The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-18 00:00:00

City Sewers Commission.

The usual weekly sitting of the Court of Commissioners
of Sewers was held yesterday in their chamber in Guild-
hall, Mr. Deputy De Jersey presiding.
TES CATTLE PLAGUE.

The adjourned report of the Committee of General Pur-
poses was brought under consideration. It stated that the
committee had had under their consideration the memorial
of the inhabitants of Hosier-lane, City, respecting the
nuisance caused by a slaughter-house in that locality, with
regard to which the committee had had prepared a state-
ment by the medical officer of health in connexion with the
slaughter-house in question, with a view to a memorial to
issue from the commission being addressed to the Secretary
of State for the Homo Department, in order to secure the
removal of the slaughter-house referred to ; but the com-
mittee thought it right that the question should be brought
before the court itself before memorialising her Majesty's
Government thereon.
A deputation consisting of salesmen in Newgate. and
Aldgate markets, and of the proprietors of slaughter-houses
in those localities, again attended the court, and entered
their strongest opposition and protest against the removal
as suggested, urging that the result would be serious injury
to them in their respective trades, and would entail a serious
money loss on them individually and collectively.
A protracted discussion followed, in which several
members of the court advocated the removal, but urged
that the parties should bo fully and fairly compen-
sated. On the other hand, it was argued that if the
closing of this particular slaughter-house were carried, the
movement ought to extend to every other slaughter-
house within the City of London. That subject was not
yet ripe for discussion. Ultimately the subject was refer-
red back to the Committee for General Purposes for recon-
sideration.
The Clerk of the Commissioners (Mr. Dan) read the fol-
lowing communications which ho had received from Mr.
Arthur Helps, of the Privy Council-office, dated the 11th
October inst. The letter was as follows :—" Sir,—Refer-
ring to the correspondence which has passed between the
PHI y Council-office and the Commissioners of Sewers
with respect to the disposal of animals that have died from
disease of the cattle plague, or have been slaughtered in
consequence thereof, I am directed by the Lords of the
Council to write you as follows, for the information of the
Commission. Their Lordships have consulted Secretary
Sir George Grey upon the subject, and had received from
him a letter written by his direction, a copy of which I
herewith enclose :
" The inspectors appointed by the Clerk in Council for
the metropolitan police district have been instructed not to
order the burial of any animal in any place where to do so
would be likely to be injurious to the public health. In
that district, therefore, subject to the following instruc-
tions, the disposal of the animals that have died from the
cattle plague, or have been slaughtered in consequence
thereof, will take place according to one or other of the
three following methods :—No. 1. Where there is a suit-
able place immediately adjoining premises where animals
have died or been slaughtered in consequence of the cattle
disease, the carcases may be buried there with their skins
on, with a sufficient quantity of quick lime or other disin-
fectant, the carcases being covered with at least five
feet of earth. No. 2. When it is not desirable to bury
the animal in or immediately adjoining the premises,
the inspector is to have the carcase disinfected, and
afterwards to see it disposed of, with the consent of tho
owner, in such manner as the inspector may direct. No. 3
directs—' That when the owner cannot properly bury the
animal on or near his premises, or when he will not con-
sent to the disposal of the carcase in such manner as the
inspectors may direct, and the leaving the carcase unburied
will give rise to a nuisance, the inspector will bo directed
at no loss of time to give notice to the inspector of nui-
sances for the district, or to the police, in order that im-
mediate steps be taken under the Nuisances Removal Act,
under the supervision of the local authorities. The Lords
of the Council having every wish to facilitate the disin-
fecting and disposal of diseased animals have ordered that
disinfectants be supplied to the inspectors of the metropo-
litan police district, for use within the limits of the dis-
trict.' This letter was signed "Arthur Helps," and en-
closed the following letter, already referred to, and ad-
dressed by Mr. T. G. Baring to the Clerk of the Privy
Council. Tho letter was couched in the following terms,
under the date of the 10th Oct. inst. :—" I am directed by
Secretary Sir G. Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the sth inst., transmitting a copy of the correspon-
dence between the Lords of the Council and the Commis-
sioners of Sowers, upon which you request his opinion and
advice. lam directed by Sir G. Grey to state that he
concurs in the opinion you express, to provide places for
the disposal of diseased animals, but that in his opinion
the matter was one which was not within the province of
the Government to undertake, as the provision should be
left to the local authorities. It certainly must be dangerous
to bury diseased carcases in thickly-populated districts,
but Sir G. Grey has received a representation that the in-
spectors had not exercised improperly the power given to
them under the 10th section of the order in Council of the

