260 Supply of Water to the Metropolis. 



with their former eulogium upon the pure streams of the Brent 

 and Colne, and of the immense reservoir, fed by the streams of 

 the Vale of Ruislfp ; all which formed the grand decoy-duck of 

 their original manifesto, and induced their customers to hope 

 for a supply of water purer than that of the purest part of the 

 Thames. 



In reply to the direct charge of the nastiness of their water, 

 that is, to the sixth resolution of the public meeting (see page 

 258), we have the following statement — we must apologise for 

 the length of the quotation, on account of its importance : — 



" The directors will commence what they have to observe upon 

 this head with admitting frankly, and at once, that, daring a cer- 

 tain period of the year, the water of the Thames is not such as in 

 their opinion ought to be delivered to the inhabitants of London, 

 — denying at the same time most distinctly that the foulness of 

 the water supplied by the Grand Junction Water Company, at 

 such times, is attributable to any other cause than the turbid state 

 of the river during the prevalence of floods, or has been greater 

 in degree, or different in quality from the foulness observable in 

 the water supplied by other companies during the same periods : 

 upon this head the directors can well afford to show the most com- 

 plete candour, when they add (what they will presently more fully 

 allude to, and hereafter establish by evidence before the commit- 

 tee) that, to remedy this evil, they have advised with the most 

 eminent engineers, and have devoted the patient and laborious 

 attention of between two and three years, and an expenditure 

 little short of 50,0001. Whilst admitting thus much, however, 

 they cannot but animadvert (and they do so with regret) upon 

 the loose mode in which the opinions of some individuals, alike 

 eminent for professional skill and private respectability, who 

 spoke at the meeting at Willis's Rooms on the quality of the 

 water, seemed to have been formed. That by the person who has 

 excited the public mind on this matter, miserably unfair means 

 should have been taken to obtain from professional men, whose 

 names have justly great weight with the public, opinions unfa- 

 vourable to the quality of the water, was only what the directors 

 might have expected, and is consistent with the whole tenor of 

 his conduct as regards this Company ; but that, in a public meet- 

 ing, respectable individuals should have spoken in strong terms 

 upon the bad quality of the water, without even knowing in what 

 state it was at that moment flowing into their own houses, the 

 directors have perceived with no inconsiderable surprise. 



" One highly respectable individual, whose judgment, from his 

 having recently paid attention to this subject, cannot but have 

 had much influence, and who spoke at the meeting with great ani- 

 mation upon the foulness of the water, the directors have reason 



