The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-26 00:00:00

City Sewers Commission.

Yesterday the Commissioners of Sewers of the
City of London assembled at Guildhall, for the
despatch of public business. The chairman, H. De
Jersey, Esq., Deputy and Under-Sheriff, presided.
The Commissioners were occupied for some time
in hearing summonses, which had been taken out
against the contractors for not duly cleansing and
watering certain districts within the City, and in
some cases fines were imposed. A report was also
brought up from the General Purposes Committee
with regard to the propriety of requiring the contrac-
tors for scavengers work to sweep and cleanse the foot
pavements at the same time the carriage ways are
done ; and also as to the mode in-which the streets are
now swept ; and whether any improvement could be
adopted therein. The committee, after considering
the subject, came to the conclusion that to require
the performance of such work would cause a large
additional annual expenditure without any satisfac-
tory results. They stated that under the Police Act
it was the duty of every householder to keep the
fronts of their houses properly swept and cleansed ;
and they suggested that the City Commissioner
of Police should be written to to take proceedings
under the act by requiring the police constables to
proceed against persons neglecting their duty, and
that a public notice should be issued to the inhabi-
tants of the City upon the subject. The committee
further suggested that in all future agreements the
contractor should be required to cleanse and water
the main thoroughfares more frequently and to
water the main streets once on Sunday mornings in
dry weather. Also that the streets which were gra-
velled should be watered three times a day.
The report was agreed to, and it was decided that
tenders for the performance of the work for the year
ensuing should be received on the 9th May next.
A second report was brought up from the General
Purposes Committee, which stated that they had
viewed the iron carriage-way pavement in the Poul-
try, which was so generally objected to by the inha-
bitants, and that they recommended it should be
removed as soon as possible.
The consideration of the report was ultimately
adjourned.

Dr. LETIIEBY stated to the Court that during the
last week the contractors of the railway works in
Liverpool-street had used some of the new railway
1 between Liverpool-street and Sun-street for the
i purpose of burning brick earth, and that a complaint
(had been made by some of the inhabitants of the
district of the nuisance occasioned by it. He had
therefore made inquiries into the matter, and had
ascertained that the operations were not to be con-
tinued ; indeed they were not then in action. He
I
also reported to the Court that complaints had been
forwarded to him from the medical department of
the Privy Council of the condition of the composing,
room of the Public Ledger office, at 6, St. Dunstan's-
passage, Great Tower-street ; and having visited it
he found that, in a room under the level of the
pavement of the dimensions of 39ft. by 13ft., and
9ft. high, and having an area of 4,563 superficial
feet, there were 16 persons occupied from about 2
o'clock in the afternoon to 3 or 4 o'clock the follow-
ing morning, and that (in addition to the over-
crowding of the place, the atmosphere was vitiated
by the burning of 16 5-feet gas burners. The ven-
tilation of the place was very defective, and he
submitted that orders should be given for the im-
provement of the ventilation of the room by having
bands over the gaslights connecting with the shaft,
which would convey the product of combustion to
the furnace chimney.
The suggestions of the medical officers were at.
once adopted and ordered to be carried out.