The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-01 00:00:00

Erith and Woolwich, the river will be practically
innocuous all the way down to Sea Reach, whereas
° if the point of outfall is at Sea Reach a pestilential
atmosphere would be the result at that point from
the rapid putrescence which the salt water would
certainly engender.
These views have been endorsed by the most
eminent engineers of the day, and the Metropolitan
Board of Works have adopted them in principle,
upon the recetornendation of -Messrs. Stephenson,
Cubitt (Sir William), Hawksley, Bidder, Bazalgette,
Haywood, Foster, (VG. Let the question be turned
as it will, practically an interception system
of conduits, discharged only during ebb tide at
some point between Woolwich and Erith, will
effect all the sanitary improvements which are so
much wanted, add the want of which is so much
felt at present.
The embankment of the Thames between Lon-
don-bridge and Lambeth can alone remove the
mud bankswhich conduce so much to the putrescent
state of the river in London. At these extreme
points the Thames is about 700 feet wide ; at Hun-
gerford-bridge it is 3,400 feet wide : by erecting
quays so as to give an uniform breadth of 700 feet,
from 200 to :',O) feet on each side will be reclaimed
from the river bel ; the space between the quay
walls must be deepened so as to have a minimum
depth of 5 feet at lowest spring tides, and thus pre-
vent any portion of the river bed ever being laid
dry. At the back of the quays tidal basins, with
numerous entrances, will place the present wharfin-
gers in a far more advantageous position than they
are at present. Their craft will always be afloat,
their wharves always accessible, and they can build
warehouses down to the water's edge, without in-
curring the enormous expense for foundations,
which the sloping, shifting banks now render neces-
sary. Upon the quays new roads can be made,
with additional wharves and building ground. The
roads alone, as communications between the east
and west end of London, would cost 3,000,00 W. in
any other locality, and the new property created,
taken at a most moderate valuation, will produce
1, 000,000/.
The whole cost of the combined interception
anti embankment project will be less than
4,000,0001.. of which 1,000,0001. can be realired
by new building ground, so that the charge upon
rates, whether metropolitan or imperial, would be
3,000,000/. We assert upon the best authority—
that of contractors as well as engineers—that for
this stun the whole question of the main drainage of
London and the embankment of the Thames can
be satisfactorily solved in three years, and the ex-
penditure of 10,000,0001. would not practically
effect more. We most earnestly call Lord Derby's
attention to this statement ; it will be brought be-
fore him in a iii re detailed form by others, and if
thebroad fact is proved to his satisfaction, we trust
he will not hesitate to close the bargain and ac-
quaint Parliament of his having done so, and we
feel no doubt that. Parliament will willingly relieve
~ the metropolis of a portion of the expense, the
members having experienced that the question has
an imperial as well as metropolitan bearing.

TESTIMONIAL TO MR. .MASTERHAN
LATE M.P. FOR LONDON.

On the retirement of Mr. John Masterman from
the representation of the City of London a com-
mittee was formed for the purpose of raising funds
in order to acknowledge the eminent services he
had rendered to the City of London during the
period he had the honour of representing the me-
tropolis in the Commons House c f Parliament, and
also to testify in some slight degree the respect en-
tertained for bim personally by his fellow-citizens.
The sum of 1,5001. was raised for that purpose,
and the money, under the direction of the com-
mittee, has been applied in the following manner :
—A comparatively small sum has been expended
in the purchase of a magnificent candelabrum, manu-
factured by Messrs. Storr and Mortimer, of Bond-
street, and the balance in hand to the foundation
(,: a Fr:J.—Oa-Olin in the City of London School, to
be called •• r:can
A meeting was held yesterday at the Loiltlo,.
Tavern, for the purpose of presenting Mr. Master-
roan with the testimonial to him.
There were present, amongst o. hers, Mr. Thomas
Baring, M.P., Mr. Crawford, M.P., Mr. Lewis
L Id, Mr. John Harvey Astell, Mr. Matthew
Clark, Mr. Charles Mills, Mr. John Gurney Fry,
Mr. Borramey Dobree (deputy governor of the
Bank of England), Mr. John Gurney Hoare, Mr.
John Bonus, Mr. Charles Reynolds, and Mr.
Samuel Brown, honorary secretary.
Mr. THOMAS BARING prefaced the presentation
by a few observations.
Mr. MASTERMAN, who was almost inaudible
from emotion, said they might suppose he
rose under feelings of no ordinary character after
the kind encomiums that had been passed upon
him. He had to return them his sincere thanks
for the splendid ornament, the candelabra,
which had been presented to him on the part
of a numerous body of the electors of the City of
London. He wished he could feel deserving of
such kindness, but all he could boast of was hav-
ing, with an earnest desire and to the best of his
ability, pursued a course that would be for the
benefit of his constituents. He could hardly re-
ceive such a token of regard without experiencing
feelings of the deepest emotion, but he must say
that they had never found him soliciting of his own
accord such a high position as he hadccupied in
the representation of the City of London. Some
friends of his whom be saw present, although they
knew his inability, had prevailed upon him, through
the kindness he received on all hands, to stand for
the City of London ; and what was snore unex-
pected, and therefore more gratifying, was, that
parties who could not in the first instance give him
their support did so afterwards. (Hear, hear.) It
had ever been his desire to pursue such a course as
would improve the position of his constituents, but
be never expected to receive such a kind testi-
monial of their esteem and regard. After fifteen
years as one of the representatives of the great City
of London, he found the duties became rather irk-
some to him ; and in consultation with a few gentle-
men, he asked whether it would be deemed an act
of ingratitude on his part to resign, and he was in-
formed it would not. He resigned with very great
regret, for there was something very giatifying to
individual feeling in posses-dng the confidence of
such an important constituency ; and in particular,
at the very last election at which ho stood, he re-
ceived a far larger support than on any previous
occasion. fie, therefore, had no apprehension if
he had come forward of losing the position he had
occupied, for as far as a man can judge he was sure
of success. It was, as he had said, with deep re-
v Bret that he resigned his position, but he did not
feel himself capable of that constant work which
devolved upon him from his position. In conclu-
sion, he expressed his earnest hope that health,
happiness, and prosperity would long continue to
his fellow-citizens. (Cheers.)
The proceedings then terminated.

