The Press. — London, England, 1855-05-26 00:00:00

Mkt . 26, 1855. they deferred their operations ; and the new Commis sion, which was opened on the the 29th of November, 1854, was congratulated on coming " into office with important advantages, in possessing plans that had been approved by the highest engineering authorities of the day, and also by having a well-filled trea• sury." (9) For the southern scheme a bill was prosecuted by the Commission, and it passed the second reading on the Bth of February, 1854, "as a very important measure," but was not further proceeded with. Nearly 2,0001. have been spent in commencing works on the north side, and which will be totally useless unless the whole be executed. The Chairman had repeatedly told the new Commission that they might contract for the whole on that very day, and there fore all the expense of working drawings had been incurred. The new Commission was also informed that the late Commission " advised that 110,0001. should be applied to the Hackney Brook, and 190,0001. to drainage on the south of the T hames." ( 10 ) The new Metropolitan Commission of Sewers has, however, not proceeded with the construction of the main drainage works, considering that its powers are to be transferred to the proposed Metropolitan Board of Works to consist of members locally elected by various district boards. The 300,000/. have, how ever, been specially reserved by the Commissioners, because, as Sir John Shelley informed Parliament on the 7th instant, the money had been "granted for a specific purpose, for the main arterial drainage of London, by which the Thames would be purified, and which he trusted would not be interfered with." (11) The correctness of this statement may be established by reference to the speech of Lord Palmerston on the 27th July last, in which, after referring to " the construction of the great trunk lines, which were to carry off the general sewage of the whole metropolis," he added that the 300,0001. were To enable the Commissioners to commence the con struction of the two great outfall drains, one for the north aid the other for the south side of the river—works which, as the honourable member for Lambeth well knew, were of great necessity, and if the bill were not agreed to they stottld be delayed for another year. (12) Surely there is then a specific defined plan—" the two great outfall drains." Surely, as eleven years have elapsed since the Health of Towns Commission made their report, and as since 1847 there have been eight royal commissions appointed for improving the drainage and the Thames, we are not now to be told that an efficiect and specific remedy has still to be devised. In 1840 the Commissioners advertised for plans for several months. They have fully matured all that has been advanced, and they have decided on works for first and immediate construction at a cost of 1,050,000/. ; and six months afterwards they adopted additional works, increasing thereby the total cost to 3,000,000/. ; and, at a special court on the 15th instant, a resolution proposed was for the purpose of "considering the means for raising the money required for the great works for the intercep tion and delivery of the sewage," the capital being assumed as 3,000,0001. or 3,500,0001. The paper read by the mover of the resolution was ordered to be printed. (13) Surely these confirmations—that which have been quoted from five official parliamentary papers, emanating from the Commissioners of Sewers, and the extracts from Hansard—will satisfy the veriest sceptic. The question of execution remains to be considered. The Metropolitan Local Management Bill proposes that the " Metropolitan Board of Works shall have full power and authority to make such sewers and works as they may think necessary for preventing the sewage within the metropolis from flowing or passing into the River Thames in cr near the metro polis." The approval of the plan is to rest with her Majesty's Board of Works; and when so ap proved. her Majesty's Treasury may advance the money, which the Commissioners may also other wise borrow, mortgaging the rest. But all these powers are merely permissive, and three-fourths of the elected members will represent districts, which, being able to pass their sewage into lower localities, will have no immediate interest in deciding upon the execution of works which are to increase their sewer rates. In fact, the proposi tion contained in Sir B. Hall's bill possesses all the elements of delay, and the probability of total abor tion, in so far as the Thames and arterial drainage are concerned. Is farther delay safe in the fate of that which occurred in the House of Commons on the 24th of July last, and at the Mansion-house on the 13th of August 1 In the latter case the Lord Mayor was informed, and it had also been brought under the notice of Lord Palmerston, that all the efforts made by the London Dock Company to wash out and to improve their dangerously polluted water, had proved