The Press. — London, England, 1853-12-17 00:00:00

DECEMBER 17, 1853. was primp* hank necessary to descend from the public service to say anything relative to their conduct in private life. He would caution them, however, to carefully avoid every species of debt and the contraction of extrilStigaut habit., wh►ch would destroy them both iu mind and body." MR. MECHUS BALANCE-SHEET. THE annual meeting of the Coggeshall and United Parishes' Agricultural Society, which came off last week, presented all the usual features of s u c h gatherings. There was a ploughing match, with twelve competitors ; an exhibition of roots an d vegetables; a very creditable display of cotta ge garden produce ; and a gratifying distribution of prizes by way of wind-up. At the dinner Mr. Mecnt was one of the guests, and made a speech afterwards. He enforced the necessity of building sufficient eottages to enable the agricultural labourers to live near the lands they tilled, and calculated the average number at live able bodied men to every 100 acres. lie proceeded to recommend the advantages of draining and irriga tion, when combined into a scientific system. Con gratulating himself that the number of persons who " thought Mr. Mechi a fool " had gradually dwindled down to a minority, and that these were found prin cipally in the remote and less advanced districts, he embarked upon his own especial topics—high culti vation and steam machinery : " lie felt every hour that we wene tin the eve of a very great change in our mode of cultivation. When some of those present had visited hint during the summer, the thing was in its infancy, hut now it had grown up almost to maturity. 111 another week they should have a machine put together• and tried privately : and he must say that the nearer it advanced toward completion the more satisfied he was that it would succeed. lie was nut in a position to say that it would entirely displace the plough, but it would entirely knock on the head their tormentors, grubbers, searifret•s, and clod-crushers; and he did think, if they could concentrate the 10-horse power, as they would most likely do, in two tons weight. they should he able to do more work with Ilk a they than they could with horse-power for :tos ; and, theretiore, this would ie another great matter of economy to the farmer. With regard to the American thnothingmachine, many of those present had seen it at work, and all agr.•ed with hint in the. op• • that it would tend greatly to &Tont 111 l ise the expenses of farming. The machine was now before the world. There wets an aversion on the part of those who hatl the old implements to change them for the new o nes ; bat he was satisfied the force of public opinion would compel its adoption." Mr: Mechi concluded by detailing some of the financial results of his farming operations. His balance-sheet, he said, hail been made out this year from a valuation by Messrs. May and Brodie, " and on making up his books he found he should make an improved rental and profit of :a;01. Wear.) Now, that was very sat isfaetory to his feelings. (Laughter.) That result did mot arise so notch from the increased price of corn or stock, although it slid partly, of course, but he found the main ditteissnee in his live-steck aceonnt : for under his system of irrigation he was 11.111110104.1 to keep two animals whore he used to keep only ono before. on the same acreage of pound and, therefore, the effect was to double, not only the amount of meat, but the amount of manure upon his laud, we that it would rte doubt have an iutlucncc npOtt his corn creep also. ( Cherrx.) 'There Was one other point to which he would refer. It seemed to him an important question. as they were getting steam engines around them as thick as blackberries, who was to repair them if they got nut of order ? ( Hear.; A new era had arrived, and country blaektoniths must become a different race, in order to meet the new class of work which would come to them, unless they wished other mechanics to step in and take their places. Ite‘erting to hid own farming, he must sny that his irrigation rendered him more independent ; he bid defiance to wire-worm and slug, for it Was a elusions fart that, while solid IMIIIIIEPS would breed slugs in abundance, the liquid uu uuu t would destroy them ; so that in getting rid of these enemies the process of irrigation accomplished a great thing for him. ( Ilear.)" Mr. U. PArrissos asked whether Meeln to say that he was deriving it profit of as temust, or whether it included the rental? Mr..ll4:cm: 1 think I stated fl.