The Express.
London, England, 1860-10-03 00:00:00

CITY COURT OP SEWERS.

The Commissioners of fie were for the City of
London held their weekly court yesterday at, the berms%
office, Oleildhell ; Mr. litypery 010.111111 premosd.
The minutes of the leaner court wore:sad end confirmed
ADULTIAATION OF FOOD ACT.
The Committee for General Parpooes, to wham
the questiol se to the advisability of introducing,'
this act into the City of London, wee whirred. made
• report to the court that they had ansiddsied
the subject attentively, and were of opinion that I
it wee advisable and expedient that the act should he intro-
duced into the City, and that the court should appoint ea
analyst of competent skill and medical knowledge to tarry I,
out the previsions of the act, and they recommended that Dr. :
Letheby, the present medical officer, should be appointed to I
that effice. The report also stated that the committee bad i
been informed by Dr. Letheby that the expense of carrying
out the proposed object would, in all probability, be un-
avoidably more than the gums that wouldbe derived from
the fees to which he would be entitled, and they there
fore recommended that Dr. Letheby should keep on ac-
count of all his receipts and disbursements during
the bat year, and render an account to the court at the
expiration oethat period, who would thereupon decide what
scale of remuneration should he after wanls adopted.
Mr. Dr JeleMT said that before the court decided the
question, he should be glad to be deformed how the matter
stood exactly, sod what fees were to be paid, and what
amount of expenses war likely to be incurred in carrying out
the recommendation of the committee.

thatthe act was merely per-
minim but if the court thought St to adopt it
and appoint an analyst, they bad the power to do so,
but the appointment must be confirmed by the Secretor;
of State. The scale of feci ranged from 2s. fid. to half-a-
guinea for each analysis that was required, but there was me
doubt that this would not produce a sufficient sum to cover
the actual expense that would necessarily be incurred by the
1261167 De dine/LT inquired whether the analyst would have
any public duty to perform
l'he CHAIRMAN said he would not, any further than he
would have to provide a laboratory, and when any articles
of food that were suspected to be adulterated were brought
to him he would have to analyse them and make a report.
It appeared to him that the matter was one of very great
• , and that as the committee had recommended
it, tic thought the court ought to carry out the act.
Dr. ABRAHAM supported the recommeadation of the
ecimedttee, and said that there was no doubt that many of
the analyses which it would be necessary to make would
east enaiderably more than half-a-guinea, and if they
appointed any gentleman to the ofhce whose opinion was
worth anything, of course they must expect to ray hint.
(Hear, hear.) The duty that would be cart upon any gen-
tlemen &coveting such an office of baring to decide whether
articles of food supplied by a tradesman were adulterated
or not was a very deacon and Maaireetble one, and could
be adze exercised with satisfaction to the public by a man
possessed IA considerable professional skill. He considered
it was atepossible for the City of London to shirk such an
act, anallrey would render themselves liable, if they did, to
„hare it said of them that the most wealthy cit in the
-noicliwaa et _the Name time stupid enough to diasprl
the health of in inhabitants. (Hear, hear.) He considered
the court were under greet obligations to their medical
officer foraccepting the appointmentjund that he acted with
great liberality in not eking for any salary, but consented
to try how the thing worked for a year. He had
of
satis-
faction iu supporting the reconunendation of the com-
mittee, cud be hoped that the court would carry it into
effect.

DI JERSEY said if be understood the matter rightly,
if the fees that were paid by the public for analysing any
articles of food that might be suspected of being adulterated
were not sufficient to pay the expense, the remainder must
be made up. If this were so, he hoped that the act would
not he nude use of by any parties to get their goods ad-
vertised as being pure. If the object sought to be attained
was to obtain pore food, it appeared to him that the act
ought to have been compulsory and that this was the only
way the public could be benefited.
Dr. LETHEAT explained that the act WAS not compulsory
in any respect ; but if any person suspected that the article
he purchased was not pure, he had to take it to the analyst,
sod if he upon testing it discovered that it was adulterated,
he hail to give Me party a certificate to that effect ; and he
wee then empowered to go before a magistrate and obtain
• 'animus against the tradesman from whom the goods
were purchased.
Mr. WATHiLOW observed that he did not think that
many persons who purchased small quantities of articles,
such as half en ounce of snuff, for instance, would be wal-
-1 log to pay half -acrowu for having it analysed, even though
they Might think that it was adulterated.
The Cnalsman observed that originally the act WAS
not intended to apply to the City of London, but the
court thought the subject was one of so much importance,
that it instructed the Remembnumer to have the provisions
of the act extended to the City.
Several members of the court said that this was quite
right.
Deputy Cosner said he thought the act ought at all
events to have a trial for the period specified—one year.
The CHAIRMAN said the court must not be under any
misapprehension upon the point, and he had to inform them
that if they were agreed to adopt the act, and the Secretary
of Stattgave his sanction, they could not give it up.
Mr. Marnatow said he thought that before the court
finally decided upon the matter they ought to have more
information as to the probable amount of expense that
would be incurred.
The Cemnitan said he believed that in the Bret instance
10(W. would be sufficient for plant, and Dr. Lethehy had
very liberally consisted to to a portion of his own
residence to the purposes of a tory.
Mr. WATIALOW, who had proposed an amendment that
the matter should uadergo • farther consideration before it
was finally decided upon, said that as the expense would be
so small, he thought the experiment ought to be tried, and
therefore he withdrew his amendment.

This portion of the report was then unanimously agreed
to, and .Dr. Letheby was sppointed the analyst fur the City
of Loudon.

The lloramitthe next reported that there was a
in the office of Inspector of Sewers, anal they rocom=
that a clerk in the office should be appointed at the reduced
salary of 1201., the former minty being 1901.
This led to some discussion, ih. ABRAHAM and severed
members of the court contending that the appointment
should be made by the whole court, and that they ought to
take the necessary steps, by advertising, to endeavour to
obtain the most fitting man for the office. Eventually it
wee carried that this portion of the report should not be
confirmed, but that the election should take place on the
16th inst., and that in the interval advertisements should
be issued oiling upon candidates to come forward.

ILIPAYLNO OF CiLAPSIDL.
RATWARD, the engineer reported that the contrac-
tors for re.paving Cheapude hid made a communication to
bins to the effect that they were usable to procure stone,
and they asked the court to allow more time for the com-
pletion of the contract.
Several members of the court expressed their opinion
that it would be very inconvenient to commence such a
work as this at the present period of the year. It was ob-
served that during snarly the whole time Newgateotreei
had been under repair it had rained, and it was feanal that
the work would be found very defective in consequence, as
paving could nut be performed properly when it was very
wet weather.

The EXCISE= said that the paving was in a very had
state in some places, but it might go on till the spnog. The
inconvenience of this, however, was, that in a great city
like this constant extensive repot. to the paremeute were
required, and if they were not performed when they were
required the accumulation became so great that they could
not provide men or materials to do the work.
The subject ultimately dropped, and no motion was made
respecting it.
Dr. L.ersEur called the attention of the court to the fact
that he had men that morning a quantity of hides in New.
gate Market is a putrid state, sad as this nuisance appeared
to be increasing he thought it right to call the attention d
the court to this subject.
A summons was ordered to to Seined against the party to
whom the hides belonged.
Dr. Letbeby then made his quarterly report upon the
sanitary condition of the City and other Important matters.
A copy of the report was ordered to be printed and sent to
every member of the court.