The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-14 00:00:00

UNFOUNDED CHARGES AGAINST THE CONTRACTORS

A considerable portion of the time of the court
was occupied in hearing a number of summonses
which had been taken out at the instanco of a Mr.
John-Williams, of 22, King-street, New North-road,
against three of the contractors to the commission,
namely Mr. E. Reddin, Mr. Tomkins, and Mr.
Baker, for breaches of contract. The whole of the
complaints referred to cases of sweeping mud down
the gullies by men in the employ of the contractor.
The person named Williams above referred to was
supported in some of the cases by a man named
Nlayhe iv, both very positively speaking to the acts
of the men as complained of. It was contended by
the contractors that the cases had been trumped up
for improper purposes, and witnesses were called on
their behalf to disprove the assertions. In the course
of the examination Williams admitted having pre-
ferred complaints of this kind against contractors
in various parts of the metropolis, and further said
that by reason of his so doing he had been called a
common informer. He said he preferred the com-
plaints on behalf of the public, but admitted that
he received remuneration for so doing from a pri-
vate source. In the course of the hearing of the
case it was elicited that he had represented him-
self to a City policeman as an officer con-
nected with the sewers, and to the same official
he observed that if the contractor did not pay him
for any trouble that he might be put to, he himself
given in opposition to
would do so. The evidence

the complaints was most conclusive, and the Com-
mission dismissed all the cases that were heard ;
several members of the Court expressing their dis-
gust at the manner in which the summonses had
been brought forward, and their complete disbelief
in the statements made by the persons who sup•
ported them.

The CHAIRMAN said the commissioners were of
opinion that the whole of the cases which had been
brought forward had been disproved, and speaking
to Williams he said he would advise him to be cau-
tious before he again brought forward such charges
against the contractors.

The two men then left the court, and were fol-
lowed by a crowd who hooted them all the way a®
they departed from Guildhall. In Guildhall-yard
the hooting was taken up by other persons who be-
came aware of the proceedings that had
takenad t o
place
seek
in the Court of Sewers, and they finally b
protection from the mob in the justice-room of the
Guildhall police-court.
FINANCE.

Mr. DAW, the principal clerk, laid befor ethe
Court a report from the General Purposes
Com-
mittee, to whom it was referred to examine the ac-
counts of the treasurer for the year ending at Mi-
chaelmas last. The committee stated that, hav'ng
so examined the accounts, and compared them with
the vouchers, they found them correct. They also
found that the consolidated account was at that date
overdrawn to the amount of £24,830 4s. 10d., that
the treasurer had in hand on the sewers account a
balance of £9,695 3s. Bd., and that the main drain-
age account was overdrawn £854 14s. 11d.
The report was received.
SANATORY CONDITION OF THE CITY.

Dr. LETHEBY, the medical officer of health, laid
before the Court the following report on the sana-
tory state of the city of London : _ _

" To the Honourable the Commissioners of Sewers of the
City of London.
Gentlemen,—The Inspectors' returns which are before
you relate to 381 houses that have been inspected since the
last meeting of the Commission, and I submit a list of 87
i places for sanatory improvements in various particulars. I

also submit a list of places requiring further proceedings on
account of orders already issued, but not yet complied with.
I have likewise to report that the market and slaugh-
ter-houses of the City have been dul3 inspected, and the
officers have seized 13,6941b5. of meat es unfit for human
food, 11,4351b3. were diseased, 1,6071b5. were putrid, and
the lest was fiora animals that had died fromnatural causes.

