The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-23 00:00:00

from which everything impure had been picked and

shifted.
Dr. Macilwain continued—That allowing the cinders
to be dry and free from other impurities, it did not alter
his opinion that they were deleterious to health. On
another ground, there was great objection to the collec-
tion of heaps of ashes near dwellings, as they tended to
impede the free circulation of air.
Mr. PAYNTER said he had never smelt anything noxious
from cinders, and he was at a loss to know where they
were to be put—they must be deposited somewhere.
Mr Charles Shillito, of Putney, surgeon, proved that
the certificate produced was signed by him, and then
proceeded to state the facts as already detailed. He
added, there was no doubt noxious gases evolved from
the refuse and dung, and they might exist in a
minor degree in a heap of cinders, especially if they were
wet. He considered that a huge heap of cinders near
dwellings, if it did not contaminate the atmosphere, ob-
structed the free circulation. The drains in that district
were very bad, and he had no doubt that the exhalations
from them and dung heaps, &c., had often caused fever.
He had been in the houses when the stench was over-
powering, and on one occasion he was ill for a fortnight
after visiting a sick patient in that locality. The heap
of ashes which had been alluded to was Price's property,
and as large as three or four houses put together.
Roberts said they never let the dun accumulate to
any height.
Mr. PAYNTER said it was very evident that dung and
refuse were noxious, and therefore the defendants must
remove it altogether.
Mr. Field said that, provided the defendants removed
the nuisance within two clear days, he would not press
for any penalty or costs. The guardians were only de-
sirous of showing that it was their intention to carry
this law into effect.
Mr. Benjamin Ridge, of Putney, surgeon, was sworn
on behalf of Price, and put in a plan of the pre-
mises, together with a lengthened and able report
upon the same. The report had been submitted
to Dr. Golding Bird, who entirely approved of
it. He considered that ashes, in the state
they were prepared for brickmakers, bad no decom-
possible matter in them, and therefore no gases could be
generated from them in any appreciable quantity, except
carbonic acid, which is evolved during the night from
every tree and every vegetable. An ash heap, or coal
depOt, in such a situation, could not be regarded as inju-
rious, nor an annoyance, except from its unsightliness ;
and any carbon diffused from it, in the shape of fire, did
much rather tend to the carrying off its noxious vapours
from the moist ground, or from the ditches and drains in
the surrounding neighbourhood, which he described as
being abominable nuisances, and the primary promoters
of any cases of fever which arose in that locality.
Dr. Shillito was of opinion that whilst the large heap
of cinders remained, the neighbourhood would never be
cleared of noxious smells.
Mr. PAYNTER said, that with regard to the heap of
cinders, he could not satisfy himself that they came
within the meaning of the Act as noxious matter, and
therefore be should dismiss that summarily ; but he
would not say that the party owning this heap was not
liable to another proceeding. He thought the ditches
and drains ought to be looked to, and was not certain
that the defendants were not acting illegally in keeping
pigs so near their dwellings.
The orders were made for the removal of the dung
and refuse by Tuesday next, and the proceedings ter-
minated.

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.
THE POLICE.-At the Marylebone vestry on Satur-
day, the alleged inefficiency of the metropolitan police
was brought under the notice of the vestry by Mr•
Flood reading the following communication from the
Police Commissioners :
" Sir,—The Commissioners of Police of the metropolis
have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the
24th inst., stating that you are directed by the ♦estry of
St. Marylebone to apply to them for a return of the
number of police employed in the parish, and that as a
committee of vestry is appointed to take the return into
consideration, you request an early answer. The Com-
missioners have to state in reply, for the information of
the vestry, that the police divisions have not been formed
with reference to parochial boundaries, and that the
parish of St. Marylebone, from its great extent, forms
part of three divisions (D, called the Marylebone divi-
sion, the E, or Holborn division, and the S, or Hamp-
stead division). The beats of the constables on such
divisions are formed according to local circumstances,
without reference to the boundary of a parish, and the
number of constables on duty in particular parts is
varied from time to time, as circumstances make desir-
able. The Commissioners have always felt it proper
not to state the number of police on duty in any parti-
cular district by day or night, and they beg to observe,
that the actual number of police on duty at any place,
would not give a just representation of the amount of pro-
tection by the police given at that place. The distribu-
tion of the police force throughout the police district is
mane with a view to afford the utmost degree of protec-
tion to the whole, by rendering the police in each part as
effective as possible, and the services of the entire police
force, or any portion of it, are available, if required, for
the protection of any particular part of the district.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" RICHARD MAYNE.
" Metropolitan Police-office, 4, Whitehall-place,
Nov. 20."
After several gentlemen had complained of the instil

