The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-02 00:00:00

SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE METROPOLIS.

Sir F. BURDETT, on introducing his motion
relative to the Water Companies, recapitulated the
objects for which the Commission of Inquiry had
been appointed on .the subject, the quality Of the
water supplied to the western parts of the-metropolis,
and the- discovery of a remedy for the inconvenience
complained of. The report of the Committee stated -
their. opinion that the Water Was unfit. for use, and
-injurious to the health. Why then should the public
be compelled to pay heavy rates for such water ?
Notwithstanding the lateness of the Session a Com-
mittee would have sufficient time tninvestigate the
subject, with a viellsto an arrangement of the question.
The authority of Doctor Paris was decisive in proof
of the insalubrious nature of the water supplied by
the Grand Junction Water Company. Mr. Wright
also pointed out the same thing in an able pamphlet,
at • the hazard of beingprosecuted by the Grand
Junction CoMpany. Dr. Somerville - also had
given an account of the water, which was enough to
turn one's stomach. - There was no doubt of the ex-
istence of this He hoped there would be as
little on, the necessity of removing it. The mono-
poly itself was an evil most oppressive on the inha-
bitants 'of the metropolis. That monopoly was esta-
blished by means of an Act which was smuggled
through the House as a private Bill. It gave uncon-
stitutional powers to the Company: Under it they
imposed rates for their water at three hundred per
cent. On the establishment of the Grand junction-
Company, the water rates were raised from W.' to
10/. It was a disgrace to the Legislature to. allow
the metropolis to be oppressed:by this monopoly,
and disgusted by such water. On theSe grounds
he hoped the House would agree that the Com-•
mittee of 1821 should be revived for the purpose of
removing these evils. He thought that .the Com-
mission had been too much limited in its object ;
and he would now move for a Cominittee to give ef-
feet to the proceedings of the former Committee.—
It was remarked in the report that no difficulty ex-
isted in supplying Paris with wholesome water, and
this was because the Government had a proper re-
gard for the feelings, the comfort, and the health of
the people. It was remarked too, that -Edinburgh
was copiously supplied from. a considerable distance,
according to the plan devised by the late .Mr. Ren-
nie. Now, by his (Sir Francis Burdett's) plan,
there would be an abundant supply of pure
and excellent water for all purposes, and he
-thought it was the duty of the Government
to see that the supply of water in the metropolis
was such as it ought to be. Ile remembered, iu re-
ference, to this subject, the Act of a Monarch whose
Memory was - not much respected, and indeed did
.not deserve to be respected. Sir Hugh Myd-
dieton had expended large sums upon a specu-
lation of supplying the city with water, but
so little justice or generosity, .or so little sense, had
the inhabitants at that timw that they refused to
come forward with the slightest' contribution, and
this -enterprising individual might have died in the
gaol to which he was committed, if James 11. had
not paid 7,000/. for him, not out of the public funds,
but out of his private purse. He hoped that Par-
liament would in some degree imitate the generosity
of this unpopular Monarch, and not refuse the mise-
rable pittance required to complete the plan which
the Committee On the subject would have laid be-
fore them. He had been told , by Mr. James Mills
that 3001. would be sufficient. No one company
should be allowed to supply the others, for this
would only have the effect of straitening the supply.
But the plan he proposed was of another character,
and if he had the sanction of the House, he would
he proud of doing the thing himself. The plan was
to bring water from Teddington, by means of
forcing pumps, to Wimbledon Common. [Acre he
would have a reservoir established, from which. all
the companies should be obliged to take their water..
The whole line Wetild not be much more than nine
miles, and there were plenty of persons ready to
embark in the speculation, if they, once had the
sanction of Government to assure them they would
have the necessary support tq eu4ble them to carry
their plans into effect, The Right Hon. Baronet.
concluded by moving for a Committee to take into
potisideration the Report of the- Commissioners of.
Inquiry respecting the supply of Water for the Me-
tropolis;. and. to .see if any 6.4, what remedy could be
devised for the many and great grievances of sl;lkich -
the inhabitants complained.
Sir J. YOIi.ICE did not thin}; the Hon-. Bart. had
dealt with the subject in his issnal straightforward
manner. He (Sir F. Berdett) had. founded his re-
marks upon an extremely exaggerated statement.
The Hon. Baronet had directed his attack peculiarly
against the Grand Junction Company. Ho (Sir
orke) had no share in any of these Companies; he
was no Joint-Stock Baronet ; he had only'one little
share in the Waterloo-bridge,
something- about one per eent,—,(Laughter.) But
his at tack—for in
that the Hon Ba-
ronet
he eeuld have from a well in bis own house.
p4lly supplied him with water.
tY4rktehe Grand Junction
be could truly say that. the Garsa‘rp:Cliiirc.eihiainuCd'iteiolldirliendpCiodi'lmifils:
C
Mr. Secretary PEEL could not agree with the
obj
toectthore metropolis.--(A
Icon.
() mpßaolapl
yrpooaussei
opposite
eSi
plarefdJmuodss:aeeatltriel
r
his opinion a more impartial attack never had been
made; it certainly included all the establishments
He must say that these establishments had
been allowed to exist in such. numbers, by the Go-
vernment, with a view to competition, and that now
by concert among themselves they had created a
oaaaopOly, .The House of Commons had given
for the supply
certain privileges to these Companies, and the

