The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVEN

CITY SEWERS COMMISSION•

-,,t.

The Commissioners of -Sewers of the City of London
met yesterday at the Guildhall, under the Presidency
.of
Deputy De Jersey.
The court to-day received tenders for the purchase and
destruction of the meat condemned by the City inspectors
as unfit for human food. The conditions of the tenders
were very carefully drawn, under the superintendence. of
Dr. Letheby, the medical officer of the City, with a view
to the prevention, under any circumstances, of the moat,
after condemnation, ever being used as an article of food.
Considerable attention has of late been paid by the com-
missioners to this important subject; and their attempts to
put down the traffic in diseased meat have proved. very
successful, and of great adVantage to the public.
The principal clerk, Mr. PAW, reported that there had
been paid into the chamber by the Metropolitan Board of
Works the sum of £7,163 6s. Bd. in aid of improvements
carried out by the commissioners in various parts of the
City. THE GAS SUPPLY.

Dr. LETTIEBY, the gas analyst for the City, reported to the
court that in the course of last quarter there had been 652
examinations of the illuminating power
.of the gas sup-
plied to the City, and the results were that the mean illu-
minating power of the Great Central Company's gas had
been equal to 14.19 standard sperm candles; the Chartered
gas to 14.31 candles ; and the City gas to 14.26 candles.
During the whole of the quarter the illuminating power
had been but once under the Parliamentary standard, and
that was in the case of the Great Central gas. In that re-
spect, therefore, the quality of the gas had been very satis-
factory, for it had been about one candle higher than it
was in the corresponding quarter of last year, and two
candles better than the act required. The che-
mical quality of the City Company's gas had been almost
invariably' good. It had been at all times perfectly free
from ammonia and sulphuretted hydrogen, and the average
amount of sulphur in 100 cubic feet had been about 17.5
grains, and the Parliamentary proportion of 20 grains had
been exceeded seven times out of 59. The quantity of sul-
phur in the Chartered gas had also been generally low. It
had averaged 19 grains in the 100 cubic feet, and it had ex-
ceeded the limit of the act on 12 occasions out of 59, but
the proportion of ammonia in the Chartered gas had always
been excessive. The chemical quality of the Great Central
gas had been good in two respects, namely, in the absence
of ammonia and sulphuretted hydrogen ; but the amount of
sulphur in the gas had nearly always been about the quan-
tity sanctioned by Parliament. It had averaged 23.7 per
100 cubic feet, and it had failed to fulfil the requirements
of the act in that respect on 51 occasions out of 55.
The report was ordered to be printed and circulated
amongst the members of the Court..
Whilst upon the question of the supply of gas to the City,
it may not be out of place to refer to a report presented to
the Court of Common Council by their General Purposes
Committee, to whom it has been referred to consider several
petitions adopted at a number of the ward meetings, com-
plaining both of the quantity and quality of the gas sup-•
plied, and the majority of them urging upon the Corpora-
tion to take measures to get a repeal of the present acts of
Parliament regulating the supply, and to take such mea-
sures as will secure to the City a better and a cheaper
supply of gas than at present, and by an application to Par-
liament obtain power to undertake, if necessary, the manu-
facture and distribution of the gas within the boundaries of
the City, whereby so essential a commodity might be se-
cured of a good quality and at a moderate price. Among
the wards which petitioned the Corporation to this effect
were those of Farringdon Without, Farringdon Within,
Bishopsgate, Castle Baynard, Aldgate, Cripplegate, Port-
soken, and Langbourn. The General Purposes Committee
in their report state, that they have been attended by de-
putations representing several petitioners, and having heard
them at length in explanation of their views and opinions,
they had entered upon the subject with that careful con-
sideration which its importance suggested as connected
with the interests of their fellow-citizens. The use of gas
having become so general two material points had naturally
from time to time been urged by the consumers, viz.—the
purity and illuminating power of the gas; and next, the
price that should he charged for it. The Commissioners of
Sewers had, in the discharge of their duty, frequently in-
vestigated the subject as connected more particularly with
the public lighting of the City, but the committee considered
that in reference to them the question was raised as affect-
ing the personal interests of the citizens. Either view,
however, pointed to the same result, and they were there-
fore of opinion that considerable advantage would be de-
rived from conferring with the Commissioners of Sewers.
Their request for this purpose being readily complied with
they had discussed the subject with their special committee
on gas, and had had their attention particularly drawn to
a report recently presented by them to the Court of Sewers,
and to a joint report upon the subject from the engineer
and medical officer of health. The committee, after stat-
ing that they entirely agreed with the special committee,
entered into a general statement of the facts contained in
the report ; but as an abstract of these has already
appeared in the columns of The Sun, it is unneces-
sary to republish them here. The General Purposes
Committee state that, without going further into details,
they believe that the complaints of the petitioners are
borne out by results of inquiry, and the great question
therefore arose, what remedy should be applied. Andupon
that point, again, they had every satisfaction in endorsing
the conclusions of the Commissioners of Sewers, and
though they felt that the action of the •Corporation would,
at all events, under the present circumstances, be limited,
whilst that of the Commissioners was general, there was a
unity of purpose which suggested the great desirability of
co-operation in action, and they begged, therefore, to quote
the recommendations of the Special Gas Committee, and
to ask the authority of the Common Council for the com-
mittee to act with the Commissioners in endeavouring to
carry out such measures founded upon those recommen-
dations as would tend to answer the reasonable expecta-
tions of the citizens.

