The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-20 00:00:00

THE LATE GENERAL DENNIS.

Major-General Sir James Dennis, K.C.8., who died
on the 14th inst., at the advanced age of 78, had seen
much active service. He served with the 49th on board
her Majesty's ship Monarch at the battle of Copenhagen
in 1801, and was wounded in both hands and contused.
From his nautical knowledge, derived from prior ser-
vice in the navy, he was enabled to render an important
service during this action, by fishing the cable, which by
a misapprehension of orders, had been nearly cut through
by a seaman. He served in the last American war, in-
cluding the battle of Queenstown, where he was.
wounded ; the storming of Fort George, where he had
his horse shot ; at the action of Stoney Creek, where he
was wounded in two places with musket-balls, and also
contused by having his horse shot, which fell on him ;
and at the action of the rapids at Hooples Creek. He
commanded a division at the battle of Maharajpore, on
the 29th of December, 1843, for which service he re-
ceived a bronze star, and for which also he was ap-
pointed a "K C. 8." He received the brevet rank of
Major for his services at Queenstown, on which occa-
sion he commanded that post during the operations
which took place prior to the arrival of General Brook.
He received the naval war medal with one clasp for
Copenhagen. He entered the army in 1796, was Lieu-
tenant in 1797, Captain in 1803, Major in 1912, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel in 1125, Colonel in 1838, and Major-
General in 1851.

THE MILITIA.

On Thursday the Royal Wilts Militia assembled in
the Barrack-square at Portsmouth, and, having formed
square, the Lieutenant-Colonel, Lord Methuen, ad-
dressed the men as follows :—" Men of the Royal Wilts,
—Upon several occasions I have had to address you in
complimentary terms relative to your conduct and ap-
pearance since the regiment has been raised. The
officers who have periodically inspected you, the district
General, Prince Albert, and her Majesty have all con-
curred in praise of your soldierlike appearance. I gain
nothing by your going ; on the contrary, no man in the
regiment will suffer greater inconvenience by going than
myself. I leave behind me my wife, my children, and
my property ; but still I call upon you as Wiltshire men,
in the name of your God, your Queen, and your
country, to rally round the Royal standard and
the colours of Wiltshire. I have spent four years of
my life in Corfu, where you are desired to serve, and I
assure you the climate is one of the finest in the world.
One of the proudest days of my existence will be when I
have the honour to lead the regiment, in which I have
always taken so great an interest, from their native land,
for the purpose of defending the liberties of Europe.
And now," said his lordship, " I call upon the officers
who are willing to join me to step forward." All pre-
sent came to the front ; " and now," said he, " the ser-
jeants ;" they came forward without an exception.
" After that," said his lordship, " I think it unneces-
sary to say more ; but propose three cheers for her most
gracious Majesty," which were!heartily given. The re-
giment numbers 746, and recruits are joining daily. The
following are the numbers for Corfu :—Staff serjeants 7,
serjeants 30, band 20, drummers 11, rank and file, 540 ;
total, 608.
The South Gloucestershire Militia, now on duty at
Gloucester, have just had an intimation conveyed to
them of the intention of their colonel, Earl Fitzbardinge,
to preisent to every mah who yolunteere into the line a

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rPRICE SD.

sovereign, and another officer in the same force offers a
second sovereign to every man who will join a regiment
of the line with him. On the announcement being made
to the men about 20 at once accepted the offer, and de-
clared their willingness to join the line. By these
draughts and the rejection of a number of men by the
regimental surgeon the force is now reduced to 500.
Recruiting is going on, but not with very successful re-
sults as yet.

TRE PLANS FOR MAIN METROPOLITAN

DI-MINAGE.

Two schemes for the main drainage of the metropolis
are, now before the Metropolitan Commissioners of
Sewers. One, by Mr. John Rowe, surveyor to the sepa-
rate Holborn and,Finsbury Commission, and late gene-
ral surveyor to the Metropolitan Commissioners for the
northern section of the metropolis. One by INIr.
Bazalgette, Messrp. I;azalgette and Haywood, en-
gineers to the Metropolitan and City Commissioners
respectively, and by Messrs. Stephenson and Cubitt,
consulting engineers to We Metropolitan Commis-
sioners. There.is also another scheme, proposed lay the
late Mr. Frank Forster, chief engineer to the Metropo-
litan Commissioners of Sewers, in conjunction with Mr.
Robert Stephenson, but which appears to have been
kept in the background—a studious reserve certainly
not compatible with the great cost of its preparation, or
consistent with the fact of its advanced state, contract
drawings having been prepared for large portions,
and three large parts having been let to contracture
upon public • tender—or, with the preliminary fact
of its warm approval by Mr. Stephenson, its part de-
signer, by the Metropolitan Commissioners, and by the
City Commissioners and their engineer, Mr. Hay-
wood. Mr. Roe proposes two gravitating lines, the
Hackney-brook, for the drainage of 7.12 square miles,
and the middle level for the interception of the sewage
from 27.8 square miles, and a low level line, taking 6.54
square miles, with a joint outlet at Barking-creek.
Messrs. Bazalgette and Stephenson, sic., have two gra-
vitating lines, the Hackney-brook with an extension in a
branch from Holloway to Kilburn, for the complete ordi-
nary and blood drainage of 14 square miles ; and' the
middle level from Acton to the Lea, uniting with the high
level by this river, for the drainage of 10 square miles ;
and a low level ine of 11 square miles with the same
joint outlet at Barking-creek. They have also a western
section not included in Mr. Roe's scheme, for the collec-
tion of the drainage of 18 square miles by means of two
(10 feet and 12 feet) sewers (with auxiliary flood outlets)
into one sumpt near Chelsea, and its purification 4nd
subsequent discharge into the river at that point. Mr.
Forster has two gravitating lines in his northern
scheme (excluding the western district), the Hackney-
brook and the middle level, and a main low
level with branches; 25f square miles drain by gravi-
tation, the greater part through the middle level ; and
16- square miles by pumping power terminating in one
outlet at Barking-creek. Messrs. Bazalgette, Stephen-
son, and Cubitt's south scheme comprises a main gravi-
tating line, with branches, and a main low level, with
' one branch at its lower end. Each level is to drain re-
spectively twelve square miles, or a total of twenty-four
miles, one moiety of which is pumped. The whole of
the drainage and sewage of the twenty-four square
miles is discharged by the town of Greenwich into the
river Ravensbeurne, at Deptford Creek. Mr. Forster's
south scheme, prepared jointly with Mr. Stephenson,
consists chiefly of a kits, level main, with several branches,
with lifting power and a discharge into the Thames at
Greenwich Marshes,"rilly two miles lower in the river
than in Mr. Bazalgette's scheme, clear of, and far below
the town of Greenwich, and with an alternative exten-
sion to below Woolwich. Floods were expressly and
amply provided for by existing outlets, and by compara-
tively inexpensive diversions, included in the estimate of
cost.—Tlt c Built:1(7.