The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-06 00:00:00

that reason they are assuredly none the
less worthy of repetition. The distich is
beloved and echoed back in the hearts of
us all. "Would that it could be heard now resound-
ing over the land like the call of a trumpet !

of manure; yet this half of the people, as well as
the town population, might under better arrange-
ments do their part in the fertilisation of the soil.
Every house ix the country, every cottage, every
manufactory might have a frequent visit from the
farmer, if a mechanical device were provided akin
to that which Mr. GLASFORD suggests for towns.
We desiderate a contrivance so simple and inex-
pensive that it might be the interest of every pro-
prietor of land, almost of every farmer, to see that
no house on the estate, or within easy range of the
farm, was unprovided with the means of enabling
him to secure what is now for the most part
wasted. Let farmers and landlords duly weigh the
fact that a pound of human urine is, as LIE BIG
shows, the equivalent of a pound of wheat, being,
in fact, by far the more important part of the
sewage, and it can hardly be but the whole coun-
try will come under the appropriate agricultural
as well as sanitary conditions.

"Naught can make us rue,

ll' ENGLAND TO DERAELF DO PROVE BUT TRUE!

It is the wish to enforce this simple argument that
heartens so many of our public men to act and to
speak, to act promptly and to speak resolutely in
favour of this far-spreading and fast-multiplying
movement. It is this which imparts such peculiar
persuasiveness to the appeals made at such places
as Worksop and Lowestoft, by such men as Ad-
miral Sir CHARLES NAPIER and his Grace the
Duke of NEWCASTLE. Heartily do we commend
the patriotic reasoning of both Sea-captain and
Statesman to the earnest consideration of the more
keen-eyed and steady-handed among their fellow-
countrymen.

Our remarks on the letters of Baron LIEBIG and
Mr. MECHI have brought us a letter from Mr. CHAS.
F. 0. GLASFORD, accompanied by his pamphlet
on the Utilisation of the London Sewage.* We had
remarked that no known plan existed for accom-
plishing the object, so obviously desirable, of saving
our houses and our streets from the well-known
dangers of decomposing and fermenting sewage,
and at the same time for distributing it, unimpaired
in quality, on our fields. We ought, perhaps, to
have been acquainted with Mr. GLASFORD'S scheme,
though we probably overlooked his pamphlet among
the host of similar things which crowd our table ;
if it was sent us, wo apologise for the neglect, for
the practical character of its contents, as well as the
great pains the intelligent author has taken with
his subject, claim for it a notice. Our meaning,
however, was, that no plan existed which, after
trial, had been accepted by public opinion. Not
being ourselves either professional engineers or
chemists, we cannot presume to deliver any authori-
tative judgment on the apparently very practical
scheme proposed by Mr. GLASFORD. There is, how-
ever, one thing strongly in its favour. It was sent
to the public authorities last year, and the answer
of the Board of Works was, that they "had already
agreed upon a plan of main drainage, and were not
in a position to entertain any suggestions for its
reconsideration." As the rule, we of course antici-
pate something of value, when " authorities" have
only the answer, that they have chosen their plan
and mean to adhere to it. It is one of their well-
known formulas for declining the trouble
of examination, and of stating a few satis-
factory reasons why a proposal cannot be
accepted. It would never do to disappoint
the numerous favoured expectants who are
anticipating the pleasure of serving the public
boards and the public.
We do strongly urge upon such of our readers
as feel an interest in the subject, and who may be
more competent than we are are to judge of the
details, to procure Mr. GLASFORD'S pamphlet—
which will cost them, with a short addendum, but
one shilling—and to judge of his proposals for
themselves. Meantime, though another general
plan seems to us, non-professional writers, also
feasible, perhaps easier of trial, we must say that
our author's scheme seems in its most important
parts capable of being worked. Tho subject is not
one of the most pleasant kind, yet its utility must
be our apology for a few remarks. The essentials
of the scheme are—lst. Keeping the sewage—which
term we use in the specific sense of what passes
through our water-closets and urinals—free from
the admixture with the water from all other
sources which pass down our sewers. 2ndly.
Effecting this by a peculiarly but simply constructed
closet, which limits the supply of water on each
occasion to what is really necessary. 3dly. The
delivery thence into pipes of suitable diameter to
be carried underground at the back of the houses,
thence into larger pipes in the secondary streets,
which should conduct it into reservoirs appropriated
to each of the districts into which the metropolis is
for this purpose to be divided. Thus far all is effected
by gravitation. 4thly. The pumping of the fluid
through the larger mains to the works where the
sewage is to be prepared for agricultural use. sthly.
The arrangements for evaporating and condensing,
by which the whole will be reduced to a form corn,
mercially available.
For the mechanical and chemical plans and pro