The following were the recommendations of the Special
Gas Committee referred to :

1. That an offer should again be made to the companies
for the commission to undertake the lighting, cleansing,
extinguishing, and the entire charge of the public lamps,
affixing metres to every twenty lamps or thereabouts, and
adopting such other precautions as will insure a fair ave-
rage consumption.

2. TlTat the companies be requested to affix, at their ex-
pense, governors or regulators to the whole of the public
lamps.

3. That the further assistance of the police be, if possible,
obtained in the supervision of the public lighting.

4. That all legal measures to secure to the citizens gas
equal to the Act of Parliament standard of illuminating
power and chemical purity should be resorted to.
5. That an application bo made to the Secretary of State
for the Home Department to institute inquiry as to the capi-
tals of the several companies, and for the purpose of secur-
ingto the consumers all the advantages contemplated by the
Metropolis Gas Act, 1860.
6. That, after mature consideration of the subjects re-
ferred to us, we are,oLopinion that it is inexpedient at,tha
present time to ;take measures/with the view Upthe odm-'
mission manufacturing and selling gas ; but that application
be made to Parliament for a modification of the Metropolis
Gas Act, 1860, so far as it affects the city of London, and
especially with the view of obtaining for the citizens gas of
a higher illuminating power, of greater chemical purity,
and at a cheaper price than that now supplied, and such
other powers as may be beneficial to the ratepayers and gas
consumers in the City.
The Geneal Purposes Committee state that they further
agree in the opinion expressed by the commissioners that,
should the commission fail in its endeavours to benefit and
protect the public, it should be a recommendation to the
Court to consider the propriety of providing the means for
constructing works, laying down pipes, and undertaking the
manufactures of gas for the citizens. The report of the
General Purposes Committee will, it is understood, be con-
sidered at the next Common Council meeting.

The commissioners, after transacting some further busi-
ness, adjourned.

MARKETS—This Day.
MARK-LANE.

The arrivals of English wheat fresh up to our market
to-day were very moderate. Most samples being received
in good condition, and the supply on the stands being
limited, factors held both red and white qualities at full
prices. Sales progressed slowly, and the quotations were
unaltered from Monday.

Only a moderate supply of foreign wheat was on offer.
American and good and fine old continental wheats were
firm in price; otherwise, the foreign wheat trade ruled
quiet at late rates.

Floating cargoes of grain were in steady request, and
prices ruled firm.
The supply of barley on sale was very moderate. Both
grinding and distilling qualities moved off slowly at late
rates.

The malt trade was quiet on former terms.
The market was well supplied with.oats. Most descrip-
tions were in steady request, and prices ruled firm.
Beans and peas were firm at full currencies. The mar-
ket was very scantily supplied with both both articles.
Iu flour a moderate business was transacted at late rates.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour.
English ancl S cotch.. 290 890 60 220

Irish.

Foreign 13,260 3,080

14,240 110 sks.
brls

COMPARATIVE QUANTITIES AND PRICES OF GRAIN

For the week ending Juno For the corresponding week
10, 1865. last year.
Qrs. Aver. Qrs. Aver.
Wheat 57,704-41s 5d Wheat 55,331-38s lld
Barley 2,751-283 8d Barley 4,006-29s Gd
Oats

BOROUGH HOP.
The hop market is decidedly quiet: In prices scarcely
any change has taken place.

WHITECLEAPEL.

The supply of meat on sale is very moderate. The trade
is slow, as follows :
Beef, from as 6d to 4s 8d ; mutton, 4s 4d to 5s 8d ;
lamb, Gs Od to 6s 8d ; veal, Be 101 to 4s 10d; and pork,
3s 8d to 4s 10d per 81bs, by the carcase.

SHIPWRECKS•

Her Majesty the Queen of Spain has presented to
Thomas Bate, coxswain of the Bude Haven lifeboat
of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the gold
medal of honour for his brave service in aiding to
save some of the crew of the Spanish brig Juanito,
which, during a fearful gale of wind, was wrecked
off Bude Haven in January last. A high-reef of
rocks stretched from near the foot of the cliff in the
direction where the vessel lay. One of the brig's
crew had at the moment of her striking aground
been washed overboard, and another was at the
same time knocked from the wheel. During all this
time the breakers (so terrible on this coast) were
making a clean sweep over the vessel's stern. She
had heeled over considerably on her port side, and the
crew were clinging to the starboard bow. One or two
of them several times got over the bulwarks, and
appeared resolved to attempt toswim to the shore.
Had they put such a resolve in practice they would,
in their exhausted state, and from the fury of the
waves, doubtless have perished. The approach of
the people on the reef appeared to give the crew
confidence and hope of relief. The first in this
daring exploit was Captain Maynard. A line was
thrown from the vessel, which, after some delay,
was seized by those on the reef, and by this means
a hawser was sent along to the rock. This was
hauled tight, one end fastened to the bowsprit of
the vessel, and the other to the projecting part of
the rock. Over this hawser three men in succession
passed from the reef to the vessel. This was an
act of cool and daring courage, for had the rope
either given way or slipped the men would have
been precipitated into the raging sea, which still
swept with much fury between the reef and the
vessel. The first man who thus went on board was
Thomas Bate ; the others were Henry Johnson; of
Bude, sailor, and Henry Stapleton, of Bade, ship
carpenter. By them the hawser was more securely
fastened, and by this means three of the crew were
preparing to follow, but at :this time the rocket
apparatus arrived, in charge of Mr. William Simp-
son, chief officer of the coast guard, by which means
the remainder of the crew were safely brought
ashore. The National Lifeboat Institution voted a
reward to the gallant men.