comfort and enjoyment of your Majesty's subjects in their ever-growing towns, and accomplishing these ends by measures of local self-government in harmony with the best English traditions. Within the same period Parliament has cheapened, expedited and greatly improved its procedure upon Local and Personal Bills. These Volumes attempt, for the first time, to describe the changes thus made and trace the History of that Private Legislation which, working quietly, is but little noticed, although it has done so much for the public good. Your Majesty has been graciously pleased to accept the Dedication of my Work. That it may prove one not unfitting memorial of an auspicious Era in a renowned and beneficent Reign is the earnest hope of, Madam, Your Majesty's most faithful Subject, THE AUTHOR. PREFACE TO THE SECOND VOLUME. OWING to representations made in the progress of this Work, material additions have been made in the Chapters relating to Local Authorities and the London Water Companies. Volume II. thus considerably exceeds in size its companion volume, but the Author hopes that its usefulness may be correspondingly increased, and that, although not so intended, it may serve as a Jubilee record of the Queen's reign. The Author's grateful acknowledgments are due to the many official personages, legal agents, town clerks, and secretaries of public bodies, whom it was necessary to consult in preparing portions of this Volume, for aid and information courteously afforded. 1, PLOWDEN BUILDINGS, TEMPLE, December, 1886. WATER SUPPLY OF LONDON (continued): BILLS AND PROJECTS IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES: Extension of London Bridge Water- WORKS: YORK BUILDINGS, CHELSEA, AND LAMBETH COMPANIES: DRINKING WATER FROM CANALS: THE GRAND JUNCTION, SOUTH LONDON, KENT, WEST MIDDLESEX, AND EAST LONDON COMPANIES: COMPE- TITION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD UNDERTAKINGS: 1810-17: PARTITION OF DISTRICTS: INCREASE IN WATER SUPPLY OF LONDON (continued): PROFITS OF COM- PANIES, AND THEIR CHARGES, DOWN TO 1827: WOODEN PIPES: DEFECTIVE SERVICE: PARLIAMENTARY IN- QUIRIES, 1821 AND 1828: POLLUTED SOURCES OF SUP- PLY: ROYAL COMMISSION, 1827-8: MR. TELFORD'S SCHEME, 1834: RENEWED INQUIRIES BY PARLIAMENT, 1834 AND 1840: BILL OF GOVERNMENT TO CONSOLI- DATE COMPANIES, 1851 METROPOLIS WATER ACT, 1852 QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF WATER: REPORTS AND INQUIRIES, 1856-69: PLANS OF SUPPLY, 1840-84: DISPUTED PURITY OF RIVER WATER: CONSTANT SUPPLY: METROPOLIS WATER ACT, 1871: EXTINC- TION OF FIRES: ATTEMPTS TO TRANSFER WATER SUPPLY TO PUBLIC BODIES: METROPOLIS WATER- WORKS PURCHASE BILL, 1880: ASSESSMENT OF WATER LOCAL AUTHORITIES:- -BOROUGHS, BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONQUEST: BURGHAL CUSTOMS IN DOMESDAY: CHARTERS: INCORPORATION-BY IMPLICATION OR PRE- SCRIPTION AND BY EXPRESS GRANT: BOROUGHS AFTER 1688: POLITICAL ABUSES ARISING UNDER CHARTERS: MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS IN 1835: MUNICIPAL RE- FORM ACT: EARLY EXAMPLES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT: BUILDING ASSIZE IN LONDON: FIRES: ACT FOR GOOD ORDER IN LONDON, A.D. 1285: TAVERNS: WATCH AND |