to be entirely useles, "the dirty offensive condition of the river " making it quite impossible to do so ; and the (9) Greek-street, N0v.16, IRS4—(10) Greek.street, Nov. 29, 1854—(11) Morning Papers, May e, 1856—(12) Hansard, July 27,1854; Chroniele, Daily New, and Advertiser-03) Iduruing Papers, May 16,18 5 5; Greek-streets May IL THE PRESS. Lord Mayor recommended that the matter should be brought before the public press. (14) The other circumstance is the following. In answer to a question from the late Lord Dudley Stuart, respecting the noxious effluvia pervading the house on Thursday " and Friday last," her Majesty's Chief Commissioner of Works informed the house " that the stench was excessively offensive a week ago, pervading not only the house, but also the ad joining courts of law. (15) Indeed, he w►s informed that in consequence of the disagreeable stench the Judge of the Queen's Bench had adjourned his court;" and the Chief Commissioner of Works con• eluded his report by saying that, He feared all he could do would have very little effect so long as the Thames was the cloaca maxima of this great city. The smells came into the house with the external air. The only way of excluding them would be by pre venting the admission of the external air; and if such a remedy were adopted he feared that during the present month its effects would be to stifle all the members. There could be no doubt that these odours were very in jurious to health, and the most effectual remedy he could recommend was that the sitting of Parliament should be brought to a close as speedily as possible. ( hi) This is the fifth time that the subject has come before the house, and yet the 200,000/, granted by Parliament in 1853 for dispolluting the Thames have been spent for its further pollution, and Parlia ment has lately sanctioned that 25,0001. out of the 300,0001. granted in 1854 should be similarly spent to increase the evil. Lord Palmerston's, Sir B. Hall's, and Sir John V. Shelley's recommendations, in respect to a new drainage plan, have been complied with on the part of the Commissioners of Sewers. Compulsory powers to buy land for outfalls could have been secured at any time during the last four months. The Commissioners' plan was published on the 21st of Oct., 1853. Its cost is 1,050,00(1/. Why is it not promptly executed, seeing that it is so highly recom mended; that it is before the house by so many official documents ; and seeing that Father Thames, who washes the walls of the House of Commons, pollutes its atmosphere and remains a national disgrace?—l am, sir, your obedient servant, THE PITT CLUB. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—l beg leave again to call upon the directors, or committee of management, of the " Pitt Club," for an explanation of their conduct in discontinuing the annual dinners and triennial festival, without the sanction of the members generally. At the present titre a meeting of the club might be productive of the best results ; and I, therefore, through the medium of your columns, publicly ask what has become of the fund in hand, and why the committee and the secretary take upon themselves to treat the members so very uncourteously ?--I am, sir, your obedient servant, AN OLD MEMBER OF THE PITT CLUB. May 23, 1852. A RETTTEN MOVED FOR BY SIR B. HAIL, M.P., shows that with a population (in 1851) of 2..363,405, and in habited houses to the number of 306,088, the rate able value of the property assessed in the metropo litan districts exclusive of the City of London to the property tax amounts to 13,462,0671.; and the value of that assessed to the country rate to 9,224,299/. In the city of London the population is 127,889, the number of inhabited houses 14,590, the rateable value of the property 1,584,351/. In Westminster the population is 241,811, number of houses 24,756, and rateable value to the property tax 2,420,1161. In Marylebone the population is 370,957, number of houses 40,513, rateable value to income tax 2,510,1671. In Finsbury the population is 323,830, number of houses 37,353, rateable value 1,887,7631. In the Tower Hamlets the population is 539,111, number of houses 75,710, rateable value 1,665,4291. In Southwark the population is 172,863, the number of houses 23,751, rateable value 677,8261. In Lam beth the population is 258,808, number of houses 40,317, rateable value 1,170,2221. In Greenwich the population is 99,365, number of inhabited houses 14,383, rateable value 353,8001. In sundry other places in Middlesex, Kent, and Surrey, comprising Chelsea, Kensington, Fulham, Hampstead, Clapham, Tooting, Streatham, Battersea, Putney, Charlton, Lee, Eltham, Lewisham, tkc., the population in 1851 was 228,991, the number of houses 34,714, and the rateable ♦alue to the property tax 1,392,5821. With reference to the claim for parliamentary representa tion, it may be stated that the population of the Middlesex districts without boroughs amounts to 142,223, that of the districts in Surrey to 