House of Commons was assuredly entitled to
know how these privileges were made use of.
He had ne objection to inquire into the mode in
which these establishments had discharged their
duty. So far he- agreed with the Hon. Baronet,
but he
.was afraid that on another. point he would be
compelled to entertain some difference of opinion.
The question was, by whom was the remedy. to be
:provided ? -The; arguments of the Hon. :Baronet
were directed to, prove that it ought to be by his
Majesty's' Government, and if the Hon. Baronet
-could establish this point, what would be the• con-
sego ences ? What would be the consequence if it
:were clearly made out. that this duty ought to be
undertaken by the Government? That the -sub-
ject was important—that the Government ought to
regard it, with a watchful eye, and that the House of
CoMmOns was entitled to demand from these Com-
panies an account' of the-way in which the powers
entrusted to them had been used, and the obliga-
tions they had contracted were .discharged, he 'was
most ready to admit; but then he must remark that
there was a vast difference in the established mode
of procuring the supply of various things for pdblic
use and benefit in this country and in despotic
countries. The lighting the metropolis was. most
important,
.and yet it was not done by Goveruient.
The security from tire, and the making of roads-.and
bridges, were both done •by private speculation, and
with a view to individual remuneration.. Waterloo
Bridge, in which the; Hon. Baronet (Sir J. Yorke)
held so profitable a share, was the work of individuals.
The supply of the markets, too, was always left to
individual enterprise. But now the• Hon. Baronet
looked to Parliament.ta act like a despotic Gosiern-
ment, to rival Buonaparte, and construct aqueducts
and.canals. It was all well to call on them to per-
-form miracles ; but he should first supply: them
with the. means, and look to what the- expellee
would be. If the Government was to conrstruct
aqueducts for the metropolis, upon the same prin-
ciple would they be obliged to do so- for- all
the great towns and cities of the empire. But
with respect to such interference on the part of
Government, not only did he say that it would be
unwise; but that it would ultimately render matters:
much worse, considering-the way in which Govern-
ment _was constituted. A great part of the -Hon.
Baronet's speech was founded upon the reasoning of
the physicians ; but upon this he was not disposed
to place so much reliance. The Hon. Baronet-said
that 3001. would complete the plan he advocated ;
but if there was to be a company formed on the
specnlation, why should they not pay the engineers ?
But, independent of this, what would the land cost,.
and how was the Nmpany to he repaid. In giving;
publicity to. the. Hon. Baronet's plan, they were,
giving but little to the world, unless they could also.
give an estimate-of- all-the expenses to be inetirre!l,,
and the remuneration to be expected, unlit' !him by
it engineers should happen to be mistaken in this,
the cry of those who had embarked their nion4y iii
the speeulation would be that they. had been. de-
ceived..by the Government. .He thought the report
would do good, for if it were clearly shown that
the water supplied at preSent was bad, and that the,
rates were too high, there would be no difficulty ill
establishing atiew company, which Parliament would
not hesitate to sanction. In fact, the inquiry hint
already produced a good effect. He had received
several plans—one, amongst others, front the Grand
Junction Company, offering to form a reservoir to
supply all the Companies, at Barnes Elms, or if the,
water there was not considered sufficiently pine, at
Teddington or Richmond. He believed that. auv
interference on the part of Government woulderdy-
have the .effect of impeding the supply, checking
speculation, and ultimately breaking up tins
machine altogether. He wished the Hon. Baronet
had moved for an inquiry at an curlier period, When
it
,might have been rendered more efficient. He had
no interest in defending these Companies. - The only
course for the Hon. BaroneCto pursue, would he to
:take the reports of the most eminent engineers who
could be employed, and to act upon their. information.
Any new private Company to he formed muit,pro-
ceed upon this principle. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr.
Peel) would not resist the.niption now ; but it wa,
clear nothing could be done in the matter this,SeS,
lion. lie would have no objection next Sessiv-
a. ,with every requisite power .:„at.
Hon, Baronet himself could claim for' it; but in
Le inter-
meddling.theiean time,of
G ohveentimhoeungthtt.ou that direct
iduce no ' good
effect whatever. , •

