§ MR. FERRANDsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will direct the engineer appointed to examine the Bradfield Reservoir to visit and report upon the Doe Park Reservoir, belonging to the Corporation of Bradford, which is in a leaky and dangerous state? He had, about two years ago, called the attention of the right hon. Gentleman to the dangerous state of this Reservoir, when the right hon. Gentleman communicated by telegraph with the Mayor of Bradford, the reservoir being the property of the corporation. The answer of 12 the latter was, that care should be taken to preclude the possibility of accident, but since then the reservoir had been repeatedly filled, and the lives of the inhabitants were in consequence in imminent peril. He (Mr. Ferrand) saw the reservoir about a month since, when it was leaking in three places. ["Order!"] He thought that, after what had happened at Sheffield, he might he permitted to add a few words in explanation of his Question. A month since he saw this reservoir, when it was quite full and leaking in three places, one stream being sufficient to work a large mill. He now asked, whether the right hon. Gentleman would be so good as to send the engineer who had been despatched to Sheffield on to Bradford, which was only a few miles distant, with orders to report on the state of the reservoir at that place?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYstated, in reply, that about two years ago the hon. Member addressed to him a letter on the state of the reservoir, which the hon. Gentleman considered to be in a dangerous state. In consequence, he communicated, not by telegraph but by letter, with the Mayor of Bradford, expressing a confident expectation that the corporation of that town would take every measure in their power with a view to insure the safety of the public. He received an immediate answer, describing what had been done with respect to the reservoir at that time, and stating that it was intended to have it carefully examined by the engineer. A few days afterwards he received a Report from the engineer as to the measures taken, and that Report appeared quite satisfactory. From that time he had not heard one word on the subject of the reservoir, and he regretted that the matter had not been brought under his notice earlier if the hon. Gentleman thought that the reservoir was again dangerous. He had received a letter that day on the subject from the hon. Gentleman, and he had written to the Mayor of Bradford calling for a Report.