254 Supply of Water to the Metropolis. 



These, and others which we have not thought it necessary to 

 transcribe, were the tempting promises held out by the Grand 

 Junction Company. Come we now to their performances as 

 enumerated by the author of The Dolphin. 



No sooner was the confederacy completely established, than 

 the Grand Junction Company began to give proof of the mischief 

 ever attendant upon the possession of exclusive powers. Instead 

 of the promised " daily supply" of water, it was sent into the 

 houses of their customers only three days out of the seven. In- 

 stead of " increased security against the ravages of fire," it is a 

 singular fact, that after almost every fire that has happened in the 

 division, since the combination of the companies, complaints have 

 been made in the public journals, of the much greater delay which 

 has taken place, than was formerly known. Instead of selling it 

 at a " comparatively small charge," they exacted, in August 1819, 

 an increased rate, equivalent, in no case, to less than 50 per cent., 

 and extending, in most instances, to 99 and 100 per cent. In- 

 stead of making " no additional charge for high service," an ad- 

 vance, in some instances, amounting to 100, 150, and even 200 

 per cent, was demanded. — pp. 49, 50. 



We are afraid that most of this statement is not true, but we 

 shall for the present reserve our own opinion, and hasten to the 

 pith of the pamphlet, which is contained between the fifty- 

 eighth and eighty-seventh pages. 



It is here maintained that the Company instead of supplying 

 the pure streams of the Colne and Brent, and valley of Ruislip, 

 draw their water from the Thames, at the foot of Chelsea Hos- 

 pital, and within a few yards of a large common sewer, thus 

 sending to the inhabitants of London " a fluid saturated with 

 the impurities of fifty thousand houses ; a dilute solution of 

 animal and vegetable substances in a state of putrefaction, 

 alike offensive to the sight, disgusting to the imagination, and 

 destructive to health." Now, to substantiate this thundering 

 accusation, we did hope that the author of The Dolphin would 

 have had a careful analysis made of the said water, and that 

 its results would have justified the violence of his assertions. 

 But no such thing ; his analysis is still less satisfactory than 

 that which we have above complained of, as published by the 

 Company. It was performed by Mr. Joyce, the successor of 

 Mr. Accum, and the following is its amount : — " The water 

 sent for assay was found to be loaded with decomposed vege- 

 table matter, and in such quantity as to be unfit for use without 



