MR. BUXTONasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether, on consideration, he has found himself in a position to take steps to prevent the erection on the Thames Embankment of the proposed shafts by the Metropolitan District Railway; and, whether, to this end, he will see fit to oppose, or at least to support the opposition which will be given to the powers asked for by the Metropolitan District Railway, in their Metropolitan and District Railway (City Lines and Extensions) Bill, now awaiting a Second Reading by this House, until the scheme of the proposed shafts is abandoned?
§ MR. PULESTONasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether there is any precedent for the Act of last Session, authorising the Metropolitan District Railway to interfere with some of the principal thoroughfares of the Metropolis without compensation; and, whether, from a sanitary point of view, some action should be taken so as to prevent 1748 the emission of poisonous gases into the thoroughfares and gardens frequented by the public?
§ MR. CHAMBERLAINSir, in answer to the Question of the hon. Member for Devonport (Mr. Puleston), I may say that the only precedent I know for these proceedings on the part of the Metropolitan District Railway were similar proceedings by the Metropolitan Railway to establish ventilators in the middle of Marylebone Road. I am not, however, competent to state what would be the exact sanitary effect of the fumes emitted from those so-called ventilators. In answer to my hon. Friend behind me (Mr. Buxton), I have no authority whatever to interfere in this matter, and as regards the Bill which is being promoted by the Metropolitan District Railway I have received a communication from the hon. Baronet the Member for Hythe (Sir Edward Watkin) to the effect stated by my hon. Friend. The hon. Baronet says that as far as the Metropolitan Railway Company is concerned that Bill will not be proceeded with. I do not know how far that is final as disposing of the further progress of the Bill; but in any case, although I think as a private Member that almost any kind of opposition would be justifiable in cases of such an outrage as that complained of—yet I do not think I should be justified as a Member of the Government in opposing one Bill that is presumably unobjectionable, because the promoters of it have in a previous Session obtained powers which are now universally regretted.