The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-15 00:00:00

Among the acts which have just received the,
Royal assent, the most important to the inhabitants
of this metropolis is that which is designed to secure
the advantage of effective local management. As
this groat measure is to effect most important altera-
tions in the governing bodies throughout the me-
tropolis, and as those changes are to be made with
the utmost promptitude, it is of the greatest im-
portance that there should be a clear perception of
the new position in which it will place the London
population and the particular parties whom it
will specially affect. We believe it will be found
that the Metropolis Local Management Act is but
very little understood by that portion of her Ma-
jesty's subjects for whose benefit it has been passed,
and that, with the exception of our most -wakeful
parochial politicians, people have a further insight
into the affairs of the Crimea than into the changes
which aro about to be effected at their own doors.
It is necessary, therefore, that no time should be
lost in giving somewhat in detail a view of the be-
nefits which this measure is to confer, if its require-
ments are duly fulfilled.
The sewerage, drainage, paving, cleansing, light-
ing, and general improvement of that vast group of
cities, boroughs, liberties, and districts which pass
under the name of London, are all subjects of
great practical importance to the inhabitants, and
have of late years been forced in a very painful
manner on their attention. The rated householder
has, with too much reason, complained of the number
and weight of his payments in respect of these im-
portant items, while his annoyance has been in-
creased by the multiplicity of authorities and con-
flicting j urisdictions under which his habitation has
been placed. These evils, of which we hope soon
to speak as the former state of things, have assumed
a much greater magnitude in the experience of all
who have taken an active part in dealing with the
pestilence with which we have been again and again
visited, principally because of the legal hindrances
to a proper state of sanitary defence. In allusion to
this great subject Sir B. Hall recently said, "I was
determined, on the merciful abatement of the epi-
demic that ravaged the metropolis, to turn myatten-
tion to the state of this vast city. I knew that, un-
less great and speedy radical changes in the consti-
tution of its local affairs were effected, it was ut-
terly hopeless to expect that those affairs would
be well conducted." These " radical changes" are
to be effected at once by taking the whole work of
metropolitan management out of the numerous
hands by which it has hitherto been held, in some
cases by consent, and in others without it, and then
placing all the right of doing that work in the
people themselves, in accordance with a system
which the act fully describes.
The parochial vestries, the Metropolitan Com-
missioners of Sewers, the paving boards, the little
local authorities almost innumerable who were
accustomed to meet, and sip, and " blow their
clouds," if not for the advantage, at least at the cost
of their official domains, must eat their farewell
dinners, break their wands, and exchange their
offices for those 200 seats to which one of their num-
ber has just suggested that they may betake them-
selves, and which Sir B. Hall has, with an almost
cruel consideration, provided for them (and others)
in the parks. The Minister, who naturally con-
templates this result of his legislative ability with
complacency, recently said to his constituents :
" Let us look at the position in which the public will
stand when this measure has received the Royal assent.
We shall supersede irresponsible commissioners, we
shall abolish elected boards, we shall do away with a
great many of those officers, such as surveyors and col-
lectors, and others, almost countless in number at pre-
sent, who have lived on the taxes levied on the people.
We shall give those municipal institutions to parishes
which the metropolis has so long desired, without all the
expense of mayors and common-councilmen."
The mention of mayors and common-councilmen
naturally suggests an inquiry as to the degree of in-
fluence which this sweeping measure is to have on
the city—a question which it may be as well that
we should answer before entering on our epitome.
We need not say that Sir Benjamin Hall did not
propose that Herculean labour which, by the assist-
ance of the City Commissioners and the vigour of
Parliament, we may hope to see hereafter accom-
plished, but he did propose to put the city, for all
the purposes of his measure, on a level with all the
rest of Loudon ; and his object, of course after
much civic combat, has been gained. The corpo-
ration of the city fought manfully for an undue
amount of influence on the Central Board, the
constitution and powers of which we have to de-
scribe ; and the City Commissioners of Sewers, with
a selfish disregard to the efficient working of the
great sewerage machinery, fought to be exempted
from the operation of the bill, and died hard. It
'was contended that, if other sewer commissioners
were to be annihilated, it did not follow that the
city people should be absorbed ; but the argument
happily did not tell on the House of Commons.
It was proposed that the City Commissioners
should not only carry out local drainage, as will
be done by all the district boards, but that the
main sewers should be also subject to their control.
If this proposition had been carried, it is scarcely
necessary to say that at the least great delay and
unnecessary expense would have resulted, and, per-
haps, much perplexity and inefficiency. If the
city had contemplated a main sewer in any direc-
tion, it would have been necessary to co-operate
with the Metropolitan Board of Works, about to be
formed, and obtain its consent. This consent could
not have been given, unless the city plan had been
well examined by its own surveyors and engineers.
Much disagreement and professional jealousy would
necessarily have arisen, creating delay and useless
expense. It was properly said that if the
engineers of the Central Board were competent to
lay down plans for the sewerage of this vast metro-
polis they ought to be competent to undertake that
of the small area on which the city of London
stands. This common sense view of matters has
been taken by the Legislature, and as the result a
very large handful of feathers has been plucked
from the civic bird. The act now coming int(ss
operation may therefore be regarded as a contribu-
tion to the greater measure for which the metro-
polis has for the present to hope and wait.
Those who are acquainted with local acts, whether
metropolitan or provincial, will not fail to observe
that several excellent local arrangements with which
they are familiar aro incorporated in the measure
under consideration. 'We refer to this fact, not as
deducting in any degree from its merit, for it is an
illustration of sound wisdom in matters of this kind
to adopt those plans which have been found to work
well rather than to invent new methods the merit
or demerit of which cannot be known until they are
tested by experience. It would increase the value
of Legislative action of the electric principle were
more freely worked where it is available, as there
would obviously be less occasion for amendment
and repeal, while a great amount of confusion and
mischief would be avoided.
It may be as well to add that the labours of the
Registrar. General and the Census Commissioners
have been laid under contribution to this measure,
and constitute, in fact, its basis.

