The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-21 00:00:00

CITY SEWERS COMMISSION.

A meeting of the members of this commission was
held yesterday at the Guildhall for the despatch of
business. Deputy De Jersey presided.
The minutes of the last meeting of the commis-
sioners having bean read and confirmed,
Alderman COPELAND inquired of the engineer
whether his attention had been called to the pro-
posed plan of deodorising the sewage of the western
division of the metropolis, and the discharge of it
into the Thames at Fulham. The plan had been pro-
posed at the Metropolitan Board of Works,and would
cost, it was estimated, £200,000. It was a matter
of great importance, and he should like to be in-
formed whether it had come under the notice of the
engineer to the company.
Mr. HAYWOOD, engineer, replied that his atten-
tion had been called to the subject only by the re-
ports which had appeared in the public journals.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR observed that if the worthy
alderman had read the report correctly he would
have found the fact the very reverse of that which
he had stated. The Metropolitan Board had de-
cided not to establish any deodorising works at all,
but to convey the whole of the sewage of the western
district through the low-level sewer,to be discharged
into the river at Barking.
The CHAIRMAN said that the Main Drainage
Committee of the Metropolitan Board approved of a
plan for deodorising the sewage in 1859, but the
board at a recent meeting had decided not to carry
out such plan.

Alderman COPELAND considered that he was jus-
tified in calling the attention of the Court to the
subject, seeing the large contribution paid by the
city of London towards the expenses of the Metro-
politan Board. He added that he felt satisfied with
the explanation that had been given him in refer-
ence to the subject.

The matter then dropped.
THE GAS SUPPLY.

The Court to-day proceeded to consider the ten-
ders delivered in on the 16th December last for
lighting with gas the northern district of the City
for one year from the Ist February next.
The Principal Clerk, Mr. J. DAW, stated that the
Chartered Gas Company's tender was for £5 93.6 d.
per lamp per Rnnutn, including 15s. per lamp for
lighting, cleansing, repairing, &c. This amount was
one guinea per lamp in addition to the sum charged
by the company under the old contract. There was
also a tender from the Groat Central Company, but
this was consider, bly in advance of the amount
named by the Chartered Company.
Dr. ABRAHAM thought there could be no doubt
that this advance in price was the result of a confe-
deracy by the gas companies, and it seemed to him
that the commission had no alternative but to ac-
cept the tender of the Chartered Compiny. It
would, however, be a question whether the Court
should not take some steps to relieve themselves
from such a state of things. He urged them at once
to fix a meter to each of the gas lamps, and so com-
pel the companies to supply a proper amount of gas,
and he thought the Court should also apply the car-
burecting process to the public lamps. He believed
this was the only means of protecting the ratepayers.
The engineer and medical officer had both reported
favourably of that process, and he believed by its
application a great saving would be effected.

Mr. J. T. YOUNG said the carburetting process
had given great dissatisfaction, and he urged that
it should be discontinued.

Deputy HARRISON hoped that in every contract
taken for the supply of gas,provision would be made
for the supply of the proper quantity by the com-
panies.
Mr. HAYWOOD observed that the companies re-
fused to be bound by any terms except those con-
tained in the Metropolis Gas Act.
The tender of the Chartered Gas Company was
then accepted.
Some discussion took place in reference to the ap-
pointment of an examiner of gas for the City, and
ultimately it was decided to postpone the election,
and to refer it to the General Purposes Committee
to consider the terms and conditions of the appoint-
ment.
The Principal Clerk reported that he had received
a precept from the Metropolitan Board of Works,i
calling upon the Court for the Payment of the sun
of £10,132 18s. 4d., as the contribution of the City
to the expenses of the Metropolitan Board for the
current year.

The matter was referred to the General Purpose&
Committee to examine and report.
A report was read from the Improvement Com-
mittee, to whom it was referred to consider a plan
proposed by Mr. I. R. Newton for a subway from

Bridge-street to Farringdon-street to relieve the
traffic of the locality. The committee had received
a lengthy report from Mr. Haywood bearing upon
the subject, and having carefully considered it they
had come to the conclusion that it would not be
practicable to carry out the plan, and they there-
fore recommend the Court not to entertain it.
After some consideration it was decided that the
engineer's report should be printed, and that the
consideration of the subject should be adjourned.