§ MR. DAWSON-DAMERsaid, he would beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he is aware that at a short distance below Hampton Court Palace there was last summer hardly four feet of water in the River Thames at the deepest part, and that when the Waterworks near Kingston were pumping the river ceased to flow over the weir at Teddington during the period of such pumping; whether any of the sewage at Kingston flows ultimately into the Thames above Teddington weir; and whether he is aware that there are three Water Companies at Hampton alone, 80 each of which draws off twelve millions of gallons daily, and have power to increase the amount to sixty millions when the increased population shall require it?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONreplied, that he was informed that at a short distance below Hampton Court Palace on certain days last summer there was hardly four feet of water in the Thames—not "at the deepest part," but in a shallow part of the river. He was also informed, however, that the river never ceased to flow over the weir at Teddington during the time of the pumping at Kingston Waterworks. With regard to the sewage at Kingston flowing into the Thames, he understood that a very small portion of the sewage had for some years gone into the Thames. An injunction had been obtained from the Vice Chancellor to prevent the drainage from the new system of works at Kingston from being carried into the Thames, and in a short time this would be settled by the Court of Chancery. As to the Water Companies which were said to draw such large quantities of water from the Thames above Teddington, they had exercised their powers under their Acts of Parliament, and all that the Conservancy Board could do was to prevent them from taking more water from the Thames than their Acts of Parliament permitted.