The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-19 00:00:00

country,

How long the last move may be delayed, it is not
easy to guess with accuracy ; but it can hardly be
long. Things seem to be verging to a settlement;
but it is not so clear yet of what kind the settle-
ment is to be. At present France guarantees to
the POPE his authority in Rome, and a small adja-
cent territory ; all around that being in process of
rapid occupation by thePiedmontese. So far it seems
as if the settlement was to be that the POPE was to
keep his Roman municipality, and to be the absolute
monarch of a little Bishopric. But then there are

two singularly congruous facts. One that he who
kept his word to the letter—indeed anticipated the
letter when he said that he would be in Naples on
the Bth—has given out that he does not mean to
proclaim annexation to Piedmont till he can do it
from the Quirinal! And at the time the promise
respecting Naples seemed quite as improbable as
this about the Quirinal. The sister fact is that to
which we adverted yesterday—that the POPE is
counselled to flee from Rome—what excellent com-
panions would he and FRANCIS 11. make on board
a Spanish frigate !—and is told that France would

be saved a deal of trouble if he would take the
advice. Can there be any knowledge on the part
of the great military prophet who speaks of
proclaiming the Italian kingdom from the Quirinal,
of what the " extreme party" have advised the
POPE to do, and of what M. GRANDGUILLOT says
—France would regret with so much pleasure—at
least would find so convenient while she regretted
it ? There is no telling. GARIBALDI has a hundred
eyes in every Italian town, and perhaps some in
the French garrison and the POPE'S Council, at
Rome itself. We can only say that with all
our countrymen, we wish the POPE and
the King of NAPLES too, a pleasant voyage,
to the Antipodes if they please, and
that the sooner they like to take it and leave the
Quirinal to GARIBALDI, the better for Italy and for
Europe. After a sea-voyage, and making a little
acquaintance with the " manners of many men and
cities," his Holiness may perhaps come back a very
useful Bishop of Rome.

If we cannot look with any degree of compla
cency through the voluminous records of Hansard
for 1860, we can at any rate regard with no in-
considerable satisfaction the last annual report of
our Metropolitan Board of Works. " Much re-
mains to do," undoubtedly. But much, also, " has
been done" during the past twelvemonth. And
this in spite of many unwonted obstructions—in-
cluding amongst them the almost unparalleled
high price of building materials, the almost un-
exampled prolongation of the workmen's strike,
and the almost unprecedented continuance of the
wet weather,,of itself sufficient to baffle the enter-
prise and to confuse the plans alike of architect and
engineer. Notwithstanding all which, however,
in very despite and defiance of these accumulated
impediments, the Board of Works has steadily, re-
solutely, and by this time appreciably made way
in the development of several among its more im-
portant metropolitan improvements. It is a par-
ticular satisfaction to notice that the most urgently
required among all these improvements, the carry-
ing out of the Main Drainage Scheme, has ap-
parently absorbed the chief part of the energies of
Her MAJESTY'S Commissioners. That—the essen-
tial basis and most requisite preliminary to all
other metropolitan improvements, has given evi-
dence above all others of having been sedulously
advanced under the fostering care of the Board of
Works. The chief part of the pecuniary sacrifices
of the Board in 1860 has in this manner been wisely
lavished upon the cloaca of the twin cities of London
and Westminster. In testimony of this, it would be
sufficient of itself to glance at the position attained
in the labour of constructing the two high level
sewers of the metropolis ; one to the north, the
other to the south of that river Thames which they
are designed eventually to save from further pol-
lution. Already, in fact, the Northern High Level
Sewer is now known to be rapidly drawing towards
its completion. Although eight miles in length ;
although extending in one broad sweep from the
foot of Hampstead Hill to the vicinity of Old Ford,
on the River Lea; although here and there of such
dimensions that portions of the outfall sewers are
Oft. by 9ft. "in the clear," the overflow chamber
being in width at its upper portion 40ft. Gin., and
in length as many as 138 altogether—this Northern
High Level Sewer is being so actively proceeded
with at various points along its course, that the
annual report of the Board of Works formally an-
nounces it to be fast approaching completion. One
single isolated portion of it alone extending unin-
terruptedly in a perfected condition through a
Odilsd-
tance of upwards of 24,000 feet, namely,
Ford to Stoke Newington. And recollect, in regard
to this particular Northern High Level Sewer,
that " when finished (as finished it now very nearly
is) it will complete the interception of the waters
descending from the high grounds of Highgate and
Hampstead, and, whilst effecting a general im•
provement in the local drainage throughout its
entire length, it will relieve Hackney and the
adjacent districts from the evils arising from the
foul open watercourse (1. e., the Hackney Brook)
by which they were intersected." Of itself, the
rapid development of this important main sewer
to the north of the Thames would have been enough
to save the Board of Works from any serious
charge of indolence during the past twelvemonth.
But, added to the advancement thus so far towards
its completion of the Northern High Level Sewer,
there is yet to be notified the commencement of the
Southern High Level Se aver now nearly nine months
ago—viz., on the 26th of last December. Extend-
ing, as it is designed to do, from High-street, Clap-
ham, to Deptford-creek, extending a distance of
some 9 miles 2,940 feet, and traversing in its coulee
the suburban neighbourhoods of Stockwell and
Camberwell, of Peckham and New Cross. As yet
no more than some 5,510 feet out of the nine miles
and upwards required for its completion appear to