^ Mr. Ricardo on Sir W, Cofigreve's Report [JtrLY, 



Congreve assigns for doing away with competition is, because 

 in certain districts, the mams of different Companies now cross 

 each other, and when there is a leakage, the parties are unwil- 

 ling to be the first to open the ground, each being desirous of 

 throwing the trouble and expence upon the other ; but is this 

 likely to be the case ? Would the manager of a Company whose 

 business it is to watch over its interests, knowing that a valuable 

 article was escaping which might be at tlie expence of his Com- 

 pany, hesitate a single moment ascertaining the fact, and that 

 merely because it might be the loss of some rival establishment? 

 I can only say if the manager of a Company over which 1 had 

 any controul acted thus, he would not continue to fill that 

 situation long. It is the interest of every Company that there 

 should be no waste, and that interest will make them careful 

 that there is no annoyance from leakage. Sir W. Congreve 

 throws out a hint whether it may not be advisable to place Gas 

 Companies under some licence, but would this measure be 

 attended with any good result? Let the pubhc be secured 

 by such legislative enactments as Parliament may think fit 

 against any possible danger that may arise, but do not let the 

 Companies be fettered by hcences, visitations, and other vexa- 

 tious restrictions, which can answer no good end whatever, and 

 will only tend to drive from the superintendence men of talent 

 and respectability. If it be deemed advisable that an inspector 

 be appointed to ascertain that the pubhc are incurring no risks, 

 let his powers be strictly defined ; let him have no controul over 

 the management, or any thing in which the safety of the public 

 is not concerned ; if he observes that they are risking that, let 

 him remonstrate, and if not attended to, let him report to the 

 higher powers, who will compel attention ; that is all which the 

 public nave a right to expect from Gas Companies more than 

 from any other institution. 



Sir W . Congreve has given the result of some very interesting 

 experiments on the explosive force of coal gas mixed with atmo- 

 spneric air compared with gunpowder ; surely he will not draw a 

 comparison between the danger arising from the two. It is not 

 enough to consider because 39,000 cubic feet of carburetted 

 hydrogen mixed with four times its quantity of common air will 

 explode with the same force as 135 barrels of gunpowder, that, 

 therefore, the vicinity of one is as dangerous as the other : we 

 are also to consider by what means their danger is called into 

 action. Gunpowder is already in its explosive state, and a spark 

 dropped among a few loose grains scattered about where there 

 are several barrels filled with it, would most probably explode 

 the whole ; but what a combination of circumstances must exist 

 to produce the same effect with a gasometer filled with carbu- 

 retted hydrogen. In that state it is perfectly harmless ; a candle 

 may be taken into a gasometer-house with impunity, and no 

 one would dream of any danger arising from it. If there should 



