Mr. Ellis' tender for the economic & profitable utilisation of the metropolitan sewage.

  • Ellis, Thomas
Date:
[1863]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mr. Ellis' tender for the economic & profitable utilisation of the metropolitan sewage. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ the return of the Sewage works, and the full power to re-let and “ deal with the same ; and so that the Board may in case of the “ failure of the Contractors in their operations, be left to their full “ rights, and without any cost to the Board.” With reference this clause, I would remark that the works will be laid down at the risk of the shareholders of a great Company, and not of any “ contractors,” My proposed works are simply for the purpose of utilising the Sewage in a liquid state, for agricul¬ tural purposes, and not of manufacturing solid manure and purifying the Sewage, as at Leicester. If, then, it did not pay for a Company to deliver the Sewage to the farmers, it would not pay for the Board to do so. And as the works would not be of any use for sanitary purposes, as are the works at Leicester, which were lost to the Company that erected them in consequence of a similar penal agreement with the Corporation of Leicester; the Board could he no gainers by the insertion of so hostile a clause in the concession, but which, if insisted on, would probably prevent the raising of the requisite capital, and thus inflict-a great injury upon the owners of the Sewage—the ratepayers,—by preventing the economic and profitable utilisation of their property. The next clause to which I would wish to draw the attention of the Board, is that the “ tenders must contain the names of two or “ more securities to be approved of by the Board, who shall be “ jointly and severally bound in a competent sum for the efficient “ execution of the works, in accordance with the provisions and “ subject to the limitations of . the Metropolis Local Management “ and Local Main Drainage Acts.” With reference to this clause I have again to observe that all the works for the economic utilisation of the Metropolitan Sewage will be undertaken at the risk of a great Company, and not of individual contractors. This Company cannot commence any works until it shall have obtained its Act of Incorporation, in which, due provision shall, as a matter of course, be made to protect the Metropolitan Board of Works, the ratepayers, and the public from all loss or annoyance; and it will be the Company, when formed, who will let the contracts for tlie works, and not the Metropolitan Board of YCorks. It will therefore be to the Company, and not to the Board, that the “contractors” shall have to give security “for the efficient “ execution of the works.” In conclusion, I wish to draw the attention of the Board to the fact, that under the provisions of the concession of the Sewage for which I have applied, the ratepayers- will be entitled to one half of all the profits made by the Company, which share will not be less than £700,000 per annum; and further, that by great exertions, and a free expenditure of money, I may yet be enabled to have my surveys and plans completed in time to go to Parliament next session for
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