The Sun.
London, England, 1818-04-09 00:00:00

SUPPLY OF WATER IN THE METROPOLIc.

The Earl of SIL\ FTEsBU ay presented a Petition
front the Grand Junction Wate-r- works Company,
and stated that it was not his intention to bring
forward, at present, any motion upon. the sub-
ject, but to wait till the Bill, which it appealed
by the votes was, now in the House of Commons,
came up to their Lorthhips.
The Petition was read, stating, that the Com-
pany had erected machinery, and made arrange-
ments for the abiardant supply of certain parts of
ele metropolis with water, at an expenee of
300,000/..; that the subscribers, although seven
years had, elapsed since the Company was esta-
blished, had yet received no dividend upon their
shares, the whole of the water rents being neces-
sarily swallowed up in the charges for machinery,
tke..; that they were desirous of serving water at n
rate merely sufficient to pay them a moderate re-
turn for their capital employed ; and praying
that the House would appoint a Committee.. to
ifirestigate the subj::et.—Ordered to lie on the,
table.

The Earl of LAUDPRDALE adverted. to what he
Lad said on a former evening, respectitig_these
Companies dividing the town between them, .tied
thereby establi,hing a monopoly in each disttiet ;
and obscrved, that air next. day he received a
letter front a'Mr. Coe. Secretary to the Grand Junc-
tion Company, referriug to what had passed in
the Howe, and expre!;sieg his stoprise at the
ignorance that prevailed .upon the subject. He
deemed it requisite to inform Mr. Cot, that he
(Lord Lauderdale) did not think it altogether a
correct way of referring to proceedings in Parlia-
ment ; but, as he was not one of those who would
be disposed to bring-Mr. Coe to the Bar for such
a letter, he entered into some conversation with
hint, in e hich Mr. Coe endeavoured to prove
every thing in favour of the Company ; but by
which be (Lord Lauderdale) was completely con-
vinced that a monopoly was actually established,
anti that, too, of an article of the first necessity.
It was impossible for any one to deny, that to al-
low such -a monopoly without some • regulation
'vas pregnaet with the most mischievous conse-
quences to the public. To.fix a maximum was
very diffienit, and required .much 'deliberation;
and whilst two Companies were serving water in
the sante district, it was not necessary, as the
competition ensured a supply at the hiwest rate ;
but' now, when this competition was at an end,
and amonopoly substituted, it became the duty
of the Legislature to fix the rate at which water
should be screed, in order to prevent the poss.
trt imposition upon the. public.
_lt was not
24 hours atter lie received Mr. Coe's letter,
that he received a letter from a poor housekeeper,
stating, that be had formerly been served by the
New River. Company at 28s. per annum; another
-Company offerer' to serve him at 245. Ile went
to the New River Company, and was willing they
:should coutinue to serve him., if they would do it
at 245. The rate was 'educed, and now when the
competition was done away. the rate was again
raised to 28s. This served strongly to sleety the
effects of the monopoly. -It happened also that
the Duke of Bedford's tenants were all now served
by one Company, ant! there were a great number
of complaints from them, iu consequence of their
being subjected, whither they would or no, to
such a monopoly. The conduct of these Water
Companies formed one of the stroneest Cases that
veer called for the interference of Parliament, and
it was materially aggravated by the circumstance
that not above two years ago an application from
two of. the Companies, to be-allowed Jo colt/bine
their interests, was rejected by the House of Com-
mons, and yet, notwithstanding this, they !lad
since, by private agreement, carried into effect
that monopoly svhich the Hoes" of Commons
lead decided should not be allowed to exist. He
trusted that the Bill now in the Flonse of Com-
mons would pass ; but if it abroad not come up
to that House, he trusted their Lordships would
trot separate without adopting some measure upon
the subject, with the view of remedying an evil
which was certainly of an enormous magnitude.
Adjourned till to-morrow (this day).