The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-09 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Constitutional Press.
This magazine still exhibits the same talent that
has characterised its earlier numbers. The story
of " Hopes and Fears" is continued, and displays so
much of that power of description and interest of
narrative that no one can fail to be pleased with it
who appreciate those writings that are simple in
themselves, but by their truth are not unimportant
in their influence. Lucilla is admirably portrayed,
and she is now takinc, a more prominent place in
the story. It is sometimes said that to be good
and disagreeable is high treason against virtue, and
it is also true that none serve vice more effectually
than those whose manners are fascinating while
their principles are not in strict accordance with
the requirements of right. It is too much the
fashion with authors to make all either unnaturally

good or improbably vicious. Some extremes exist
doubtless, but they do not influence so much as the
softer and sympathising style. This new attempt
of this delightful authoress does not deteriorate
from her previous excellent productions. The
shetch of " War" presents, under the guise of a
simple tale, some very effective scenes of the hor-
rors that the presence of an army inflicts
on a country, and no one can say the picture
is overdrawn. The most interesting article
here met with is that on " The Works of

Mr. Disraeli," and notwithstanding the party
predilections of.this magazine no critic has a right
to say that such feelings have exercised undue in-
fluence on the writer of this dissertation. The lan-
guage is fair and impart;al, and the lovers of lite-
rature will be gratified at the opportunity thus
afforded of recalling to mind some of the most de-
lightful works in their peculiar style that the pre-
sent day has possessed. It is too much the fashion
with intemperate advocates of party purposes to
ignore all that redounds to the credit. of their oppo-
nents, and to pervert everything to suit their views
of detraction, forgetting in this how they lower
themselves instead of humiliating the others. It is
not this sentiment that inspired chivalrous comba-
tants, who tasted of
"That stern joy that warriors feel
In foemen worthy of their steel."

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.
( THIS DAY.)

THE SERPE/.;TINE.

The committee re-assembled this morning in room 16.
The first witness called was
Mr. Greaves, civil engineer to the East London Water
Works, who said—l am familiar with the operations for
the filtering of water.

The Chairman—Do you think that filtration through
sand would be an effectual mode of getting rid of floating
weeds and other impurities ?

Witness—Certainly. It would get rid of any floating
substance. I have invariably found that weeds causes
more danger than mud. There would be no difficulty in
filtering the water of the Serpentine, but I don't think
there would be any great result.
Chairman—Then the passing the whole of that water
daily through sand would not make it clear.
Witness—lt would greatly depend on the season, but the
chances are you would not get any very effectual result. I
don't think you would ever get it perfectly clear.
The Chairman—You state you are familiar with filter
beds—what is the shortest time you have ever known filter
beds to become choked ?
Witness—l have known filter beds to become choked in
three days. There was a small amount of mud arising
from clay. The greater part of the obstruction was caused
by weeds.
The Chairman—Was that an unusual circumstance ?
"Witness—Yes, certainly. It was in the hot weather.
After ➢iay, June, July, and August, the growth of weeds
goes considerably off.
The Chairman—What is the size of the filter beds you
speak of ?
Witness—At the East London Waterworks I have 12
acres of sand, through which 17,000,000 gallons of water
passes daily. The space is divided into 13 portions. The
whole quantity of water I have mentioned passes through
those beds in 24 hours.
Chairman—What is the average time before the beds get
choked ?
; Witness—About three weeks.
. Chairman—What are the expenses of cleansing the filter
beds ?

....,....,
Witness—lt cost last year £lO per acre. That included
the whole expense without putting a value on the water
filtered.

Chairman—How do you divide the charge of £lO per acre
for cleansing ?
Witness—l set down Ll for washing the sand, 44 for
re-sanding, and new materials, and £2 for wages.
In answer to further questions the witness said there was
no disagreeable smell arising from the chocked beds. There
was no bad odour from the surface of the sand, but when
it was cut down for the purpose of washing the sand was
of a darker colour, and then there was a some-
what pungent smell. There certainly was no
very great number of persons residing in the vicinity of the
works of the East London Water Works. The green stuff
taken from the water inprocess of filtration, was carted away
and put upon garden ground as manure. Had never known
complaints to have been made of the stench arising from this
vegetation, as no persons resided near the place it was
carted to. The filtration of the 30th part of the Serpentine
daily would not produce any visible result in cleansing the
water. _ .