It consisted of 53 sheep, 32 pigs, 8 calves, 81 qrs. of beef,
and 201 joints, &e. All of it vas destroyed in the usual

manner.
" The mortality returns for the month are nearly the
average for the season ; 237 deaths have been registered
during the last four weeks, the average number for the cor-
responding period of the last seven years, being 234. 87 of
the deaths were among children of less than five years old,
and 51 were among persons of 60 and upwards. The chief
causes of death were as follows :—Phthisis 30, mesenteric
disease 15, pneumonia 8, bronchitis 36, whooping cough 7,
croup 2, continued fever 13, scarlet fever 9, dysentery 1,
small pox 1, and measles 9, making together 45 deaths from
tubercular diseases, 44 from inflammatory aff-ctions ( f the
lungs, and 42 from diseases of the gymotic class. 238 births
have been registered in the month, namely, 122 males and
116 females.— I remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
(Signed) " 11Y. LETHEBY.
" Guildhall, Jan. 13, 1863."
THE GAS SUPPLY.

Mr. W3l. HAYWOOD, the engineer to the. Coin-
mission, said that at the last meeting it was left
with him to arrange with the Great Central Gas
Consumers Company to light the public lamps in
their district for the next five months. He had
corresponded with that company, and they declined
to supply the gas upon the terms of the present
contract, and he had consequently arranged with
them for such a supply at the rate of £3 Ms. per
lamp per annum.
The CHAIRMAN said ho had consulted Mr. Hay-
wood upon the subject, and he found they bad nn
alternative but to sanction the proposed arrange-
ment, and he now asked the Court to do so.

The Court sanctioned the arrangement.
It was decided to fill up the office of gas examiner
for the city of London at the next meeting.

The Inspectors' reports were read, and the Court
adjourned.

The Death from Violence in Belgravia.

Last evening Mr. Bedford, the Westminster
coroner, resumed an inquest, adjourned from Friday
last, at the Boardroom of St. George's Workhouse,
Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, touching the death
of James Crawley, aged 70, a pensioner, late a pri-
vate in her Majesty's 20th Regiment of Foot, re-
siding in Plumtree-court, Shoe-lane, Holborn.
The evidence elicited on the first occasion went
to show that the deceased was found lying in a dying
state on the door-step of 51, Mulford-street,
early on the morning of the 6th inst., with four ribs
broken and otherwise injured, and cut in the face
and other parts of the body, which led to the opi-
nion that death had been caused by violence, con-
sequently an adjournment was deemed, necessary
for the production of further evidence.
Michael Crawley was now the first witness ex
amined, and deposed that the last time he saw the
deceased, who was his brother, was on the Sunday
previous to his death. Deceased was liable to be
free in spending money in drink whenever he re-
ceived his pension. He knew nothing concerning
his death.

W. H. Cocks, staff-sergeant at the tast London
Pension Office, said deceased was in receipt of a
pension of la. 6-Id. per day, and received £2 6s. Bd.
on the sth inst. at 2 o'clock p.m., when he was per-
fectly sober, but very feeble and sickly. He was
badly dressed, and presented a very beggarly ap-
pearance.

Several other witnesses proved that deceased was
seen standing in front of 51, Pulford-street, holding
by the area railings, moaning as if in pain, covered
with mud, and a large bruise on his right eye, from
9 till 11 on the night of the sth, and was found
lying on the door step as above stated the following
morning. He was removed on a stretcher to St.
George's Workhouse, where he shortly afterwards
expired from the mortal effects of apoplexy.
Another witness blamed the policeman on the
beat for not having discovered the dying man earlier
than he did.

Dr. Bloxam repeated his account, already pub-
lished, of the great violence which the deceased had
sustained. He said the death was from apoplexy,
very likely to be produced by violence. The number
of bruises on the back of his head, and on every
limb in the body of deceased, led to the opinion that
death must have been the result of wilful violence.
The broken ribs appeared to have been trodden on
by hob-nailed boots. It was to him exceedingly im-
probable that the injuries could have been produced
by only one act of violence or by accidental means.
Mr.W. Drawbridge, a licensed victualler, deposed
that deceased had been a tenant of his, and that he
had been mixed up with bad company.
The nurse at the workhouse said that 18s. 11d.
in money was found upon his person.
The Coroner having summed up,
The jury returned a verdict of death by violence,
but how the violence was occasioned they were un-
able to determine.