The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-27 00:00:00

" OPINION.

"It is somewhat doubtful whether the Metropolitan
Board have power in strictness to vote a sum of money by
way of extra remuneration for services already performed.
But, if the Board upon mature consideration shall be of
opinion that the works have been designed, constructed,
and carried out to the present time to the advantage of the
public, and that the future assistance and active zealous co-
operation of the present engineers should be secured during
the future progress of the works, and until the final com-
pletion, and the settlement of the accounts with the con-
tractors, we see no objection to the Board securing the
future services of these gentlemen, either by large present
payments of money, or increased salaries during the period
which must necessarily elapse before the works are com-
pleted, and the accounts finally settled with the contractors.
(Signed) " Wm. BovILL.
" JOHN RAYMOND.
" Temple, May 19, 1865."

Mr. MILLER then moved, " That after the opinion given
by counsel upon the subject, the whole of the matter should
be referred back to the committee forfurther consideration."
Mr. TITE, M.P., seconded the motion, and, in doing so,
took occasion to speak in high terms of the services of the

engineers.

Mr. LYON approved of the motion, and noticed that coun-
sel had omitted to say whether the payment could be made
out of the main drainage rates.

Mr. HEELEY called upon the Board to decide the matter
upon its merits at once. He wholly opposed the proposed
gratuity.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR followed on the same side, and said
the proposal to give extra remuneration to these parties was
wholly premature. He also adverted to the fact that the
engineer had, with the consent of the Board, examined
plans, &c., for several corporations, which had yielded him
large emoluments. He designated the motiou as a sham,
for the purpose of obtaining delay, in order that the public
feeling against the proposal should be allayed.
Mr. SAMUDA thought that the Board should decide the
matter now, as counsel said the grant would be illegal for
past services.
Mr. LEWIS opposed the motion to refer the matter back
to the committee.

Mr. FREEMAN opposed the grant. Although chairman of
the Main Drainage Committee, he had refused to bring up
the report.
Mr. DOULTON, M.P., moved that the following words be
added to the motion :—"And that the engineer be requested
to report as to the works uncompleted on the north and
south sides of the metropolis."

Mr. MILLER assented to make that a part of his motion.

Ordered accordingly.

Mr. ROCHE moved, by way of amendment, " That the re-
commendation of the committee be rejected, as counsel con-
sidered it doubtful whether the board had power to grant
the proposed gratuity."
Mr. SAVAGE seconded the amendment.
After a somewhat warm discussion, in which Mr. H. L.
Taylor, Mr. Doulton, M.P., Mr. Bidgood, and other mem-
bers took part, the amendment was put by the President,
and, upon a division, was negatived by a majority of 20
against 15.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR moved another amendment, to the
effect that the recommendation of the committee was exces-
sive in amount, and the proposal altogether premature ;
and, further, that the subject be postponed until the works
are nearer completion.
Mr. SAVAGE seconded the amendment.

Another discussion ensued, after which the President
put the amendment, which was, upon a division, carried
as an original motion by a majority of 18 to 14.
After disposing of the routine business the board ad-
ofurned.

The Dog Show Nuisance.

-11!

Yesterday afternoon a deputation of the Association for
the Suppression of the Dog Show Nuisance in Populous
Neighbourhoods had an interview with Sir G. Grey at the

Home Office, Whitehall. The deputation, which was to
have been introduced by Sir S. M. Peto, Bart., M.P., con-
sisted of several of the most respectable inhabitants of the
streets in the immediate vicinity .of the Agricultural Hall,
Islington. As the hon. baronet did not arrive in time? they
were obliged to meet the Home Secretary with Mr. Wm.
Harvey, an eminent medical practitioner, as their spokesman,
who briefly stated to the right hon. baronet the substance of
the memorial they had to present on the subject, which
stated that it had become the practice of late years to ex-
hibit shows of dogs in Ahe metropolis and various parts of
the United Kingdom ; that in populous localities where large
shows of this kind were held the annoyance to the surround-
ing residents, especially to the sick and aged, as well as to
others whose pursuits were of a mental character, was of a
very painful description, arising from the incessant howl-
ing and barking, particularly during the night, of a large
collection of dogs ; and that as there is at present
no direct enactment in law to meet the case, and protect the
inhabitants of such localities from the infliction complained
of, the memorialists prayed that the Government would
promote a public legal measure, to the effect that no dog
show should be held in any building or place within a cer-
tain reasonable distance—to be defined therein—of a dwel-
ling-house, unless with the sanction of some independent
authority, therein named.

