The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-03-23 00:00:00

,uld like any member in the council

gas companies to stand up, in
ther in reality they

The gentlemen so circumstanced then stood up, when
there appeared to be many more than the requisite num-
ber for a Council, independent of them.

Mr. HIGGINS would then move his amendment, and
he did so on the grounds that to suppoit the present
companies, at the expense of the public, was to support
and perpetuate, with the public money, a monopoly which
was injurious to the public ; and which had been allowed
to exist too long in this town. He did not mean to
say that the gentlemen who were proprietors in
these companies would do anything that was not strictly
within the terms of their agreement with the public,
,nd,
therefore, strictly right ; but still he looked upon the
matter as one of human nature ;' for when men united for
their own interest, their own interest they would support
above all considerations for any person else. He thought
they would be departing from the true performance of the
duties which they owed to the public if they adopted the
course recommended in the report. They had heard the
expression that day, of the public mind on this sub-
ject, they had heard that mind through the sixteen
memorials from the sixteen wards of the town ; and those
memorials—all of them—prayed that the public might
have the benefit of-cheap light, and that the present mo-
nopoly should be put an end to. If they attended
premiums, has been expended. to and granted the prayer of those petitions, they would
Mr. AIKIN said, that, if he understood the question not only effect a saving to the public, but they would in-
rightly, the proprietors would have the benefit of all the crease their surplus fund, which stood very much in need
premiums on the new shares. of an augmentation. The only objection which had been
The MAYOR.—No : only the half of it. made to the bill of the Guardian Company was on the
Mr. AlKlN.—lndependent of contingencies, they would ground of its being calculated to break up and injure the
I have an advantage on the second issue. And it is quite streets. That, 1. had been answered by th-
_ _

He said they would not have the hearts of Christian men
if they did not feel for the poor of Liverpool, who were
already so severely taxed. He felt that they would not
have the hearts of men if they did not do all in their
power to lessen those taxes. Under the3e, circumstances
he would do all in his power to support the Guardian Gas
Company.

The TOWN-CLERK then read the clauses in the Dale-
street Company's act, which empowered them to raise
their capital.
Mr. HODGSON wished to know the amount of capital
to be raised by the Company, independent of all contin-

That is for the Old

clear that they Will have the full benefit of the first

ioweve
pang. They say that if the present company increase
their works to meet the demands of the town, they must
lay down new and larger mains than are at present in the
streets ; and they contend, that if the Council gives that pri-
vilege to one company, they ought not to refuse it

Mr. H. HORNBY stated, that raising the first £50,000
would not benefit the present proprietors in the least, as
all the benefits arising from it would go to the public.
Indeed he might consider the public as part proprietors

themselves. At least they were very much interested in
the welfare of the company, for when the profits of the
company rose above 10 per cent., then they received the
benefit in the reduction in price of gas. It appeared to
him that the recommendation of the committee was ex-
tremely sound and proper, and he thought it was the duty
of the Council to support them in their decision on the
matter.

to another, as in either case one laying down of mains
must take place. And if the Council accepted the propo-
sition of the Guardian Gas Bill, it would have the power
and the privilege of selecting the most fitting occasions for
disturbing the streets. On these grounds he moved his
amendment, and he was prepared to oppose the adoption
of the report.
Some conversation again took place as to whether there

was a Council present.-
It was suggested by Mr. HODGSON that those who were
precluded from taking a part in the business should sit at
the one side of the Council-chamber.
Mr. COOPER thought that he had every right, as a
member of that Council, to remain in his place, and
listen to a great deal of nonsense, if it pleased him to do
so. (Laughter.)
Mr. HIGGINS only hoped that he (Mr. Cooper) would
utter no more nonsense. (Laughter.) He trusted the
Council would consider the welfare of the town, and the
interests of the inhabitants generally, and, seeing that
two companies could not supply the town with gas—that
they would support the Guardian Gas Company, and
thereby demonstrate to their constituants that their in-

TOWN-CLERK.-But there are some differences between
the CoMpany and the Council which may alter the pre-
sent arrangemerkt. The Committee say that the whole of
the shares of the Company should be sold by auction ; to
that proposition the Company do not seem inclined to
agree.

-The MAYOR.-But in that part of the proceedings the
New Company have no interest.
The TOWN-cLEaK then read a number of clauses of
the form of agreement which had been laid by the com-
mittee before both the companies, and also the proprietors,
put in by both, where they happened to disagree with the
terms proposed by the committee. _

PARKI

)ntended that, in the event of this agree

mein oeing auopzea oy tae propri
• -
liminary step, as the committee had not, in his opinion,
the power to come to any final decision on the subject.
my be done by the Council.

terests were paramount with them.
Mr. ROYDEN felt the utmost gratification in seconding
the amendment of his friend Mr. Higgins.

