ioS 



Facts in Evidence on Gcs.Light$, 



[Oct. 1, 



What number of chaldron of coals do 

 you consume .' — In the last quarter we 

 consumed between nineleeu hundred 

 and two thousand. 



AVliat proportion of that is again sale- 

 able as coke I — About three-fourths. 



The averi^ge cnnsumption of cf>a!s on 

 tlie present consumption of iii;;ht would 

 T)e al)out 80CO chaldrons hi the vear ? — 

 Yes. 



Kave yon .it present contracts for 

 lighting public lamps ? — Wc have in se- 

 veral places. 



Can you slate to f!ie Committee the 

 present price 3 ou receive .' — 'I'hcy gene- 

 rally run at three guineas per annum ; a 

 burner being tiie same -as at the Admi- 

 ralty, and on Westminster Bridge. 



What number of connnon street 

 lamps do the lamps you light actually 

 supply the jylacc of? — They supply the 

 place of four. 



And that the Company might not 

 lose, and have a fair profit, those lamfis 

 should cost four guineas and a half .' — 

 Yes. 



What is the present price of llie oil 

 lamps? — I think about twenty-live shil- 

 lings a year. 

 John Pedder called in, and examined. 



Has any calculation ever been made 

 of the number of private hunps that it 

 vould be necessary for Ihe Company to 

 light to enable them to tight |)ublic ones ? 

 — The motle in which Ihe calculation is 

 BUide is this : — the Conij)any expect, 

 upon the average, to obtain 10,000 cubic 

 feet of gas from a chaldron of coal, then 

 rharging that at the rate of 15s. a thou- 

 rand cubic feet, although they shall lose 

 upon the street light, which they are 

 aware of, from the quantity the street 

 light consumes; they still, by the mea- 

 Nwe vliich has been ascertained of the 

 qnaiility nscd by a private light, between 

 providing for the two piuposes, the pub- 

 lie and private lights that will carry a 

 profit with which they are contented. 



In Eiakiiig this calculation, what 

 number of the cubic feet do you sup- 

 pose to be consumed in j>rivate houses, 

 and v»hat quantity in public lamps? — 

 They estimate a public lamp, like that 

 CO Westminster bridge, a single burner, 

 at three feet to three feet and a half an 

 kottr, and they estimate a burner in pri- 

 vate hoases, depending upon the price 

 paid for at, some at five cubic feet an 

 hour, some at more, some at less ; there- 

 fiire burners are tried before they are put 

 into bouses, to ascertain the prices which 

 shait be cbarged for tiwnau 



In making this calculation, what pro- 

 portion of the 10,000 cubic feet do you 

 calculate upon ;is beuig used in public; 

 lamps, and what in private lamps, in or- 

 der to indemnify the Company, and se- 

 cure a profit ? — It is not for me t(» reply 

 to the question of your lordship ; but, 

 when the Company have a number of 

 lights of each de>cription, they arc sa- 

 tisfied that they consume only a certain 

 quantity of gas, and, measuring that 

 against w hat they arc able to get from a 

 chaldron of coals, they can ascertain 

 whetlier thisre is a profit upon the 

 whole. 



You have never made a calculation 

 of the jiroportion t!ia! is necessary to be 

 consumed in pri\ ate and in public lights 

 out of the 10,000 cubic feet of gas, to 

 secure a profit to the Company? — The 

 Company are satisfied if they get at the 

 rate of 1.5s. a thousand cubic feet for 

 their gas, they are working for a profit; 

 as to how that should be distributed, is 

 matter of arrangement between them 

 and the public, their customers. 



]fow has the calculation been made? 

 ■ — Hurncis have been placed so as to 

 ascertain the precise exit of gas, and, 

 then comparing that for an hour w ith the 

 quantity consumed, and valuing the 

 quantity consumed against the amount 

 obtained from a chaldron of coals, th© 

 Company have been able to ascertain 

 what (hey conld afibrd it at, and what 

 they could not atfoiil it. 



You calculate on getting 10,000 cu- 

 bic feet of gas from a ehafdron of coals ; 

 that, if that 10,000 feet were all burnt in 

 public lamps, it would be a dead loss to 

 the Company; but that yon look ujjon it, 

 by a certain proportion of it being pub- 

 lic lamps, and a certain proportion pri- 

 vate lamps, the Company may not only 

 be indemnified, but acquire a i>rofif; 

 then, what is the proportion of the 10,000 

 cubic feet of gas that, to secure a profit, 

 must be burnt in private lamj)s.'' — I do 

 not believe any accurate calculation has 

 been made of the number ; I nidy speak 

 of the estimate made of the (jnantity of 

 gas produced, and the result of their 

 contracts for the sale, and their opinion 

 as (o the profit they will produce. 

 Samuel Clegg again called in, und fur- 

 ther examined. 



Yon have invented a macliinc for 

 measuring the gas that is given out ; 

 have you not?— Yes; we can measure 

 any quantity conswmed in a certain 

 time. 



The use of that machine is to insure 



the Cofupauy against the person will» 



nhoitt 