51,933, and that of the districts in Kent to 34,835. The total population of all the Surrey districts is exceeded by that of Chelsea alone, the population of which is 56,538, and nearly equalled by that of Kensington, which is 44,053. (14) Morning Papers, Aug. 12, 1854—(15) Queen's Bench, Tine; May 29, 1855—(16) Morning Papers, July 26, 1854. Court anb t astion. The Birthday Drawing-room was held on Satur day last in St. James's Palace, and attended by about sixteen hundred ladies and gentlemen. The Queen held a Privy Council on Monday after noon, and on Tuesday her Majesty and the Court left Buckingham Palace and travelled by the South- Western Railway to Gosport, whence the Royal party were conveyed in the Fairy to the Isle of Wight. The Queen will remain at Osborne-house for the next week or ten days. Nearly all the Cabinet Ministers gave grand ban • quets on Saturday evening in honotirof her Modesty's birthday. At Lord Palmerston's dinner the Earl of Aberdeen, the Duke of Newcastle, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Sidney Herbert, and Mr. Cardwell were among the guests. Cabinet Councils were held on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday last. The Belgian Moniteur publishes the following despatch :—" The Duke and Duchess of Brabant made the journey to Damascus from Jerusalem in four days. The reception given to them by the popula tion and by the Caimacan of the Maronites was most flattering. On the 26th ult. their Royal Highnesses left, and arrived on the following day at Balbeck, where they remained until the 30th. On the Ist. inst. their Royal Highnesses stopped at Broumana, at the house of the Caimacan." Yalu and Volia. Tat SHIPWRIGHT HOPPER, who has been for a fortnight detained on suspicion of having fired the floating battery in Mr. Scott Russell's yara, was dis eharged on Wednesday after re-examination before Mr. Yardley, at the Thames Police-court. The only evidence against him was that of a single witness, the man Coolie, who adhered to his former assertions, but the case of alibi set up for the defence was un impeachable, and the prisoner was acquitted with • a sort of triumph. THE LARGE PROPERTY left by the late Mr. Wil liam Hope, of Paris, appears likely to afford some occupation to the French tribunals. Mr. Hope is. stituted Mr. Crosby, of Dover, his universal legatee, and M. de Morel, of Paris, his executor. As no ready money was found in the house of Mr. Hope after his death, the executor was obliged to advance a considerable sum to defray the outlay for the fu neral, servants' mourning, house expenses, Etc. On Saturday an application was made to M. Debelleyme, sitting in chambers, to order a sum of 40,500 f. to be paid over to the executor out of the proceeds of the sale of Mr. Hope's furniture and wines, which brought a sum of about 150,0001. Several of the Ft ench cre ditors of the deceased opposed that course, on the ground that Mr. Hope shortly before his death sold landed property in England of the value of three millions of francs, which sum was at present in the Bank of England ; and that, consequently, the legatee and executor were sufficiently provided with means to meet all current expenses. M. Debelleyme de cided that, as the matter related to a payment par privilige which was contested, and which could not be appreciated properly at a sitting in chambers, the parties interested must apply in the usual way to a court of law, and have the point decided by civil action. A FURTHER EXAMINATION in the case of Messrs. Davidson and Gordon, accused of raising large sums of money on forged dock warrants, took place on Thursday at Guildhall, in the presence of a numerous attendance of persons connected with mer cantile interests. After a prolonged investigation the case was once more adjourned to complete the evidence. ALEXANDER STEWART, who was convicted of mur der at the spring Circuit recently held at Glasgow, was executed on Wednesday in front of the South Prison on Glasgow-green. The culprit was found guilty of murdering with a pickaxe an old man awned John Welsh, a watcher at a coal-pit at the village of Maryhill, partly incited by a feeling of revenge, and partly to possess himself of the trifling amount of property which the old man had in his possession. Tae Meteor floating battery wars commissioned on Wednesday by Captain Seymour. She is at present in dock at Woolwich, where workmen are putting on three screws, which are bo be used on her next expe rimental trial . The new royal steam•yacht the Victoria and Albert, in which the Queen and Court will embark this season, for the first time, on the usual series of royal acquatics, is rapidly progressing in her equipments for sea. Her internal embellishments ate oleo in a state of great progremif and she is expected to be ready for sea about the 3rd of July. The Hon. Captain Joseph Denman will command her, and the crew and storet of the old yaeht will be tufted over to the mew Vittoria and Albert. .. - ''~f ~ ~ 495