The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS-LAST EVENING.

The LORD CH.ANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
the usual hour.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time :—Contract
Corporation, St. Clement Danes Improvement, United
General Gas, Utilisation of Sewage and Land Recla-
mation Ireland, Assam Company, Aylesbury and
Buckinghamshire Railway, Kilrush and Kilkee Railway
and Pulnasherry Reclamation, Ryde Pier (Tramway),
Southern Railway, Ventnor Harbour, West Cornwall
Railway, Bray and Enniskerry Railway, Burnley Market,
Dundrnm, Foxrock, and Kingston Junction Railway,
Btourbridge Canal.
In reference to two other private bills upon the paper
this evening, Shepard's Patent and Wright's Patent, Lord
REDESDALE said he would call attention to these, and
questions arising out of them, on Monday next.
REMUNERATION OF SOLICIT ORS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR introduced a bill for the
purpose of amending the laws relating to attorneys and
t3olictors. The main point in the improvement he hoped
to make by the bill was that a solicitor should
be able to make a contract with his client for
the doing of a certain work for a certain sum.
This improvement would work with especial benefit in the
case of drawing a deed. The solicitor was not paid ac-
cording to the skill with which he drew the deed, ;or
the labour and care required to draw the deed, but ac-
cording to the yard, irrespective altogether of its clearness
or excellence.
The bill was read a second time.

The Earl of LONGFORD called attention to the report
of the select committee of the House of Commons upon
metropolitan sewage of last session, and asked if it were
intended to take any steps to carry out the recommenda-
tion of the. committee ? He described the defects of the
system of drainage that led to the construction of the great
lines of intercepting sewers, and the exertions of the Me-
tropolitan Board of Works down to the period when the
several schemes were proposed for applying the sewage of
London profitably to the improvement of land in the vici-
nity. The value of this sewage for application as manure
had been much disputed ; but the question of applying it to
agricultural purposes was now before Parliament. He then
recapitulated the chief recommendations of the committee
on the means of preserving rivers and watercourses from
pollution by allowing the drainage of small towns to flow
into them, and concluded by asking if any steps would be
taken to carry these recommendations into effect.
The Earl of ESSEX having had much experince in the
application of sewage to land, was exceedingly glad to find
that this most important question was about to be seriously
taken up by Parliament and the country. Not only in the
metropolis, but in all large towns, considerable sums o f
money were expended in the disposal of the sewage ; in
some places the sole object being to get rid of the sewage,
and in others endeavours were made to benefit the land by
utilising the refuse. In a sanitary point of view anything
-which could be done to prevent ourrivers and streams, which
should be sources of health and pleasure, from further pol-
lution would be a great public benefit. But, beyond that, if
what had been a nuisance could be converted into a source
of profit to the ratepayers and the agriculturists, an advan-
tage oould be conferred upon the whole country. It had
been ascertained by men eminent in science who hadclosely
examined the sewage of towns, that it contained all the
elements necessary for the fertilisation of land. That being
a settled point, it became a mere question of cost as to how
this valuable substance could be best brought to the
land. He believed that if any of their lordships having
land in the neighbourhood of large towns could procure
the sewage of those towns to be brought upon their landat
a cost of ld. per ton neither they nor their tenants would
have any cause to regret the outlay. It cost him about 1.0.
per ton to obtain sewage, and he was well satisfied with the
result of his operations during the last 10 years. The results
were not so satisfactory as they ought to have been—not
from any inherent fault in the system, but because, like all
pioneers, he had suffered from imperfect knowledge and
want of experience. Those persons who would now adopt
the system would have the benefit of all past experiments,
and would avoid many of the disappointments which at
first presented themselves. He had suffered at first because
he had been under an erroneous impression as to the
amount of sewage to be applied to land. He had calculated
that the amount of sewage at his disposal would be suffi-
cient for 230 acres, but he had since found that the utmost
he could obtain would only suffice for 75 acres.
Earl GRANVILLE, who was indistinctly heard, was un-
derstood to say that theirlordships must have derived much
pleasure from the speeches which had been delivered by the
two noble lords, who had directed not only theoretical but
practical attention to the subject. His answer to the ques-
tion of the noble lord opposite would be a very simple one,
for he was happy to say that the noble lord who presided
over the committee with great industry and ability in the
other house was himself prepared to introduce a bill upon
the subject into Parliament. He was afraid that the House
of Commons would hardly consent to the measure in its
present form, but the Home-office was at this moment in
Communication with that noble lord, and the result would,
he hoped, lead to the framing of a satisfactory bill.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.

Mr. SCHNEIDER took the oaths and his seat on his elec-
tion for the borough of Lancaster, in the room of the late
Mr. Gregson. The hon. gentleman was introduced by
Viscount Bury and Mr. Fenwick.