The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-21 00:00:00

FRANCE.

At the weekly meeting of the Society of Arts, held
last evening, Lord R. Montagu presiding, Mr. T.
Beggs read a lengthy
and intgresting paper on
" The Water Supply of London as it affects the in-
terests of consumers." He said we must not confine
our considerations on the subject to those of the
health, comfort, and decency of the people; there
were other reasons for demanding an improved sup-
ply of water, viz., the requirements for public pur-
poses. Regarding the important instance of fires,
there were at present in the metropolitan district
nearly 500,000 houses. The discipline and manage-
ment of the fire brigade were excellent, and an en-
ginedef than
te could
ein h five
em f
bte minutes.
syest B
despatched from
orh
u any
ch there
to wasif
the
a
atheirfirebrigade
officesi a
di n
less inherente
was in no way responsible—thelength of time which
must elapse before the engine reached the edifice on
fire. In Manchester, where fire-cocks were employed,
a hose and jet could be attached to one of these ad-
mirable instruments in about the same time as was
required to start a fire-engine from one of the Lon-
don stations ; that was to say, the connection of the
hose and jet to the fire-plug did not on the average
take more than three minutes. One half of the pro-
perty lost by fires in London might be saved if a
system of fire-cocks were introduced. Why should
not London have a constant supply as well as towns
like Nottingham, Norwich, and Wolverhampton ?
It was said that a constant, which meant an unli-
mited, supply could not be sustained, from the ex-
cessive waste that would ensue, and that all the
available resources at command would be exhausted
under a process going on night and day. The answer
to that was, that the rate of waste where a constant
supply had been afforded was muchless than in those
where an intermittent system prevailed. A number
of schemes to remedy the existing defects had been
suggested. The most practicable plan, although the
most expensive, was that which proposed that a suf-
ficient supply, since the present was not adequate to
our wants, should be obtained from the lakes of
Cumberland, for it could not be got at less distance.
The £25,000,000 which was asked for the completion.
of the necessary works would be a wise expenditure,
and the interest of the money would be less in
amount than the annual loss arising from an imper-
fect water supply like that now afforded. The ac-
cusations against the existing companies were then
answered in detail, and the paper proceeded to say
that the quality of the water given to the inhabi-
tants of London would bear comparison with that
of many of the towns where the constant supply:sys-
tern prevailed. The privations of the poor of the
metropolis in regard to water did not arise so much
from deficiency in quantity as from waste. The
quantity consumed in London daily was 108,000,000
gallons, and of that immense consumption it might
be safely said that two-thirds of it were wasted. By
saving one-half of the estimated waste there would
remain a daily surplus supply of 54,000,000 gallons
to meet the wants of an increasing population ; that
is, if we took the consumption at 18 gallons per head,
which was more than what is delivered in many of
our large manufacturing towns. Having suggested
several methods by which the waste might be cur-
tailed, the paper went on to ask in whose hands the
powers of administration in the matter ought to be
lodged. The government of a commission similar
to that which existed in Paris was not to be recom-
mended, for though it was efficacious in many re-
spects, it was commercially a failure.
With regard
to vesting the authority in the Metropolitan Board,
it should be remembered that the body could not be
looked upon as a permanent institution. From the
manner of its constitution, it was irrespensible, and
judging from its antecedents, it could not be recog-
nised as a power into whose bands the administra-
tion of the water supply might safely be deposited.
What we required was the extension of the Muni-
cipal Act to the metropolis_ to make every Parlia-
mentary borough a corporation, with a central body
for purposes of general government. Then we could
more profitably contract with the present companies
for the water required for all public purposes, and
such bodies elected by the ratepayers would be able
to protect the interest of all classes, by seeing that
the arrangements entered into for an efficient water
supply were properly and fully carried out. After
the reading of the paper along discussion took place
on the question raised, and the meeting adjourned
shortly before 10 o'clock.

WAR TROPHIES.— A Japanese metal cannon,
weighing 51 tons, and a mortar, weighing 22 cwt., have
arrived at the Gunwharf, Portsmouth, from Woolwich,
" a present from her Majesty to the borough of Ports-
mouth." A proper site is being prepared for mounting
these valuable trophies of war on the Esplanade at South-
sea.

BOURSE, Feb. 20.—Two o'clock.—The markets
to-day, though exceedingly dull, are very firm.
Three per Cents. are quoted at 69f. 574 c. A frac-
tional decline is likewise experienced in Italian Fives.
Credit Mobilier shares are 3f. 75c. lower—viz., at
491 f. 25c., and Credit Foncier 6f. 25c.—at 1,525 f.
Railway shares maintain yesterday's quotations.
Austrian have improved 5f., the price being 413 f.
75c.

Three o'clock.—The market closed as follows :
41 per poets

Bank Shares 3560
Italian Loan 53 25
Do. end month 53 45
Mexican Loan 2O
Do. Bonds l3l 25
Spanish Threes
Home Debt —
Deferred
•

LW. end month —
3 per Cents. 69 55
Do. end month 69 55
Credit Mobilier 493 75
Do. end month 493 75
Credit Fonder —
Do. end month 1525

For Account.
Orleans
Northern l2lB 75
Lyons and Mediterranean 935
Southern 5BO
Western 586 25
Eastern 552 50
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 4lO
North of Spain ll5
Saragossa l3O
Ditto to Barcelona —
Roman. —

A Scientific Meeting.