• IrtnalOr4l amt tenant. That is, I have received '2 lift. as my improved rental, at atis. an acre, and then I have received in addition nearly flint. as farming iemtit. (Beer.) Mr. l'Arrissox : Then as tenant yon are deliving a profit of 8411. a 3ear ? Mr. Mt:e•ut : Yea ; and I wish tee repeat that the increase• i, principally owing to the ineremed number of live stock I can keep on my farm. Mr. MI wished to ask Mr. Piper what was the result of !hi this tear as compared with the general seeding of the country ? Mr. PIPPft was sorry to say that lie was like other people : he quite expected six quarters per acre, but was forced to make shift with four. (Laughter.) Mr. Mccin: That is a large creep. flow many trees to the acre? Mr. PIPER: 55. It has been wls at in succession for nine years, and the land has not Leen ploughed for ten years. Mr. Darns: Have yon calculi' •d the profits of your land Mr. PIPER : Yes: they have le.. ed. 1 ,.. r cwt. f.er several el taps (Laughter, and ''.ll(m. THE PRESS. Mr. Mr.citt said Mr. Piper stated a filet. and he prows trtl against their laughing at a fart. k Hear. hear. 1 In a paper which Mr. Meehi subsequently read at the weekly ►neeting of the Society of Arts, held On Wednesday evening, he thus specifies the it cuts whereof his balance sheet is eomposed • '_1)11.—l'o valuation, Oct. 31. lh:0•2-11ora..4. : I 131. t2s. lid. ; sheep, .203/. ois. ; cattle and eows, 0/. i im plements, :00/. lls. ; tillages, buy, 1 . e.. :cwt. mat of chapel land, -la; tithes, rates, IN.: iaibolit , including engineer. bailiff, Sc., VT/. ; guano. bones. and m4441 , 1'00- I:4ltate of lime, liPt/.; seed cont and seeds. 4:0/. ; ‘ittek MOW 1,1,t401.; cont sad cake lsumlit for feeding horses' keep, de., 114 , 41 ; coals for etazine, t radestuett's hills. A'e.. 1301.: uty improved rent, 34;5. per * etc, 111. ; profit, 3131. ltis. 3d. : toted, 4,9751. the. titl. t's.--Ity valitatiOn, Oct. 31, ISM—Horses, 71/. ; pigs, 65.; 5hi...ep.448/.; cattle and cows, •::19/. 10s.: int. plements.:l9o/. Ila. ; tillages, hay. 171/. I 55.1 1 41. ; wheat. :te quarters per acre-1U acres. 630. ; barley, 5 quarters per acre-11 urea, 111/.; beaus, quarters per aere-13 acres, 1401.; oats, 101. ; prkslitee of euws and poultry, ;i0 1. : hay sold, ; horse work, labour, hay, manure, ,r c., for private establishment, OW.; live stock and wool sold, •2,01 r:/.; three stacks of old straw, 4 0 1.: total, 1,117 A/. Os. 9.1. Live Stook Account. —&'u.; To valued' . 1/ 4 51, 7'031. Ss. 641.; corn, cake, and feeding stunk bought, 111 W.: live stook bought, 1.160/.; protit. or miler price paid for pro. duce of hum, 337/. 7%.1141....-3,01t44. IN. 11r.: Ity valuation. 1,01111. 166.; live stock stud wool sold, 1,00:1.- 3,01t 4 /. Vs." CHOLERA AND THE WATER SUPPLY IN THE M ETROPoLIS. Tut: presence of cholera in the metropolis, albeit in a subdued form, during the present winter sewson, has furnished occasion for several commentaries which the Registrar-General trou► time to time has appended to his periodical returns of metropolitan mortality. In the last of those official esu►)s, which appeared a few days since, the s u bject is treated from the point of view suggested by the nature and quality of the water supply in different districts. From a mass of interesting details contained in this supplement" we extract the following : lu 1549 cholera destroyed 11,1:17 persons in lion out of a liopulation of nearly aho lived, iu wane parts thickly planted, in ethers widely ilithised, on an ales of 122 square milt a. The rats of mortality was not imi- Conn over this surface. Taking an ee t uul number of lido' bitants, say 111,909, the epidemic was fatal to more persons in sumo places than in others, the numbers varying from •:114 at Rotherhithe to k in the regions of Ilatiover-square, Mayfair, and Paddington. This difference betwds,. two extreme rates of mortali is great, but is not more re. markable than the dispa rity that immediately strikes the •d in the whole life and comfit' of the two chaise* of popitlut ion—the former swarming on the water's edge, en. veloped iu smoke and dirt; the latter oceitoing a e elevated site, breathing a pitivr ioniesidicee, co mmanding better water, better drainage, and all applianci li by %lads siWellillga are Mail.' %hole,. nod eoloroit able. It must lie an object to trace the shifting rate of tidily through out its entire range, and to ascertain to what extent its diversity of effect