Star.
London, England, 1818-04-04 00:00:00

' PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, APRIL 3.
Mr. Mitten, from the Exchequer Office presented at the
Bor an Account of the progress mede in the Redemption of the
Funded and Unfunded Debt of Great Britain and Ireland, for
the year ending Sth January, 1918.
Mr. BLARLIT, from the Mint Office, presented an Account of
the new Gold and Silver Coinage, as sovereigns, half sovereigns,
Etc. issued from the Mint, otherwise than to the Bank of Eng-
land, from the commencement down to the latest period of
snaking up such Accounts, pursuant to an order of the House.
Mr. HUTCHINSON from the Bank of England, presented an
Account of the Bank Notes in circulation from the year 1797
to the present year ; also the prices of Gold and Silver Bullion
and Spanish Dollars, in the same interval; and also of the
amount of New Coinage issued Emus the Bank, pursuant to an

Order of the House.
These documents were, on the Motion of the Earl of Leonia-
VALI, ordered to be printed.
The Marquis of DOWNSHIRF., after having moved that
their Lordships' Order (on the following subject), of the 16th
of March should, on account of certain inaccuracies or informa-
lities therein, be rescinded, and whicil took place accordingly,
moved that a copy of the Circular Letter addressed by the
Chief Commissioners of the Board of Excise in Ireland, to the
Clergy of the different Parishes therein, on the subject of the
Window Duties, and 21.10 to the Sovereign of Belfast on the
same, should be laid before the House.—Ordered.
Earl GROSVENOR briefly adverted to the circumstance of
the Return made, in consequence of his motion, on the subject
of Reversionary Grants, not being in his conception correct; in
illustration of which he seemed to refer to the instance of the
Return made relative to the office of Provost Marshal of the
Island of Jamaica, which had been conferred on Lord Dude,
end with respect to which he had received a letter from his
Lordship. Upon the whole, he retained his intention of sub-
raittin a proposition to the House on the subject generally. He
should certainly bring this forward at an early day, but which
he was not then prepared to particularize.
Read a third time and passed the Husbandry Horses Duty Bill

WATER COMPAI3IE.S. MONOPOLY.

Earl GROSVENOR, while he was upon his legs,
said he should beg leave to say a word or two to
their Lordships on a subject which he must regard
as of the most serious and immediate importance—
he meant that of a coalition which was said to be
formed between some of the Companies which sup-
plied the Metropolis with that most necessary article,
water—(hear, hear.) With regard to this, the Com-
panies which were said to have coalesced were the
Chelsea, the New River, and the Grand Junction,
from which, however, it was at best to be hoped that
two objects would be attended to :—First, that the
charges would be more moderate ; and, secondly,
that the supply of water would be better. On the
latter head there was great ground for improvement,
as he understood that, latterly, the quality was ex-
tremely bad, whereas formerly there was a good
supply of water. He referred more especially to the
houses in Grosvenor-square and the streets adjacent,
which, in general, were supplied with water mach
discoloured, and bad in other respects. This, inde-
pendent of what may be disagreeable in the circum-
stance, may obviously be very prejudicial to the
health of the inhabitants; for, though submitting to
the trite and vulgar dogma, that " every man was
des..iirni to swallow his peck of dirt," the inhabitants
of neighbourhood were rather unwilling to take
thus suddenly, and in such inordinate quantities, as
the conjoined companies would prescribe the inevi-
table dose. The subject had lately, and very pro-
perly been noticed elsewhere, and he trusted their
Lordships would turn their serious attention to it.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE cordially agreed
with what had fallen from the Noble Earl who had
just spoken. The subject was one certainly that called
for the most serious attention of Parliament. They

had at various times passed Bills for the beater supply
of the Metropolis with water, by different companies.
It was dope upon the principle that a competition in
soclirespects would insure a better supply of that
most necessary article to the community. If, how-'
ever, he was rightly informed, certain Companiesl
bought up the nghts of the remaining Companies,
which eventually would amount to this, that instead'
of doiiig that which Parliament had a right to ex-
pect would have been done, a complete monopoly
would be obtained by particular Companies, for a
supply of the. whole Metropolis with water. In such
a case, the grievance would not be confined to the
bad quality, as his Noble Friend had said, of the wa-
ter, but in the event of extensive fires occurring, sup-
pose in di..tant parts of the Metropolis, the difficulties
of obtaining water, on account of the limited appro-
priation of the plugs, the consequences might be
dreadful and alarming, as whole streets might be
birnt down before an adequate supply could be pro-
cured. It was, he agreed, a fit subject for the most
serious and speedy attention of Parliament, and he
had seen with pleasure, that an Honourable Friend
of his had taken up the subject in another place. He
trasted some effectual arrangement would be devised
for the security of the Metropolis in these most es-
sential respects, which affected, more or less, the
safety of every man's property within it.
Earl GROSVENOR, in a short explanation, ad-
verted to the very great importance of the subject,
with reference to the event of fire ; and instanced a
case, where the difficulty of procuring water was
greatly increased in consequence of some pending
arrangements between certain Companies.
The LORD CHANCELLOR thought it was in-
cumbent on the Legislature to take care that the ob-
j.xt for which the powers vested in these Companies
were evidently granted by Parliament should not be
defeated ; and if they acted contrary to such prin-
ciple, they should be made to see that it was quite
within the competence of the Legislature to set those
matters right—(hear, hear!)
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY observed, that in
the formation of all such Bills, the principle upon
which they proceeded was, as far as practicable,
anxiously attended to. Upon the subject he could
not then say more, but would assure the House that
when the expected opportunity should offer, he would
give every assistance in his power to attain these ob-
jects, which were allowed and felt by all to be so ne-
cessary and desirable.—Adjourned till Monday.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. GRENFELL, in the absence of an Honourable and
Learned Friend, put off the Motion respecting Forgeries on the
Bank of England, which stood fur Tuesday next, to Tuesday
se'nnight.
Lord BINNING said, that he shook! move the second read-
ing of the Scots Lunatic Asylutts Bill on Friday, the 1 at of May.
Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON presented a Petition
front the Freeholders of the County of Renfrew against the Scot/
Lunatic Asylum Bill, which was ordered to be printed.
mt. R. WARD gave notice of his intention to move the Ord-
nance Estinuzes in the Committee of Supply on Monday next.
Lord MORPETH presented a Petition from Alton, in Cum-
berland, complaining of eke pressure of the Poor's Rate.—Or-
tiered to lie on the table.
Lord LASCMLES presented a Petition from the Tanners

