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

METROPOLITAN COMMISSION OF

SE WEBS.

A special court of this commission was held yesterday
at the office, Greek-street, Soho. The commissioners
pr6sent were—Mr. Jebb, chairman, Sir J. V. Shelley,
Dr. Sayer, Mr. G. S. Smith, Mr. C. W. Johnson, Mr.
F. 0. Ward, Mr. G. Offor, 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 bands
of the treasurers on the 30th of March was 27,974/. 17s.
11d. ; deducting checks drawn, but not yet presented,
amounting to 1,3261. 17s. 7d., left an available balance
of 26,649/. Os. 4d. ; adding amount of deposit account,
80,0001., gave a total balance of 106,6491. Os. 4d.
SirJ. V. SHELLEY moved, pursuant to notice, that the
whole of the plans for the drainage of the metropolis at
present before the commissioners be referred to a com-
mittee of engineers 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. Haywood, had been subjected to an
inspection by engineers w)lo were not officers of the com-
mission. His present resolution was limited to the consi-
deration of the plans which bad been sent in, in conse-
quence of the determination come to at a former Court
to postpone the consideration of the question until every
plan to be sent in up to a given day should be in the pos-
session of the commissioners. The feeling of the new
commission in reference 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 yea; of amendment—
" That the plans for the main or intercepting sewerage
of the metropolis, north of the Thames, furnished by
Messrs. Haywood and Bazalgotte, as well as those sent in
by various other gentlemen, pursuant to the invitation of
this commission, Too 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. lIAwEs seconded the amendment.
Another long discussion followed, in the course of
which

Mr. WADE observed that the whole affair had been
muddled from beginning 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 theraon.
Dr. LEWIS moved a 9 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, 1854, 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-
missio❑ 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 Mr. Baza'gette,
in reply to certain suggestions from Mr. Offor, the letter
stating that if the outlets of the sewers discharging
into the Thames were carried to low-water mark, and
flaps placed at their present months, it would be neces-
sary at the same time to construct ventilating shafts
at convenient places near to those outlets, otherwise the
lower end of the sewers would' cease to be ventilated.
There were 85 outlets discharging into the north side of
the Thames, irrespective of those in the city, and 91 on
the south side, making in all 176 outlets. The cost of
trapping these and extending them to low-water mark
would be about 100,0001. Some of these outlets must
continue as safetyvalves to the intercepting sewers, and
when the low level intercepting sewer should be con•
structed, all of them must be carefully trapped with
double valves to prevent the ingress of the tide into the
low-level sewer. Mr. Bazalgette was of opinion that if
these works were executed, they should form part of and
be charged to the great intercepting scheme.
Mr. WARD took occasion to observe, that it bad been
fish that in offering suggestions for the more complete
interception of the sewage of the Thames, he might be
regarded as uniting in an inconvenient manner the cha-
racters of a commissioner and a competitor ; and that,
as he was anxious to relieve himself from even the ap-
pearance of an ambiguous position, he wished it to be
known that any suggestions of his would be freely at the
disposal of any competitor, and that nothing would give
him more pleasure than to see his views embodied in any
of the plans put in.
Mr. Baza!gette's letter wag 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 was 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 stand as a first question, to be taken
that day fortnight.
The Secretary read a report presented by the commit-
tee appointed to consider whether the Court possessed
or had under its control models, sections, or plans of
sewerage worthy a place in the forthcoming Exhibition
in Paris. The report stated that the acts of Parliament
regulating the Commission of Sewers were such as to
preclude the application of any portion of the funds ad-
ministered by them to the important and interesting
objects which the Lords of the Committee of Trade had
in view. The practicability was fully established, the
commission having in its possession, or under its eon-
ttrhoel,maamopilteedeeleelfntehnetsrefeotrrepporioitenvidingr
eianerngeystem, with
regret
plans, diagrams, and sections, illeuszeptztyinegd
in
different
modes of sewerage and drainage n the metro-
polis and its environs, at a cost not exceeding 3501. The
French Government—viz., till;
the structural works
committee believed that streh map,
accompanied by
plans and diagrams, wouldbworthy
of exhibition, and
expressed their deep
with
to such a purposehey were unable to compl
the health of our large cities, required for
should be exhibited at the
,eililrues illustrating tti neg
International Exhibition about to take place at Paris.
the business on the pa Court, having disposed of about half
committee for the consideration resolved itself into a private
of a recommendation if eration of a point arising out
which it was deemed o the General Committee, and
The Court was inexpedient to discuss in public.
therefore closed.

ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN.—The general
monthly meeting of this body was held on Monday last ;
A. A. Goldsmid, Esq., vice-president, in the chair.
Eustace Anderson, Esq., Andrew Whyte Barclay, M.D.,
and Thos. Parry Woodcock, Esq., were duly elected
members of the institution. J. Benly, Esq:, Q.C., C.
Becv w, Esq., H. Bradbury, Esq., J. Dickinson, Esq.<
H. M. Noad, Esq., and the Rev. G. D. Hill, were ad-
mitted members of the institution. •Thanks were voted
to Thos. Sopwith. Esq., Dr. W. Odling, the Rev. J. E.
Ashby, and the Rev. John Harlon, V.P., and Sec. _ILI.,
fir their discourses on the evenings of :March 9, 16, 23,
and 30. The presents received since the last meeting*
w .re laid 1), fore the members. A speci,il vote of thankg
returned to bis Grace the Duke of Northumberlan
the president, for his present of a magnificently bound
c ipy of Rosellini's " Monumenti Egitto e dell s
Nubia," in 9 vols. Bvo., with an Atlas of Plates, in
vols.
THE WEATHER IN THE BALTIC.- --Elsinore, March 2S.
—The state of the ice in this neighbourhood is unaltere.d.
The vessels that arrived here yesterday report baying
met with but little ice in the Skacerak and Cattegat.
Aarhuue, March 26.—The ice here is still firm. A.
schooner belonging to this port and. coming front Eng-
land, is off the ice, and awaiting its breaking up to g< t
in here. Tonnmg, March 30.—The• ice in the Eider w
as
sprung yesterday, and in a few days the harbour a iso
will be freed of ice. '
The subscription opened in Holland for
,the BIZ< rera
by the inundations amounts to a little more than
380,000 florins (the florin is about If. 50c.).