The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-01 00:00:00

••• •• • vTAvv. V VA
VIII NSW' AffiNIOIPAZ OOPIMIVIVINP
op THE M1l1'10)POLIS.

To-day the act of Parliament passed in the last ses-
sion fur the better local menagement of the metropolis
comes into actual and practical operation, and with the
advent of a slew year the inhale' ants of this greet city,
through their representatives in the new municipal sys-
tem which teat etatute has just called into existence,
enter upon the consideration and execution of a great
sanitary work of the last importance to the public weal,
and under auspices and with a machinery so simple and
so omnipotent as to remove its ultimate and successful
completion from the region of doubt or insurmountable
difficulty. That very machinery, indeed, invests the ope-
rations which it has to conduct for the common good
with additional interest and consideration, for its motive
spring lies in a principle as venerable as the British con-
stitution itself—that of local self-government, with which
' the citizens of the first capital of the kingdom are only
now intrusted for the management of their own affairs,
though it has been conceded for the last 20 years at least
tothe inhabitants of every municipality or corporate town
throughout the country. That ancient principle, toge-
ther with the kindred one of renreuentation with which
it is united, is therefore from this day on its trial, upon
a far more extensive scale than it has ever been before,
arid under circumstances which augur well for its com-
plete success ; and it now remains with the members of
the New Metropolitan Board of Works and the various
district boards elected throughout the metropolis and its
suburbs, in whom the principle is embodied in this case,
by their public conduct and acts to vindicate its utility
and wisdom, and to justify the grounds on which it has
been intrusted to their keeping ; for in the event of
proving worthy their vocation, it can hardly be supposed
that their functions will for ever be limited to the dis-
charge of the duties, great and significant though they
are, specifically assigned to there in the act which gives
then a corporate existence.
Having said this much, it seems desirable, as the act
in question comes into operation to-day, to give a short
outline of its leading provisions and the objects it pro-
poses to accomplish. The whole metropolis, including
that portion of it commonly called the city, comes with-
in the scope and purview of the act, and is divided for
that purpose into 37 municipal districts, which, however,
are not corporations in the ordinary sense of the term.
Such of the parishes of the metropolis as have upwards
of 2,000 rated householders are divided into wards, for
the purposes of the act ; and the smaller parishes, 55 in
number, are arranged or grouped into 11 districts, each
group of parishes having its district board of works,
composed of a certain number of representatives
returned by the ratepaying population of each parish.
There are, besides, 23 other districts, each of them
composed of some one parish or place of sufficient
extent and importance, and the vestry of each of these
has its own local or district board. To these district
boards, 37 in number, is confided the power of paving,
lighting, and cleansing their respective districts, in addi-
tion to the management of the local sewerage, and they
are also empowered to exercise the duties of local boards
of health, so far as relates to the ;prevention and remo-
val of nuisances. The rates for paving and lighting aro
to be borne by the occupiers of houses, and the sewers-
rate by the owners, unless otherwise provided for by
lease or agreement.
The Metropolitan Board of Works, which is defined
by the act to be a body corporate, and to have perpe•
tual succession and a common seal, is constituted of re-
presentatives elected from among the members of the
local or district boards, some of them sending two mem-
bers, but the majority of them one. The Mayor and cor-
poration of the city of London send three representa-
tives. The board, made up in this way, would consist
of 45 members ; but it so happens that its municipal
strength is 44, Mr. Thwaites, the president, having been
elected for two places, Greenwich and Southwark. One
third of the members first elected go out of office in June,
1857 ; another third in June, 1858, and the remaining
third in June, 1859. The first elected members, after
choosing a chairman, who is to be called the "Presi-
dent of the Metropolitan Board of Works," are also to
determine by lot among themselves which of them shall
constitute the one-third that are to retire in 1857 and 1853.
There is a provision for filling up vacancies by death or
otherwise, and the president is removable at any time
by a resolution agreed to by two-thirds of the members
present at any meeting specially convened for consider-
ing the question of his removal. It will be recollected
that Mr. J. Thwaites was elected to the office ofchairrnan
about a week ago, at a salary of 1,5001. ; aid, accord-
ing to the act, it will now devolve on the district boards
of Southwark and Greenwich each to elect a member
to the metropolitan board, Mr. Thwaites having va-
cated his seat for those places by his election to the
chairmanship. When they have done so the board will
consist of 46 members, including the chairman.
The whole of the main sewers of the metropolis, in-
cluding those of the city of London, so far as the inhabi-
tants at large have a common as distinguished from a
local interest, are from this day vested in the .Metrepo-
litaa Board of Works ; and the great duty, among
many others, now imposed on that body is to intercept
and divert the sewage of the metropolis which now flows
into the Thames, and carry it by a series of vast subter-
ranean operations, which it will devolve on them to pro-
pound and execute, to a destination where it will no
longer pollute its waters and endanger the lives of the
dense population congregated along its shores or those
who may be said to live on its bosom. Fur the comple-
tion of this great public undertaking, and so to purge
ourselves of a long standing opprobrium, five years are
allowed the Board of Works from this day, and they are
armed with vast powers for raising money, intersecting
public streets and roads, and constructing all the Ise..
sary works for the attainment of the end in question. It
may be stated, in connexion with this part of their fume-
Mole% that the estimated outlay for improving and ex-
tending the metropolitan and city of London sewerage
and drainage, and for carrying out the works for the in-
terception and delivery of the sewage north of the
Thames at Barking-creek, and south of the river at or
below Plumeterid-marshes, amounts to about 3,500,000/.
allowing for contingencies and extensions north and
south of the Thames; but is that is included 140,0001.,
now invested in Exchequer-bills, and 150,0001. to be
received under engagements entered into by the late
Commissioners of Sewers. According to a report of a
Special Committee of Metropolitan Sewers, made in
January, 1854, the present amount of sewage north of
the Thames is computed at 9,100,000 cubic feet, or
56,693,000 gallons per day, and south of the river at
3,000,000 cubic feet, or 18,690,000 gallons a-day,making
together a daily volume of sewage of 12,100,000 cubic
feet, or 75,383,000 gallons. The sewage current is
unequal, one•halt flowing in about six hours, and
part at a greater and part at a less rate. The great flow
commences about 8 in the morning, continues to increase
up to 11 or 12 at noon, and then decreases down to
about 2or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The maximum
sewage flow north of the Thames is estimated at 12,638
cubic feet, or 78,735 gallons in a minute, and south of
the river at 4,166 cubic feet, or 25,954 gallons per
minute. The ordinary rain falls and storm-flood waters
flow also through the sewers to a vast extent. The ave-
rage of four years gives 150 days in each year when rain
falls, and from 23 to 24 days in each year when flood.
rains occur. The sewerage and drainage levels within
the metropolitan rated area vary to a great extent, the
highest level north of the Thames being 400 feet above,
and the lowest 61 feet below Trinity high-watermark.
The low level north of the river extends over 7 square
miles and 193 acres, or 4,673 acres, comprising a portion ,
of Chelsea, part of Westminster, Pollee°, including
Buckingham Palace ; and eastward the Shadwell and
Poplar districts. South of the Thames the highest level
is 35. feet above, the lowest nearly 8 feet below Trinity
high-water murk. The low level south of the river ex-
tends over 12 square miles, 70 acres, or 7,750 acres,
comprising Battersea, Lambeth, Southwark, Bermond-
sey, and notherhithe. In the low levels the sewers are
open four hours only in each tide. The outfalls have
flaps or valves closing under the tidal pressure, and so
shutting out the stream water. For 16 out of every 24
hours the sewage and rain falls are stopped and dammed
back, and when heavy rains occur, the united sewage
and drainage waters rise above the surface, and houses,
streets, and districts are flooded.
Besides the powers of the Metropolitan Board of
Works in reference to questions of sewerage, in which,
and in some cther rospects, they have an extensive con-
trol over the district boards, they are also empowered to
regulate the naming of the streets and the numbering of
houses in the metropolis ; to prevent the erection of
buildings beyond the regular line of street ; to make,
widen, or improve the public streets and roads for faci-
litating the traffic ; and, in conjunction with the local
boards, to make and enforce a vast number of sanitary
arrangements—such, for instance, as the appointment
of medical officers of health and inspectors of nuisances,
the compelling owners of houses to construct drains into
the common sewer, making Provision for the combined
drainage of blocks of houses, imposing penalties for
erecting or rebuilding houses without proper water-
closet accommodation, providing and maintaining pub-
lic urinals, and other conveniences, and for the water-
ing of streets, the cleansing of footways. and for the ap-
pointment and remuneration of crossing sweepers, who
are to be distinguished by their dress or some distinctive
mark as public servants. The whole local management
of the metropolis, in a word, has been entrusted to them ,
and they have now to show how far they are worthy of
their mission,

