The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-31 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS.

A meeting of the board was held yesterday in the Coun-
cil-chamber, Guildhall, for various purp'ose s ; Mr. Thwaites
in the chair.

FINANCE.
The report of the finance committee set forth the follow.
ing cash account :
s. d.
2
Balance in hands of treasurer, P. 26, 1856 9,255 15 9 Checks drawn but not presented

Available balance
2,725 17 8 Amount of deposit account BO,OO 0 0

Total general 'balance

BERACH OF PRP7ILEGE.
Mr. ECIRSLEM called the attention of the board to what
he conceived to be a breach of privilege. A meeting was
held at the London-bridge Hotel on Monday by the occu-
piers of lands bordering upon the Thames, to consider the
main drainage scheme, at which the hon. member for Mary-
lebone (Mr. D'lffanger) was reported to have used the fol-
lowing words :—" There were some good and useful men
members of the Metropolitan Board of Works, but there
were also some who appeared to have.been sent there only
to bring local self-government into contempt. Those gentle-
men had formed themselves into a brutish, tyrannical ma-
jority, and the consequence was that Sir B. Hall had been
slandered, maligned, and insulted by the board." He
wished to ask the hon. member whether he admitted having
used such language, and, if so, whether he abided by it ?
Mr. HAWSES rose to orler, when
The CHAIRMAN' interposed, and said it would be a
dangerous precedent if the board were to catechise hon.
members with regard to speeches they might make else-
where, however much they might disapprove language
which was neither courteous nor gentlemanly.
Mr. SAVAGE and Mr. DAVIS appealed to the hoa. mem-
ber to retract the expressions he had used. :
Mr. -VITA/Wm—The words objected to, I understanT"
/ma' " a brutish and tyrannical majority." (Hear, hear.)
Well, then, I must abide by them, and I feel myself fully
vindicated by the record of your own proceedings on the
22d of October last.

PUBLIC/ PARKS, PLEASURE GROUNDS, &c.
Mr. OFFOR said the principle had been settled with re-
gard to the necessity of having places of recreation for the
public all round London. (" No, no !") Why, it was part
of the duty prescribed to them by act of Parliament, which
enacted that "parks, pleasure grounds, places of recreation,
and open spaces, and appropriated thereto for the improve-
ment of the metropolis, or the public benefit of the inhabi-
tants thereof," should be provided by the board, whenever
they had the opportunity of doing it. He conceived they
were bound to carry that provision as far as possible into
effect. Several plans had already been proposed, and a
diagram had been exhibited showing how the metropolis
was to be belted round by parks and places of recreation.
When the board waited on the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer he asked how much money they would require for
the various works they had to effect, but at that time their
attention was exclUsively devoted to the great drainage
scheme, and they were not then prepared with estimates
in regard to any other works. No doubt they would be of
very serious amount, more especially when they came—as
he hoped they would sooner or later come—to the embank.
ment of the Thames. There would also be the purchasing
of certain bridges. What he wished, therefore, was to
have all the memorials addressed to the board on these
various subjects printed with the plans and estimates, in
order that the board might be able to jude to what extent
they could proceed, and to determine which of such works
should be first undertaken. He therefore moved that
the memorials relating to the formation of parks, plea-
sure grounds, &c., be printed, n ith the plans and esti-
mates.

Mr. SAVAGE seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN said the whole question had been re-
ferred to a committee, who would no doubt report upon
the memorials.
The motion was thereupon withdrawn.

DISCHARGE OF SEWAGE INTO THE DUNES.
Mr: OFFOR said it was a common remark that, even if
the board succeeded in making London itself free of sew-
age, there would still be an amazing quantity of impure
matter coming down the river from above and beyond the
metropolitan districts. If, therefore, they intended to
make the Thames thoroughly pure, it was of importance
to know what legal powers the board possessed for stop-
ping any impurities from going into the Thames or any
of its tributaries. He therefore would move :
" That inasmuch as it will be necessary to prevent the
discharge of sewage and other impurities into the Thames
and its tributaries above and beyond the metropolitan dis-
trictl, in order to carry out completely the purification
of the river, the clerk be instructed to report to the board
the present state of the law upon this subject, and to ad-
vise them if they have any, and, if any, what powers in
this respect."
Mr. SNOW seconded the motion.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON—Do you include Oxford ?
Mr. OFFOR—I include all matter that runs into the
river and defiles it, whether from places above or beyond
the metropolitan districts.
Mr. BVRSLEM—How do you mean to dispose of the large
quantity of sewage and foul water that Comes from the
shipping in the Pool ? (A laugh.)

