The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-29 00:00:00

The ?Metropolitan Board of Woks,

The weekly meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works
was held yesterday at the office in Spring-gardens. Mr. J.
Thwaites, chairman, presided..
FINANCE.

The financial statement was presented, which showed
the following cash balances in the hands of the treasurer :
Current accounts, £284,614 16s. Id. ; deposit accounts,
£297,300 ; total, £581,914 16s. Id. Government securities
£51,371 11:1s. 10d.
THE STATE OF THE RIVER AT THE OUTFALL SEWERS.

The CHAIRMAN said he wished to call the attention of the
Board to a subject that had seriously affected the health of
their officers at the outfall works at Crossness on the south,
and Barking on the north—the effluvium from manufac-
tories of glue and other offensive substances. Those manu-

factories were a great nuisance and an injury to the health
of the officers, and he had hoped it would have been abated.
He had visited the place, however, and found the nuisance
-almost unbearable, and, so far from it having been dimi-
nished, it had greatly increased. It was of great importance
that this should be made known, or the public might en-
tertain the notion that these offensive smells were caused

by the sewerage works, and not by these manufactories.
That had been the state of things long prior to the sewage
being discharged into the river, and he thought the engi-
neer ought to report upon it. The nuisance had greatly in-
creased during the past two months. He wished to men-
tion that within the last few days a friend of his, a whar-
finger on the Thames, had caught a very fine jack in the
Pool, nearly opposite to the Custom-house--(hear, hear}—
which showed the improved state of the river in conse-
quence of the Main Drainage works.
Mr. CARPMA.EL said he could also bear his testimony to
the fact that fish were again making their appearance at
points higher up the river, where for many years they had
never been seen.

Mr. LE BRETON said he should move that the subject be
referred to Mr. Bazalgette, the chief engineer, and Dr.
Letheby, to report on the best means of getting rid of the
nuisance.

Mr. EVANS seconded the motion, which was carried una•
nimously.

PRESERVATION OF COMMONS AND OPEN SPACES.

A report was brought up from the Streets Committee on
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the subject of the preservation.of commons and open spaces
for the use of the public. The committee stated that they
had given the subject their most serious consideration, and
had unanimously arrived at a resolution that it was highly
desirable to preserve the open commons and spaces near the
metropolis for public recreation and enjoyment, and that
the board should compensate the lords of the manors and

the commoners for any rights of which they might be de-
prived, such open spaces to remain unenclosed ; also that,
towards meeting the expenditure to be incurred, power
should be given to the board to sell certain portions of such
open spaces for building or other purposes.

Mr. Pnirmups moved the adoption of the report, which
was seconded by Mr. DIFFANGER.

Mr. RocHE moved, as an amendment, " That the report
be printed and circulated, and taken into consideration at
the next meeting."

Mr. EVANS seconded the amendment, and said he believed
it would be very imprudent to adopt the report without
due consideration, as it was impossible to say what expen-
diture it might.entail upon the board.

Mr. DOULTON, M.P., said he had no objection to the
matter standing over for a week; but he wished it to go
forth to the public that the adoption of the report would
not involve the ratepayers in a large outlay in purchasing
the rights of lords of manors.

Mr. CARPMAEL trusted that the board would not take
upon itself the responsibility of purchasing the rights of
lor4l of manors, or doing anything of the kind.
The amendment was then put and agreed to.
PROPOSED PURCHASE OF METROPOLITAN BRIDGES.

The CHAIRMAN brought under the notice of the board the
bill brought into Parliament by Mr. Alderman Salomons for
purchasing the present toll-paying bridges and throwing
them open free. He said the purchase of those bridges
might involve the ratepayers in a very serious expendi-
ture. As the board had taken no active part in the promo-
tion of this bill, he thought that the subject should bo re-
ferred to a committee.

Mr. M`DorniELL moved that the subject should be re-
ferred to the Streets Committee, and that they be em-
powered, if they should see fit, to take steps to oppose the
Bill.

The motion was put and agreed to.
UTILIZATION OP THE SEWAGE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OP THE

RIVER.

The CHAntmAN submitted that, as the plan for the utili-
zation of the sewage on the North side of the river was now
settled, the Board should take steps ih reference to the
south, and that tenders should be advertised for.
This was embodied in a motion, which was put and
agreed to.
The other business was disposed of, and the Board ad-
journed.