LOCAL MANAGEMENT.-ST. GBORGES

IN-THE-EAST.

A public meeting of the ratepayers of tbis dis!rict was
held la:,t night at the Golden Lion, Csnoon.street-roml,
in order to consk'er come late proceedings of the vestry.
Shortly after eight o'clock Mr. Smith was called to the
chair.

Mr. Monnis addressed the meeting in condemnatory
terms of the conduct of some of those who bad recently
been elected to the vestry, as truckling too much already
to the Tory party in the vestry. That parish owed a
debt of 50,0001., and he submitted that it was the duty
of the ratepayers to see how that money was expended,
and how it was to be paid of, At the late election
under the new act, they did their best to secure the ser-
vices of the best men ; but one of the first steps they
took, when elected, wao to elect a gentleman as their
representative to the Metropolitan Board, agreeable to
the wishes of the parishioners, by only a majority of one;
and even that success was obtained by adopting the Bp.
tem of the ballot. He condemned the by-laws which had
been adopted by the vestry, and the conduct of the Rev.
Bryan King, the chairman, a gentleman, he said, who
found when he came to the parish a fine church, and a con-
gregation numherinz some 1,400 persons, hut had by his
Puseyism dri,en them all a wav,except some 80 or 90. The
sa ary of the vestry clerk of 400/. a year was, he conceived,
also too much, and ought not to have been acceded to
by the reform party in the vestry. indeed the appoint-
ment of the individual selected was the most objection-
able proceeding of all, because be had filled that office
for many years, and was cognisant of the manner iu