422 Sir W. Congreve on [June, 



would not certainly be now advisable, generally, to break up the 

 streets for that purpose ; but I should distinctly recommend, 

 that whenever new pipes are laid, or old ones exposed for repair 

 or otherwise, this measure should be universally enforced. 



There is another subject to which I feel it right to call the 

 serious attention of the government, conceiving that some gene- 

 ral regulation in this respect would be a material benefit to the 

 public, as well as to the companies. 



I allude to the limitation of particular districts to particular 

 companies ; at present, as may be seen by the accompanying 

 plan, the mains of more than one of the first-formed companies, 

 principally the London and City of London Gas Light Compa- 

 nies, are carried into the same district, and indeed in many 

 places into the same streets, lanes, and even alleys, so that 

 adjoining houses, in the most confined situations, are frequently 

 supplied by different companies, the pipes of these different 

 companies intersecting and mixing in a very complicated 

 manner. 



From this it frequently happens, that in case of the nuisance 

 of leakage, it is unknown from what pipes this nuisance proceeds. 

 A hesitation is thus, therefore, constantly manifested as to which 

 company is to open the ground ; disputes arise, and much delay 

 and inconvenience is the consequence, not only from the nui- 

 sance being thus prolonged, but from the more frequent breaking 

 up of the pavement, naturally arising from a double set of mains 

 and services than if only one set were allowed in the same dis- 

 trict. 



The only argument, as it appears to me, that could be adduced 

 against this limitation, would be as to any supposed effect that 

 might arise from the encouragement of the competition of differ- 

 ent companies in keeping down prices ; but this objection I 

 apprehend may be settled, by regulating the general prices with 

 less uifficulty than exists in the present state of the supply. 

 And this regulation of prices, as I have already stated, is one of 

 the advantages that may be fairly calculated upon as an early 

 result from the due exertion of the control of the government. 



Some of the companies, from the complaints, disputes, and 

 other inconveniences, attending the present arrangement, are 

 very desirous of entering into a compromise for the limitation of 

 their districts, and have offered an exchange of mains, &c. value 

 for value ; and I must confess that it appears to me advisable, 

 that a general regulation on this subject should be adopted as 

 soon as possible. The latter charters indeed have proceeded 

 upon this principle. The Imperial Company, for instance, is 

 thus limited to particular districts, and those districts are exclu- 

 sively granted to them. 



I shall now only state one more regulation, which I think it 

 would be very important to have enforced, that not only should 

 accurate plans of the present actual state of all the gas works 



