The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-02 00:00:00

DRAINAGE OF THE LONDON MARSHES.

Yesterday, a meeting was held at Belvidere, the seat
of Sir Culling Eardley Eardley, Bart., consisting chiefly
of persons interested in the drainage of the marsh lands
to the north-east and south-east of the metropolis, to
consider of measures by which the drainage of those
marshes might be most efficiently and satisfactorily
effected.

Sir Culling E. Eardley was called to the chair. The
meeting was attended by the Earl of Shaftesbury, Mr.
Edwin Chadwick, C. 8., of the General Board of Health;
Mr. T. W. Rammell, one of the engineering inspectors
of that board ; the Rev. Henry Brown, rector of Wool-
wich and chairman of the Woolwich local board of
health ; the Rev. W. Ackwortb, of Plurastead ; Sir
Thomas Maryon Wilson, Bart., of Charlton ; Mr. James
Macgregor, M.P., Mr. Clifton, and other gentlemen of
Romford, &c.
Sir C. E. EARDLEY stated that as a resident land-
owner, he had invited the present meeting, considering
the drainage of the immense tract of marsh lands in
their neighbourhood to be of great importance, in a sani-
tary point of view, not only to the immediate residents
in the vicinity, but also to the whole of the metropolis.
The question was of interest to the metropolis, which
was so largely affected by these marsh lands that he con
sidered the subject was entitled to the serious attention
of Government. In this view he had requested Lord
Palmerston's notice to the matter, and in his reply his
lordship had expressed a favourable opinion as to
the contemplated measures, as being calculated to be
of great benefit to the two million and a quarter per-
sons inhabiting the metropolis. his lordship had also
referred to the drainage of the fen lands of Lincoln
shire, the experience upon which, he thought, might
be consulted with advantage. He (Sir C. E. Eardley)
had applied to his right hon. friend the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, and to other members of the General Board of
Health, on account of the attention which it was well
known that board had paid to the subject of suburban
land drainage, and to the economy as well as efficiency
of works for its execution. He had requested their pre-
sence that day, to hear the statements of parties locally
interested in the matter. The Legislature had already
given facilities for the drainage of settled estates, and it
certainly appeared to him that this was also a case that
demanded Government aid similar to that which had
been afforded in the cases he had just referred to, in
order to facilitate the drainage of these collective estates,
comprising such extensive marsh lands,
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY concurred in the general
object of the meeting, and was anxious to leai a the
results of the experience of those who were loudly and
most deeply interested in the subject.
The Rev. Mr. ACKWORTH gave a deplorable account '
of the effect produced upon the population of his district
by the marsh miasmi. That district was free from ague,
and the result was to prevent respectable tenements
being built, even on the most picturesque and inviting
sites, which no one who knew what they were woe d
occupy if they could avoid them.
Several other gentlemen detailed the deleterious in-
fluence produced by the whole districts of marsh land.
Mr. CHADWICK mentioned, as the result of much in-
vestigation, instituted at the time of the prevalence of
influenza, that not only were fogs occasioned by these
marsh lands surrounding the metropolis, but that after
the prevalence of easterly winds, cases of ague were
sometimes found to be scattered over the whole extent
of the metropolis. He stated that the earliest attention
to sanitary measures arose from the demand for relief in
the marsh districts. The most experienced medic' I
officers in Lincolnshire had reported that in districts
where, before drainage had been carried out, they had
used pounds of quinine, they now only used ounces, after
the drainage works had commenced. Being. interested in
these draining operations, he had made various inquiries
of guardians as to the effect of such works on the health
of the populations. One common reply he received was,
that " we have paid no attention to the health of the po-
pulation, but these drainage operations have succeeded
most remarkably as regards the health of the stock
which has been kept upon the land." The result of all
inquiries, however, was, that wherever land drainage
operations were properly conducted, they had paid ex-
tremely well. The works in question might, in fact, be
conducted simply with a view to improvements in the
productiveness and an increase in the value of the land.
..
On the Kent side alone there were 00 [acres of evapo-
rating surface of stagnant ditches, which it would be
very profitable to drain and filli up. In so far as sani-
tary interests were involved, t would be the duty of the
question
b e desired
of m
im-
proved General Board of Health
to give all the advice and
tt
he might
as-
sistance in its power,. while in as far as the works were
purely operations of improved agricultural production,
Mr. Blamire and the other Enclosure Commissioners
d nodoubt
give
marshes, all
Other urban populations throughout the country were.
bt ycontiguous
proved works and compulsory outfalls had long pressed
for careful consideration
weosuel b e
a l
and that

Mr. RAMMELL stated that on a view of the surround-
ing district, he thought that the expense of effective
draining wurks would be about 11. an acre. And that
the further cost of pumps, to be worked by steam-power,
would be about 2s. 6d. per acre, thus involving about
the same outlay as for the drainage of the Lincolnshire
marshes—viz., about 3s. 6d. per acre per annum, which
would no doubt prove highly remunerative to the land-
owners. It was pointed out by several gentlemen pre-
sent that much of the land, especially on the Essex side,
needed treatment as town land, and that some portions
of the district were under no jurisdiction or commis-
sioners whatever.

Resolution having been agreed to recognising the im-
portance of the contemplated works in an agricultural
as well as in a sanitary point of view, being made gene-
ral for the whole of the eastern district of the metropolis,
a committee was appointed to consider and report on the
further proceedings desirable to bo adopted, and as to
the requisite works and the Legislative aid b
likely to be
needed preparatory to representations being made y
deputation to Lord Palmerston.

Turkish

NEW TURKISH LOAN.—It appears that a _arl
functionary, Nainik Pasha, is now on his way to Paris
to negotiate a loan for the Sultan of 2,000,0001. Pro-
posals are contemplated to be issued both in Paris and
London, but, after the circumstances which attended
the lasCloan, it is highly improbable that they will be
entertained on this side.
THE LONDON NECROPOLIS AND NATIONAL MU.
SOLEUM.—The works for this undertaking are about to
abrerabgeegduwnita G
ht
anduipldafiod, the
drls,on onl.cloomrmtheierrs having
right rights, having
been
claimed 22,0001. Lord Onslow was also arranged with
for 2,11$ acres for the cemetery.