HC Deb 01 July 1828 vol 19 cc1588-97
Sir F. Burdett

said, that in rising to introduce a motion on this subject, he was sure the right hon. Secretary would concur with him as to the great importance of the question, and the necessity which existed, considering the grievances suffered under the present system of supplying Water to the Metropolis, for the introduction of some measure to remedy the evil. As the right hon. gentleman was impressed with the importance of the subject, it only remained for him (sir F. Burdett) to state the mode of proceeding which he proposed; and he might mention in the outset, that it was not liable to the objections which had been urged by the right hon. gentleman on a former occasion, when this subject was before the House. The facts of the case lay within a small compass, and were contained in the plain statement which he held in his hand, and which had emanated from the able Commissioners appointed by the Crown, who had so faithfully performed their duty, and had so satisfactorily shewn that all the complaints were well-founded, and had also pointed out the remedy. The hon. baronet here read an extract from the report of the commissioners, in which they state, that after entering upon the duties which they had been appointed to discharge, they received a letter from the Home Secretary, limiting their inquiries, to the state of the supply of Water to the Metropolis, and notifying to them, that the taking of surveys, &c. did not come within their powers. The commissioners certainly entertained, previous to the receipt of this note, a different opinion as to the meaning of the commission under which they had been appointed; and their idea on the subject was that entertained by every individual in the community at the time. The commissioners were appointed not merely to ascertain a fact which was notorious to all;—namely, that the Water supplied to the Metropolis, under the present system, was of a filthy, impure, and unhealthy description; but, to effect any good purpose, they should obviously have the power of pointing out the mode of remedying the evil complained of. The hon. baronet read another extract from the report, in which, after stating that under these circumstances they confined themselves to an examination of the water in those parts of the Thames from which the metropolis is at present supplied, they proceed to express their opinion as to the filthy and impure nature of the water in those parts of the river. It was true that differences might exist amongst medical men as to the unhealthiness of this water, but the public were certainly entitled to other water than that of a dirty, filthy, and impure description, while they paid the present high rates for the water with which they were supplied. The commissioners went on to remark, that a Select Committee of that House had been formerly appointed for the purpose of inquiring into this subject; but they added, that they were restricted from acting upon the suggestions of that committee. Now, he could not perceive the necessity for such restriction. The committee in question had reported on the subject seven years ago; and that report had never been acted upon.—He now called on the right hon. gentleman to direct his attention to the necessity of forming an efficient committee which would fully investigate this important subject. All he wished to propose was, that the committee so formed should have referred to it the different petitions on this subject which had been laid on the table of the House. They contained complaints from various parts of the metropolis as to the state of the water; and it would be for the committee to point out the most effectual remedy that could be adopted to meet the evil which was so loudly complained of. He did not mean to dwell at any length on the unwholesomeness of the water with which a great part of the metropolis was at present supplied; he would not enter into those nauseous details. If any gentleman doubted that much of the water with which this great city was supplied was not fit for human use, his doubts would be expelled by a reference to the evidence which had been given on this subject. When he had once read that evidence, he could not entertain any doubt on the subject. Dr. Paris, an authority of great weight, spoke most decidedly as to the badness of the water. He considered it as extremely unhealthy, and as calculated to give rise to very serious disorders indeed. He described it as containing much deleterious matter dissolved in the fluid, as well as a considerable quantity of indissoluble matter suspended in it. Dr. Paris then referred to an able pamphlet, entitled "The Dolphin," which had first called the attention of the public to this nuisance, and directed the public eye towards the proceedings of the Grand Junction Company. In that pamphlet the water supplied to the metropolis by the Grand Junction Company was stated to be so filthy, as to render it disgusting to the imagination, and its use destructive to health. Mr. Wright, the author of that pamphlet had devoted much time and paid great attention to the subject, and he had unquestionably made out a very strong case. When first Mr. Wright published that pamphlet, the Grand Junction Company were so exceedingly indignant at the exposure, that they threatened him with a prosecution; but they afterwards wisely abandoned their intention. He had seen some of the persons connected with that Company, and when they announced their intention of not prosecuting Mr. Wright, he had observed, that they might do as they liked on that point, but that it would still be necessary to bring under the consideration of parliament the whole question of the Supply of Water to the Metropolis. He should merely advert to the evidence of Dr. Somerville, the physician to Chelsea Hospital, which went to the same point, That evidence was so exceedingly disagreeable, that he would not read it; and if any gentleman felt inclined to peruse it, he feared it would be apt to turn his stomach. He thought, after what he had said, that there could be no doubt whatever of the existence of the evil complained of; and if this was the case, no delay should be allowed in devising a remedy for that evil. The commissioners who were appointed to proceed with this inquiry appeared, from the first, not to harbour a doubt that the complaints were just. The evils to which their attention was called, were principally two:—first of all was the monopoly, he would not say fraudulently obtained, by the Companies. Certainly, however, those parties procured from parliament the power which they possessed, under an idea that a competition, with respect to