The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-17 00:00:00

THE 'WESTERN MAIN DRAINAGE.

Mr. FREEMAN brOlight up the. followin report of
the Western Main Drainage of the Metropolis :
" Your Honourable Board on Friday last (No 4) having
instructed your committee to consider as to the desirability
of rescinding the order of the board of the `29th of Jane,
1853 (N'o. 4), dealiiig with the Western Division Drainage,
and as to the discharge of the sewage into the proposed ltdv
level sewer, and also as to the capabilities of lite northern
outfall works now being executed for carrying off such addi- ,
3acthiegleacitttoirntfi):lo:tl3hi:ssvotewesuyaticesialasurniindl:Siss:ertSertiochtnht:dies
tional sewage, your cotnniitteo have directed their careful
attention to the subjects comp Ind in Such reference,
will probably be in the recollection of honourable members
Bidder and
Hawkosley and your engineer on the Main Drainage of the
situttenerdhattionhe
Nayta,,,gt
vheiaazt:iits-
pert, so far as related to the scheme for dealing with the drain •
First, to -carry the sewage of the district into thegeneral inter•
with the Therms; and your hon. board, after (levet-
ing much consideration to those two questions, and having
regard to the difficulties Which presented themselves in deal-
ing with the drainage of the) district, by reason of its low
level and the consequent increased cost for pumping, ulti-
mately decided to tied with it exceptionally, and to adopt (ho
Plan of deodorisation as suggested, which had already received
Cubitt,,Mr. Bazalgette, Mr. neywood, end other engineers.
the sanction of Mr. F. Foster, Mr. R. Stephenson, Sir W.
"Your committee have conferred with your engineer as to
the capability of the main outfall sewers to discharge the
sewage coming from the western district, and they find that
the capacity of those sewers is sufficient, at all events for a
veryconsiderable period,to reed go the se wage from that area;
that:being the case the question of conveying the sewage of
the western district into the low level system, and ulti-
mately to the outfall at Barking, resolves itself into' one of
expense, 'and your committee find that the c-.'st of increasing
the, use _of:tlintw_e level sewers and providing _the requisite
additional pumping power will amount in round numbers
to about £180,000; and although this sum is a large one,
"conveyed to the point. of
your committee, aflor a most anxious- consideration of
tho subject; aro nrmnimously of opinion that' it should
be incurred; and that the western area should be treated
differently.from that of the other portions' of the metro-
polis,' but that the Whole of the sovi4g,e; notwithstanding
othuetia4lllaitt4tarli.lenogatbrsehek",ladndbtehey accordingly recommend
That the resolution of the board, of the 29th Jute, ISIS
(No. 4), directing the formation of deodorising works at
Fulham, be rescinded ; that the sewage from the -western
area be carried- into the Low-level Sewer to -be conveyed 4a
Barking Creek, dud that the engineer be instructed to pre-
pare the:necessary plans and_estimates for the works.'
(Signed) "JOHN TRAVAITES.
"ROBERT FREEMAN.
" EDWARD COLLISON."
The hon. member moved the adoption of the recom-
mendation of the committee.
tll :Lot oridaf
two
wir
0811 leea,ssr

Mr. TITE. M.P., at some length went into a his-
tory of the resolution they wished to rescind. At
the time it was passed the main drainage scheme
was not decided upon, and the sum of .£200,000 was
thought to be a large aiim :of money, but in compa-
rison with the works nowin progress it was a trifle.
Although the members of the hoard in 1858 were,
no doubt, justified in the course they adopted, yet
circumstances had changed since then, and they
were now right in rescinding the resolution they
had then come to.

Mr. NEWTON went into the debates that had
occurred in 1858 on the subject, and considered the
circumstances warranted the board in projecting
those works, but now that a more complete scheme
was being carried out those works ought not to be
proceeded with.

Mr. CARPMAEL and Mr. D'IFFANGER supported
the motion.

Mr. SAMUDA said the question was not the reso-
lution of 1858, but the position of affairs at, the pre-
sent time. If he had been a member of the board
in 1858 he should have voted for the resolution, and
now that circumstances were altered he should vote
for rescinding it.
Mr. CRELLIN thought the board in 1858 came to
a proper conclusion, and ho thought nothing had oc-
curred since to induce the board to alter its opinion.
Mr. WILKINSON said that when the resolution was
passed, it was accepted only as an economical mode
of purifying the sewage, but now, as it could be
carried away through the main drainage works,. he
would vote for its being so carried, as he believed
it to be a saving of expense to the ratepayers.
Mr. DIXON reminded the board that, according
to the present plan, if any obstruction should take
place, or if there should be any failure in the works,
the district of Fulham would be flooded, and he
would b,y no party to placing that locality in such
a position.

