The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-29 00:00:00

CITY SEWERS COMMISSION.

Yesterday a court was held, Deputy PEACOCK in
the chair.
Upon the reports of the Inspectors being brought up, the
condition of several houses in a defective sanitary state was
brought under the notice of the court. Ordered that notices
to cause the requisite alterations to be made be served
upon the parties.
At the instance of one of the inspectors, Mr. Sinnott, one
of the contractors for the el. ansing of the streets, was seta-
mooed for neglecting to remove • quantity of slop from
Thames-street until after the stipulated hour on Monday
morning, the 13th inst. Mr. J. J. Athill, jun., inspector of
dustmen for the South disisioii, after admitting the truth
of the allegation, said that the non-removal of the filth had
arisen from the feet of the man having been called sway
from his work, in consequence of the sudden death of lea
wife. Ordered that time be furnished for the production
of the party to testify as to the truth of such states's, nt.
With regard to closing of burial grounds in the eat',
Alderman Lawrence urged the attention of the court to the
desirability of their taking tome steps in the matter with-
out delay.
Mr. COMDIIII thought it would be better to refer the
whole subject to • committee for consieltratien and reperi
Deputy 11A RUISON euosidered that the beat wry would
be for the court to apply to government tor a copy "t the
evidence an the state of the City churchyards, already !.
lected by the official autherities ; such informatian would
save the commissioners meth trouble and Line.
Agreed, main this understand:lag, that the matter he re-
ferred to the rovement committee.
Several orders of a laud' try character were then ordered
to be circled into vie coital,
SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE HABITATIONS
OF 1 IIE POOR.
The following is a copy of the report presented at the last
court by Mr. Haywood, the surveyor to the consmissiouers,
upon the supply of water to the poor in certain localities in
the City of London, • subject to which hie particular attea.
lion had been requeeted by the coast.
aa To ow C.xneni,ejoi.efil of City &wen.
" Gentlemen,—Pursuant to your instructions, I beer
made inquiry upon the sub j. et of the allegation at Mr.
Noble as to the gem rd iesepheieney of water supply mid
the inadequacy dale arrangements of the Water Company
fur filling cisterns, if placed in the upper floors of the com-
mon loelgies-fieuses belonging to him, and situated aa
Princes-street, Sparrow-corner. I find that about two
years ago, in cemplianco with a request preferred by this
commission, en alteration was made in their passage by the
New River Company, by which an increased supply was
afforded to all the premises situated in that locality, and
that the same means will now citable as adequate supply
to be given at the highest part of the building. I hate
written to and seen the engineer to the eimpluay upon the
tulteet of uffirding a high service supply to thaw premise,.
He submitted my communication to the directors, and I
have &Mee then received a letter from them,
stating that they have given instructions to eilerd
such high supply in the cu. in question without extra
charge hey 13s. per room, upan condition that proper ar-
rangements arc made under the directions of the officers of
the company and of the comn.iwioners to p waste.'
I also communicated with the company in reterence to the
water supply to the house No. 8, Phontree court, a state-
ment having been made with rottend to the water supply to
that house, similar to that made by the owner of the house
in Prince's Street, Sparrow-corner, nod hare received a
letter from the New River Company to the effect that they
are willing to afford a high service supply, and at the same
charge as to the houses at Painee'm street. This is also
coupled with the same condition. Three inquiries having
arisen out of allegations made by the owners of common
lodging-houses, immediately upon their being served with
notice to provide water supply upon every floor of the
houses, in compliance with the new regulation for such
places of habitation, and it appearang to me evident, from
these and other circumstances, that similar statements may
be from time to time auticipated, as premises are included
in the registratien, and subjected to the regulations made
fur their munagement, and knowing, moreover, that
inasmuch as the high service supply, which is essential
for the compliance with the regulation., is usually charged
at a higher rate than the ordinary service, it was of im-
portance that some definite and opecial arrangements should
in this respect be made, and applying to ludging-hoases
generally, I wrote to the company, calling their attention
to the fact of numerous bosses being similarly CirVien-
stanced to those which had just been the subject of spteml
consideration, and submitted to them the expediency of
determining 'earnest( neral rule in reference to the supply to
those premises which were already, or should at any future
time, be included by the commission iu the class of common
lodging-houses. To this letter I have received the follow-
ing re_ply:
Dear Sir,—With reference to the question of water
supply to lodging-houses in the city of London, 1 sin in-
structed to say that the New River Company will be pre-
pared to offer the same on similar terms to those in Princes-
street, Sparrow-corner, provided they are so situated as to
be within reach of the existing high-service pipes ; tut if
they are not so situated the Family as at present will have
to be continued until the general improved state of the
works shall have been completed.-1 am, dear sir, your
faithful servant, Far-pewee( Isotis, Clerk.'
" I believe, therefore, it will now be found that the largest
number of those premises hp:leaded in the list of lodgiug-
houses may be supplied with water in their highest rooms
at a rate of 3s. per room per annum, immediately upon
the adoption of those means which the company deem es-
sential for the prevention of waste, and which mainly con-
sists in the provision of adequate cisternsgc and balkeeks,

