The Press. — London, England, 1855-07-28 00:00:00

STATE OF THE THAMES. TH:E pollutions of the metropolitan river, and the power possessed by the City Corporation to take steps for its purification, were made the subject of some interesting discussion at the Mansion-house Court on Tuesday last. The following report of the statements there made, and the conclusions arrived at, is given by our daily contemporaries The Loan MAYOR said that he had lately received a great many communications upon the subject of the state of the river, and amongst those who had addressed him was Sir John Macneill, a gentleman whose opinion, from the eminent position he held in his profession (that of a civil engineer), was entitled to the highest consideration and respect. He (the Lord Mayor) had lately felt very great anxiety upon the subject of the sluggishness of the river, and had endeavoured to ascertain whether he was vested with power, as conservator of the river, summarily to put an end to the nuisance now so loudly complained of ; but he had found, to his great regret, that his autho rity was completely nullified by the acts of the Legisla ture. He had, therefore, requested the attendance of the City Solicitor, who, perhaps, after hearing the statement of Sir John Macneill might be able to suggest a remedy for a serious nuisance, and one which was fraught with so much danger to the health of her Majesty's subjects. Sir J. MACNEILL said : There can be no doubt whatever that a vast deal of the danger at present experienced, and likely to be continued, arises from causes which may be remedied if the power exists with the Lord Mayor to do so. A vast deal of the injury now taking place arises from the filling up of the river above the bridges, in9luding en croachments upon the river. I believe that tto be most seriously injurious to the welfare of the river between Battersea or Vauxhall and London Bridges. All the water that can possibly be allowed to run up above the bridges tends to loosen and carry away the mud, and to produce a scour, which is now to a very great extent prevented, and will be much more so. It would be the object of the City, if it could be done, not only to remove every ob stacle put in the river above the bridges, but also to make large reservoirs, or spaces above to allow the tidal water to run into, because the more water that flows up the greater will be the scour down. I believe it would not only be for the benefit of the City that those embankments should be prevented from being carried out, but that they should be stopped. The Loan MAYOR: Under whose directions are these embankments being formed ? Sir J. DlAcxeitt : I do not know. I have heard that they are being formed under the direction of the Woods and Forests. If the subject be inquired into, lam sure it will be found to be for the benefit of the City, as well as of the inhabitants generally, that the tidal river above the bridges should be enlarged and widened, and that reser voirs should be formed for the penning of the clear water, and letting it come down afterwards when the tide is out. I understand that several hundred acres are about to be taken in beyond Battersea. Mr. SAUNDERS, the water bailiff, in answer to a question by the Lord Mayor, said that on this side of Battersea an embankment of considerable extent was in the course of execution, under the directions of the Commissioners of Works. The LOUD MAYOR : I understand that a few years ago a sum of 300,000/. was set apart for certain improvements connected with the river, and that that sum is now lying dormant. Can you tell me whether that is the fact? The Crry SOLICITOR : I have read the letter of Mr. Frederick Smith, but I have no knowledge of the cir cumstances to which that gentleman refers. His state ment is that the Commissioners of Sewers for the metro politan district actually raised under the authority of Parliament 300,0001. towards making an intercepting sewer, but that finding that they had no power under their act to purchase the ground necessary to construct the sewer, they have allowed the other powers to lie dormant, and since the month of April, 1851, have allowed that 300,0601 to remain out at interest. That is the statement. Of the fact I know nothing. The Loan MAYOR : To whom ought we at present to look for the purpose of applying a remedy to the existing state of things? The Crry Soucrroa : I have no suggestions to offer. It is now ten years since the Corporation issued a commis sion, in concurrence with the Admiralty, addressed to Cap tain Bullock, one of the hydrographers of the Admiralty, to Mr. James Walker, the engineer of the Admiralty, and to the harbour master, the water bailiff, and the engineer of the river, to consider what would be the best treatment of the river, and, after an investigation of six weeks, they laid down a plan which was about to be acted upon. The Cor• poration had brought a bill into Parliament to raise upon the credit of their own funds 300,0001., to be laid out in the prosecution of that object. Sir John Macneill will at once appreciate the course of that plan, when I state to him that it was intended to define regularly the bed of the river by wharf-piling and camp-shedding, so as to deepen the bed of the river without circumscribing its banks, and so to exclude the tidal water. That was the principle upon which the work was to proceed, and the shoals were to be removed. The Corporation undertook this work upon the advice of eminent men in both pro fessions, for, in point of fact, the Corporation at that time believed that they had the indisputable right, as the con. scrvators of the river, to its soil and