The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-17 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN
WEBS. COMMISSION OF
SE

A special court of sewers was held yesterday at the
Court-house, Greek•street, Soho ; Mr. Richard Jebb,
the chairman of the commission, presiding. The other
commissioners present were Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson,
Mr. G. S. Smith, Mr. T. F. Gibson, Mr. Thos. Hawes,
and Mr. L. Redhead.

The first business brought before the court was the
consideration of a recommendation of the general corn
raittee as to a loan of 150,000/. to be made to the
commission by the Rock Life Assurance Company, upon
conditions specified in an intended agreement between
the commissioners and that company. The court, after
reviewing the past proceedings in the matter, ordered
its seal to be affixed to the deed above-mentioned, and
also to a mortgage or mortgages to be made in pursuance
thereof.

DISSOLUTION OF THE COMMISSION.
Lieutenant-Colonel DAwsoN said that he wished to
make a few remarks on a different subject from the one
that had just engaged their attention. It would be
recollected that the chairman of that commission ad-
dressed a letter to the Home-office on the 23d of Au-
gust last, which stated :—" Whilst most of the present
commission are desirous of being relieved as soon as
possible from their duties as commissioners, it is con-
ceived that, apart from all personal considerations, the
final decision upon the large and important works to be
carried out, with the additional means intended to be
provided by the act of the last session, and the several
measures incidental thereto, should he allowed to devolve
upon the new body rather than to rest with the present
commissioners, whose tenure of office will be too short
to enable them to become responsible for the execution
of the works referred to. On the ether hand, any
avoidable delay in the commencement or prosecution
of those works will probably be deemed highly inexpe-
dient. Under these circumstances, the commissioners,
whilst prepared to put matters in train for enabling
their successors to conduct the public business
without interruption or delay, would beg to represent to
your loidship (Lord Palmerston) that the early issuing
of the new commission becomes a matter of importance."
This letter be thought well expressed the views and
feelings of the retired commissioners, to whom it could
not but be a source of satisfaction to know that they had
fully discharged all the duties which, under the circum-
stances in which they had recently been placed, properly
devolved upon them, viz. the providing not only of well-
considered plans for the main arterial drainage of the
metropolis, and freeing the Thames from pollution, but
also of ample funds for the commencement, at least, of
these great works. (Hear, hear.) The new commission
which was to succeed them would, therefore, enter upon
the duties of its office with important advantages, in
possessing plans that had been approved by the highest
engineering authority of the day, and also a well-filled
treasury, and he could only say that he earnestly trusted
that the execution of the works would prosper in their
successors' hands. At all events, the public, which was
now fully informed concerning all the general and in-
ternal arrangements of that commission, would do the
retiring commissioners justice, and would know upon
whom rested the responsibility. (Hear, hear )
The CHAIRMAN said that, as one of those persons who
was to have a seat in the new commission, he thought it
incumbent upon him most heartily to confirm the state-
ment which Colonel Dawson had made, representing, as
the gallant colonel did, the retiring commissioners.
Those commissioners had fully discharged the whole of
the duties that had devolved upon them, and he (the
chairman) was sure that it would be a matter of great
satisfaction to himself and to those ofhis colleagues who
would be members of the new commission, that the pre-
sent commission wound up se creditably. He could
'not refrain from contrasting the circumstances under
which the new commission would enter upon the dis-
charge of its duties, with those which bad existed at the
period when the now-expiring commission acceded to
office 'in the yearlB.s2. The latter body succeeded to an
empty exchequer and a debt. Plans, too, were then put
before them which had perhaps been matured as far as cir-
cumstances permitted, and certainly a good deal had at that
time been done towards preparing a scheme for the main
drainage of the metropolis ; but still much had had to be
done by the present commissioners, who had corrected
and completed the plans that were submitted to them
for this object. They would, therefore, lay before the
new commissioners plans which might, perhaps, be re-
garded as perfect, and likewise hand over to them a full
exchequer—as full a one, at least, as the existing law had
enabled them to make it. Consequently, those commis-
sioners would commence their labours under much more
favourable circumstances and far happier auspices than
the retiring body had done.
Mr. L. REDHEAD considered it a great satisfaction
to those members who were to serve on the new com-
mission that the present board terminated its career very
differently from former boards, because they would all
retire with the greatest respect and esteem for each
other— (hear, hear)—and he could assure the excellent
chairman personally, that he remembered with pride
and satisfaction the advice and assistance which the
court had always received from him. (Hear, hear.)
The subject here dropped, and the court then ad-
jourtied,A -