ANNALS 



OF 



PHILOSOPHY. 



JULY, 1823. 



Article I. 



Observations on Sir W, Corigreves Report on Gas Light Esta* 

 blishments, By M. Ricardo, Esq. 



(To the Editor of the Annals of Philosophy,) 



BEAR SIR, Brighton, May IS, 1S23. 



I HAVE been favoured with a copy of the Report of the Royal 

 Society, and two additional Reports of Sir W. Congreve to the 

 Secretary of State of the Home Department, which were laid 

 before the House of Commons, and ordered to be printed, and 

 on which I beg to offer some few observations through the medimii 

 of your journal. The first Report, which was signed by some of 

 the leading members of the Society, was made nine years ago 

 (1814), in consequence of an inquiry being instituted to ascer- 

 tain the probable danger of gas light establishments; the second 

 and third Reports by Sir W, Congreve were delivered in Jan. 

 1822 and 1823. This gentleman has not confined himself to 

 noticing the dangers which are likely to arise from the diffusion 

 of this mode of lighting, and pointing out what he thinks are 

 the best methods of avoiding them ; but he has also entered 

 somewhat fully into the nature and management of the various 

 companies, and has thrown out some hints for legislative enact- 

 ments to regulate their future conduct, of which I shall take 

 some notice hereafter. 



Sir Vi/ . Congreve has enriched the Report with some tables of 

 the proceedings of the three principal Companies : — the three 

 stations of the Chartered Company, the City of I^ondon Coix^- 