bed. They had had both from the time of the Saxons ; their right was recog nised by the Conqueror in his charters ; and it was sub sequently confirmed by various other charters from the Crown. But no sooner had the Corporation determined upon this systematic mode of treating the river, than the Crown instituted a suit against the Corporatioi. by an injunction to restrain them, setting up a claim on the part of the Crown to the hereditary revenues and profits of the embankments. The Corporation was to apply the produce of any embank. itient or privileges granted to the purpose of public im• THE PRESS. provementa. The Crown now requires that. The suit has been pending for the last ten years, and is now as far off as ever from being settled, and unless some strong hand now interposes I see no permanent or effective remedy for the existing state of things. I understand that Parliament, at the instance of the Crown, has now given authority for the erection of this embankment at Battersea. Ido not know how many acres by reason of this erection are to be in closed, but undoubtedly it will displace a vast volume of tidal water, which appears indispensable to produce a proper and effective scour. The reason that the suit is not ended is this—the Crown claims the right to the soil and bed of all navigable rivers and the shores of the sea around this kingdom, and claims it to make profit of for the benefit of the revenue. The Corporation claim the right to the soil and bed of the river, not for their own pur poses, but to apply the proceeds to the general treatment and improvement of the river. The Corporation say, " We will keep the soil and bed of the river, and if the Crown will abandon its suit we will purchase pease by giving one-third of the net proceeds to the Crown." On the other hand, the Crown says, " No, the Crown will give you the soil and bed of the river, provided you give to us one-third of the net proceeds." The distinction between those two propositions to a common-sense mind would appear to be nothing, but to the mind of lawyers there is a wide difference. A gentleman of the name of MOUEWOOD here stepped forward, and said, with reference to the projected plan of carrying away the sewage of the metropolis, that Sir B. Hall proposed to take five years and a half for the accom plishment of this object, which a practical engineer had undertaken to carry out in a twelvemonth. Sir J. AlAcsErm. : If this country should be again visited with a plague, there is no telling what amount of mischief may not arise from the state of the river. The matter then dropped. IN order to facilitate the forwarding of newspaper parcels, adhesive newspaper tickets (similar to pos. tage-stamps) may be procured at several of the rail way-stations. These tickets when attached to parcels of newspapers will enable them to pass through the parcel offices of the above stations without requiring to be entered as ordinary parcels usually are. Thus newspaper parcels having such tickets may be re ceived up to within a few minutes of the starting of a train. THE BEER BILL COMMITTEE have prepared their report, founded upon which Mr. H. Berkeley has given notice of a bill for repealing the statute of last year, in so far as to allow of publichouses being opened on Sunday from one to three in the afternoon, and from five to eleven at night. AT WEDNESDAY'S COURT OF ALDERMAN , it was moved by Alderman Wilson that the Lord layor be requested to take the usual septennial view of the river Thames, and that a sum not exceeding 7001. be drawn from the chamber on account of the expenses. The motion was opposed as ill.timed and injudicious, and negatived by &large majority. THE LARGEST STEAMER IN THE WORLD, called the Persia, and intended for the Cunard line, was launched on Tuesday week, from the building yard of Messrs. Napier, on the Clyde. The launch was effected without the slightest accident, but such was the momentum of the ponderous mass as it moved into the water, that it dragged through the ground for about 40 feet the two weighty anchors to which her cable was fixed. The exact measure ment of this monster vessel is as follows :—Length, from figurehead to taffrail, 390 feet ; length in the water, 360 feet ; breadth of the hull, 45 feet ; breadth over all, 71 feet ; depth, 32 feet ; burden, 3.000 tons. The weight of the iron in the Persia, when launched, is 2,200 tons. When the engines are on board, and she is fully loaded, her gross weight will be 5,400 tons, at which time she will draw 23 feet of water. Her coal-cellars are constructed to receive 1,400 tons of coal; and besides superb accommodation for pas sengers, there will be stowage for about 1,200 tons measurement of goods, in seven water-tight compart ments. There will be berths for about 300 passen gers in cabins each eight feet six inches height, and ventilated on the most approved scientific principles. Berths are also provided for 120 hands besides the officers. The engines are of 900-horse power, and at, they are quite ready f or fitti ng it is expected that the Persia will be ready for sea early in October. A PARTY OF NEGROES, dressed in the newest style of Parisian fashi on , have lately been observed at the Paris Uni ve r sa l xhibition, the Jardin d'Hiver balls, and other public places. These ebon gentle men are functionaries at the Court of his Imperial Majesty, Faustin 1., better known as Soulouque. They lodge at the little " hotel " in the garden of the Cercle de l'Exposition. They are admitted to dine at the club dinner, and may be seen almost any evening smoking cigars and taking coffee on the flower bespangled terrace in front of the Cerele. A VALUABLE