A NEW ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—You have announced a new American ex-
pcdit'on to the North Pole. This is what I have
for some time anticipated. More : it is well known
that the American and French whalers have suc-
cessfully gone into the Western Arctic Seas opened
out by our own exploring ships. I therefore ask
England whether another flag than our own shall
be planted first on the North Pole after British per-
severance for more than 300 years ? A generous
rivalry in this cannot be condemned. Let the
Americans try ; but let us try also. Who so fitted
(if he desire it) as M'Clintock to be the first English-
man at the North Pole ? and if not he, Captain
Penny ? who ought not to be forgotten. I believe
it is not at all so difficult as by some supposed. As
for the " danger," Arctic sailors now think lightly
of it.

Thus much for others. Now for myself. My
opinions on the subject of the lost expedition are
publicly known, and my various lectures are so well
received as to give me all the hope I desire. My wish
is to depart on a new search for the remnant of the
missing ones I believe to be alive, or to positively
ascertain their fate. I have carefully read Captain
M'Clintock's book. There is no evidence in it of
the fate of all our friends. The record of the
voyage of the Fox, in itself, leads more than
ever to hope. If we are to believe one parcel of
natives we ought to believe another lot. Those
nearest to the scene of the alleged " death by
starvation," " cannibalism," &c., had, as Captain
M'Clintock says (p. 265), abundance of food, and
" denied all knowledge of white people having died
on their shores."

A proper land expedition—perhaps under Dr.
King, can best solve the mystery in one way. But
my desire is to go and so mix with the natives as
to learn their language, and thus ascertain the
truth. Captain M'Clintock's interpreter admits
that he could not well understandtheir dialect. For
this I require a very small vessel, say from 30 to 40
tons, and fitted after a plan of my own. I wish to
leave early in April; try Home Channel, and so to
a passage that I believe exists through Boothia to
King William's Island. I shall depend principally
upon Greenlanders to aid me in the work, except
a very few from here who share in my sentiments.
I have promises of some aid, and in a few days I
hope to be able to mention the names of gentlemen
who will act for me ; but I ask all who are in-
terested in the matter to help me, as, in one way
or other, I am determined to go and not return till
positive facts are obtained, and possibly one or
more of the lost ones brought back to their native
home and friends.

I am, Sir,. yours, &c.,
W. PARKER SNOW.
St. John's-hill, Battersea-rise, Jan. 5, 1860.

THE FRAAELIN _RELICS.

Before the project to erect a monument to the
memory of Sir John Franklin, in Lincoln, failed,
the town clerk (J. T. Tweed, Esq.) was desired to
write to Lady Franklin, and ask her to give a por-
tion of the relics " which had been discovered by
Captain M'Clintock to the museum 'which was
about to be erected in the city of Lincoln, as a monu-
ment to the memory of Sir John Franklin." In
reply to this letter the following epistle has been
received from Lady Franklin :
" 13, Park-place, St. James's, Dec. 29, 1859.
" Sir, —I beg to acknowledge your communication of the
Bth inst. (which reached me only on the 20th), enclosing an
application to me from the Franklin Institute Committee,
to place in their hands a portion of the relics belonging to
my late husband, to be deposited in a museum to bear his
name.

" I have to request that you will explain to the committee,
that, after selecting a few objects for myself, and withdraw-
ing for the relatives of those that have perished all such
objects as could they identify and claim, I was advised to
resign the remainder to the Admiralty with a request that
they might be deposited in some national institution, when
they would be open to the public, and the Admiralty has
accordingly lent them to the United Service Institution,
which had already received them within its wall on their
first arrival, and they are now carefully arranged in its
museum.

", You will perceive from these facts that I am not now in
a position individually to comply with the request of the
committee, further than to say that when the institute and
museum are established, I shall have pleasure in resigning
to it a portion of the few articles I have retained for my-
self.

g‘ I am, sir, your obedient servant,
" JANE FRANKLIN."
The scheme having failed, so far as regard Lin-
coln, the kind offer of Lady Franklin cannot be
accepted.

oesses by which all this is to be effected, the reader
must refer to the pamphlet, which even for the un-
scientific contains a large number of facts of no
little interest.
Threatened as we are with rapidly-increasing
rates, it is enough to make the mouths of us poor-

rate payers to water to be told of a plan by which

after duly; weighing hostile criticism, the author
calculates would yield us a profit of not less than
£200,000 per annum, applicable to metropolitan
improvements ! This is, of course, too good to be
true. If we could only escape the enormous rates
we must to a certainty pay for the privilege of
polluting the Thames a few miles lower down, that

would be reward sufficient. It will be millenium

enough in the line of getting rid of moral and phy-

sical nuisances, if we can but make prisoners and

town sewage pay the cost of keeping them from

doing us mischief. To get a profit out of either is

really too good a thing. Very pleasant it would
be, to be sure, to beautify and improve our streets
by the better management of what often makes

them intolerable, and to equip our army or our

police by the labour of those who put us to the cost

of the latter; but we fear that " good time" will be
always " coming."