AECYDALE WILSON, BART.—ThP Hon, S. Her-
bert is unable to reside in the Higtiands this season.
and has, in consequence, given up the shootings and
fishings of Cool to Major-Gen. Sir A. Wilson, Bart., the
hero of Delt.i.-Inrerness Cotrrier,
HER MAJESTY'S THEATIW —MORNING PERFORMANCE.
—The 'rot of the In("ruing repres,ntatious at her
Majesty's Theatre will be given on Monday next. On
a fornicr occasion tire opera was "Don Giovann;,"
which deroaodzi a greater combination of talent than
any other single work in the repertoire. The seteeinn
for next Monday is made on the principle of affording
to oocasional visitors an opportunity of hearing in one
entertainment almost all the artilts of the estab'ishmeer.
"Lncrezia Borgia" and " La Serva Padrona" will both
be given: In the former Titiens is perhaps greater than
in any other character, while Aibeni, Ginglini, and
Billetti, have to 4uatain partiewbich might-have been
written specially to bring out the excellencies of each.
The operetta which follows will afford to Madlle. Picco-
loeoini an equally favourable vehicle for her peculiar
faecivationa of voice and acting. Its success when first
performed at Mr. Benedict's concert makes the prornhe
of a second representation especially welcome. It is this
thoughtful catering for the tastes of all which has made
these experiments of morning performances so gratifying
as they appear to be to those who have few opportuni-
ties of visiting the opera.

But MAJESTY'S .THEATRE.—As the regular season
approaches its close, the accumulation of fresh novelties
and the repetition of the choicest among the operas which
have• won the enthusiastic favour of the subscribere,
premise to make the end exceed in brilliancy the com-
mencement and the meridian of a season which has been
marked throughout by extraordinary energy and success.
On Thursday, Miens, Alboni, and Giuglini appeared in
the " Trovatore," which, often as it has beau played, was
never given with a cast 60 powerful as that of the pre-
sent year. Saturday is appropriated for the "
nets," which, it will be remembered, afforded to the now
soprano the first of her series of triumphs among WI.
" Lucrez;a. Borgia," the greatest of Madlie. Titiens' im-
personations, and one of Ginglini's triumphs, is reserved
for a morning performance on Menday, July 5, when it
will be followed by Paisiello's charming littl? operetia,
er La Serva Padrona," that gave so much (Vat to l!lr.
Benedict's concert, the charming Piecolorniui support-
ing the principal part. On the Tuesday we are to have
another revival in the shape of -Verdi's "Nino," which
has been selected ;or the first appearance of Madlle.
Spezia. Mozart's glorious " Don Wovanni," with Titiens
as Donna Anna, Piccniornini as the coquettish &flints,
Beneventano as the Don, and Ginglird, Via.letti, and
Ortolani in the other principal parts, is to be played
once more on Thursday, July S, the last of the rxtra
nigbts. Balfe's " Zingara" will he given on the Satur-
day following, with Piccolornini, Giuglini, Belletti, and
it is said Alboni in the part of the Gipsy Queen. On
all these occasions the ballet will be graced by the great
representatives of two essentially different styles of
dancing—Madame Rosati and MadllePocchiLi. These
arrangements will leave only two nights to complete the
subscription list.