The following capital jeu d'esprit appears in Fun,
as an extract from a letter written by
junr., Esq., medical student, now prosecuting his
studies at Guy's, to sen., Esq., of Dod-
dery, in Noodleshire:—
" A few days ago I joined a party of gentlemen
much interested in science, with a view to experi-
menting on the law of forces, better known to the
vulgar as dynamics. So ardent was the spirit of
inquiry amongst us that we agreed to start at five in
the morning ; for I should tell you that, in order to
avoid interruptions which might derange the very
delicate process we wished to carry out, we deter-
mined to hold our scientific meeting at a retired
spot in Essex. Several bishops, half-a-dozen mem-
bers of Parliament, and nearly all the leading aris-
tocracy, kindly consented to patronise our meeting,
and took their places with the rest of us on board a
small steamer specially chartered for our use. Some
of the enthusiasts of our party began at this early
stage to experiment on forces, and in some instances
incommoded and even damaged those who happened
to be near them.
" In due time we steamed off and reached, by-
and-by, a nice landing place in the Essex marshes.
Here the first example of the working of the law of
forces was exemplified. A large sample of the local
police force was mustered on the spot to uphold the
law, and we had therefore to go on board once more
and steam off lower down the river. The result of
this first experiment did not give general satisfac-
tion, I am afraid.
" Our second selection of a landing-place was
more fortunate. We pitched on a secluded meadow,
promptly marked out with stakes
where a space was
and ropes for the exhibition.
" The two professors —men who have long been
honoured for their science—proceeded at once with
the experiments which it had been arranged should
be conducted by them.
" After shaking hands in a friendly manner—an
expression of good feeling which scientific men
rarely, I fear, display (science has its jealousies, you
know)—they began to exhibit the working of the
muscular forces, as exemplified in the biceps more
particularly. As they gradually became more and
more interested in the experiment, the display of
conflicting forces formed a spectacle of such over-
whelming intensity that the audience could with
difficulty be induced to behave itself. One of the
Bishops I have spoken of became, in particular, so
excited that he could scarcely be restrained from
improvising a few experiments on dynamics with an
m.r., who represents a large hardware consti-
tuency, and who, despite his p.;aceful garb, is con-
sidered an active and energetic cultivator of science.
" A lecture, recently delivered at the Royal Insti-
tution by Professor Tyndall, has established a con-
nection between combustion and sound, and proved
that certain flames produce certain notes. Our ex-
periments proved that a proper demonstration of
the law of forces produces not only sound but colour.
One of the professors, for instance, brought into
action the force of the biceps by straightening his
arm briskly in a horizonal direction from his shoulder.
Immediately a crepitant sound was produced, and
shortly after an unmistakable tinge of red, changing
subsequently to all the colours of the prismatic
spectrum, was observable in the region of the
second professor's eye.
" I regret to say at this point the police again
interfered, and this truly valuable and interesting
series of experiments was brought to a premature
close. The loss to science is irreparable
" The expenses of the trip have somewhat drained
my purse, and I shall therefore be deeply indebted
to you, my respected parent, for an early remit-
tance. I feel assured that you will not begrudge
the sum I have expended on this scientific excursion.
It is to be greatly regretted that the mistaken zeal
of the local constabulary—a most uneducated body
—should have been permitted to interfere with our
attempt to popularise science."

PROPERTY IN THE STRAND.—The High Bailiff of
Westminster (Mr. Scott Turner) presided over a
jury at the old Insolvent Debtors' Court yesterday, in a
compensation claim—" Reeves and Turner v. the Royal
Commissioners of the Now Law Courts," which was partly
heard on a former occasion. The claim exceeded £6,000,
for leasehold premises, No. 238, Strand, adjoining Temple-
bar, and the loss consequent on removal. The claimants,
as booksellers, had established a business, and the profits
were yearly increasing. They could not procure other pre-
mises, and anticipated that they should sustain.a loss, and
that out of a stock of 30,000, about 20,000 volumes would
have to be sold by auction. The value of property in the
Strand had greatly increased, and the present rental value
of the house in question was estimated at £420 a year.
An instance was given of the rise of property in the fact
that Mr. Ascher, a tobacconist at Westminster Broadway,
wkose premises had been demolished by the Metropolitan
District Railway, had taken a place in the Strand, at the
corner of Surrey-street, and had to pay as a premium £550,
and to expend £6,000 on new premises, and then to pay a
rental of £350, which would make the house about £720 a
year. Mr. Lloyd (with whom was Mr. Konealy), for the
claimants, represented the case as one of peculiar hardship.
They had established a business, and were patronised by
the legal profession, and by their removal would suffer a
great loss. The High Bailiff having briefly pointed out to
the jury the nature of the evidence, they retired, and on
their return gate a verdict for £3,000.