public, which was admitted on all sides, but
the plan to accomplish the object required more
consid€ ration than they were then prepared to give
it.

Mr. BIRCH moved that the question be referred
to the Committee of Works to report, which was
seconded and unanimously agreed to.

SILK FROM THE PUIIT.TAUB.

Mr. H. Fleming, secretary to the Manchester
Chamber of Commerce, has received, through the
Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
some samples of silk grown by Mr. H. Cope, in the
Umritser district of the Punjaub; and also copies
of correspondence between Mr. Cope and the pri-
vate secretary to the Governor-General of India
with regard to the same. The samples, which are at
present at *the offices of the chamber in King street,
are to be submitted to the silk trade in this district
together with the correspondence ; as in the letter
addressed to Mr. Fleming it is requested that "my
lords may be favoured with the opinion of the
chamber as to the character and commercial value
of this silk, and especially whether it would com-
mand a sale in the English market, and if so wl.ut,
price would probably be obtained for it." The spe-
cimens are, we understand from cocoons of the
Kashmeer stock ; and the secretary to the Agricul-
tural and Horticultural Society of India, in report-
ing to Mr. Cope the discussion at a meeting of that
society, when cocoons and some of the reeled silk
were submitted, says :—" This silk was much ad-
mired by the members present as of first-rate quality
being of very fine bright colour and good thread.
It was considered that it the production could be
extended, it would be a favourite silk in the Eng-
lish market." Mr. Cope, in his first letter to the
Governor-General, stated this opinion with some
General information as to the plans he had adopted,
adding, " My recent experiment may be considered
to have finally and affirmatively decided the hitherto
disputed question whether silk may be raised with
advantage in this part of the Punjaub . Land
and labour are cheap, and the mulberry tree grows
to perfection here." In his reply the private secretary
to Lord Canning says that his lordship has read the
letters with much pleasure, and desires to be in-
formul " what steps you have taken to make known
in England the value of samples such as you enclose
in your letter, and whether the Government
can be of any use in this respect." Mr. Cope
answers that he will gladly make over the whole of
his out-turn to be sent to England under the auspices
of the Indian Government. In subsequent letters he
informs Lord Canning'that he proposes to keep his
operations on a limited scale this year (the corres-
pondence was in July), but that he hopes to do more
hereafter • that he has planted 3i acres with the
Moms Multicarius, and proposes to extend the
area largely next year, if he can get land on fa-
vourable terms ; that a friend had, on his strong
recommendation, entered on a large plantation,
where he bad got 50,000 cuttings of the mulberry
shrub into the ground ; and that the executive of
the Barce Doab Canal were anxious to plant the
shrub along the banks of their canal, and be hoped
to have cuttings enough to supply them next year.
—blanchester Guardian.

DESTRUCVION OF A BRIDGE NEAR
ROME.