ficiency of the police, the foregoing communication was
entered on the minutes.
BATHS AND W ASHHOUSES.—Mr. Flood read the
following from Sir George Grey, with reference to the
establishment of baths and washhouses:—" Whitehall,
Nov. 17, 1846. Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir
George Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 14th instant, transmitting for his approval a reso-
lution of the vestry of St. Marylebone, that the Act for
the establishment of Public Baths and Washhouses (9th
and 10th Vict., c. 74), be adopted in that parish; and I
am to inform you, that as the sanction of the Secretary
of State was required by the Act, in order to afford an
opportunity for any objections being stated and consi.
deted to a resolution of vestry, Sir George Grey must
allow a moderate time for this purpose, although in the
present case he has much satisfaction in believing that
no objections are likely to be made to the unanimous
decision of the vestry.--I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
S. M. PHILLIPS.—To the Vestry Clerk of the parish of
St. Marylebone."
TEN POUND HOUSEHOLDERS.—A circular from Sir
G. Grey, Secretary of State, requesting that an inclosed
copy of a form for making a return of the number of
houses of 101. value and upwards, in every .city and
borough in England and Wales returning Members to
Parliament, be filled up, was referred to the vestry-clerk.

THE HEALTH OF TOWNS'
ASSOCIATION.
A numerous deputation from this association, headed
by Lord Ashley, and accompanied by delegates from
some of the provincial branches, waited upon Sir George
Grey, Secretary of State for the Home Department, and
Lerd Morpeth, Chief Commissioner of Woods and
Forests, on Friday last, with the view of urging upon
Government the necessity of adopting general legisla-
tive measures in the next session of Parliament, for the
sanatory improvement of the towns and populous districts
of the United Kingdom,
Lord ASHLEY briefly explained the object of the del..
tation, and presented to Sir George Grey a memoria,
on the subject, drawn up by the committee, embodying
the views of the association, which are now before the
public in an elaborate report on Lord Lincoln's Bill. In
presenting this memorial, he (Lord Ashley) desired to
state that the main point to which the association desired
earnestly to draw attention, was that in any general
sanatory measure which might be contemplated, the me-
tropolis, Scotland, and Ireland, should be included, all
of which were omitted from the intended operation of
Lord Lincoln's Bill.
Dr. SOUTHWOOD SMITH stated that the Health of
Towns' Association had been formed for the purpose of
circulating information on this most important subject,
with the view of assisting the Government to the utmost
of their power in any contemplated legislation, by pre-
paring the public mind for the change. They had already
distributed a great amount of information. and with good
effect, but they were anxious to ascertain what were the
intentions of Government with respect to legislation, in
order that they might direct their efforts in co-operation
to ensure the provision of a satisfactory measure.
The Hon. F. BYNG stated that if it were necessary to
urge any facts to show the necessity of including the
metropolis in any contemplated legislation, there were
gentlemen then present who could bring forward the
strongest proofs of this necessity.
Sir G. GREY remarked that it would be quite unne-
cessary to state any additional facts. The members of
the Government were fully alive to the importance of
the subject, and it bad received their serious attention for
some time. They had had several meetings thereon,
and Lard Morpeth's attention had been more especially
devoted to the matter, with the view to the preparation
of general measures proposed to be brought into Parlia-
ment early in the ensuing session. It was not to be sup-
posed that because the metropolis, and Scotland and Ire-
land, were omitted from the general measure proposed
by Lord Lincoln, that they were intended to be passed
over, but that the different cases requiring different
machinery they should be subject to separate Acts.
Mr. GRAINGER remarked that it was most essential
to have some understanding on the subject of a general
measure in the next session, as steps were being taken
in various towns to apply for special local Acts, involv-
ing considerable outlay, which might prove to be utterly
useless. There was a gentleman then present from one
of those towns, where this course had been determined
upon, where an expenditure of 2,000/. would be entirely
thrown away if a general measure were obtained.
Sir G. GREY stated that he had received a deputation
from Sunderland, only the day before, who had come up
to consult with him on this very point. They had already
given notice of their intention to apply to Parliament for
a local Act, and his advice had been to secure their
position at any rate by complying with these forms, so
that they might proceed, or not, with their Bill, as would
appear necessary, but not to expend a single shilling
beyond what was required for this purpose. It was now
too late to give any further notices; but, to those towns
which had already done so, his advice would be the
same.

The Rev. G. GIRDLESTONE remarked upon the un-
healthy condition of churches, schools, and other places
of public assembly, from the wart of ventilation. In
schools particularly great injury occurred to the health
and advancement of the children from this neglect. As
the evil could be most effectually and inexpensively re-
moved, he trusted that the subject would not be omitted
in the provisions of a general measure.
The Hon. F. BYNG called attention also to the dread-
ful state of the grave-yards.
Lord MoaPETH stated his opinion that this should
not be included in .he general sanatory measure, but
should form the subject of a separate Act.
Mr. TOYNBEE expressed his anxiety, as the represen-
tatiTe of mother ogioolotim formed of tin TICTICIDg