The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-26 00:00:00

DRAINAGE OF THE WANDLE DISTRICT.

Mr. S. Gurney was summoned to show cause why be
had not paid the sewers-rate made upon certain lands
and property in his possession at Beddington-corner, near
Carshalton.

A gentleman who attended for Mr. Gurney stated that
since he had been summoned the rates had been paid,
but he attended there on that occasion, on behalf of Mr.
Gurney and other inhabitants of that neighbourhood, to
know what the commissioners intended doing. Mr. Gur-
ney had lately been called upon by the Board of Health
to clean out several ditches, and he thought it was very
hard to continue paying, year after year, sewers-rates
from which he derived no benefit. He also wished to
know whether the new sewer contemplated by the com-
missioners would take the main road, and if it did, would
the occupiers of land near it be compelled to make
branches at their own expense, or would the court do it
for them ?

The Chairman, having referred to the map of the district,
said that there was no sewer within two miles of the place
now complained of. In answer to the question as to when
the new works would be commenced, Mr. Gurney could
answer that quite as well as he could. All he could say was
that the powers of the court were at present inadequate
to make a large sewer in that neighbourhood, but they
had pressed the importance of the matter most strongly
upon the attention of the Government, and he had no
doubt but that a measure for carrying out the main
scheme of drainage would be introduced and carried at
an early period of the forthcoming session. The parties
complaining,- could perceive that the commissioners had
not neglected the interests of the public, and that they
had not failed in representing the bad state of matters
in the various districts in the proper quarter. The new
sewer to which reference had been made would be car-
ried down the main road, and all parties would have to
carry their branch drains to it at their own expense.
The complainant coolly came there and asked the court
to expend at once 100,000/. to 150,000/. in the construc-
tion of a new main drain, while the fact was that the
whole of the extensive district of the Wandle only pro-
duced the small sum of 1,5001. a year—a sum the greater
part of which was absorbed in the repairing and cleans-
ing of ditches and open sewers. It was idle to suppose
that a Gil. rate would build new sewers.

The SECRETARY stated that a great portion of the
rates were expended in the construction of a new sewer
at Garrett-lane, the Wandle had been lowered, and
'sewers were being made at Mitcham and also at Merton.
The matter then dropped.

Mr. James was summoned to show cause why he had
neglected to pay the sums of 3/. 7s. 10d. and le. 3s. 5d.,
charged upon him for sewers-rate.

The defendant stated that he considered that he was
not liable to pay a single farthing, he deriving no bene-
fit from the Wandle, his land being much below its level.
He thought it was a great pity that so many thousand
acres of land should be flooded five or siz times a year,
when it could be remedied by an outlay of 1,0001., which
one year's income would bring in. He might mention
that many of the estates of the new land societies in that
neighbourhood had this winter been covered to the ex-
tent of 12 inches with water, and that not on one occa-
sion, but on many. He would have no objection to pay
the rates if he derived any benefit, for then his agricul-
tural land would become fit for building purposes.
The CHAIRMAN said that considerable improvements
were about to be made in that district, and ordered the
rates to be paid.
The court having received a recommendation of the
general committee "as to requesting the Ordnance De-
partment to engrave the sewers and parochial boundaries
on the metropolitan Ordnance surveys, and to electro-
type the sheets of the one-foot survey," ordered it to be
adopted.

Some other business having been transacted, the court
adjourned.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(Prom the Registrar-General's Report.)

The Registrar-General reports that the health of Lon-
don has experienced a favourable change. A milder
atmosphere has reduced the deaths from 1,492, registered
in the preceding week, to 1,190 in the week that ended
on Saturday. A rise in mean temperature from 29 dogs.
in the last week of 1853, and 30.2 degs in the first week
of the new year, to 37.5 dogs. and 42.degs. in the last
two weeks has been followed by a decrease in the mor-
tality of about 300.
In the ten weeks corresponding to last week of the
year 1344-53, the average number of deaths was 1,142,
which raised in proportion to the increase of population,
becomes 1,256. The return of last week gives a result
less by 61 than the calculated amount.
The deaths referred to diseases of the respiratory
organs, exclusive of phthisis and hooping-cough, amount
to 250, and those produced by zymytotic complaints are
about the same number. Fatal cases of bronchitis have
declined from 184 in the previous week to 133 in the
last ; pneumonia from 114 to 75. The former complaint
is less, but is still above the average ; the latter is now
below it. Bronchitis existing in the chronic state in
aged persons, and stimulated to increased activity by a
fall in the temperature, continues its course when the
atmosphere has become warmer ; the natural powers in
advanced life are nearly exhausted, and its mortality less
rapidly declines. A different effect is observed in young
persons liable to pneumonia and other acute diseases
from exposure to cold ; when the cause is removed, its
fatal consequences almost immediately cease.
The following is the only case of cholera registered in
the week—ln the sub-district of Camden-town, on 18th
January, a woman, aged 64 years, " cholera (2 days)."
Mr. Lance, deputy-registrar, remarks, that "the de-
ceased lived in a well-drained and airy house, but was
in a constant state of excitement, till within a few days
of her death, in consequence of intemperance."
Last week the births of 845 boys and 855 girls, in all
1,700 children, were registered in London. In the nine
corresponding weeks of the years 1845-53 the average
number was 1,451.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.881 in. The
reading of the barometer decreased from 29.64 in. at the
beginning of the week to 29.56 in. by 1014 30m. a.m. on
the 15th ; increased to 30.05 in. by 9h. a.m. on the
18th ; continued at this reading throughout the day ;
then decreased to 29.82 in. by 9h. p.m. on the 19th ;
increased to 30.16 in. by 9h. a.m, on the 21st ; and de-
creased to 30.06 in. by the end of the week. The mean
temperature of the week was 42.2 deg., which is 5.8 deg.
above the average of the same week in 38 years. The
mean daily temperature was above the average on every
day of the week, except Thursday ; the excess was 6.2
deg., 10.3 deg., 8.6 deg., 7'7 deg., and 8.5 deg. respec-
tivey on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,
and
Saturday. The highest temperature was 52.3 deg.' on
Friday ; the lowest was 39'1 deg., on Thursday. The
mean dew-point temperature was 40.2 deg. The wind
blew from the south. The mean temperature of the
water of the Thames at Greenwich was 40 deg. On
Friday and Saturday the temperature of the Thames
rose to 43'5 deg.