The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-04 00:00:00

CITY COMMISSION OF SEWERS.

Yesterday a Court was held for the despatch of public
business. Mr. Deputy Peacock occupied the chair.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENT BILL.
Mr. DAW, the chief clerk, read a report from the
General Purposes Committee, to whom this bill had
been referred, to the effect that they had confided the
whole matter to the Remembrancer, to watch the pro-
gress of the bill, and to prepare clauses as amendments
to it, if that officer deemed such a course necessary.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON moved—" That it be referred
to the General Purposes Committee to consider the
provisions of the bill for the local management of the
metropolis." '
Mr. Deputy CHRISTIE seconded the motion, which
was put and carried unanimously.
The Remembrancer said the bill stood for a second
reading on the 17th of April.
Mr. Ross—Will this commission be in time, in case
they should think it necessary to make any opposition
to the bill in Parliament ?
The Remembrancer—That will depend upon what
course of opposition they intend to take. If they intend
to oppose the second reading, it must be done previous
to that date. If they wish to oppose it in committee,
eight days later will do. You can only oppose before
the 17th of April by asking some member of the House
of Commons to undertake the opposition.
Mr. T. H. HALL—We are not in time to petition
against the second reading:
The Remembrancer—You cannot do that by the forms
of the house ; it is a private bill, and can therefore only
be opposed by members of the house. After it is read a
second time you can oppose it in committee, by present-
ing a petition seven clear days after the second read-
ing.
The Court adjourned.

-ME rßoro LIT.AN commISSIOV OF
SEWERS.

A special court of this commission was held yesterday
at the office, Greek-street, Soho. The commissioners
present were—Mr. Jebh, chairman Sir J. V. Shelley,
Dr. Sayer, Mr. G. S. Smith, Mr. C. W. Johnson, Mr.
F. 0. Ward, Mr. G. Offer, Mr. Thwaites, Dr. W. Lewis,
Mr. L. Redhead, Mr. J.Pascal], Mr. Chalmers, Mr.
Wade, Mr. T. Hawes, and Mr. J. Hodson • Mr. Pea-
cock, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Harrison attended as a de-
putation from the City Commission.
The Secretary reported that the balance in the hands
of the treasurers on the 30th of March was 27,975/. 17s.
11d. ; deducting checks drawn, but not yet presented,
amounting to 1,3261: 17s. 7d , left an available balance
of 26,6191. Os. 41. ; adding amount of deposit account,
80,0001., gave a total balance of 106,6401. Os. 4d.
SirJ. V. SHELLEY moved, pursuant to notice, that the
v hole ef the plans fur the drainage of the metropolis at
present before the commissioners be referred to a corn-
initt.te of enginetrs' not connected with this commission.
The hon, gentleman was anxious that no plan should be
decided upon until every scheme, including that of Mr.
Bazalgette and Mr. Hay wond, had been subjected to an
inspection by engineers who were not officers of the com-
mission. His present resolution was limited to the consi-
deration of the plans vi hie!, had been sent in, in conse-
quence of the det,,rmination come t at a former Court
to postpone the considelatiou of the question until every
plan to be sent in up to a given day,snould be in the pos-
session of the,commissioners. The feeling of the new
commission in reftr,,nce to this matter was that while
they did not throw aside altogether the acts of their pre.
decessors they were not to be at all bound by those acts.
A discussion ensued as to the wisdom of at once re-
ferring every plan, many of which might present trans-
parent defects and be altogether unworthy of considera-
tion. To meet the difficulty Sir J. Shelley consented to
add as a rider to his motion, "That a committee of this
Court be appointed to examine the plans before the com-
mission, and to refer such plans as may deserve further
consideration to such engineers."
Mr. CHALMERS seconded the motion.
Mr. C. W. JOHNSON moved, by way of amendment—
" That the plans for the main or intercepting sewerage
of the metropolis, north of the Thames, furnished by
Messrs. Haywood and Bazalgette, as well as those sent in
by various other gentlemen, pursuant to the invitation of
this commission, be referred to Sir William Cubitt and
Mr. Stephenson (or other competent engineers), and to
Messrs. Haywood and Bazalgette, in conjunction with the
surveyors of the commission whose districts are north of
the Thames, for their consideration and report, each
being authorised in case of need to furnish a supplementary
report."
Mr. HAWES seconded the amendment.
Another long discussion followed, in the course of
which
Mr. WADE observed that the whole affair had been
muddled from beginninc, to end.
Mr. PEACOCK said the proper course would be for the
Commissioners in Court assembled to go over the plans,
and to refer such as were not evidently worthless to en-
gineers for their opinion thereon.
Dr. LEWIS moved as a second amendment, and Mr.
WADE seconded—
" That the plans presented to the committee for the
drainage of the districts north of the Thames, since the
29th November, 1834, be referred to a general committee,
and that the representatives of the City Commission form
part thereof."
About two hours and a-half having been consumed in
discussing these amendments and the original resolution,
the controversy being as to the terms in which the mo-
tion should be framed, the last amendment, proposed by
Dr. Lewis, was carried, Sir J: Shelley obtaining per-
mission to withdraw his motion with the view of bringing
it forward hereafter, when the committee should have

