The debate on the Birmingham Corporation Water Bill,— a private
Bill,—on Tuesday night was significant of the great competition which there will certainly be, as England fills up, for a supply of fresh water to the great towns. Mr. Chamber- lain, who moved its second reading, said the question had become urgent in Birmingham, and that the Corparation pro- posed to spend £6,000,000 in bringing a supply of water from two of the tributaries of the Wye, the Elan and the Claerwen. He laughed at the claim of the Welsh Members to retain Welsh water for Wales, whereas it came from heaven and went to the sea, and was therefore anybody's water. It was evident, however, that the Home-rule feeling is almost ex- tending to the wish to exclude the inhabitants of a different Home-rule district from the advantages of the water which springs up in your own district. If that feeling is to be in- dulged, we shall have hot conflicts over "water-privileges," as the Yankees call them. In this case, London too showed a certain jealousy of Birmingham's promptitude, for London too, it seems, had cast a longing glance at the head-waters of the Wye. On a division, however, the second reading was carried by 244 votes to 102; majority, 142.
Previous page