Mr. H. LOWMAN TAYLOR supported the motion,
because, if the plans of the board were not carried
out, the system of drainage in the metropolis would
not be perfect.

Mr. FREEMAN, in reply, said that in 1868 the re-
solution was adopted only as a temporary measure,
and so great was the difference of opinion on the
part of the members, that the board deferred buy-
ing the land necessary for the works until the latest
moment. He, therefore, hoped the board would
unanimously adopt the motion.
The board tnen divided, when the motion was
carried by a majority of 33 to 1.

A deputation of medical gentlemen, principally
medical officers of health, consisting of Drs. Thom
son, Aldis, Challice, Gibbon,l3arclay, Viner, White-
man, Iliff, and Hillier, and Messrs. Burge, Liddle,
and Re/idle, were in attendance to give their advice
and assistance to the board if necessary.

The CHAIRMAN said that the board having
adopted the report nearly unanimously there would
be no necessity for hearing the deputation.
to be heard by
one The
cour-
tesy, decided on hearing one of them.
Mr. BURGE then said the proceedings of that
of
thei
rgentlemen,
number,
however,
the
board,
wishing
asa matter of
day had rendered their labours very light. It
was their duty to watch over the health of the
metropolis, and whatever steps they took were
only takettin the public interest, and with no desire
to obstirilet the board in their operations. He was
quite sure that the decision of the board that day
would be received by the whole of the medical pro-
fession as a boon, and would be a lasting benefit to
the metropolis.
The deputation then withdrew.
The contract was given to Mr. Dethick, subject
to the usual securities.

The routine business having been disposed of, the
board adjourned.

ON SPEAKING TERMS WITH DR. JOHNSON.—
One of the most remarkable connecting links be-
tween the present and the past, was Samuel Rogers, who
lived until the close of 1855, yet who once went with a
young literary friend to the house of Dr. Johnson in Bolt-
court, wiih a view to consult him about their writings.
They were at the very door, when terror took pos-
session of their souls, and they fled from the tremen-
dous deity within. Rogers, however, must often have
the Leviathan rolling
seenabout among the
human billows of Fleet•street ; and he shook hands,
when he was a youth, with the Doctor's special
horror, Jack 'Wilkes. Walter Savage Landor, who was
nine years old when Johnson died in 1784, is still spared to
us. Had he ever seen the great dictator of letters, he would
probably recollect him. The time has not long gone by,
when it was no uncommon thing to meet with men who
could speak of Johnson from personal remembrance; yet
Johnson had been touched for the king's evil by Queen
Anne. The writer has known two men, one of whom
had conversed with the lexicographer, while the other
had only teen him in the streets. The former, at the time
of the interview, was a studious youth, preparing himself
for a literary career, in which he afterwards acquired some
name. He had gone into a bookseller's shop to inquire for
some classical author, and found Johnson sitting there.
The latter, seeing the young man poring over a Greek or
Latin book, asked to look at it, questioned him about
h;s studies, and received such satisfactory answers
that he returned the volume with the impressive sen-
tence, uttered in his most dignified and yet blandest man-
ner : 'You may go on, sir; you may go on." The youth.
thus magnificently ordained, as it were, ex cathedra, was
James Boaden, susequently author of a " Life of John
Kemble," and of a novel which attracted attention, called
" The Man of Two Lives." He survived until 1839, and
somethinggreater
of the Johnsonian
r amiability. His de-
prolongedmanner,thtooutghha that 1
softenedatep period iwo t
h gre
portment and modeof delivery were at once formal and suave,
Ho was fond of the Johnsonian " sir ;" and his respectful
politeness in addressing ladies was altogether that of the
old school. Like Johnson, Boaden loved nothing better
than to "fold his legs and have his talk out ;" and, being a
man of large reading and cultivated mind, his conversation
was well worth listening to,—Dicken's 6.ded (4 Year
Rentz',"

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA,
N.COVENT-
Under the Management of Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr. W.
Harrison, Sole Lessees.
THIS EVENING, Balfes popular Opera, THE PURI-
TAN'S DAUGHTER: Madlle. Parepa and Mise Suan
Pyne; Messrs. Santley, W. H. Weiss, Patey, A. St. Albyn,
J. Rouse, C. Lyall, E. Dussek, and W. Harrison.
Conductor—Mr. A. Mellon.

After which, the Grand Comic Christmas Pantomime, en
titled HARLEQUIN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
Doors open at half-past 6—Commence at 7.

THE ATR E-R YA L. DRURY-LANE.—
Lessee and Manager, Mr. Edmund Falconer.
THIS EVENING, the Comio Drama of THE NEXT OF
After which, the Grand Pantomime of LITTLE GO )DY
TWO SHOES.