The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-04 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOIt OF THE &UZI-

SlR,—With your usual impartiality, I am sure you
will not object to my stating, through the medium of
your journal, that there has been for some time past
another plan before the public, suggested by Mr. IL
H. Fulton and the promoters, which, if carried out,
would afford a pure and ample supply of water to the
metropolis.
It is proposed to take the supply from the Thames
(the only sufficient source) immediately above Staines,
the water to be conveyed from thence in a close con-
duit to Hampstead, so as to afford perpetual high ser-
vice to every portion of the metropolis.
From experiments which have been made it is
ascertained that the quality of the water at. Staines is
exceedingly good.
Staines by the course of the river is thirty-seven
miles from London-bridge, and twenty and a half
miles above Richmond, and the tidal influence, conse-
quently, above that point ; no part of this length of
20* miles is affected by the London sewage.
At the same time it is considered to be just the
highest point in the navigation where the abstraction
of so large a quantity of water can be made at all
seasons, for the proper supply of London without
injury tb the interests of the navigation and mill-
owners. It must be observed that, between Henley
Reach and Staines several tributary streams empty
themselves into the Thames, and it is calculated that
the aggregate amount of water afforded by these
streams at ordinary times would supply a quantity
amounting to 100 million gallons, the estimated
amount for the proper daily supply of London.
Owing to the use of the close conduit no impuri-
ties could be imparted to the water in its conveyance
to the consumers, and no expenses for purchase or
land or severance would be incurred by this plan,
which expense has been found by the railway com-
panies to be one of the largest items, and to have ex-
ceeded the Parliamentary estimates to a greater
extent than any other. The ordinary level of the
water at Staines is fifty-four feet above low-water
market at London bridge.
The cost of raising and transmitting water to the
necessary elevation by steam power is, I understand,
so small in proportion to the quantity of water re-
quired that there is no excuse for the public refusing
to avail themselves of this pure and copious source, in
preference to any proposed higher up the river, as all
injury to mill property and the navigation would
thereby be obviated. It would be sixteen miles less
distant from London than Henley Reach, and conse.
quently save the expense of that extra length o
conduit.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
M. SMART.

27, Mount-street.

TILE PIG-IRON TRADE OF SCOTLAND.
(From the North. British Mail, Oct. 2.)
We have been requested to give insertion to the
following letter, addressed to the iron-masters, dealers,
and others interested in the pig-iron trade of Scot-
land
Gentlemen,—The trade with which you are con-
nected has, within the last ten or fifteen years, so
rapidly developed itself, and assumed so important a
position in the mercantile interest of Glasgow, and
the great fluctuations in the value of iron, and the
vastness of the operations in the article, have attracted
the attention of those having the means and disposed
to invest in the article, . as well as the public
generally, to the working of the trade, the ex-
traordinary system that you have latterly adopted for
facilitating the transferance of pig-iron, or its repre-
sentative, excites the greatest surprise and distrust
amongst most well-informed mercantile men, and
prevents them, when they see a favourable opportu-
nity, from investing in the article ; and hence, I think,
the present great depression in the value of pig-iron,
when most other trades are in a healthy state, may be
attributed. I would, therefore, offer the following
remarks on the trade, and, I think, will readily show
that if a more sound mercantile principle were adopted,
it would be for the interest of all concerned :
The apparent advantages of the present system
are, first, to the ironmasters : that at any time when
they require money, and are in good credit, even
though they have no stock, they may sell almost any
quantity of scrip, and get paid for it at once,
and this scrip to them has this advantage of not
being
find it not convenient a legal document, and though in honour bound
by it at once tomedetloi vet
time,
thed irono
so, onth
edye demand, if
delay f theyde.
but by a commit':
livery from and the dealer has no re-
coursee'
or
rction at law. They also
have no interest to payn
nego-
tiating the loan. Second, for the d
other charge,
eal for
er, that the
for he
iron-
master charges nothing (nor, in
fact,
could though
wished, as the iron when sold is seldom made)
keeping the iron till the dealer finds it convenient to
take delivery, and delivers it free of expense.
The disadvantages are to the master, that the
wealthy masters never require to resort to the selling
of scrip for the purpose of raising money, and therefore
they never issue scrip, but for pig-iron on hand, and the
value of their iron is depressed by their less fortunate
neighbours, frequently entering the market and sell-
ing scrip at 2s. to 3s. per ton below the market
value ; and this in a doll market has a most injuri-