414 Sir W. Con gr eve on [JuNti, 



The small rise in the price of coals, and the great fall in that 

 of oil, may indeed be considered as a sort of measure of the 

 saving to the public that has arisen from this application of coal ; 

 nevertheless there may be many very important considerations 

 both of external and internal policy, which may render it very 

 desirable that the government should give every possible encou- 

 ragement to the use of the gas produced from oil. Not only our 

 distant fisheries seem to point to the expediency of this policy, 

 viewed as a principal nursery for seamen (which from the fore- 

 going statement of the little increase in the consumption of coal, 

 evidently receives no aid from the use of the coal gas) but the 

 encouragement of our coast fisheries, as an additional means of 

 subsistence for an increased population, renders it expedient that 

 the utmost encouragement should be given to this mode of aug- 

 menting the consumption of oil ; nor can it be doubted, that if 

 such enhanced demand could be created for the description of 

 oil that would thus be required, it would form a most powerful 

 stimulus to the coast fisheries. 



Thus far very little progress has been made in the extension 

 of the use of oil gas in the metropolis since my last Report ; 1 

 shall, however, state some particulars respecting this part of the 

 subject at the conclusion of the present Report. 



It is satisfactory to observe, that although considerable exten- 

 sions have been made in this mode of lighting the town during 

 the last year, no serious accident has happened : the only one 

 indeed which deserves mentioning is that which occurred in the 

 vaults under the Opera House, of which I transmitted a particu- 

 lar account at the time. 



It is also satisfactory to observe, that very considerable 

 improvements have been made in some of the processes in the 

 different works, as well in the mode of setting the retorts as in 

 that of charging them ; and that some of the probable causes of 

 mischief stated in my first Report have been removed ; among 

 which I may state, that the practice of making use of the coal 

 tar in the tanks, for floating the gasometers, has been entirely 

 discontinued. 



Most of the new gasometers which have been lately erected 

 are uncovered ; by which means the probability of accident by 

 the leakage of the gas into the gasometer houses is obviated ; 

 and the only objection that existed to making this a general 

 practice (namely, the effect of the wind or snow in disturbing or 

 increasing the pressure of the gasometer when exposed) is pro- 

 posed to be got rid of by the addition of a small regulating 

 gasometer, from which the mains are immediately fed. 



Another very great improvement in the mode of conducting 

 these works has been introduced in the evaporation under the 

 retorts of the lime water, by which the gas is purified. By this 

 means a great nuisance has been obviated which used to exist 



