11.--A public meeting was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, to give the
citizens the opportunity of expressing their opinion upon the new Water
Works Bill. A resolution was adopted in its favour. On the 12th the
Town Council agreed to petition the House of Commons in opposition to the
Bill, on the ground principally that no provision was made for such a
supply of water as the inhabitants required, and that the scale of rates
was too high. On the 19th the Corporation authorised the expenditure of
250 pounds "to defray the expense of defending the rights of the present
Water Works Company and of opposing the new Water Works Bill in
Parliament." On March 27th Mr. David Stevenson, C.E., Edinburgh, held a
public inquiry at the Guildhall respecting the application for the new
Bill, and subsequently made a tour of inspection. He stated that Norwich
was as badly supplied with water as any place he was ever in. The Bill
went before the Committee of the House of Commons on May 2nd, and on the
16th was reported to the House of Lords. It passed its third reading in
the House of Commons on June 3rd. The Town Council, on June 12th,
appointed a committee to confer with the promoters of the Bill as to
certain clauses; and on June 15th it was announced that the promoters had
adopted a course that was satisfactory to the representatives of the
Council. Opposition was then withdrawn. The first general meeting of
the shareholders of the Norwich Water Works Company was held on October
15th, under the presidency of Mr. Bignold, chairman of the company.