presented their report.
The Secretary then read a letter from
the Bazalgette,lkiniv.e.ntii
in reply to
of certainth
esmu.gg_reacszaetpioitttainnhnesbateftreomWaDis Mr. 0 ffo r, the letter
stating that if the outlets of the sewers discharging
into the Thames were carried to low-water reaerk,e
neces-
saryflaps placedat t
he astatheirm same
time presentto construct mouths,ou outlets.
tevtwesn.otouills.Tdeti:b_eg,seoahatattefhd,o,es.f
at convenient places near to.toheomlsoie7sn:teotructtelheptociteitsosi,
intercepting
ge
city, and
marka nona
gun north
t th Bide of
outlets must
Therelower ewnedreofBsthoemuatslewitnsegdrsiisnewhaoallrugltdibnecmeiasttloe.
sewer should be con-
structed, thehe
sThames,south
side, irrespective
Some
oeavjr-efully trappe
Tintoih
ingress of the tide the
trappingweelidn uebe these
about
a f
e tandyl .0,00
oextendingol.
when th• low level intemust
Prevent the
opinion that if
form part of and
to Mr• ]la
were executed, they Should
be charged to the great
racters of a intercepting scheme.
as he was anziousisstOtrieva
Mr. WARD took occasion
of ansuggestions for the more complete
sywage of the Thames, he might be
to
the more
it had been
conlres in an inconvenient manner
known that an
ftdsehltoter uus betchlt weae low-leveldel i
kjavele sl
sewer.
offering
DI itthine
the cha-
endhima
ap-
pearancesoeolfmpfreetimtorev;enantdheth,
rheigtearrede riles o n
y aambiguous
uggeetisuggestions
ep oesfithiioen
w,
eheeldwhieshfreedelyitattothbee
doiftloiesalof plansa- ny
puteional.petitor, and that nothing would give
him more pleasure than to see his views embodied in any
Mr. Bazllgette's letter was referred to a committee of
the whole Court.

Several of the commissioners then handed in com-
munications as to the places within their respective
districts where cholera was particularly prevalent during
the last year, or in which the drainage is in so defective
a state as to interfere with the health of the neighbour-
hood.

The CHAIRMAN said the execution of district improve-
ments \TM a most essential matter to be considered, but
there were financial difficulties in the' way which must
first be surmounted.
Mr. WARD said no time should be lost in taking the
matter into serious consideration.

It was ordered to a fiat question, to be taken
that day fortnight.
rheasovlivnegd itself into a- private
disposed of about half
the
business on
thethe
Abtussi onCourt,ar,
committee for the consideration of a point arising out
of a recommendation of the General Committee, and
paper,
which it was deemed inexpedient to discuss in public.
The Court was therefor! Cloned.