In the latter case, indeed, the elements of success
do seem to lie fairly before us. We know that the
very odours which are both distressing to our senses
and dangerous to our lives, and which arise solely
from the sewage fermentation which the Board of
Works has virtually taken under its patronage—
that these odours represent pounds of flour and

quarters of wheat, could we but transfer the sewage

.0 our fields without its undergoing the offensive

and the fatal process. We know that, on a mode-
rate computation, the fertilizing portions of the
sewage are -worth about £1,500,000 per annum ;
we know that the only serious difficulty to be biver-
come, is that of finding some mechanical scheme for
keeping the sewage distinct from the rain water,

and other water of our towns ; we know that, on an

average, each human being might return to the soil
what would raise additional cereal food sufficient
for his support ; we know that Providence has

arranged a relation between the population of a

country and the food it might produce which is a
perfect circle,—a circle as true as that by which
the evaporation from the sea returns to it, or by which

the electric currents restore their balance ; we
know, what MALTllus did not know, that so far as
the first elements of subsistence are concerned, in-

creased population may be the exact measure of

increased subsistence. Now, knowing all this, will

it not be a disgrace to our age if such facts do not
originate the practical result to which they all

point ?

We have only to add that, in our view, towns
only should not be thought of. Half of the popu-

lation must dwell where sewers are not the wasters

* " London Sewage—Shall it be Wasted or Econo•
raised ?" Effingham Wilson.

'PIIE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 6, 1860

LATEST

.. _♦__

To all present and future, greeting;

N E \V 8.

The following telegrams have been received
Mr. Reuter's office :

PARIS, JAN, 6.

The ltioniteur of to-day announces that Mr.
William Grey, Secretary to the English Embassy,
has been appointed Charge d'Affairs during the
temporary absence of Lord Cowley from Paris.
The Constitutionnel publishes an article, signed
by its principal editor, M. Grandguillot, expressing
a regret that an injurious article against the Em-
peror should have been published in the Giornale
di Roma.

France, he says, is grieved by this publication,
but will not make the common father of the faith-
ful believers responsible for it.

PARIS, JAN. 5.
The Patrie says—lt is stated that Count Per.
signy will leave this evening for London.
Lord Cowley is expected to return to Paris al
the end of the present week.

The Patrie also publishes a private letter from
Rome, according to which Sardinia had declared to
the Holy See, that it would consider the enlistment
of German volunteers for the Papal army as a
violation of the principle of non-intervention, and
had threatemed, should these enlistments be con-
tinued, to despatch Sardinian troops into the Le-
gations.

The Moniteur announces as follows the resigna•
ion of Count Walewski

NAPOLEON,
By the grace of God and the national will, Em
perot of the French ;

Have decreed and do decree as follows :

Article 1. M. de Thouvenel, Ambassador at Con-
stantinople, is appointed Minister for Foreign
Affairs, in the stead of M. le Comte Walewski,
whose resignation is accepted.
Article 2. M. Baroche, President of the Council
of State, will act ad interim as Minister for Foreign
Affairs until the arrival of M. de Thouvenel.

Article 3. Our Minister of State is charged with
the execution of the present decree.
Done at the Palace of the Tuileries the 4th of
January, 1860.

NAPOLEON,
(Countersigned) ACHILLE FOULD,

Minister of State.

A second decree in the Moniteur announces that
the members of the Privy Council are to receive an
annual salary of £4,000 per annum.

VIENNA, JAN. 5

,
Baron Brenner, who is definitively appointed
Austrian Ambassador at Turin, has arrived here
from Athens, en route for his destination.

ROME, lAN. 5

Baron Buol, formerly Austrian Minister for
Fozeign Affairs, has arrived with his family, and
will remain hero during the winter.

DRESDEN, lAN. 5,

A telegram from St. Petersburg, published in
the official Dresden Journal, announces that the
departure of Prince Gortschakoff for Paris has been
postponed indefinitely.