aid Leather Cutters of Whitby, praying the repeal of the Les-
they Tax.—Ordered to lie on the table, as was a Petition of the
same nature, presented by Mr. J. P. Gamer, from the Tanners
and Leather Cutters of Great Oiimsby.
Mr. BENNET obtained leave to bring in a Bill for Repeal-
ing so much of the Acts of William 111. as related to the grant
of pecuniary and other rewards on the conviction of highway-
men and other felons, and also for facilitating the prosecution of
such offenders. The Bill was brought in, read a first, and or-
dered to be read a second time on Friday next, and to be printed.
He next gave notice of his intention to move, on Thursday
next, for the re-appointment of the Committee to inquire into
the Police of the Metropolis.
Lord BINNING presented a Petition from certain Widows
of Writers of the Signet in Scotland, stating their apprehension
that their rights would suffer if a certain Bill before the House
were passed into a law.—Ordered to be referred to the Commit-
tee upon the said Bill, and that all Members who attended the
said Committee should have voices.
Mr. MAY presented a Petition from Belfast praying the Re-
of the Window Tax, which being ordered to lie on the
able, the Honourable Member took occasion to ask the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, whether the understanding in Ireland
was correct, that it was the intention of the Right Honourable
Gentleman to propose the repeal of this unpopular Tax?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was
glad that the Honourable Gentleman gave him an opportunity of
correcting the report alluded to. It was with great surprize he
heard it had been stated in some of the Irish newspapers, as
from authority, that he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had
stated in this House that it was his intention to repeal the Win-
dow Tax in Ireland. He cculd not understand on what this
report was founded. Those who were in the House on the oc-
casion alluded to, must recollect that so far from entering into
any pledge to relieve the people of Ireland from this Tax, that
he had expressly stated that the state of the finances in Ireland
was such, that whatever regret he might feel at being obliged to
oppose the wishes of so great a part of the people of Ireland, he
felt it his duty to continue this Tax during the present year. lie
was sorry that any person should entertain an idea that the Re-
peal of this Tax was possible, under the present circumstances
of the country.
Mr. Alderman WOOD presented a Petition from certain
disabled seamen acting as water and wherry men at Rotherhithe,
praying that the Rotherhithe Bridge 'Mil might not be adopted.
Ordered to lie on the Table; as was another petition presented
by the Worthy Aldermaa,from Henry Augustus Gibbon, against
the Waterloo Bridge Road Bill, the petitioner stating, that as a
holder of annuities from the Waterloo Bridge Company, his in-
terests and securities would be affected should the said Bill be
passed into a law. This petition was ordered to be printed, and
referred to the Committee upon the said BilL
Sir JOHN NEWPORT rose to complain that the Returns,
which the House had long ago ordered relative to the Assessed
TAW, Customs, &c. of Ireland, had not yet been presented.
lie therefore moved that these Returns be ordered forthwith.
Mr. LUSHINGTON said he bad made some enquiries rela-
tive to the Returns alluded to, and found that the order fur
them had been duly forwarded from the Irish office.

The =lion was then agreed to.
Mr. BENNET made a similar complaint and motion relative
to the returns of jail fees in Ireland, long since ordered by the
House.
Mr. LUSHINGTON said the order for this return had also
been forwarded.—This motion was also agreed to.
The I 'ouse resolved itself into a Committee on the American
' Trade Acts, the Report of which was ordered to be received on
Monday.
Mr. W. SMITH presented a Petition from 85S out of the
929 persons employed in the Cotton Ma ittfactories at Glossop,
in Derbyshire, praying that the Bill for limiting the time of la-
bour to ten hours and a half each day might be passed into a law.
Mr. WILBERFORCE presented two Petitions of the same
nature, the one from the County of Renfrew, and the other from
Blackburn, in Lancashire.
These Petitions were ordered to lie on the table.
The second reading of the Mock Auctions Bill was, on the mo-
tion of Mr. Alderman ATKINS, postponed until Thursday next.
A Message fram the Lords stated their Lordships assent to
the Agricultural Horse Duty BM.
The second reading of the Pancras Poor,' Rate Bill was post-
poned until Friday, the snit, artrr ashort conversation between
Sir G. GRAHAM and Mr. MC'_,T,l-.M.
The Bill to authorize tl;e of Churches and
Chapels was brought in.—Read a first time.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said,
that this was a measure on which the House seemed
quite agreed as to its general propriety ; but as the
details of it must be various aftd complicated, it would
be desirable that the Bill should be printed as soon as
possible, and that then sufficient time should be al-
lowed for the consideration of it before it was carried
through the House. With this view, therefore, he
would move the second reading on Monday and have
it committed on Tuesday. It would then be printed,
and he would postpone the further stages of it for ten
days or a fortnight, that full time might be given to
consider the details.

THE EVENING STAR.