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such districts, and thus creating in effect a monopoly by destroying competition.
That one of the principal evils of this monopoly of districting is that the
consumers are placed entirely at the mercy of the Metropolitan Gas Companies
in respect of price, quality, and quantity.
That your petitioners are informed and believe that most of the Gas Companies
which now supply London with Gas, obtained their Acts of Parliament
on the distinct basis of competition.
That the article of gas has become, not merely a luxury, but an actual
necessity to the inhabitants of the Metropolis, and the importance of this
matter to the Parochial Authorities and gas consumers may be estimated by
the statement which appears at page 10, Appendix I., No. 38, in the lteport
of Messrs. Galton, Simpson, and Blacxwell on Metropolitan Drainage,
dated 3rd August, 1857, and ordered by your Honourable House to be
printed, which statement is as follows:—" According to an estimate of
George Lowe, Esq., C.E., Engineer to the Chartered Gas Company, London,
the annual consumption of coal for the purpose of gas making in London
was then about 840,000 tons, which would yield 7,728,000,000 cubic
feet of gas; the value of this volume of gas would be, at 4s. 6d. per 1,000
cubic feet, £1,738,800," and your petitioners are informed and believe
that the annual sum paid to the various Gas Companies in London is near
£2,000,000 per annum, and which is continually increasing.
Your petitioners submit that the several Gas Companies should be restricted
by Legislative enactments to a maximum charge for, and be bound
to a particular standard in the quality of, the gas supplied by them.
Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that you will cause an enquiry
to be made by a Committee of your Honourable House into the existing
arrangements for the supply of gas, and that you will be pleased to adopt
such measures as to your Honourable House shall seem meet for protecting
the interests of the Gas Consumers of the Metropolis.
Resolutions passed at a Meeting of Deputations from the Metropolitan
Vestries and District Boards, held on the 11 th May, 1858.
That the Marylebone Vestry be requested to communicate with the
Vestries and District Boards, and invite their contribution of the sum of
£10 towards the expenses of an Enquiry into the existing Means and Regulations
for supplying Gas for the Public Lighting.
That one or more Members from each Parish or District in a Borough
or County form a Committee to confer with the Member of Parliament
having the district in charge (one of whom shall act as Secretary), as to the
evidence to be adduced.
That a Committee of ten be appointed, as Managers, to conduct this
enquiry on the part of the Delegates, to communicate with all other Committees,
and to take all such steps as may be requisite to conduct the
enquiry. All expenses to be limited to the amounts received from Parishes,
and that such Managers consist of Messrs. Bachhoffner, Young, Elt,
Kintrea, Hattersley, Stretton, Fitchew, Jackson, Hodges, and Stedall.
That Mr. Beal and Mr. Hughes be appointed joint Honorary Secretaries
to the Committee of Management.