The Press.
London, England, 1858-07-24 00:00:00

STATE OF THE SERPENTINE.

Os Thursday evening a public mauling was held at
the Cadogan Institute, Sloane-street, Chelsea, in fur-
therance of measures for the correction of the long-
complained-of evils and nuisance connected with the
Serpentine, in consequence of its alleged stagnant
and dangerous state. Mr. Heywood, late M.P. for
North Lancashire, was called to the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said
the state of the Serpentine was certainly 11103‘ dan.
gerous, not only to bathers, but to the general inha-
bitants of its locality. As far as the danger to
bathers was concerned, the state of the mud in it
was such as to defy the appliances of the Royal
Humane Society in a recent case to rescue a drown.
ing man before life was extinct. He thought that those
who partook of the healthy exercise of bathing in
the river were entitled to every precaution for their
safety, and that measures should be immediately
taken for this purpose.
Mr. entered at lielnler4ength into the
exertions which had 'been made Miring the last ten
years to procure the improvement of the Serpentine,
and bore testimony to the danger attending upon
bathing in it. It was an undoubted fact• that a
very large number of individuals have lest their
lives while bathing in that river front becoming
immersed in the mud at its bottom, so say nothing
of the eyil ari.ing from its foul and stagnant state.

Dr. COYLLAND moved the first resolution,
effect Ott the peetkiati could uotr but axpreT
disappointrnent that the necessary measures F.e
hitherto been employed, the Serpentine still
tinning in its former dangerous condition. He
safely speak to the evils arising from the
complained of, believing, as he did, that
diseases as ague, catarrh, low and intermittent
bowel complaints, and the like, were extremelr
prevalent among those in the habit'of bathing '
river, or taking exercise near its banks. He ,
opinion that one of the chief causes of the pallor .
countenance and loss of health, at this period of Ult.
year, amongst the wealthy classes who take exercise
in the vicinity of the Serpentine, was the •
impure state of that river. He thought th,
sanitary point of view it was of the utmost
wee that some renialial measure should be adopted
without delay: r • •

Dr. LAsictstialt iiiitionded the **l:elution, contend.
ing that the tlifeetiotr leas not a local one
but that it effected the whole Community, int
as those who bathed in the river came from different
parts of th• Metropolis, and the park likewi.,e;
which it is situated whs frequented by a streat num.
ber of others than .those who live in its vicinity.
He also entered at some length into the physical
evils arising frum the present, and for some
Fast, itnpure state of the river.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. S. C. HALL moved the second resolution

That this meeting would again urge upon the
ment, o, the sionista ground ofsinertasing the.'
and beauty or the park and promating the safely!
healthy enjoyment of the bathers,. that the deep,
the Serpentine should be filled up, that tho bed
river should be reduced to a depth ranging from
four feet at the western end to eight or ten feel a,
eastern end, that it should be comparatively shallow:
of graduated depth fur sew distal*, in, all along e
abore.and, that the supply of wate;
.41puld be stifficiert...
ismconsed to bring the cascade 14* Ivirtgr end of the lake
intp ttunstant _
urge • ori s
!t RIP
qt:t34, lie
at
putting a stop to tii7,Thls ootnined of, in
that the lives of the 200,000 persons who
averaged to bathe in the river during the
months should not be longer endangered,
salubrity of the neighbourhood plaoed in jeopardy

Dr. TILT seconded the motion, which was
carried nem. con.
Dr. PErrionew moved the next 40solntion.
the effect that the meeting was of *Mon
better mode Of dlotinslitg- or levelling the
tine, and of obtaining the neces,ery enlarged
of water, could or need be devised than has
adopted, and which has answered so admit
Si. James's Park. lie w4p, Able, to spgak from
sonal experience of the adessittgea amino to th
habitants of the latter place and its ueighbourl
from the imptnvements.effecte..il jails piece of
He hoped to sea similar maasureeAppedily
out is regard to the Serpentine.,
1.1 t;.! ti •
Mr. LILWAJL supported thee_ impoilf till* --
reply to an objection which -hadrilisem.e urged
cleansing the Serpentine from thitedlinger errentovirg
rdie mud, said it would not be necessary to remove
mud, if, as Le suggested, the water were drained
'lmd after the mud became hard the bottom were
vered with gravel and concrete.
The motion was carried, and a deputation
appointed to wait upon the Chief Committsioner
Woods and Forests, to lay betbre hint.theviews
the meeting. .lett. to .. -13 ad
letn9ct. war . .t.,

•

' N PAW 9it .rmulnornus Pot -71)
•-••- • •
A:6lixturt Couscit. was 11W On Ttievlay,
official residence of the Chancellor (If the Exci
in Downing-smet. The Ministers present WI
The Earl of Derby, the nigh!, Hon. it. Diprael
Marquis of SaTisbuty, the Earl of Hardwick,
Bight Rog,Spekcer NVl4pole, the Earl of Ma
bury, Sii.c guliver Lytton, General Peel, Sir
Pakington, Lord Stanley, the Right Hop,
Henley, .and Lard .Id4l Mannett'e, )35A;;1 „
Tars EARL Nztaoit•Alid so ismaisotries4i,
of Derby on Tualatin! 644110111‘41,110110r

Dovraiscetatit.',l, .1 - • '
A Itinstutieeds, itift46614160
BeecrOkM P. sAit 6ilefisting of 11/W:
Mr. Christopher Heads, and Mr. Charles Nal'
an interview ou Tuesday -with the 'pelt 1
Sotherou Estdoeclig mot Pt fibef,'Pour*
Eosin!. -To to 1111.1 -
Tits Loan 86n6.1110#1 toNnol illgVirppointed
Travel:li •Tivi lirtlee' of ChiAlrellor
cliocesplleo Cffhti*ltiinearziett
Right Froti. r. ttis ecin't(PMffillgeship
Court of Appeal of Ail' CsineirburY,
TRII•EART, OF Mawr, On the reeollemendetion
Mr. Retire:W(lol,mnd, M.P., has placed Mr..l. 1
Lindsey, eleetrioiam, an the Literary. pad Scientatii
Pension List for 11)01. per annum.

.c4Rlll4l'

11, to the
via, its
hit 4 not
ill con.
le could
causes
it Stich
lt fever
areruely
g in the
e was of
tailor of
d of the
exercise
present
hat in a
import.
adopted
contend.
merely,
lagmuch
d Otero*
nwi,ie
rat num.
vicinity,
physical
me time
'dun
Govern-
salanroy
y and Cite
p pits is
ed of the
three to
et et the
1110 W, and
.)sig either
tfficier tly
the lalke
at onca
1,9 order
ho were
summer
and the
ppardy.
rae also
Rion, to
that no
Serpen-
d
vas been
irably, in
from per
to the in.
bourbood
of wattir.
r Car*
emir se
aged to
removing
novo the
,fined a,
weft 00
ti6teeds
over of
riots of
r, at the
:cheqtter
were :
sell, the
oke, the
Malmes-
Sir John
D. J. W.
the Earl
coda 111
by- Mr.
Weston,
Oor, had
Hon. T.
Our• Law
nted
r of An
at of the
p of the
1**,14 6f
1,64; .
await: a
balto
41

rocOings arlianttnt.

ROUSE OF• LORDS-MONDAY.

PETITIONS.

The Earl :if SHAFTESBURY presented petitions
rom various districts in Scotland in favour of the
promotion of Christianity in Chlna; also petitions
against tile Bill for Juvenile Reformatories in Ireland,
against the opium traffic with China, and for the
cleaning of the Thames.
Various other petitions were presented by noble
lords.

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