22d September last. With reference to the authority to

direct the disposal of carcases, with the consent of the
owner, otherwise than by burial,
the Lords of the Council a report .., recently sent to
furnished to him, at his request,. by Mr. Hob.
shSoirwiGengor.gthe.atGrernyehanass
emoans
may
on be
this is knownsub.land, the inspector of burials,
inspectors
the means
eattle are
of
existed by which carcasses of diseased. animals can be
place of death,
iteet thePisi completely
Lords sn
toof disinfected.tthh the public,
po Council,baranendffde
theie: l
informationvi.
thoroughlyaut hor authorised,
cuswhinefneotninegcetshsaeryon,reatosessuaptpltyhe
there seems no doubt that they ma—
.), be thoroughly and
safely disposed of without providing special places for such
purpose. Should the owners of carcasses of diseased animals
refuse to obey the direction of the inspectors as to their dis-
posal, Sir G. Grey would suggest that application should
be made to the inspector of nuisances of the district, or to
the police, in order that the provisions of the Nuisances
Removal Act may be put in force under the supervision of
the local authorities."
The CHAIRMAN said it was quite clear the Government
would not do anything, and therefore the matter was at a
stand still.

The letters and the preceding matter were referred back
:o the select committee.

THE REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.

Tho report of Dr. Letheby stated that the slaughter-
houses and markets had been duly inspected, and the officers
had condemned 4,5511 b. of meat as unfit for human food
during the past week, consisting of 19 sheep, 2 pigs, 40 qrs.
of beef, and 23 joints of meat. During the last week there
had been 52 births and 46 deaths, the latter being at a lower
average than for the corresponding week of the previous
ten years. The causes of death were as follows :—From
phthisis, i ; from mesenteric diseases, 4 ; from bronchitis,
1; from continued fever, 3 ; from whooping cough, 2 ; from
scarlet fever, 3 ; from measles, 2 ; from small pox, 1; and
from diarrhoea, 3. These indications, therefore, of the con-
dition of the public health were satisfactory.
The remaining business, which was of a routine charac-
ter, was then disposed of, and the court adjourned.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18, 1865.

I The troubles in New Zealand have been of long
standing, and to the original elements of discord
and confusion has been added the evil of a divided
authority. The dissensions between the Governor
and the General have certainly not tended to ac-
celerate the conclusion of the war ; and the general
feeling of dissatisfaction and contradiction is
strongly contrasted with the unanimous expresbion
of confidence and courage which despatched Gene-
ral CAMERON to his first campaign. It is difficult
under such complicated circumstances to say where
the blame lies ; but it is chiefly due, no doubt, to
the divided counsels. So long as the mother-
country took the whole expense of the colonial wars
it was natural that the direction of affairs should be
left almost entirely to the head military authority,
but now that the colonists are called upon to pay
.half, they think, with some show of reason, that
they have a right to have a voice in the manage-
ment. In many respects it would seem to be the
best and simplest way of settling matters to leave
the affairs to the colonists. They are quite able to
subdue the natives, and if the war were pushed on
with a vigour and unity of purpose, there can be
no doubt that it would produce much more satis-
.factory results. Nothing can be more harassing
and vexatious than one of these long, uncertain half-

fought wars, which drag their slow length along,
causing death, disease, and suffering, besides press-
ing heavily on the taxpayers, and retarding the
social and commercial progress of the people and
the development of the country. The manner in
which the war has lately been conducted has been
most unsatisfactory, and it is well known that the

Governor and the Generals have been at open

variance on several points. Some of the differences
may have arisen, and probably have done so, from
misconception of orders, but it is quite clear that
when they have reached the stage of the Governor
stating in his address to the Assembly that the
Imperial forces were precluded by their orders
from taking an active part against the enemy
on a recent occasion, and the General denying
4 this statement in the Auckland newspapers,
it is impossible for the joint system to
work any longer. The Home Government in
sending out the troops placed them under the sole
government of the General, and left the option of
sending any of them home in his hands. The colo-
nists, though grateful to England for her prompt
assistance, have lately arrived at the conclusion that
the war wouldbe more effectually carried on by a colo-
nial force which would penetrate the bush, which is
always the Maories' stronghold, and which they well
know the regular troops will not enter. General
CA3IER.ON, when urged to send home some of the
Imperial forces, declined to do so,
andthe alteration
in the whole system is mainly due to the resolute
attitude adopted by the WELD Mnu• •
stry. Mr.
WELD and his colleagues informad the Governor
that it was their intention to resign as soon as they
had 'stated the case to the assembly, but the Gover-
nor having represented the state of affairs to Mr.
CARDWELL, the power of removal was transferred
by the Home Government from General CAMERON
to Governor GREY. Consequently the Governor
expressed his readiness to accept the advice of Mr.
WELD, and five regiments have been ordered home.
The capture of the Wereroa pah, which has long
been so long a f •
ormidable obstacle in our path, has
no doubt encouraged the advocates of the Colonial
system, since not only is a bugbear removed from