Mr. CARPMAEL said the last repoa of the Board of
Health called the attention of the Government to the fact
that a great many towns on the banks of the Thames were
turning their sewage into the river, and pointed out the
necessity of something being done by the Government to
prevent that state of things continuing. It was much to
be regretted that the Board of Health had itself been the
cause of 19-20ths of all these openings of sewers into the
river. The subject, however, was being dealt with else-
where; he therefore did not think it necessary that the
board should interfere.

Major LYON thought it was a matt3r that did not con-
cern the board.
Mr. DAVIS was of opinion that they should wait until
they had purified their own river, before they interfered
with the tributaries.
Mr. TURNER considered it a question which did concern
them, and that this was the proper time to act; but not
exctly in the way suggested. No doubt many towns had
obtained what were called "easements," and had a rightto
throw their sewage into the river. What, therefore, the
board ought to do was to represent to the Government that
as long as these rights existed, and were exercised, the
efforts of the board to purify the Thames within the limits
of the metropolis would be rendered fruitless, and to re-
present to Government that some legislative measure was
necessary to obviate that difficulty.
The motion was then put and negatived.
VESTRY OF ST. PANCRAS.
Mr. WILKINSON presented a " memorial" from the ves-
try of St. Pancras, stating that the vestry was of opinion
that it was the duty of the Metropolitan Board of Works
to inquire whether the main drainage scheme, which was
to be adopted at a cost to the ratepayers of 3ad. in the
pound for a period of 50 years, might not be so. modified as
to allow the adoption of the deodorising principle, and
leave an opportunity for the usage of the sewage hereafter,
and thus save the ratepayers from a heavy permanent tax.
The CHAIRMAN said it was very desirable that memo-
rials coming from vestries should be correct in regard to
the facts set forth in them. It was here stated that the con-
struction of the main drainage would cost the ratepayers
zad. in the pound for 50 years. That was not the case. It
was true an advance of 4,000,030/. would regalia a rate of
that amount, and for that period ; but not half of that sum
would be repaired on account of the drainage scheme. In-
stead of 3ad.., in all probability the rate for that purpose
would not be more than lid. in the pound. World his hon.
friend persist after this in presenting the memorial?
Mr. TURNER thought the memorial ought not to be re-
jected merely because it was supposed to be incorrect in one
of its statements.
Mr. OFPOR having looked at the documents, point3d out
to the board that it was not a memorial, but only a copy of
a resolution which had been passed by the vestry.
A long and warm discussion then ensued as to whether
the document should be received or rejected not only on
account of the inaccurate statement it was alleged to con-
tain, but also on account of its informality.
The question was put to the vote, and on a division the
members were equal, 12 voting for and 12 against the mo-
tion. The chairman then gave his casting vote for the
reception of the memorial.

EXP ENSE OF TEE MAIN DRAINAGE WORKS.
Major LYON moved that it be refet:e I to the Finance
Committee to consider who the parties were who should be
called on to contribute towards the main drainage works
of the metropolis. If the contemplated works should be
successful the property of the metropolis would be greatly
benefited. It was not just, therefore, to impose the whole
cost on the present leaseholders and occupiers. By spread-
ing the rater over a space of 200 years, instead of 59, the
owners of the property which would be improved would be
required to pay a fair proportion of the expense.
Mr. DIFFANGER seconded the motion.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR thought the motion came too late.
The scheme for drainage was now before the Government,
and that board did not know whether it would ever come
back to them again. They knew not what the plan or the
expenses would be ; it would, therefore, in his opinion, be
premature to entertain the motion.

Mr. WRIGHT said what the board had hitherto done was
to consider the mechanical. or physical means to be adopted;
what remained for them to do was to determine tbe financial
means. It was quite obvious that the question as to who
were the parties that would have to pay for the work en-
tirely depended upon the length of time in which the money
was to be paid. It was therefore of the utmost importance
to know upon what term the Blowy Wa4 to be raises'

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