" There are, however, certain places within the City in
which the existing system of pipeage will not enable high
service to be given. The whole of such places will, of
course, be included when the alterations and arrangements
now in hand for affording a high pressure constant supply
to the wlni:e of the district supplied by the company we
completed, but until which time arrive such places cannot
have the advantage of high service extended to them.
" I beg to add a few remarks upon the subject of the sup-
ply of water to lodging-houses, and a, to the provision of
cisternage required for rendering the supply available within
the meaning of rule No. I of the lodging-house regulations.
Since the introduction within the lout few years of the con-
stant supply to certain provincial towns, the advocates of
that system Lave stated the provision of cisternage to be an
unless, end consequently • burthensome expense. Now,
much of the difficulty with regard to the water supply to
lodging-houses has been, and I apprehend will be, found
to be in compelling the owner to provide this cisternage,
and with the prospect of a constant supply being given
within the next three yeare, which should (it the statement
alluded to is correct) then be useleseappendagee, it certainly
appears to make the provisiralot such etureage room at this
time most onerous. Nevertheless, I see no means which I
can recommend your honourable court to adopt that can
much mitipate the pie lent infliction upon the lodging-
house-keepers, even if the termination of the third year
should bring the expected constant supply to the metropolis
as perfect and satisfactory as may publicly be expected;
for, as the companies must make large and fund:mien-
tat site rations in their arrangements and works, altera-
tions extending from their sources of supply to the ea Cremes
of their pipeage, they can, I submit, scarcely be called
upon now, or expected, to disorganise their arrangements to
afford a high service and constant supply to belated houses.
I venture, indeed, to state at one: that it would not be
practicable to do to during the transition state of these works
except at the expense of the convenience of others, and
therefore it is evident that if lodging-houses are
to have the supply implied by rule No. I, cis-
terns will, for the neat three year. at least, be
absolutely needful to acei.mplish it. I have always
deemed it exceedingly questionable whether the complete
abolition of cisterns wire prudent or even practicable under
the constant supply system, and recent information I
have obtained upon the subject, and the preemie( evidence
lately given upon the subject of metropolitan water supply,
eertiinly strengthen my opinion upon this point. As, how-
ever, this most within is very few years be practically tested,
I think that under the present circumstances, in the enforce-
meat of the provisiou of cisterusge it should be assumed as
a temporary rather then as a permanent provision, and the
owners of this species of property should bo eased in their
outlay for that purpose as much as the necessities of their
habitations will permit. Having this in •iew, I submit
that • considerable distinction may be made between lodg-
ing houses only used as nightly dormitories—the temporary
occupants of which arrive for the most part late at night and
depart early in the morning, and those which are perma-
nently inhabited by families; as it is manifest that in the
former case the requirements of water are far
more limited than am ngat the letter class. Between
lodging-houses also containing but two or three
rooms, and which arc only one story above the
ground floor, and those containing numerous rooms, mid
being two, three, or more stories in height, a differ, nce
might be made in respect to the provision of water supply
upon every floor. I am aware of the danger of breaking
through a sound general rule, and that difficulties may arise
by opening the door to discretionary distinctions in the
classes of lodging-houses, and if the system of water supply
to the metrooolis were determined, and in permanent opera-
tion, I might not advise it to be done; but considering the
circumstances under which the existing system of supply
stands, and the large outlay needful to comply in all caws
with rule No. 1 in its integrity (in many cases involving as
It would alterations in the structural arrengemeats
throughout the whole of the houses),and the great difficulty
in getting the rules complied with at all, I think some Mal h
modification ax that suggested might be adopted with
advantage.
(Signed) " WILLIAM ll.tcwoon, Surveyor."
The report was referred to the meilicel officer of health
sad the surveyor, for their joint consideration and judg-
ment u to the most advisable means of carrying the sug-
gestions in it into effect.
Adjourned.

Farm. OccututuNcE.-I.ast evening, Mr. Payne
held an inquest at St. Bartholomew's, on the !wily of Mar•
garet Ann Jones, aged 4.4, on account of whose death a
woman named Susan Kealo is DOD under remand from the
Clerkanwell police court. Ellen William. said that at the
revest of the deceased, she accompanied her on Wedgies•
day evening to the house of Mrs. keels., 20. Culford.road,
De Beauvoir Town, Kingsland. Mrs. Kettle, who opened
the door, had a bundle containing two coarse apron. and a
pair of clogs in her left hand. Witness asked her why she
had discharged her daughter, upon which she threw the
bundle at witness, and with her right Land struck deceased
on her stomach. Deceased fell backwards, and then into
the area, which was eight or nine feet deep. Mrs. Kende
abet the door, and witness Curd deceased lying insensible
in a pool of blood. Site was taken to the doctor's, and from
these. was removed to the hospital, where she died on
Sunday last. Alter some further evidence, the insane•
tion was adjourned.

I