The Express.
London, England, 1858-07-21 00:00:00

THE MITE 01 THE TIMM.

This morning was issued the report of the select
Committee of the House of Commons, on the state of the
Thames. The committee decline to recommend the adoption
of any pat of Mr. Gurney's plan for putifylng the tiver,
mentioning in detail their chief objections to it. The decision
se to the expediency of applying a system of deadotimation
advantegeously to the sewage of the metropolis belongs—
they think—rather is the functions of the Metropolitan Board
of Works than to those of a committee of the House of
Commons, and the Metropolitan Board of Works have ample
MOMS of making all necessary inquiries on that subject with-
out the assistance of a committee of the Howe of Commons.
Come of the eminent engineers who have been examined
express an opinion in favour of embanking the Thames for
the purpose of increasing the near of the stream and pre-
venting the accumulation of mud. The committee give a
decided opinion that no plan ought to be adopted in regard to
the sewage of the metropolis which does not provide for one
of twothings--either that the sewage shall be carried down
to some point in the river sufficleatly far from the metropolis
to prevent the sewage frLni being brought back in an offen-
sive state by the flowing tide, or else that the sewer shall to
deodorised, and that only the purified liquid part of it shalt
be discharged into the river.
" The whole subject," observe the committee, " is one of
great and of growing public importance. The metropolis is
extending in all direction., and in every part of its circum-
ference. Every year fresh wastes of buildings sin springing
up, whose drains are discharging into the Thames, and
streets that had only canpoola are furnished with house
drain, leading into the general network of sewers ; thus every
year quantity of sewage discharged into the Thames goes
on Increasing On the other hand, year by year the quantity of
water in the bed of the river, by which this increasing quantity
of sewage is to be dilated progressively diminishes. A large
portion of the water which is supplied to the metropolis is
taken from the Thames above Teddington-lock, and with
the yearly Inatome of the metropolis and the improving
habits of it. population, the consumption of this water in-
creases. and a large portion of the diluting current is with-
drawn from the down stream of the river. An extensive and
abundant supply of pure water, and the general substitution of
house drains for cesspools, are immense improvements In the
arrangements of the metropolis, and contribute most essen-
tially to the comfort and health of its inhabitants. But throe
salutary arrangements must be followed up by others, to
protect from pollution the Thames, which ought to be an
ornament of this great city, sad which must continue to be
the main highway et Its multifarious traffic."

THE CONFUSIONAL IN THE PROTESTANT CHURCH.
—At the biennial v:sitatiens of the Bishop of Illy at New-
market on Thursday last, the subjeot of the crowded state
of tke dwellings of the poor was introduced at a meeting
of the clergy by the bishop, when the Rev. B. Phipps, of
Stenefield, trending to • report in the Beery Post, made
the following observations:—The rev. gentleman raid he
"did not think, speaking generally, that promiscuous immo-
rality was on the therame in country parishes • but what
he viewed with great alarm was, the almost universal prove-
lance of ante-nuptial fornication among the poor, and this.
not only pesetioed, but made light of—held ea no crime or
diagram at all. And this would necessatily go on Increas-
ing, became watts who had been guilty of this do
could exercise no restraint over their own daughters, and
the miserable result was that, as Mr. O'Coecall vet,
truly said long ago, the majority of the English poor
were mothers before they were monied. Thus female
purity had become the exception instead of the rule,
and our national character was disgraced by this
too well-founded Imputation on the chastity of our women.
He did not, however, believe that this state of things arose
from their cottage arrangements, for ft was well known that
In Ireland, wham the cottages were infinitely worse than in
England, the morality of the peasantry was infinitely higher.
Bastardy there was comparatively unknown, and when oe-
curriag was held as the deepest misfortune and disgrace.
Nor could he believe that working together could be held to
be the source of this evil, for labour was God's ordinance, and
as such could not neoesearily engender sin. For himself he
had his opinion on the subject, though be would not seek now
to enforce his views—as the time and occasion might
not be suitable—but ha could not but remember that
Mr. O'Coonell's observation wee male in favour of a count*
when an Institution was in full force, which in the opinion
of • vast number of the moat intelligent sad anpreindic:d
people both in Ireland and in this country wee one great
main, nett meat of maintaining the social purity for which
that country was so illustrbAre and remarkable. And ho
would further observe that this Institution was slap to fact
and principle, in exinenro in the church of England,
though it had hitherto most culpably and grievously ken
abed Is fall into • desuetude from which avi tie, and
what he believed ultimately would be a successful effort, was
being made to recover it. flu meant the blessed and impor-
test practice of coolessfon."

Tag IRON AND COAL TBADES.—The iron. trade
is still inclined to languor, and it is questionable how long It
will contuse so. The att-mpt by some parties to reduce
price. per its at ti
amongst soaa"arme of the kid hue ". emaid
bers oint:
trade, who have genially considered the pricy fixed fixed upon
at the preliminary mestinga to be final. However, it
must be admitted that there an some who will not con-
fine themselves to the prices fixed upon at these meetings,
and although soquisacing apparently with the resolutions
of the trade, are the first to "break faith." Pig iron
is cheaper than it was a month ago, and good qualities
can now be bought at 3'. l2v. ed., and fair samples at Ism
For cinder and inferior "makes" no definite_prios can be
quoted. Orders have been given out for 80,000 or 90,000
Mee of rails for India; 6,000 tons, it is undemenol, have
hem received fa South Btaffordeldre, sad WOO by the
New British boa Company, Basks, end mime to a
mm it kart eked have km resolved k Ileath Weiss.
The dipole karma as colliers coos of Dudley sad their
MOM semis weeilied, themes eltiniely the mat mast
pielL The aim* es War the ease west of Dasy to
give modes kr s nee ef laver day hes slipway (riled, the
mos below deakeked. gemeally eyelike', est ee Rix the
up with the &Weft el the cake ea the east side,
Mowing es they do that this is not the time to agitate the
a rise of week, as thin is ao Indication at pre-
alter Inc
meevery from she depression while now exists, The
tromp of the Ina of Oest ambers, hem Ismailia of
Limped, from law la trade mil had 41.100. w maselered
by &ear surly to she week. • esmilisos amber el the
Iseammeem la tie district ere meeker, hie *saes
da greater eissiat than lA. M
et OM we
Tares sad Coo, end ea the loath of Tates bakes
Op a= floaa during the whole of whieh period the reems.
mossy was adopted. Oa the Minas, el Mr.
Cox, hemmer, aa expulsion wersikabe the Isplares
by bile. The liabilities me presseny mated to
• ewe seamark* kw* flrr kigUr. The
iY hemeasamsceell Me.pisis metabsinrere are Moo mid
to be kw* latched •We Mk* sembewco tong after
the art* modeese mem unessMer. Wolverhampton
CAressiele d lads day.