is priabieed by appreeiable causes—by elements which unite in proportions, IdWaya C 1114111414 with locality, to Germ physical condition. It has already been shown that elevation of soil was the most isaistant and /striking in its results, and that the influence of water sup. ply, density of population, and wealth could also be die tested iii the progresa of the epidemic. t h at it is evident that, to estimate exactly the value of any of these forces, it is necessary to obtain similar litmus sa regards the real: for etaiiiple. I. mg-amine the effect of good or bad water supply, it is requisite to find two classes of inhabi tants living on the same level, moving in equal space, .laying an equal share of the means iiisubsistenee, engaged in the same pursuits, but differing in this respeets—that sine drinks water front Itatterisea, the other (nail hew. Of impure substances, which, having been previously eatreded from our habitations as mitit to he retained among living Isings, ate thrown back a 11111 l igst um, mix.sl with die water intended fur iliailestie awes, it is certain that such misma nagement will not be favourable to health. In this case also the effects will be localised, and will lee read, it nay he expeetvil, in the register-hooka of the ilistriet. The re sults of investigation sin this point in Isis/ are summed up as follow% :—The mortality tarot cholera was lowest in ilia• tricts which have their water chiefly from the Thiuncii so high as Hammersmith and Kew. The rtality was greatest iii districts which derive their water from the Thames so low as Hanel sea and Ilmigerfonl-bridge. The districts of the New I:iver eislipied an intermediate sta dia,. Since lsl9 piddle attention bar been much drawn to the importamee of obtaioilog a better supply of water Istee the inetmpolis, and i n lied and Per! select isimmittives of the Home of Ciannions were appointed to inquire into the subject, Oier the foliller of %hid, Sir James Witham pre. sided, over the latter Mr. Heekett. A large must of evi• deuce was obtained from parties faviouraLle to the existing state of things, anal from others who adteeca4d an entire &lunge, by wind, the numerous independent companies W mold have been superseded, and the metropolis subjeeted to a uniform st stein of water supply. As the result of in quiry, an act (1:1 and Ili Viet., cap. µI) was obtained by Government in "to make better provision respecting the supply of water to the metropolis." It enacts that after the of August. lteik it shall not be ban ful fur d nosy company to suppkv Louden with witterfrom tiny part of writ) I I t 1 the Thames balow Tethlington•lock. or from am part o f it.: tributary streams below the highest tibial point. An extension of the perhal for ono ysar it grante.l to the Ch.+ Si.* Company. AU avbieribbir. fir storing wa t er f or ,l owest i o IMIIII *l'4 within a distatiee of tiro nines front St. init‘t eAbrereti. except those containing water *Nell, after it bli.eliary,teti, will he boilbjeeteil to pn.p er fih ra l goli . All water for ilomeatie aw itiboa bo eominete.l through or e:Aerril and, tltllxz , k It lin. burn intitiped (ruin nen% into covvreil resorroiri or sattednetn, It town be sitt.jeete:l to rtfretiiill filtration below it is ]wired into the pipes for ilintrilititi:in. 11 lien the moureen of :Agility Ale chaugril, thr MUM' 11111%1 1w IlliprOle4 hl the Trnae if tuetity lionwholilern tliking in the limier of tiny cOllll4lll il,l%lres, at 111.111011111 10 this Word, eollll , lilillll 04 of the iiiinntity qiinlity of the %Ater, the board Hill I 4111 , x rut ingitiry to be trust.' into the ground* of complaint. The overmeer.: of iho poor in any pari h h , wish eon ent of the vei.try, 11111 1141111'0 011ineres ur 000upieni I wwt 10 rEOelllO M 1•111 Th of a *tor at s role not 1 . 1. eeviling :1,1. I•er ni•ek for reeoveratile 11 . oun the owner. tiller M iledllell o ll lill,t iYI by O w ,„ hi p an y 0 (10 pin . cent. VeNteil intere.tii remain uudiann ht d ; hul the question of iptiblie health is 1/11111 1111 l 11111 ; ruw p inlu are ~1 % their tisi a l, an t i the retention of their p,imer% will ilepetia nit the gots' will awl ability with whieli they tliselierge a tntst. The plagno whieli has swept }'tints'for the third time has revisited our ~horeo, nl l 4 threatens the country at 1111111 V I , lllllt/1 11'4/111 Lt l lllloll 141 Arbro a th, s m u t if it And air itiaries within the lines luny einiquer a p o rnument mitlement tine itself. . From inquiries made by the