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expressing agreement with a report adopted by the London
County Council recommending that the Council should introduce
to Parliament during the present Session a Bill for the
purpose of suspending the powers of the Water Companies to «
increase their charges for Water consequent upon the result :
of the quinquennial valuations; also forwarding copy of a
resolution passed by the Vestry expressing an opinion that the
undertakings of the several Water Companies should be transferred
to the London County Council, and Copy of a Petition
to the House of Commons, praying that the whole subject
might be taken into early and serious consideration, with a
view either to restricting the powers of the Water Companies
as suggested by the Vestry, or the creation of a Parliamentary
Commission with powers to fix the terms upon which the
London County Council might acquire the several undertakings
of the Metropolitan Companies. The Board concurred,
and a similar Petition to that drawn up by the Vestry was
adopted and presented by Mr. Causton, M.P., to the House of
Commons. Later on, at a Meeting of the Board held on the
20th May, Mr. Jas. Meikle, in consequence of replies given
by Mr. Ritchie, the President of the Local Government Board,
to questions put to him in the House of Commons, that the
Government would be unable to deal with the question during
the present Session; and having in view the probable increase
in many of the Assessments, consequent on the quinquennial
valuation to take effect next year, moved that Mr. Causton,
M.P., be requested to present a Petition to the House of
Commons praying the Government to pass a short Act this
Session, suspending the powers of the Water Companies to
increase their charges for water as the result of such re-valuation.
After some discussion, however, the following amendment
by Mr. Howard Moore was put to the Meeting and
carried, viz.: "That Mr. Causton, M.P., be requested to introduce
a short Bill into Parliament to suspend the powers of
the Water Companies to further increase their charges for
Water consequent on the quinquennial re-assessment of the
Metropolis."—"That the Metropolitan Members be requested