Mr. HmtvEY placed before the Home gaecretary a plan
of the streets and dwellings adjoining the Agricultural
Hall, for the purpose of showing that the sleeping apart-
ments of a very large number of these houses were in the
rear and abutted on the Agricultural Hall, and that, con-
sequently, the hideous howling of the dogs during the night
not only prevented sleep, but anything like mental occu-
pation or enjoyment. A deputation had waited upon him
last year with reference to the question, but nothing had
been done.

Sir G. GREY said he did not recollect any former appli-
cation on the subject of these dog shows.
Mr. HARVEY said there had been a deputation, and the
fact was, that though the show was unprofitable to the
company last year, the hall had this year been let to a con-
tractor, who held them harmless, and there was every reason
to fear that the nuisance would be frightfully increased by
the show which was to be opened next Friday.
Sir G. GREY said he really did not know how he could
take any action in the matter. Was it not open to the
memorialists to take action and enforce the law with refer-
ence to nuisances generally ?

Mr. HARVEY replied that that question had been consi-
dered, but it was doubtful how far the law applied in such
cases. It might be possible to deal with these exhibitions
in the same way as with noxious manufactures, which were
not allowed to bo carried on except at a certain distance
from inhabited houses.
Sir Baulltemy.eodu
bsyaysomine
independent
your memorial that the
shows
h. GREY—But
should be Y
authority.
Mr. HARVEY admitted that the wording of the memorial
was somewhat faulty in that particular, but the meaning
sIE
was clear enough, namely, that parties should not get up
these shows without any control or regulation whateyer,
and without any consideration of the health and comfort of
the residents in the neighbourhood where they were to take
place. Besides the annoyance to those who lived in the im-
mediate vicinity, Sir George would see, by a reference to
the plan, that there was a Wesleyan chapel close to the
hall, and as the exhibition would continue over a Sunday
the nuisance to the congregation would be necessarily very

great.
Sir G. GREY said he did not think Parliament would be
inclined to accept any general measure on the subject.
Such a measure might, in fact, apply to dog kennels.
Mr. HARVEY—Dog kennels are not usually placed in the
vicinity of dwelling-houses, but at a considerable distance
from them.
Sir G. GREY—When is this exhibition to be opened ?

Mr. HARVEY—Next Friday.
Sir G. GREY-I will go up and see it for myself.
Mr. HARVEY—Yes; but it should be between 12 o'clock
at night and three in the morning, when the nuisance is at
its height.
Sir G. GREY—I am afraid I cannot promise that. (Laugh-
ter.) There have been donkey shows at the hall, believe ?
Mr. lIARVEY-Oh, yes ; btit the hee-hawing and braying
of the asses are nothing at all compared with the horrible
noise made by the dogs during. the quiet hours of the night.
Sir G. GREY—WeII, it is 7possible, of course, to do any-
thing in the way of legislation this session, even if desira-
ble to do so, on which point lamby no means clear. All I
can say is, that I will visit the exhibition and give the mat-
ter my best consideration.
The deputation then warmly thanked the right hon.
baronet for his courtesy, and withdrew.

WRECK.—The Ocean Queen, of Bristol, 602 tons,
laden with coals, sprung a leak off tho Land's End on
Monday, and went down. The master and crew (18 in
number) picked up by a pilot boat.