always a troublesome and expensive business; but it can hardly be denied that there are few districts in England so favourably placed, in this respect, as South Lancashire.
The moorland region, which stretches continuously from the river Lune, near Lancaster, quite into the northern part of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, is, at its nearest point, not more than seven miles distant from Manchester; and in this wide range of country there are numerous glens, growing nothing but heather, and having ample gathering grounds in connection with them, from which, an almost unlimited supply of excellent water can be obtained, when needed; whilst local and private interests may be reconciled without any extraordinary difficulty. The preference for Thirlmere appears to be induced by the expectation of avoiding a certain amount of expense and trouble, and, perhaps, by a sort of ambition, or fancy for heroic measures, on the-part of certain individuals.
It is highly probable that, in the localities above referred to, the water must be collected in smaller quantities than may be obtained from Thirlmere, and that the same expense and trouble which Boards of Health usually meet with in transactions of this nature, will have to be met, in dealing with parties interested.
These circumstances might make it unprofitable for a Water Company to have recourse to such sources of supply; but this seems a reason why the Corporation should be satisfied with the business they are at present doing in this line, rather than that they should invade places one hundred miles distant from their town, and make their rates responsible for the interest of an enormous addition to their debt, for the sake of extending operations which certainly are not their proper business, as Trustees for the Ratepayers of Manchester.