An eye-witness gives the following account of the
destruction of the magnificent bridge at Civita Cas-
tellana, 40 miles from Rome, which traversed the
ravine, at the entry of that town from Narni, at a
height of 120 ft. above the torrent, and was con-
structed upon more ancient foundations by Cardinal
Imperiali in 1712, in the reign of Pope Clement
Xl.:—" You are doubtless aware of the tremendous
rains and the damage produced by them here in
Civita Castellani on the 29th and 30th Oct. There
are in our territory three important bridges, among
which is the renowned one known as the Clemen-
tino, close to the city, v, hich Napoleon I. declared to
be the best of the kind in Italy. It was extremely
lofty, supported on five pilasters of grandiose dimen-
sions. These three bridges, struck by the impetus of
the waters after mid-day on the 30th ult., were all
carried away. On that morning the Clementine-
bridge was visited by numerous spectators, curious to
behold the increase and the violence of the rushing
element below. About 3 p.m. I also, accompanied
by my friend, Signor Ferdinando repaired to
the bridge to gaze upon the headlong course of the
swollen torrent. We stopped to look over from the
projecting recess on the centre of the bridge to the
right hand. At that moment the handle of the um-
brella which I carried in my hand got entangled.
in
tlhe feet wouldecentre
s in the act of
arch but one
on a s
the fast
w aaa
yss t our r
Iratwurnthede
wrosulnldof,tothdeisernetcaen,sgile it, and in so
ma
oyi ncgo
splitting. I. shouted out to G—, Escape for the
7hbaecfabneetno givest
carrybridge
uiss,
and
dhnwg
fledelreWsteill
sr n
whiche d
fallingwhrecess,e n
wherehi
in the br
wddirection of thean city,dng taonwda rcd9
we had fled, so that we saved our lives by having a
start of 10 or 12 yards. The catastrophe produced
the greatest consternation in Civita Castellana, it
being feared that a great many persons had been
precipitated into the torrent, but I was able to calm
the general apprehension by the assurance that my
friend and myself were the only two persons on the
bridge at the time. It is a terrible thing to see laid
low a bridge which, from its appearance, promised
an almost eternal duration. Only one pilaster is still
upright, the last on the Narni side, which also I
saw oscillate twice after it lost the support of
the other masonry. It now seems firm again. We
have an inspector and some engineers here, and a
new supplementary road is already being. com-
menced on a convenient track by Sant!, Alaria(th
ancient Etruscan city of Phalleri), which, we
road dose
al-
luded to will cross the torrent and ravineU mication
m
will be completed in about a month." l
miles higher up, and so re-open the
ccunbria
un
haebo t four
between Rome and the province of •

YORKSHIRE WRINGS: The magistr.. 'y and
a system of hiring
s have formed an as-
clergy of the North and East Riding
estatboti,nginstead of at statute
servants
fboyr theregistrars
o s
ien o ft
he
fairs, where many demoralising influences are constantly at
The master s,
work. The association commenced operation at the Mahon
Statutes on Saturday, but although many hundreds of ser.
vents of both sexes were in the open market-place,
be enticlevd
oiindto
farmers the exchange
of
y orwhichk s hi r Nev, a s
specially
but
seemed veryt
e /
o
favour the movement, and
appropriated for the day as a register-office.
Th
fewparticularlycould
dthe
made frequent, though unsuc-
cessful, visits. The association intend
to use all end ea-
yours to induce the servants to avail themselves of the ad-
vantages offered at the nut three statutes yet to be he d,

ANOTHER VIOLENT GALE.

SHIPWRECK AND LOSS OF LIVES.

The heavy gales which prevailed last week were
renewed with great severity on Sunday night and
Monday, and in the Channel the weather was
awfully stormy, with tremendous seas running.
The most conspicuous disaster, as yet reported
(writes our Liverpool correspondent yesterday) is
the foundering about eight miles north of the Bell
Buoy of the barque Prompt, Captain Whittle, bound
from Rangoon via Akyab to Liverpool (laden with
rice and other cargo), and the loss of 15 lives. The
official despatch on the subject posted at the Under-
writers' Rooms, Liverpool, is as follows :
" The Prompt (Whittle), from Rangoon, bound
Liverpool, foundered eight miles N.E. of the Bell
Buoy at four p.m. yesterday, in eight fathoms of
water."

