The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-02-09
The Manhattan Gas Company.

CHANGE OF ExoRBIrAsT BILLS FuR GAs-rHg
CHARGE ExAsINED INTO BY THE COMMON COM
Gil.
Anew evenings sroe, II viii be rsuou serca rssolu
ton Wa sent into the Board Councmen directing that
investigation The affairs OF the Manhattan
Gas Company The basis upon which the inquiry w0
demanded Was the alleged iscs that ahAsush the
papy had recently reduced the price OF Their s from -
"a 90 pe COO cubic fe that the bills 70 consumers OF
ss since the reducoD largely exceeded tue average
mount Of previous bills The resolution passed with but
one or two opposing votes and special oomnsss uHs
appointed 70 investigate into the mater.
The Special coumit,ee-Counciman Franklin, Chair.
nar-hsls their IRE, meeting saturday, s o'clock p.
IN tie Oh amber The Beard Notwithstanding thshb.
sorbng interest felt In the bearing goog on In another
part Of the hail. before Judge Brady, upon the wrtu OF
habsas corpus IN the case Of Mrs. Cunnasnan hor two
daushsr Mr. Esksl and Mr. Snodgrsss, relative N the
murdeS Of Dr. Burde there vss numsrous atisn dance
before the com nfne OF members OF the eN COMPANY
ee~sr,ly eei iusaresed in no small degree pecuniayy
TIE mater issue, besides feeling tendency 70 kok n
what they cesirrse - the imposition Of mon opoy The
p IN pr oper shapo and honesty before the public, and
clear themselves or unjust imputauons
Mr. willard sprrared ~ cosnsel Tor the gm company,
and Mr.. Boiee, Ese, for the COMMITTEES.
NJ willard made an OPENING speech, siv,ns gee VA
statement Of the ores and prcsres. Of the nns.sn
vas srHntcd IN 1880. 10 1855 the capital increased
from o. oco 600 100000. This Increase vas made
ton In the price OF sn rean,uon nso "a. e eses
made accordingly tcamed that this red hsd bee.
genuine, and that since this reduceon mere va
charged consunc enc axth loss Tor the same guam
tty Of gas than for merry.
N. Bo,es subpitsea that the complsinanis wanted
stsstos and 70 show whether fraud had been prHcsed
bv The eopnpany In the bills made oieas
since 10 rec prees he aske ~ the readees way
70 set the iscz required, that COMPARISON Dc i9s,u
The corr, dirg months OF the year 1859 The whole
subject matter he insisted 10 be inquired into vs the
rsrots fs.rrsS to- and 70 ssoerssn po.bls vbe.h.
er each citizen com med the amount VI g" ne was
CHARGED with. -,..
agreed by the committee 70 act In acooroance Win the
susgssuon Of Mt BDes, and connne The examinsoos -
a practicable 70 comparison between the amount o.
s,s manufactured in October November and Dsoembcr,
lstb and the quantity manufactured and slleeed 70
be Consumed during tie same months Of 1855 sno
uereupon whether there vs any ground Tor me con
paints OF maud lodged against the ras company hi.
agreement wss entered into, during the fovm period
the ch1ee % ,o0c cubic ee OF Fnn vhDe durin
the iauer period The ctnse v~ only $3.50 psr 1000
cubic feet ~.
Company wee frs, called and sworn. He testified ths
re hsd been oorneced vih the Manhattan Gas Company
nearly thirty year, and had had an opportunity ts soqu.ie
plmse thoroughly Win 10 operations during this period
there had always been Complaints against The company
and there ways would be sganss any company TN ga
here would be rrumsps the pipes happened 70 freen
up or hunt cold weather. The compsny had assyi
been patient IN s.enins 70 Complaints and never heal
ON their AIDE he wss aware there had been numerou
complaints vnnin the past year since she reduoso'
The price Of eas The fauh rome OF the oom
psny v, and tbeve YES no ground Of complaint ssans
them could be secn By The books Of he COMPANY
witness promised 70 produce the books Il the next mes
ing and ay before The com misee such acss ano hgure
81 they wanted showing precsely the qoAnt'I o. 3.
msnufscursd and charged oersuwed fcr any oorre1
bonding period requred) he could sAis one point pce
i've and thai vas that siDce the reduction In the prcs
~ theye bad been Manufactured twenty sight pr oes
more gas with OF thirteen per cent income
L n. \ eAxne
| The Quality OF ihs gas depended very mucn upon u
Qualify Of The coal ed In IL manufacture While ve
| an ourt OF fas from Newcastle coal would rvesW
equal 20 twelve or fourteen sperm candies me IAN
quantity Of gAs spufaclured from camel coal would Pr
duoe light equal " twenty Eve ~ thirty sperm ~n1e
The ausiity Of this gas they ain 70 teep " near unuov