water, was to take place throughout the town; but, instead of that, a monopoly of the most oppressive kind had been established. The Grand Junction Company had contrived to smuggle through parliament, at a very late period of the session, a very objectionable measure. It passed through parliament, as a private bill; neither he nor his hon. colleague being apprised of its object. It was denominated "An act for confirming certain articles of agreement," &c.; and there was a clause appended to it which, considering that this affected to be a private bill, was of a very extraordinary nature. The clause ran thus—"That this act shall be considered as a public act, and shall be so taken and considered by all the judges," &c. And what did this act do? It enabled the parties to increase their rates three hundred per cent. It. was clear that the House never intended they should have such a monstrous power; it was evident that the House never contemplated such a monopoly as they had established; and the question then came to this, whether there was no remedy for such an imposition? As the matter now stood, the public got a very bad article at a very dear price. It was not merely bad, but from the evidence, absolutely filthy and disgusting, and extremely detrimental to health. Were persons, he demanded, to be thus made to pay large sums annually, to be poisoned in this way?—to be poisoned not only every day, but every hour of their lives? This being the case—the facts on which it rested having been established over and over again—it would, in his opinion, be necessary to give life and effect to the recommendations of the committee of that House of 1821, a committee formed seven years ago, upon whose report no proceedings had been instituted. That committee complained, that in case of dispute, there was no fair tribunal to which the aggrieved persons could apply. They were compelled to appeal—to whom? Why, to the interested parties themselves. With the report of the committee of 1821, the commissioners recently appointed, entirely agree. They only differed in this—that they stated the various complaints fair more strongly. He should weary the House no more on this subject; but he must observe, with respect to the Grand Junction Company, that he believed more blame rested on that Company than on any other. That Company at first declared, that they would have reservoirs filled with water drawn from pure streams. They never had, however, any thing of the kind. On the contrary, they procured foul water from the Paddington Canal, and afterwards they made use of water even worse than that—water taken from the Dolphin, at the foot of Chelsea Hospital, close to the mouth of a great common sewer, which had excited so much public attention, and created such general disgust. This was the Company, too, that introduced into a bill, on almost the last day of the session of parliament, a clause enabling them to raise their charges three hundred per cent? Such a system might not, perhaps, much affect the rich man who could avail himself of his springs and pumps, but it was a serious evil to the poor man who had no such resources. He trusted, although so much time had been lost, that the public would be benefitted by the labours of the commissioners. He sincerely hoped that a remedy would be struck out for these grievances. This was a great national subject. It was a subject which was considered of deep importance in the more early ages of the world; as was sufficiently proved by the magnificent remains of ancient aqueducts. But there was not wanting in modern times a stimulus to exertion, for the purpose of supplying pure and wholesome water to the metropolis, when they turned their eyes to Paris, and saw the water conveyed thither in abundance by the canal de l'Ourcq. The city of Edinburgh was supplied with excellent water from a distance of eight or ten miles—a project which was perfected under the direction of Mr. Rennie. Now, looking at all the circumstances, he thought it was the bounden duty of government, who ought to watch over the health of the people, to see that the town was plentifully supplied with good water. He trusted that the same feelings would not operate in, this instance, as had operated in the case of sir Hugh Middleton; who, having brought a stream of good water so near the metropolis as Enfield, was unable to get any money advanced by parliament, or by the city of London, to enable him to complete his great project; when James 1st advanced him 7,000l. out of his own pocket, and enabled him to complete that object, the benefits of which the public now enjoyed. So little sense and so little generosity, had those whom he thus essentially served, that he would have died in a gaol, but for the interference of James 1st. He wished that a plan for the conveyance of pure water to London should be completed—a plan which was in progress, and would have been completed, if the commissioners had sat longer. A gentleman under Mr. Telford, had made a survey, in order to find out the best mode of supplying the metropolis with water. The individual he alluded to was Mr. James Mills; and he understood that the survey on which he had been engaged might be completed for 300l. It was a matter of much importance that he should be allowed the sum necessary for the completion of his survey. This sum he hoped the government would supply: and if it would not, he should, for so good an object, have great pleasure—he should even be proud—in advancing it himself. That individual was of opinion, that unless they went above where the tide flowed, it was impossible to procure water without more or less of impurity. The river Colne had been mentioned as likely to afford a good supply of water; but he understood the best mode would be to take the water from the river at Teddington, and to construct a reservoir for its reception on Wimbledon-common. This plan would interfere less than any other with the rights of private property, and water thus situated would receive such an impulse as would supply the lower parts of the town most amply with this essential necessary of life. This was a line not, he believed, of more than nine miles in extent, and he was informed it would require no public money to carry the project into execution, as there were numerous individuals ready to embark in it. The hon. baronet concluded by moving, "That a Committee be appointed to take into Consideration the Report of the Commissioners appointed by his Majesty to inquire into the present system of Supplying Water to the Metropolis, and to state if any, and what Remedies can be applied, to the many and great Grievances alleged to exist in the System."

