The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OE THE MORNING ADVERTISER.

Sir,—lt is scarcely to be credited that the Common
Council of the City of London will so far stultify its past
resolutions, as to countenance anything like serious oppo-
sition to the magnificent project of the new City Railway
Terminus.

But, nevertheless, it must be forgotten, that there is a
knoll but active body in the corporation who cannot, by
any means, reconcile their minds to the idea of modern
social progress. Everything that promises improve-
ment upon a large, and really effective scale, is
sure to meet their strenuous, and somewhat viru-
lent opposition. They seem thoroughly imbued with
the spirit of the old slow-coach times, and have, like-
wise, a few former grudges to remember. Some of
these gentlemen can neither forget nor forgive their defeat
upon the question of the removal of that monster nuisance,
Smithfield, with all its attendant horrors and abomina-
tions ; and also, in spite of their hostile prognostications,
the successful reduction in the price of gas. But they are
apt, likewise, to extend their resentful feelings to the per-
sons and plans of those who have succeeded in thwarting
them on former occasions. It is from this party alone that
the entire success of one of the greatest improvements ever
contemplated in a modern city, is in any degree of danger.
But they are skilful to make up in litigious activity what
they want in real power and numbers, and may therefore
contrive, unless due vigilance be used, to curtail the pro-
ject of much of its grandeur and utility. Against this, .the
friends and promoters of the scheme should be especially
on their guard.
Upon the entire subject nothing could have been more
to the point than the speech of Mr. Deputy Bennoch, in
' the Court of Common Council, as reported in your paper
of this morning. With his usual sensible earnestness and
practical wisdom, he appealed to facts, and cited the case
of other large towns which had benefitted immensely, both
as to trade and local improvement, by the introduction of
railway termini into immediate contact with the chief
centres of business and passenger traffic. In short, he dealt
with the whole question as a man fully disposed to meet,
and as it were anticipate the exigencies of the coming time.
The project is doubtless a large one, but not greater than is
absolutely required for the locality and the occasion. And
the proper way is, as Mr. Bennoch's amendment suggests,
to appeal to Government for such aid and encouragement
as they, having regard to the extent and importance of the
plan, may be able or inclined to bestow.
For years the question of a viaduct at Holborn-hill has
been the great and insurmountable difficulty of the City.
An opportunity now presents itself such as may never oc-
cur again, of providing a most complete and effectual re-
medy. At the same time the entire locality has been for
years a worse than barren and useless waste, for want of
some mode of adapting it to a really useful and beneficial
purpose. Are the myriads of passengers from the north
and the west, for all time to come, to be doomed to take
the incovenient route of the Blackwall railway, some nine
or ten miles out of the way, when three or four would suf-
fice to bring them to the Farringdon-street terminus. It
would be just as reasonable to insist upon all shipping for
the future going round Cape Horn instead of by the lake
of Nicaragua or the isthmus of Darien in order to reach
the Pacific.

The public in the City are deeply indebted to you, Sir,
for the manner in which you uniformly advocate all the
great and liberal measures brought forward from time to
time for their especial benefit. Your various papers and
articles upon this interesting subject, have been of great
use in rivetting public attention upon it ; and if the Corpo-
ration will but heartily take up the question in the tone
and spirit of Mr. Bennoch's amendment, final and complete
success cannot fail to be the result.—l am, yours respect-
fully. A CITIZEN.
City, Feb. 23, 1853.

RUMOURED APPEARANCE OF Two FRENCH STEAMERS
OFF THE COAST.—On Thursday last, considerable sensa-
tion was produced in Exmouth by the report, brought
in by some fishermen, that they had noticed two French
steamers off the bar. The object of these steamers ap-
pears to be to take the soundings of the port, as they
are noticed to advance at dusk, and to retire at day-
light—Enter aciattc.

The Commissioners assembled on Tuesday, for the
purpose of transacting the general business.
THE CITY SEWERS BUSINESS FOR THE YEAR 1852.—THE
LABOURS OF THE COMMISSION FOR THE LAST YEAR.
The SURVEYOR laid before the Court his report- of
works performed during the year. It was of great
length, was divided into 21 distinct heads, and gave au
abstract of the various works executed by the Commis-
sion, and a general review of their proceedings. The
following is an outline of the most important :--

SEWERS.
Daring the year sewers had been constructed in 22 dif-
ferent places, their aggregate length amounting to 4,459
feet, or about five-sixths of a mile. Most of them have
been built in courts and poor localities, previously without
sewers ; others in extension of sewers existing, in portions
of the length of various streets, and the remainder intended
for surface drainage only. The total length of sewers now
existing within the City is about 49i miles. The total
length of sewers within the City by the gradual abandon-
ment of the ancient sewers will, in future years, probably
be nearly stationary at about 49 miles, and may be ex-
pected to diminish, rather than to increase, in their aggre-
gate length.
I feel it to be my most imperative duty to draw your
attention to the systematic usage of galleys as the common
receptacle of rubbish of every description, and regret to
state that there has been no abatement of the practice,
which, being unchecked, has, I imagine, induced the be-
lief amongst many of the poorer classes that a piney is a
perfectly legitimate dustshoot. The surveyor proceeds to
state that this evil can only be effectually overcome by the
agency of the police, whose co-operation he begs the Court
to procure as speedily as possible.

