The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-21 00:00:00

DEFECTIVE STATE OF THE DRAINAGE OF POPLAR.

A very numerous deputation from the Poplar
District Board of Works attended to present a me-
morial on the state of the River Lea, and request-
ing the adoption of a plan pending the completion
of Abbey-mills Pumping Station to relieve a portion
of the river from sewage which at present finds its
way into it. The deputation was accompanied by
Mr. Charles Ceeley, clerk to the District Board of
Works. The memorial stated that 1,400 new houses
were built in the district, the drainage of which was
discharged into the River Lea, and thence to the
River Thames, and a large number of the houses
still drained into cesspools. The consequence of this
was that the River Lea had become little better than
a long open sewer, on the top of which floated a
filthy black and offensive froth, which had become
a great nuisance to the inhabitants, and they could
not but view the sanitary state of the district with
great anxiety, and more particularly with the pro-
spect of an outbreak of cholera at no distant period.
The memorialists, therefore, urged the completion
of the Low Level Sewer Works, but as about 18
months must elapse before the completion of the
pumping station at Abbey Mills they suggested that
a temporary relief should be resorted to, and that
the sewage not flowing into the River Lea should be
diverted by connecting the main sewer near the
Great Eastern Railway 'at Old Ford with the Hack-
ney Branch Sewer and the district sewers, and then
the whole of the sewage could be pumped up and
discharged into a bay of the tidal part of the River
Lea, about 100 yards north of the Three Mills at
Bromley.
Mr. E. COLEMAN addressed the Board at some
length in support of the memorial, pointing out the
dangers to which the district was exposed unless
some remedy was applied.
On the motion of Mr. COOK, the memorial was
referred to the Main Drainage Committee for con-
sideration and report.

PROPOSED WIDENING •OF MANSION-HOUSE-STREET

AND THE POULTRY.

A deputation from the Commissioners of Sewers
for the city of London attended the board for the
purpose of representing the necessity of widening
Mansion-house-street and the Poultry, in the city,
and to ascertain how far this board was disposed to
assist them in carrying the same into effect. The
deputation was accompanied by Mr. Haywood, en-
gineer, and Mr. Day, clerk to the Commissioners of
Sewers, and introduced by Mr. H. L. Taylor.
Mr. DE JERSEY, on behalf of the deputation, said
he wished to draw the attention of the board to
a subject which had been brought before it
some years ago, when some houses were being pulled
down in the Poultry, and it was considered desirable
to purchase the site of them. A communication
took place with the owner of the property, and the
sum he required for it was £17,500, and that was
mentioned to this board, to ascertain if they were
willing to contribute a moiety of that amount. The
board then thought that they ought to endeavour to
get a reduction of the amount by negotiation, and
unless that could be done they could not entertain
the subject. Since then, in consequence of memo-
rials from the inhabitants of the neighbourhood,
urging the necessity of widening this thoroughfare,
the matter had been brought before the Court of
Common Council, and also the Commissioners of
Sewers, and it was their opinion that they might
with advantage take part of the property of the
Union Bank and property adjoining it to the east-
ward, and thus carry out a very important improve-
ment. As the new street from Blackfriars-bridge
would terminate at this point, it would necessitate
the widening of the Poultry, as in addition to the
traffic from the new street there would be a great
deal of cross traffic, and therefore that a widening
of this thoroughfare would become imperative to
the extent of 60ft.
The CHAIRMAN wished to know if St. Mildred's
Church was to be pulled down.
Mr. DE JERSEY said that this point had not been
determined upon, but the Commissioners thought
that this was one of the city churches that ought to
be pulled down. Unless, however, the inhabitants
should come to a resolution that it ought, for a public
improvement, to be pulled down, it would be useless
to proceed further in that way. At the present
the Commissioners had not advanced further than
when the question was last before the board, as the
owner of the property had been again applied to to
reduce the sum of £17,500, and he declined to nego-
ciate the subject, and it appeared that all the Com-
missioners of Sewers could do was to put in force
the powers of Michael Angelo Taylor's Act and take
the whole of the property.
The CHAIRMAN—Have you not power under your
local Act to take a portion of the property and com-
pensate the owners for the part so taken ?
Mr. DE JERSEY said they had never yet done so.
In all cases they had given notice to take the whole
of the property. He was bound to state that as
they contemplated taking the whole of the pro-
perty, and it was a very large question,
the Commissioners of Sewers and the Improvement
Committee of the Corporation thought it necessary
to come in the first instance to the board to see if
they were inclined to join them in what would be
essentially a great public improvement, the neces-
sity for which had been created by a new street
coming into that locality, as there would be the
traffic coming from the new street, and the cross
traffic to it to a considerable extent.
The CHAIRMAN—Then am I to understand that
unless the Poultry is widened you will realise only
little benefit from the new street ?
Mr. DE JERSEY did not say that; but they were
of opinion that the Poultry should be widened on
the north and not on the south side, as the property
at the back on the north was not so valuable as
that at the back on the south.

The CHAIRMAN said as this formed part of a gene-
ral scheme he wanted to know if any estimate had
been formed as to the probable expense.
Mr. DE JERSEY said there had not, as they did
not know whether the inhabitants would agree to
the removal of St. Mildred's Church.
' The CHAIRMAN—Then are the Commissioners
controlled by the parish ?

Mr. DE JERSEY said they could not move unless
the parish resolved that a portion of the church
could be taken as an improvement.
Mr. NEWTON wished to know if the best way of
widening this place would not be by taking down
the Mansion-house, and whether that was contem-
plated by the corporation.
Mr. DE JERSEY believed the feeling of the corpo-
ration would be adverse to such a proceeding, and
it would not meet the end they had in view.
After some further discussion the matter was re-
ferred to the Streets Committee, with power to com-
municate with the Commissioners of Sewers.

APPEARANCE OF FISH IN THE THAMES NEAR THE

HOUSES OF PARLIA.MENT.

The CHAIRMAN said that Mr. Webster, one of
their contractors, had on Saturday last sent him a
very fine specimen of a roach caught opposite the
Houses of Parliament. It was a very fine and lively