Sir J. Yorke

complained, that the hon. baronet had kept out of sight all other water companies but the Grand Junction, and on that he had certainly laid a heavy hand. The hon. baronet appeared to him to have taken an exaggerated view of the case, which he entirely attributed to the pamphlet he had quoted from. Notwithstanding his authorities, he was of opinion, that the House ought not to interfere, particularly at so late a stage of the session.

Mr. Secretary Peel

said, he considered the great importance of the subject, as connected with the comfort, the feelings, and even the health, of the inhabitants of this metropolis. It was undoubtedly fit that the House should take cognizance of the manner in which the companies discharged the obligations they had taken on themselves under the authority of Parliament. He was not opposed to an inquiry being instituted for that purpose; but there was one point of the hon. baronet's speech from which he totally dissented.—He had said, that the remedy lay with government, and that it was for them to meet the complaints of the public. Had the hon. baronet reflected on the expense which would be incurred by a compliance with his suggestion? In resisting the hon. baronet's proposal, he was aware it might appear that he was undervaluing the importance of the question; but it ought to be remembered that lighting the city was a subject of importance, as it tended to diminish crime; that security against fire was no less important; and yet those matters were left entirely to private enterprise. Roads, bridges, and the supply of markets, all of which were of consequence to the public, were not directly interfered with by government;—and by a parity of reasoning he was convinced that it ought not to interpose in the present instance. The expense was, in itself, a material objection; and he had no doubt but the supply would be ultimately less satisfactory, should the home department be obliged to undertake its superintendence. The construction of aqueducts would cost millions of money, and should not be lightly undertaken, especially as he considered that the un wholesomeness of the water was, in a measure, imaginary. The hon. baronet had said, that he could procure a plan by which salubrious water from a high point of the river could be supplied to the metropolis. If such a plan could be effected, individuals would be found ready to undertake it, if it were likely to turn out a profitable speculation. The commission appointed by his predecessor was for the purpose of reporting on the supply of water to the metropolis—on its quantity and its quality. The commission had sat nearly six months, and had cost 800l.; when he found it necessary to give them a hint, that it was time to give in the result of their analysis of the various descriptions of water, respecting which they were instructed to inquire. But it was never intended, by the appointment of this commission, that government should take upon itself the business of supplying water to the metropolis. The taking of surveys had been recommended; but before government sanctioned such a measure, an estimate of the expense should be furnished. Since the publication of the Report, a communication had been made to him from the Grand Junction Company, stating that they had it in contemplation to purchase 500 acres near Barnes, and that they proposed to convey water from Barnes; or, if that was not high enough, they proposed even to bring it from Richmond or Teddington. As to the proposed inquiry, he was anxious even to go farther than the hon. baronet; he consented to the appointment with not merely a restricted, but with full powers. If the hon. baronet wished to lay the commencement of such an inquiry in the present session, he would not oppose it; but as the hon. baronet did not bring forward the subject at an earlier period of the session, he would suggest, that the inquiry might be more effective if it were postponed until the next session. If then, on investigation it should appear, that water was supplied from impure sources; if bills were introduced late in the session, under titles which gave no correct notion of the enactments; if exorbitant rates were levied; these were abuses which should be corrected. He had now given his advice to the hon. baronet: he trusted he had satisfied him that he was sensible of the importance of the subject, and he would leave him to pursue whatever course he might think proper.

Mr. Hobhouse

said, he would not trouble the House with many remarks after the satisfactory speech of the right hon. gentleman. He had consented to grant even more than was asked for by his hon. colleague, by consenting to a committee with the fullest powers of inquiry. The right hon. gentleman had stated, that if gross monopolies, the insalubriousness of the water, and other abuses were proved to exist, they should be corrected. Now, there was no doubt but that such abuses did exist to an alarming extent, and he hoped the committee about to be appointed would be effectual for the removal of them. His constituents loudly complained of the present state of the supply of water, and they had a right to have that complaint attended to and redressed.

Mr. Warburton

said, that his attention had been called to a plan for filtering the water of the Thames, in the same manner that water was supplied in Glasgow; he thought it deserving of attention: it might be found preferable to that of bringing water in its natural state, even from the high point of the river that had been mentioned.

Sir F. Burdett

said, that the right hon. gentleman had misunderstood him in supposing that he wished government to interfere on the question. All that he wished was, that the House of Commons should take it up; if this were done, there were many persons ready to advance mo- ney to set works on foot, by which wholesome water might be obtained. He would move, in lieu of his former motion, "That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the present system of supplying Water to the Metropolis, including the Borough of Southwark; and into the amount of the rates paid by the inhabitants."— Agreed to.