The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-11 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN COMMISSIONERS OF

SEWERS.
The Commissioners met at ten o'clock yesterday
morning, in room No. 23, New Houses of Parliament, Lord
Morpheth is the chair.
On the motion of Mr. CHADWICK, it was resolved that
the executive of the commission should adopt steps to im-
prove the cenditien of the labourers employed upon the
sewage works of the metropolis.
Dr. SOUTHWOOD SMITH approved of the motion, which
be considered highly necessary.
Mr. BIOQ brought under the consideration of the court
the complaint of an inhabitant of Lucelles-court, relative to
the bad state of the cesspools of St. Giles's.
Mr. Lentt, urged upon the attention of the court the
necessity of doing away with cesapools altogether, and sub-
stituting in their stead a tubular drain to the nearest com
mon sewer. Alter some conversation, be moved a resolution
that an estimate should be given in of the espense of
abolishing the cesspool in Lascelles-court, and substituting
a tank or a tubular drain.
After some observations from the Dean of WESTMINSTER,
the resolution was *greed to.
Mr. L. JONES moved that a oommunication should be
made to the water companies of the metropolis, requesting
that an estimate might be given in of the expense of water-
ing the whole of the courts in the district of the court.
After a abort conversation the resolution was agree/ to.
A resolution was also paved appointing an sass stant-sur
aeon to the commission ; and one fixing the charge sr
drain-
age at 10s. per foot frontage.
The court then adjourned till this day fortnight.

GRAND BALL AT COLD-BATH-FIELDS
PRISON.
What a reproach to the management of this prison
does the shove announcement convey! On Wednesday night.
about nine o'clock, public attention wee attracted in the
neighbourhood of Contbath-square by bright lights issuing
from the nairow-barred windows at the governor's house,
and from that hour till past eleven the trinderous outer
gates of the Metropolitan House of Correction were con-
stantly on the move to admit a stream of hackney-coaches
and street calm, receiving orders, as they deposited their
motley groups at the governor's house, teat they were to
take up sgsin at three o'clock the next morning. This was a
most unbecomiog scene, to say the leas'. of it ; but when we
refer to what the Secretary of State for the Home Department
has decreed to be the proper course to be pursued at night
with reference to these said outer gates, we can hardly cha-
racterise in sufficiently strong terms the impropriety of what
took place Wednesday ight. No. 10b of the printed rules of
the prison enacts as follonws : " The orison shall be locked for
the night, and the keys of the outer gate delivered to the go-
vernor at or before eleven o'clock each night, and a report
shall be then made to him whether the officers resident
in the prison are all present. The keys shall be
kept by the governor until the hour of unlocking is the
morning ; and no ingress or egress shall be allowed between
the hour of locking at night and unlocking in the morning,
except iu special cases to be entered in tke governor's jour-
nal." We understand this worthy functionary (the governor)
receives seven hundred pounds a year for the care of this
prison. Now we can well understand that a man of
talent and education agreeing to shut himself up within the
walls of a prison—to give up the pleasure of general society,
and to devote himself early and late to the very important,
end (if performed con amore) most interesting occupa-
tions involved in the internal management of a large
prison, should be well paid for the sacrifice of time, and pro.
bably of health, also, which be may be called upon to make;
but we can hardly conceive that the overburthened
rata-payee of the county of Middlesex will easily be recon-
ciled to pay seven hundreds year to enable the governor
to give balls at Cold Bath Fields prison. What are the
visiting justice' about, to allow the poor inmates of the pri-
son, after a day of hard labour, and especially those in its
infirmaries and convalesceet wards, to be disturbed all night
by sounds of music, dancing, carriages rattling over the paved
yardand dragging over the gravel, and the incessant banging
of gates and rattling of bolts and bars ? Are they ignorant of
the practises alluded to ? Them some extraordinary deceit
nanstbserdised upon them. Do they know of them, and
satins
yet them by snowing them to exist unreprimanded?
Tisla are they unfit for the responsible office of visiting
SiStkek and the sooner the, are relaced by officers
appointed sad paid by the ponnuneat the better.