It is feared that the vessel was carrying too much
sail„ and that being struck by a tremendous sea
she was thrown upon her beam ends and went
down almost immediately. Ffteen of the crew
perished, and the remainder, consisting of the cap-
tain, mate, pilot, and boy, were rescued by the
steam-tug Brother Jonathan, and landed in Liver-
pool this afternoon. The gale was raging furiously
at the time, and it was not without great difficulty
and danger that the men were picked up. The
Prompt was a vessel of 767 tons burden, was built
at Quebec in 1853, and had a large quantity of
cotton on board in addition to the rice and other
cargo.
Captain Whittle (with whom our correspondent
had an interview yesterday afternoon) made the
following statement :—" We left Rangoon on the
15th June, with a cargo of rice, and on the 6th
November we left Queenstown (where we called for
orders), for Liverpool. Our crew consisted of 18
men and boys, and one of the crew, Nicholas Johns,
was left at Queenstown unwell. We took on board
Shaw, of No. 3 pilot boat, at Point Lynas, on Sun-
day. We ran up to the north-west light-ship on
Monday morning, intending, if possible, to enter
the port when the tide answered. The wind at
this time was blowing very fresh from W. by S.,
with thick weather. We tried to work off the
ship to the N., with close-reefed topsails, so as to
clear the banks. At about noon, and while about
10 miles distant from the Bell Buoy, a heavy beam-
sea struck the vessel and at once disabled her. By
the pilot's advice we cut away the mizen mast to
ease the ship. About 3 o'clock, when the vessel
was on the point of foundering, the steam-tug Bro-
ther Jonathan hove up and tried to take us in tow.
She threw us a hawser line, and seeing that the
ship was likely to settle down forward, five of the
men tied themselves to it. The rope, however, got
entangled in the cat-head, and though one of the
men got on board the steamer, the other four went
down with the ship, which soon after went over on
her beam-ends, settling down for some time pre-
viously :at the bow. At this time I was in the
cabin with the steward, and he was trying to put on
a life belt, when the sea broke in upon us. He was
drowned in the companion way. I managed to
work my way up by the hold on the wheel house.
From there I was washed into the sea with
John Murphy, the first mate, and a little boy named
George Murray (who could not swim). While in
the sea the wheelhouse broke from the ship with a
fearful noise, and with great difficulty we managed
to reach it. The sea capsized the wheelhouse seve-
ral times, but by obeying my direction Murray
always managed to hold on, while I and Murphy
swam about at intervals. The ship drifted to lee-
ward, and soon foundered. I don't know what be-
came of the other men, for all the boats were
smashed, and the cargo shifted, while the sea was
fearfully high. At last the crew of the Brother
Jonathan threw life buoys to us, and
hauled us on board completely exhausted.
Nothing could surpass the kindness of the
captain and crew of the steamer, who lent
ns dry clothes, and gave us hot coffee and other
food."

The following are the names of the saved
and drowned :—Saved—Captain John Whittle,
Murphy, Ist mate, George Murray, apprentice, and
Shaw, pilot. Drowned—Kelsick Wood (of Mary-
port), 2d mate, Robert Mackenzie, carpenter, John
AV. Hall, steward, Oco Vigilant, cook, Thomas
Swainson, Hugh Letherick, Simon Hayes, Wm.
Gill, John Fenson, Thomas Jenkins, and George
Nicholson, able seamen. Apprentices, Charles Ed-
Prosser, John Mackechny and Wm. Neill.
The Prompt was owned by Messrs. E. Whittle
and Co., of Liverpool, and was thoroughly refitted
when last in port. She was fully insured, and the
cargo of about 950 tons of rice was consigned to
Messrs. Sinclair, of Belfast.
Another sad occurrence was also reported yester-
day, but fortunately unattended with loss of life,
although the crew underwent much suffering from
cold and exhaustion. It appeared that the schooner
Young Gipsey, from Newport to Liverpool, with
a cargo of bar iron, was caught in the gale on Mon-
day, while off the port. For several hours the
vessel was knocked about in the most lamentable
manner, the sea making a clean sweep over her,
carrying all moveables overboard, and it was with
the utmost difficulty that the crew could keep them-
selves secure. Ultimately, however, the vessel
became :unmanageable, and sunk when off Rhyl.
The schooner's boats had been washed away long
before, and the only hope of succour for the crew
• lay in the rigging, where they, after much difficulty,
succeeded in gaining. While here, the sea continued
to make a clear breach over them, and with the ut-
most " determination and love of life," as one of
the poor fellows not inappropriately termed it,
they clung to their precarious support, in the hopes
that daylight would discover their position to some
vessels near. Their hopes were fortunately not des-
tined to be disappointed, for at an early hour they
observed a boat making towards them, and after
some time had elapsed they made her out to be the
Point of Ayr lifeboat, coming to their rescue. At
10 o'clock the boat reached them, and in a few
minutes after the poor fellows, seven in number,
were safe.