ROUSE DRAINAGE.
The total number of Premises drained during the year
was 281. The approximate number of premises drained at
the exPiMilen.443sl._.was 11,233.x-taatal number-nt
premises which may now therefore be said to be drained is
11,514, and undrained 4,786. The number of rainwater
pipes which delivered dirty or offensive water upon the
public ways, and which have been connected by new drains
directly with the sower, is 17, and 144 others have been
connected with the existing house drains. In all cases
where a house is drained, the emptying and filling up of the
cesspool is the preliminary operation, and the number of
house drains annually constructed will therefore coincide
nearly with the number of cesspools destroyed. No com-
plete survey of the condition of every house within the City
having been made, the precise number undrained cannot
be given, but my impression is, that the actual number of
houses undrained does not exceed 2,000, and perhaps not
1,500. The inspectors, indeed, who have now had long
acquaintance with their respective districts, consider even
the latter an exaggeration of the reality.
The surveyor here describes the advantage of keeping a
record of the houses drained, as well as plans of their drain-
age, and indicates the extent of these advantages by point-
ing out the inconvenience arising from the ignorance of the
direction, depth, &c., respecting the drains in many neigh-
bourhoods,

WATER SUPPLY.
The water supply to the City of London remains much in
the same condition as during the previous year, the supply
being given daily (Tuesdays bacepted) upon the intermit-
tent system, and in the poorer localities, this supply being
afforded sometimes twice a day.
The question of supply of water to the common lodging-
houses within the City has been considered, and a quantity
of 24 gallons per room per diem delivered as the minimum
for which storage should be provided. The consideration
of this subject brought prominently forward the advantage
of the constant supply being essayed as speedily as pos-
sible (indeed, the inconvenience of having a water supply
in a transition state is daily felt) whenever the question
of the provision of sewerage comes before you or your
officers. Upon application from the con?missioners, the
New River Company agreed to supply all common lodging-
houses in the vicinity of which they have pipes that will
enable them to do so, with a daily high-service supply,
without additional charge to the owners or occupiers, on
condition that adequate cisternage is provided to receive
it, and proper means be taken to guard against waste.
The public urinals are still supplied at a nominal rental of
ss. per urinal per annum. The supply of water for cess-
pools, cleansing, flushing sewers, and public purposes, is
still gratuitously given, and the company have appointed
at their own expense, a man to attend, at all times and
occasions, to the various requirements which are made for
water by your officers.

IMPROVEMENTS.
I last year, for the first time, noted in my annual report
the improvements which were, under your auspices, from
time to time effected in various portions of the City, and
adverted to the immense benefit which resulted from your
seizing favourable opportunities for prosecuting them
under the general powers of the Act 57th George 111.
The opportunities which have presented themselves have
been still more numerous during the past than during the
previous year. Improvements have been effected by
widening a portion of Lime-street towards the southern
end, in Gresham-street, at the north-eastern corner of
King-street ; a considerable length of Budge-row has also
been widened, and an additional length at the south end
of Fetter-lane, Rose-alley, New-court, Bishopsgate-street,
has for a length of 90 feet been widened from a previous
width of 5 feet 6 inches, to 15 feet ; the largest portion of
White's-alley, Moorgate-street, from 5 to a width of 20,
and a length of 119 feet; in West-street, Smithfield, from
an average of 18 to 30 feet in width.
Negotiations have been completed for widening a further
portion of Upper Thames-street, east of Peter's-hill ; for
continuing the widening of White's-alley, eastward, by re-
moving the house at the angle of Pitcher-court ; and also
for making the public way known as Printing-house-yard,
Moorgate-street, 20 feet wide and straight, instead of
being, as at present, eight feet wide and crooked upon the .
plan. Also for extending the improvement commenced
by this Commission some years ago, and from time to
time prosecuted as opportunity offered, at the southern
end of Chancery-lane ; and for continuing the widening of
Fetter-lane ; and negotiations have been opened for effect-
ing an alteration at the western end of Throgmorton-street,
for widening the eastern entrance of Tudor-street, for con-
tinuing the improvements in Lime; street still further
southward, and opening a public passage-way through
Whalebone-court, White's-alley, and widening another
portion of Upper Thames-street.
When the whole of those have been carried out, which
there is every reason to believe will be the case within the
present year, improvements will then have been effected,
since the beginning of the year 1851, in 20 different
localities, and I believe that the whole of them may be re-
garded with gratification by your honourable Court, from
the evident advantages derived from them by the general
public, the great satisfaction they uniformly give in their
immediate neighbourhoods, and, I may add, from the
comparatively reasonable expenditure at which they have
been made. I believe that, at the end of another year,
when the value of some of the surplus ground, which the
commissioners will have to dispose of, shall have been real-
ised,-it will be found that the outlay has been insignificant
in comparison with the benefit effected by the expenditure.
The surveyor intimates that he will postpone his com-
ments upon the street orderly system till the contract, at
the cost of 12,1001., to conclude at Midsummer, shall have
concluded.

SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.
One of the most important powers gained by the new
act was that of abolishing slaughtering in basements, or
cellars. At the beginning of the year there were 66 such
places used for slaughtering, the whole of which, upon the
Ist of January, became illegal, and since then have been
entirely suppressed.
Additional slaughter-houses have been registered during
the year, and the total number now existing within the
City is 87. At the end of the year 1851, there were 155
(including those in cellars) ; there has, therefore, been a
reduction in their number of 68, equal to 44 per cent. on
the number formerly existing within your jurisdiction.
The whole of the slaughter-houses are occasionally super-
vised by the inspectors, who agree in stating that for the
most part the proprietors evince a desire to second your
exertions, by maintaining all the conditions required.