could c

The ToWN-cLEnic then read the report of the Lighting
and Health Committee, which recommended the two
existing companies to amalgamate, and, in the event of
their doing so, it recommended the Council to support
them in getting a bill through parliament, to enable them
to supply the wants of the town with efficiency ; and also,
in the event of their doing so, it recommended the Coun-
cil to oppose the bill of the Guardian Gas Company.
And also the following letter from the Guardian Gas
Company :
Guardian Gas Office, Liverpool,

After a few words froth Alderman i3USHBY

Mr. BENNETT, as a member of the committee, begged
leave to make a few observations regarding the circum-
stances which induced the committee to come to the
conclusions which they had arrived at, as contained in
the report just read by the Town-clerk. At an interview
which they had at first with the Guardian Gas Company,
he thought that the committee were rather dissatisfied
with the report of their engineer, Mr. Cox ; and it was
owing to '• `‘f t' '-;mat which

ie unsatisfactory state of -tie esti, .sees
resented, and also because they did not believe i

TO THE WORSHIPFUL TH

MAYOR OF LIVERPOOL

the proposed price, which in a great Measure induced

Guardian Gas Company to make the folloWing communication
to you, and, on their behalf, respectfully to request that you
wilt be pleased to make its contents known to the Council of
the Borough, at the meeting convened for Tuesday, the 23d
instant, which it is understood is called for the purpose of de-

them to come to their present determination. (near.)
They were also influenced a good deal by the report of the
local surveyors who had been sent down from the Woods
and Forests to report upon the subject. That report was
most unfavourable for the Guardian Company ; and in

termining as to the course the Corporation should Pursue with
respect to the Guardian Gas Company's Bill, now before Par-
liament.

_ .
order that the Council might understand the nature of
that report, he would request the Town-clerk to read
some portion of it.

mittee of the Couneil,consistitig of four gentlemen, were j!p.

The TOWN.CLERK then read several extracts from thi:

and they are ft

ter inforined, that t

Giiardian Gas Company to succeed under any circum-

light Company with the New Gas and Coke Company: Should
this amalgamation be arranged, then the Corporation are re-
commended by the Sub-Committee to support the existing
companies in haliament ; if otherwise, to support the Guardian

Mr. BENNETT, in continuation, stated that Mr. Cox
had left out in his estimates many items which should
have been taken into account, when he proposed giving
_ _

Gas-Company's Bill. _
1 am directed to state, that in any understanding your Sub-
Committee may have had with the existing companies, no con-

gas at 3s. Bd. per 1000 cubic feet.
Mr. HIGGINS.—What amount per 1000 feet has he
left out ?

Guardian Gas Company, who consider themselves as repre-
senting a !argemajority of the gas consumers of Liverpool,
your 6uti-Committee not having requested any interview or
communication with them, after the explanation given of the
objects of the said Company and the advantages to be derived
by the community therefrom. _ _ _

Mr. BENNETT.-
Mr. HIGGINS.-
Mr. BENNETT.-
Mr. HIGGINS.-

—Fivepence halfpenny.
—What dividend does he calculate for
—Seven-and-a-half per cent.

Mr. BENNETT

Ten per cent

The Guardian (ias Company conceive that they have now
much stronger grounds to protest against such amalgamation
than they had in 1845. _ _ _

Mr. PARKER rose with regret to oppose his colleague,
Mr. Bennett.) Ile was glad that he had come out on
his occasion. for he was certain that the town would find

per thousand cubic feet, which reduction was forced upon the
existing companies by the Committee of the House of Com-
mons.

he (Mr. Parker) must say that he ivas but young in these
matters—le had not had sufficient experience in making
arrangements of this kind—(laughter)----and he believed
that his good nature had in a great measure led him to
support the committee with which he was connected be-
cause he was.connected with it. They had heard a great

2ndly,— The necessity for a further investment of Capital,
which is proved by the. present application of the Liverpool Gas-
light Company to Parimment, for power to raise 290,000 ad-

Lional
3rdly,--The increase in the po

ulation of the borough, and

the consequent increase in the consumption of gas, it having
been proved by Mr King, the engineer to the Liverpool Gas-
light Company, before the Comm►ss►oners of Inquiry, that the
consumption of gas would be doubled in 4i years, and trebled
in 7 years from the present period.
. . . .

harulticif an individual company, the monopoly and -supply of

as in a great ar

The Guardian Gas Company have read the report of the
Commissioners appointed to investigate the merits of the
Guardian Gas, and Liverpool Gas-light Companies Bills; it is

before Mr. Lowe only, Mr. Ellison, the other Commissioner
being from illness unable to attend. .

The Report appears to be of a decided party character, not-
withstanding the concluding recommendation to amalgamate
the three companies at a 7lper cent. dividend. With respect
_ . ~ " - *cts, and other
as Company

With reference to the alleged inconvenience to arise from the
raising bf the streets by the Guardian Gas Company, I beg
permission to draw attention Via passage in the report of the
government commissioners, (2d paragraph, folio 17,) which
shows that the streets must be raised to meet the increased ,
de-
mand for gas, and that the objection on that ground, it of any
r.,1„;,h rrtnic, hp einlitttori thp inynnvonienre bPine