Resistriustieneral it appears 111111 cholera finds L o udon, a d evgdx ,b, water, iu the whichlieu iu it left it. This holds true still ieference to all except the Lambeth Waterworks company, wh o charged their sour c e o f su pply neat ly two „g„ trout Lambeth to name, I bitten ; 111111 itsi aseertainogi that the ninths of the present em.lemie in the districts % a pplied by th a t conilsoi, as enisiptireti with some others, are rather more satisfactory than they weiv iiiiiirovetnent which, it is hoped, In the further course of events will be maintained. . It is it twil-ktiowit ftiet that the Sewylb, bleb receive the *lt illg4 10f the usteiclooscleo, cesspools, ♦♦tool totlll•r sink," itliltillit) i u11•1111114 1 11,111 1 W jut./ the et' If 'ninnies and the it.. it 1.1. c. where, idler dilution in the (Wool waters, they lire ill V111+1)104 pn 1 111 1 1 • t11 1 11M tilted, 0,1,1 iu /41.1111• ca*l'. tilt. Tea, taken the tapes of the si t ter companies, ,tnol pumped into the h etetes 0 1 , t h e t it h o ht titikte of the tii4.114•1•••111% 61 1 4 1 011 ,•., 11 .• It is also " (set, well cootalolisliell by obsevtothon, that the cans• ot• cholera in an cloilletioie nets more or leko O n the %holly of thu population, but that its bears a eel•• lain 'Asti to the impurity of the soil, the %M il ', and the suf. _ slit ty wsitvr HMI dilly sit' sink IOWHItIs OH. In .1 Into of the Louduu Ln.in. RIM) 1110 .h.. 11111 .end np 'lank %upon's; sod it has been shown that, when IHIgo iiiii ishers are taken. so till to *looter o tl sc r e ir r im in taii rs .a nearly espial, the mortality deems's.% progressively in Ilse dwelling% at 4111111.41 d eleyal . After correcting thu table* of cholera for t h e of aviation, it is Could that a large residual nisittality remains, *lslet' is fairly referable to the impurity of the water ; fur it is least where that' waster is knows' to sweetest, greatvst where the waler is known to he the most impure. After the great Issas of life in INV), awl the pativio iii• vestigatisatis of two al•le cssluuktee.. of 11w Homo. of Commons, the present wider companies were left in the undisturbed posseasion of the tnonopuly, which itsuy r i s p a y, of selling the lassple of !Amason water. In this present state of toagineerang and sanitary actions., purer waters front gotta risig•grottiala, or from op t ing*. mi ld p ru b s idy be pnisoireil, and Ie supplied at elivaper rates by new cum. !smiles, sir by the Mesa porated ratepayer*. lint this would dislaub ths• values of huge masses of Miserly(' capital. To avoid ouch a *slush, ehaats the *apply is Lett in the hands of the existing eulllpa sii s; bast by net of Parliament Hwy ale prohibited troll from the tidal witting of that' and Iva., after ell tont Axed (lutes. It, however, imfortoinutely isapp.s o s li n g i n the invasion of cholera, with which Vi NM 11114•111elit at ncxl year, every parish, except those is loch the Imati,stit 'minivan)? supplies, niny I cosi% a• 'H HI. llf us 1 4 1.1 a• 4 those of Islll without a flit vet viol a ss u i l 4 ,f th e ac t ~t Parliament. !. Hut the water companies will Jo will to Lear in missal that the slats '4 its tile nil 111.' a %t 11'111a hi Ulils fli alias iteyttild It 11411 tlsey coils supply I Indul t 1 4 1 11 1 'Ow ne water without a direct 'tantalum sl the I.IW. They may complete the works in half Ilse time. They east necelerate tlaeU. progress. And the I t 111111 H V. lila It they have furnished will CHINO 114 In 11111/Irtittit. their Aral mill spirit ill the public service mulct. taut a tirivistlislary toilet genev. Inateasi of the distant slates of fist of August, It'll Itur i at, and Peel, which WITO fixed 110. return of cholera Irma not 1•011141111111116 A, the esompaniess Woods' Hato wt supplying I Arndt/11 with the water wheels tiov 111 11 1 . 11 SMOISIRI tat furnish, at a slate not later than the Ist I.t July, Veil. This would pudialsly be the means of saving tbioi• sands of lives, nth(l entitle the directors to tlati piiblle spat Date* after which it will not be "lawfUl " for the wstvr companies to 'Ripply waters from the mania snorers, or of the same quality, sh at present, to the inhabitant,. of lanidon New lliter :loth dune, IN:o7. Cortina .lunation '11.4 August, 1w.3. Chcl►ea 3l►l August. Weal Niddlrs. s :ll.t August, IKi3. East London %twist, 1 , 401 Southwark 'flat August, 1565, The 4 ituudJunetion I tier Southwark t!tastpantra Sint* that tI pro .t to votottolete their works in 1t5:J4,.4 ytair hunt prt..)cril;ttl I.y do; Legialatutv.