The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-21 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1858.

The Select Committee appointed to inquire into
matters relating to the Thames have published
their report, which will be found in another pact
of this day's impression. They have examined
many witaesses of great skill and Experience in
their professions as engineers and chemists, but
have been unable to find time sufficient to examine
otheri,, who had suggestions to offer, and informa-
tion to give, which might be found worthy of at-
tentive consideration. They felt that it was an
imperative duty to state the Slaws they had
t dcen and the conclusion they had arrived at on
the evidence already before them. Thera can be
no doubt that in so doing they exercised a wise
discretion, more especially as they completely dis-
poscd cf Mr. GOLDSWORTHY GURNEY'S plan, to
which their attention was particularly directed by
the terms of the res(..lation under which they were
appointed.

We are happy to say that plan has been unequi-
vocally condemned. Indeed, it woul 1 have per-
petuated the evils against which so many just
complaints leave been preferred. It is sufficient
to say that he proposed "to discharge all the sew-
age of the metropolis into the waters of
the Thames within the metropolis itself."
Tiflis making " the silent highway" still
" the c'oaca maxima," into which all the filth and
sewage matter of two millions and a-half of people
should be discharged. There was to be no attempt
at deodorisation—nothing to preserve any portion
of the valuable manure, and thus give increased
fertility to the soil in the vicinity of London,
which, properly applied, would double the pr.>.
duce of the land.
These facts alone would Le
quite sufficient to prevent its adoption. But it
is also based on sundry theoretic assumption 9,
which might all turn out incorrect after a heavy
outlay had been incurred ; and the C.unmittee
were of opinion that " the parts of the plan which
relate to the river were not calculated to, effect
th© purification of the Thames." They al4o
thought that " the furnace system"—that is, the
burning of the gases which would be retained iu
the sewers—although "possibly very efficicious for
a aparticular and a limited area, c not be roliel
upon for the general ventilation and purificaqon
of • the sewers of the metropolis at large." Mr.
GUR NEY'S plan is thus at once and for over deft •
naively abandoned.
One of the most interesting portions of the
report is that which relates to the deodorisation of
the sewage, respecting which they have taken much
valuable evidence. The Committee report that—
"lt appears to be easy to,separate the mere solid
from the liquid part; of the sewage, and to de-
prive both of all offensive smell. By an infusion
of lime into
;sewage the solid matter 13 rapidly
precipitated, and the water that is left above the
precipitate is cleared of all the matter which it
held in 'suspension, retaining only sone
.sAlts,
which it holds in solution. If the sewage of
London could be so treatsd, and the solid pre-
cipitate could be got rid of in a satisfactory Man-
ner, the liquid might be discharged into the
Thames without injury or inconvenience, provided
that no nuisance arose during the process of
deodorisation."

This is not mere theory. The question has
been practically tested, and with the best results.
We are told that " the system is now adopted at
Leicester, and, in as far as it, is a sanitary
arrangement, with complete success. Toe town
is freed from all offensive matter, and the liquid
which is discharged into the river does not pol-
lute the water of the streams." If it has so sow-
pletaly succeeded in one place, there is no reason
.suppose that it would not prove equally
eitia"lous in a larger area, and with in
creased
means. The Committee, however, felt
that the decision on that point should
be left in the bands of the Metropolitan Board—
who possess ample means for making all the
necessaiy inquiries.

Many opinions of enlinerAt engineers bavo been
given in favour of embr.nking the Thames, and it
certainty seems f o be indispenuLls to the proper