Metropolis Gas Act 1860

Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Metropolis Gas Act 1860 (23 & 24 Vict. c. 125) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The bill for the act was the Gas (Metropolis) Bill.^[1] The Metropolis Gas Act 1860 regulated the operation of gas supply companies in London.

Long titleAn Act for better regulating the Supply of Gas to the Metropolis.

Citation23 & 24 Vict. c. 125

Territorial extentUnited Kingdom

Royal assent28 August 1860

Quick facts Long title, Citation ...

Metropolis Gas Act 1860^[a]
Dates
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for better regulating the Supply of Gas to the Metropolis.
Citation	23 & 24 Vict. c. 125
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Royal assent	28 August 1860
Commencement	28 August 1860^[b]
Repealed	16 June 1977
Other legislation
Amended by	Metropolis Gas Act 1861 Statute Law Revision Act 1875
Repealed by	Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1977
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

As to the effect of the Gas Light and Coke Company's Act 1868 and the City Gas Act 1868 on this Act, see Gas Light and Coke Company v Vestry of St George's.^[2]

Background

The use of coal gas for illumination and heating had expanded since its invention in the early 18th century by William Murdoch, a Scottish engineer. By the middle of the nineteenth century there were nearly one thousand gas companies within Great Britain with thirteen in London. Increasing competition had led to falling dividends and by the 1850s the industry welcomed change.

Provisions

Section 6

As to this section, see Gaslight and Coke Company v South Metropolitan Gas Company.^[3]

Section 14

This section, from "Provided that it shall not be lawful" to the end of this section, was repealed by section 1 of, and the Schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1875,^[4] because it was spent.^[5]

Section 36

This section, from "provided that" to the end of this section, was repealed by section 1 of, and the Schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1875, because it was spent.^[5]

Section 56

This section was repealed by section 1 of, and the Schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1875, because it was spent.^[5]

Outcome

The Metropolis Gas Act 1860 ended the severe competition and encroachment on rival companies' gas supply areas. It permitted companies to arrange for the monopoly lighting of allotted districts.

The Act included the first attempt to produce a standard measure for energy supply when it defined the term candle power.

The monopoly status of the gas companies led to overcharging and abuse resulting in a public outcry. A select committee was formed to decide on the best response, and as a result the City of London Gas Act 1868 (quickly extended to cover the entire metropolitan area) tried to regularise this by forcing the remaining gas companies to open their accounts to public view.

Subsequent developments

The whole act was repealed by section 1(1) of, and part VI of schedule 1 to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1977, which came into force on 16 June 1977.^[6]

Notes

[a]
Section 1.
[b]
The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.

References

"The Metropolis Gas Act, 1860". Halsbury's Statutes of England. (The Complete Statutes of England). First Edition. Butterworth & Co (Publishers) Ltd. 1929. Volume 8: . Page 1240. See also Preliminary Note at page 1181 et seq.
John Mounteney Lely. "Metropolis Gas Act, 1860". The Statutes of Practical Utility. (Chitty's Statutes). Fifth Edition. Sweet and Maxwell. Stevens and Sons. London. 1894. Volume 4. Title "Gas". Pages 47 to 61.
William Newland Welsby and Edward Beavan. Chitty's Collection of Statutes with Notes Thereon. Third Edition. Henry Sweet. Stevens and Sons. London. 1865. Volume 2. Page 312.
William Paterson (ed). "Gas (Metropolis) Act". The Practical Statutes of the Session 1860. John Crockford. Wellington Street, Strand, London. 1860. Pages 285 to 304.
Edmund Humphrey Woolrych. "Appendix - Metropolis Gas Act, 1860". The Metropolis Local Management Acts, to which is added an Appendix containing other Statutes relating to the Powers and Duties of the Metropolitan Board of Works, Vestries and District Boards of the Metropolis. Second Edition. Shaw and Sons. Fetter Lane and Crane Court, London. 1880. Pages 405 to 421. See also pages 30, 63, 71 and 72.
John Mews, assisted by Chapman, Sparham and Todd. "Gas and Gasworks". A Digest of the Reported Decisions of the Courts of Common Law, Bankruptcy, Probate, Admiralty, and Divorce . . . from 1756 to 1883 inclusive. H Sweet. Stevens and Sons. W Maxwell and Son. London. 1884. Volume 3. col 1976
Ephraim Arnold Jacob. "Gas". An Analytical Digest of the Law and Practice of the Courts of Common Law, Divorce, Probate, Admiralty and Bankruptcy, and of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal of England. George S Diossy. Broadway, New York. 1881. Volume 4. Page 5688.
"Chartered Gas Light and Coke Company". London Metropolitan Archives. The National Archives. 1823–1894. pp. LMA/4438. Retrieved 12 May 2009.

[1]
"Gas (Metropolis) Bill". Index to Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, in the Second Session of the Eighteenth Parliament of the United Kingdom. 23° & 24° Victoria. 1860.
[2]
(1872) 41 LJQB (NS) 360 Ch D; affirmed (1873) 8 Cox's Magistrates' Cases 120, Ex Ch
[3]
(1887) 57 Law Times Reports 557; [1888] 1 Weekly Notes 46 Ch D. See also John Mews, The Annual Digest . . . during the Year 1893, p 131.
[4]
The Statute Law Revision Act 1875, section 1 and Schedule
[5]
Statute Law Revision Bill 1875
[6]
"Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1977", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1977 c. 18