The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-21 00:00:00

VINDICATION Or THE COMMISSION

After some further conversation,
The CHAIRMAN observed that he had not been in the
habit of noticing any attacks which had hitherto been
made upon the commissioners. All public officers were
under the eye of the public, and they must not be too
thin-skinned or take umbrage if sometimes pretty free
observations were made upon them ; it was a very whole-
some thing, and he did not object to it if a certain
amount of fairness was shown ; and, upon the whole, he
did not think the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers,
although they had received some hard knocks, need he
disheartened, and he, for one, was ready for a fair stand-
up fight at any time. The chairman then alluded to an
advertisement, complaining that the representations, in
regard to the disgraceful and dangerous state of the
sewerage in that parish, had been unattended to by the
commissioners of sewers, that nothing had been done to
remedy the evil, and that the local and parish authori-
ties were without power to act in any way,
the jurisdic-
tion over them being absolutely vested in the commission.
ers. In reply to these assertions,
the Chairman entered
into a lengthened expla nat ion to show that the commis-
sioners were in no way to blame. He stated that sinew
the powers of the board came into operation on the 6th
January, 1849, there had only been three rates in that
district, amounting in all to 17d. in the pound, and the
total amount of the rates was 4,1001., whilst, on the
other hand, 3,4661. had been expended, and works were
at present in hand the contract price of which wan
6,9004 The fact was that if they continued the 6d.
years to oerhi come.
the
rate, the sewer rate, of the parish of Rotherhithe would.
have
o far,
then, from their being any reason for complaint;
,onaenrad
hheadcosnhfoewssnedthheephariadshsoom
ef
Rotherhithe
a apprehen-
plaints would be preferr d from other pa-
s been anticipated for four or five yea
rsut hand eucst eoh
naftainva:ii
tosusmr Rotherhithe had been unduly favoured at
emphatically stating
tthhaetirtehaepceonmsem.
isllsioeneorosocceluudided bnotyt
take into consideration
particular parishes alone, but that their operations must
be carried, irrespective of any ecclesiastical divisions.
At the same time, he hopedound that at the present time all
public bodies would be found acting together in perfect
amity and concordance.
Colonel DAWSON quite agreed with the opinions which
the chairman had expressed. He believed that these
complaints had been made for the most part from igno•
ranee and
published their accounts, and had challenged the fair
criticism of the press
and, in consequence, the tone of
the latter had materially
tcoh aa enkgne do
wtowardsh att htehme . It
had done them the justice
com-
missioners had an arduous andgigantic duty
means.
to
perform,_ with very inefficient and inadequate
Their officers were not unduly renumerated, and the
public were under a great obligation to them and had
likewise a duty to perform, not in idly criticising their
proceedings in a hostile spirit., but in assisting to obtain
for them increased powers and enlarged means. In
Parliament also, it had been stated that they had loch
and did not deserve, the confidence of the public, v 7510
would willingly vote 50,000/. to abolish the commission.
These allegations, however, had not convinced the Go-
vernment of this fact, and Lord Palmerston himself had
proposed to confer upon them increased powers, and
the House of Commons had actually voted them the
power to raise 300,0001. of which 200,0001. was to be
expended by them in addition to the ordinary purposes
of the commission between the present time and next
Easter. Before he sat down he would allude to the re•
ports which were connected with the Board of Health,
which were calculated to operate injuriously on the
public mind. It appeared to him most desirable that
these reports should be discontinued, otherwise the corn.
missioners might feel it their duty, as they did not
shrink from inquiry,. to bring the subject under the OM.
sideration of her Majesty's Government.
The Court then proceeded to the transaction of the
other business upon the paper, which was merely of a
routine character.