LIBRARY is shortly to be sold at St. Petersburg. It is that of the Councillor of State, Liprandi, brother of the general of that name, now on service in the Crimea, and consists entirely of works on Turkey. It contains thousands of volumes, which for centuries have been withdrawn from the trade, besides a great many maps, plans, drawings, and manuscripts, and has tak en th e possessor thirty seven years to collect. SATURDAY, IRISH PRISONS. THE thirty-third report of the inspectors -general on the general state of Irish prisons in 1854 has made its appearance. The number of prisoners in gaols on the Ist of January, 1855, amounted to 5,080 against 5,755 in 1854, 7,004 in 1853, and 10,084 in 1851. The total number of prisoners incarcerated in the year 1854 was 73,733 against 83,805 in 1853, 113,554 in 1851, 97,959 in 1848, and 43,311 in 1846. The number of prisoners committed in 1854 amounted to 34,192 males and 26,253 females (together 60,445), against 73,019 in 1853. 4,250 males and 2,810 females were committed for felony, 5,734 males and 4,141 females for petty larceny, 11,554 males and 8,016 females for misdemeanours, 271 males and 92 females under the revenue laws, 1,084 males and 286 females under the Poor Law Act., 236 males by courts-martial, 4,892 males and 6,022 females under the Vagrant Act, 5,823 males and 4,658 females as drunkards, and 348 males and 228 females as lunatics. The relative proportion of females has advanced to 43.4 per cent., a fact which the inspectors much de plore, while they are not disposed to be sanguine respecting a continual decrease of male prisoners from external causes, which now presents a peculiarly favorable aspect. There were 8,194 male and 2,592 juvenile offenders in 1854, including 2,031 ricidives, or recommitted juvenile offenders. Of 8,129 juveniles committed 3,254 were orphans, 490 abandoned by parents, 553 absconded from parents, 2,202 without fathers, 1,237 without mothers, 296 stepchildren, and 97 bastards. In the statistics of juvenile crime, the inspectors see irrefragable arguments for the inter vention of the State, which they trust will not be long withheld. The improved sanitary state of the gaols and the sufficiency of the dietary are satisfactorily proved by a striking diminution of mortality. The total expenditure of the gaols in 1854 amounted to 89,9911. against 86,6661. in 1853, and the total expense of Bridewells to 6,1331. against 6,1091. in 1853. The increase is accounted for by the enormous rise in the price of provisions. Productive employment and instruction in trades aro carried on actively in many countries, and it is noticed that among persons already educated in skilled labour an almost entire immunity from crime prevails, whereas of 2,960 males confined on the Ist of January, 1855, only 180 have been trained to any kind of handicraft, however rude. The number of Protestant juvenile offenders (exclusive of Presbyterian) is reckoned at 1,288, and the number of Roman Catholics at 17,561. Taking the criminals generally, there were 983 Protestant felons, and 9,364 Romanist; and 2,257 Protestant misdemean ants against 25,318 Romanist. The Protestants do not include the " Presbyterians," of whom there were 215 felons, and 675 misdemeanants. THE Commas:ox appointed to inquire into the late riots in Hyde-park still continue their sittings. On Wednesday the case for the de fence of the police was commenced, and Com missioner Mayne examined at great length. In the course of his evidence Sir R. Mayne gave the following statements respecting the appoint ments and dismissals in the last twenty-five years:- The whole number of police at the present time is 5,707, and of that number 13 joined in 1829, 33 in 1830, 19 in 1831, 25 in 1832, 35 in 1833, 48 in 1834, 85 in 1835, 55 in 1830, 94 in 1837, 107 in 1858, 118 in 1839, 281 in 1840, 155 in 1841, 171 in 1842, 204 in 1843, 183 in 1844, 193 in 1845, 281 in 1846, 271 in 1847, 397 in 1848, 261 in 1849, 274 in 1850, 374 in 1851, 408 in 1852, 675 in 1853, 967 in 1854- making a total of 5,707. Beginning with 1840, the number of resignations in that year were 751; 629 in 1841, 517 in 1842, 470 in 1843, 525 in 1844, 605 in 1845, 832 in 1843, 707 in 1847, 548 in 1848, 553 in 1849, 608 in 1850, 1,360 in 1851 (this was in conse quence of the numbers taken on temporarily during the opening of the Exhibition in Hyde-park), 636 in 1852, 896 in 1853, 822 in 1854, including 138 who were recommended for the Land Transport Corps, the Commissariat, &c. The number of dismissals for five years past was 235 in 1849, 195 in 1850, 309 in 1851, 231 in 1852, 251 in 1853, 189 in 1854, the dismissals and resignations in 1854 being fewer than any preceding years. 300 of the A division who were employed in the Park on the Ist of July were taken from what is called the reserve. There were 4,416 English, 145 Scotch, and 370 Irish composing the police in 1854. There was, of course, no objection to Irishmen as such, but in some localities it was not found desirable to employ them. Duarso three weeks of the current month the popu lation of London have enjoyed improved health. This is shown by a reduction of the mortality to the extent of about 150 deaths per week below the mortality of the previous month. Last week the deaths registered were 915. In the corresponding week of the ten years 1845-54 the average number was, if corrected for increase of population, 1,130. In comparing the present return with this estimate it is, however, ne cessary to observe that in the week which ended 21st July, 1849 (embraced in the average), cholera was fatal in 678 cases; and raised the deaths from all eauses to 1,741. . 0;' - 710