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

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 for fitting 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 fashion, have lately been observed
at the Paris Universal 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 taken the 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.

11. -

JULY 28, 1855.

triorrtspoitlatut.

PURIFICATION OF THE THAMES.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."

Sir,—You inserted two letters on the 26th of May
and 2nd of Juno on the purification of the Thames,
in which was questioned the future operations of the
proposed Metropolitan Board of Works, to consist of
forty-two members, a large majority representing
those high districts which have no need of "new
bridges over the Thames," nor of "opening up
narrow thoroughfares," nor of dispolluting the
Thames," the throe works which the Board has per-
mission to make. . .

Taxes are increasing, houses are beginning to be
unlet, and the Board will hardly find itself in a posi-
tion to execute the two former, and the latter remains
the subject of especial interest, and peculiarly so at
the present moment.
The present Commissioners have suspended their
proceedings from want of power to purchase land, and
Sir B. Hall's new bill gives five years for completing
works which might easily he constructed within
eighteen months. Henee, if the Board be constituted
by the close of the year, it may safely defer the
subject for three years to come.

Is this to be endured? You have Lord Palmers-
ton's words on the 4th and 9th of March, 1853, in
the House of Commons ; on the 23rd of July, at the
Mansion-house; in August, in the House of Com-
mons ; as also on the 27th of July, 1854, when
300,0001. were granted to commence the construc-
tion of the two tunnels ; and I now beg to submit a
few facts :

1. Since the digpollution of the Thames has been
publicly advocated and admitted to be necessary,
there have been expended in works causing addi-
tional pollution—viz., from 1840 to December, 1864
(six years) :
For new sewers X418,798-7,
. . _

" side entrances, air-shafts, gulleys, &c 75,323 1 0
" repairs, &c
" cleansing and flushing
" incidental works

£718,548 17 4
Cost of private works, 1840, 1854 402,546 11 8

£1,116,093 9 0
Works constructed by the City Commis-
sion, about

£1,210,093 9 0

2. The state of the Thames has been such that
one of the large companies whose new works will
not be ready till next year, has not been able to take
any water from the Thames for the past week. This
was publicly stated by Mr. T. Chalmers, the
Metropolitan Commissioner of Sewers for Chelsea.

3. The Public Health Act gives power to enforce
its adoption when the mortality amounts to 23 in
1,000. In large portions of the metropolis the mor-
tality has been up to 35,36, 37, and 38, in 1,000, for
ten years past ; and yet the Metropolitan Local
Management Bill gives only permissive powers—or,
as is said, to make the improvements required within
five years time.
4. According to Sir B. Hall, the present Commis.
sioners of Sewers have a variety of plans "under
consideration" for dispolluting the Thames. They
invited the submission of plans from the sth of
December last to the 3rd of April, when twenty-eight
were received, and a committee of the whole Court
was held on the 18th of April to consider and select
such as were to be further submitted, and it was then
resolved—
That it be recommended to the Court to order that the
reports and communications of the gentlemen under-men.
tioned, having reference to the drainage of the metropolis,
or part thereof, be referred to a Committee of Engineers
for their consideration and report, viz.:—Messrs. Basal-
gette and Heywood, Mr. Roe, Mr. Morewood, Mr. Perkes,
Mr. Booth, Mr. M`Lean, Mr. Law, Mr. Jones, Mr. Bruce,
and Mr. Ward.

A General Court, including City Commissioners,
was thereupon held on the 16th of May, when it was
moved and seconded, "that the further consideration
of the subjeot be adjourned ;" and, after discussion,
the motion was put from the chair and carried. A
letter is printed in their minutes, from Sir J. V.
Shelley, in which he says that he was unable to
attend, and adds :

As I have been the chief mover in the question which is
to he brought before the Court, I hope I may venture to
ask that the question of sending the plans for the main
drainage to engineers, dm., may be postponed.
Since the 16th of May the hubject has not been
" under consideration," as Sir B. Hall's words
imply. _ _

6:Referring the plans for the drainage north and
south cf the Thames to engineers, and giving powers
to purchase land, is really all that is required; and
yet Sir B. Hall actually stated to Parliament on the
3rd inst. that "all the plans, and levels, and con-
tracts would, under the provisions of the bill, be