'...1 to

Mr.' HOB HOUSE expressed his satisfaction at
the Right Hon.4entlemates • acquiescenee in the
Motion. He owned he did net augur as favourably
of the.good effects of competition among all the dill,
fere% existing Companies, who possessed the whole
of this great , city_ in so many districts, and was afraid
that artless Parliament did interfere, ,the supply of
water would continue to be as had as ever, and the
public must be content to grant to the same offenders
another fifty years' lease of their stomachs, and,
bladders.—(A laugh.)
Mr.. WA RAURTON thought that The .com-
plaints. avainst the Thames water had been ridicu,
lously exaggerated.-
Sir F. BURDETT explained, and havit6lvitlt-
drawn his original motion,.presented it in this amend-
ed forma in which it was finally agreed '4l)—" -That a
Committee be appointed to inquire Into the supply
of water to the metropolis, and the rates paid by the
inhabitants; that five be a quorotn.).' The names of
the Committee were then read over.
coLaNIAI COMIESPONDENCE.
Mr. 11USKIS,h0N, after observing that he held
in his hand the;volumitious mass of -correspondence
already published- by order of that House, on the
subject •of slaves, and the laws affecting them in the
West Indies, stated that , oneletter, which he con-
sidered of great importance, inasmuch as though he
had written it with st• view of conciliation, had led to
much.miSaPprehonsion and heart-burning. This let-
ter ryas, pt incluAed among the other papers, It
wo;thl • be in the recollection of the. House that the
House of Assembly at Jamaica had passed a conso-
lidating law, which he (Mr. Huskisson) when Se-
cretary for the colonies, had felt it to be his duty
not to aAlvise his Majesty to give the Royal Assent
to, Now, from the correspondence to which the,
letter in question had led, it would be seen that this ,
advice had been miseonstrued into an intention ou
! the part of the Ring in Council to interfere with ;he
,
legislatures of the Colonies in their privilege of
making laws; but, both in the facial letter which he
had written to the governor of Jamaica, and in thok,
letter he was ROW speaking of, which was a private
one to the Lieutenant-Governor, written by him on
rho same day, he had expressly stated that the ground
upon which the -Royal Assent wits advised to .be
withheld front a.law that was in ether respects very
.
Valuable and pleasing to the Government at home,
was, that' it had a direct tendency to interfere with
time freedom of religious worship. The Right Hon.
Gentleman, after eulogizing the conduct of the vari-
ous classes of missionaries who had visited the West
India Islands, concluded by moving an address for
the copy of a letter from the. Secretary of -Stale for
the Colonies, to the Lieutenant-Governor of Ja-
maica, dated Sept. 22, 1827.
Mr. BERNAL and Mr. BRIGHT expressed some_
doubts as to the accuracy of the Right Hon. Gentle-
man's historical recollection in respect of this Colo-
nial Bill,

S►r G. MURRAY saw nothing- objectionable in
the motion, and should not oppose' the production
of the paper.
After a few words from Mr. HUSKISSON and Mr.
W. SMITH, the motion was agreed to.
On the motion of Mr. COURTENAY, the House re-
solved itself into, a Committee on the Customs Bill.,
Mr. F. LEWIS gave notice of his intention to,
►nove for a further reduction of the existing duty on,
foreign wool.
Mr. HUSKISSON intimated a similar intention
in respect of the duty on rice, the produce of our
East India possessions.

Mr. HCIVIE was of opinion that it would be
highly advantageous to allow u large remission of
the present ,duties upon.cashmere shawl, and esser-
tial oils, imported from India and other parts 4 Asia.
Mr. BRIGHT suggested the expedient' of lOwer-

ing the duties now chargeable upon various vegetable
oils extracted from nuts and other fruits, the pro-
duce of our West India Colonies, and which duties
now stood at the rate of 221. per ton, to the same
level at least as the duty on palm oil, which was but
8/. a ton.

Mr. BENETT thought it would be injudicious,
looking to the rapid improvement and great beauty
of our own shawl manufacture, to lower at present
the duty on Cashmeres.
Mr. COURTENAY was happy to inform his
Right lion. Friend, Mr. Iluskisson, that it had
been already determined to lower the duty en East
India rice to one shilling per cent.—(llear.)—Upon
the other suggestions he was not yet prepared to
speak, but would take them into his immediate con-
sideration.

A clause was then moved, pro forma. The
House resumed, the Report was brought up, and
ordered to be taken' into further consideration on
Monday next