THE ;FATAL ACCIDENT AT ROCHESTEIL—ROCIIVITEN,
Monday Evening.—The inquest on the bodies of the
three unfortunate men who were killed at the dreadfal
accident which took place at the new railway bridge, on
Saturdiy last, was held at the Guildhall, in this city,
before Mr. James Lewis, the city coroner, and, after a
n thin
evening. inquiry, was brought to a conclusio n
evening. The jury returned a verdict of
death, with a recommendation to the company to altr
"accidental
the mode of using the cylinders.
A SOLDIER SHOT ON THE PRACTICE-FIELD ET HIS
hsahvnitn gb,y wahfiil
firing
eing engagedrarty
throughout the barracks at Brecon, in consequence
COMRADES.—A painful sensation has been produced
theep?t at Brecon, under
in
nf afi
esoldier n ofti n
e, thebe
been
of his regiment. On the morninga in question a firing
Capt. Itoe's command, f•. Battle-hill, about five miles
ahcciindfeann ttarlYly
from the town, where a target is erected for practising
' t with the Minis rifle. Each in
the regimen
party, lot about 40 men, leftoi
of ballau was served
out with 15 rounds cartridges, and they were told
off into, four parties of about 10 each. The arrangements
of the practice ground are these :—There
'de and s
gets, two feet
wide
ix feet de
e are four tar.
p each, making alto-
gether fa feet i, a butt markin 21
target, land 30 feet from the line g yards from this
the middle of the target and of fire ; measuring to
feet long, and 1 foot 8 inchesthe butt is 5 feet deep, 12
surface' of the earth. Tn depth of trench from Om
100 yalids from the
firing
line of foil ; the party, and 36 yards from the
and so Ipleced eparty firing 100 yards from the target,
A fatigue part that none of the men could see the butt.
butt, tc• watch part under Corporal Moran, were in the
and see what shots hit the target. If the
men had sat down in the butt according to their orders,
there
"clould have been no danger to any of them ; but
one of them, Samuel Cease, while the corporal in com-
mand was intent on the target, incautiously leaned for-
ward for the purpose of picking
up a spent ball. He
had not sooner done so than a rifle was fired, and ex-
claiming—" 0 God, I am shot," he fell backwards, and
never poke afterwards. The bugle immediately sounded
to cease firing, and Ensign Harrison and Assistant-Sur-
geon Nocfadden immediately rushed to his =notions,
but he -was taken up dead. On his body being examined,
it was. found that the ball had entered between the
fourth

A fifth ribs, passed through both lobes of the

lungs
all th
an inl

,nd the left ventricle of the heart, causing nearly
blood of the body to run into the chest. At
lest held on the body before the coroner, James

tirely I
first of
a verdj
was gr
LOUTS,
tendioj

is, Esq., it was proved that the death was en-
-lie result of misadventure, and that it was the
' the kind that had occurred. The jury returned
Lot of " accidental death." The deceased, who
eatly respected, was buried with military he
at-
the 11th Regiment and the Brecon s
him to hie grave.