The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-29 00:00:00

pations predicted of them. He hoped next session a
committee would be appointed an this important sub-
ject.

Sir F. SMITH supported the present system. Every
department was doing its best, and he expected groat
improvement in the service during the ensuing year.
The subject then dropped.
GRENEWICII HOSPITAL.
Sir C. NAPIER moved that it was the opinion of
this house that the sailors and marines in Greenwich
Hospital should be allowed to receive their pensions for
wounds and injuries in the same manner as officers.
Sir J. PAKINGTON asked the hon. and gallant
officer to postpone his motion till a later period. His
(Sir J. Pakington's) attention had been called to the
grievance complained of. It bore particularly on the
married men, whose wives, on their going into the hos-
pital, bad to go into the workhouse. That was a state
of things that ought not to exist, and he had caused an
inquiry to be made into the subject, and as it was under
the investigation of the Admiralty he hoped the hon.
and gallant admiral would not press his motion. The
regulations required alteration.
Sir C. NAPIER expressed his satisfaction at the
statement of the right hon, baronet, and withdrew his
motion.
The motion was then withdrawn.
THE PESTILENTIAL STATE OF THE THAMES.
Mr. ROUPELL rose to call the attention of the
house to the noxious state of the Thames, and to move,
" that the house considers it the duty of the executive
Government to take immediate measures for abating
We dangerous nuisance." The hon. gentleman said the
difficulty the house were in arose from their having
made that a local which was essentially an imperial
question. ("Hear," and "No, no.") If it were not
an imperial question, on what principle could they justify
the veto they bad given the First Commissioner of
Works upon the plans of the Metropolitan Board— (hear)
—or how could they justify the levying of the special
metropolitan taxes, such as the coal tax. the duty on omni-
buses dird_citbs, which amounted to 160,0001. a year, and
other imposts ? (Hear. hear.) He might be told of
such towers as Hull, Liverpool, and Birkenhead, and
the works of public improvement which had been carried
out at the expense of those places. Bat these works
had not been effected by direct local taxation, but by
taxes on shipping and other similar modes of levying
the cost upon the general trade of the country. (Hear.)
At the present moment, however, the metropolis was
called upon to execute at its own cost great works of
public utility. They were told that they must take
their sewage to Sea Reach, or to the German Ocean ;
and he had no doubt some hon. gentleman would be
disposed to have it carried still further. (Question.)
Anyhow it was to be a grand work, and to cost money.
But how was it possible to raise the sum that would be
required, say from 10 to 15 millions, by direct local
taxation t They might just as well attempt to raise the
whole revenue of the country by an income tax of from
108. to 12,,. in the pound. (Hear, hear.) He was not
arguing that the veto of the Government wpm( the plans
of the Board of Works should be removed. Oa the
contrary, be should look with great suspicion on any
proposition of the kind ; and he considered that the
late First Commissioner (Sir B. Hall). deserved great
credit for refusing to sanction the plans which had been
submitted to him, and which were contrary to the Act
of Parliament. (Hear.) He would remind the house
that what was wanted was an immediate remedy ;
whereas the plans that had been proposed for relieving
the remedy would take from five to seven years, in
which time half the inhabitants might be poisoned.
He should now move hie amendment, with a view to
test the feelings of the house ; but on another occasion
be should propose that the Thames Commissioner be
made permanent, and have power to act in conjunction
with the Chief Commissioner of Works and the Board
of Conservancy, for the purification of the river and the
improvement of its banks. (Hear, hear.)
Sir 3. PAXTON, in seconding the motion, observed
that the improvements at Birkenhead had been chiefly
carried out by himself, and not a farthing had been raised
for that purpose except by local taxation, (Hear.) With
regard to the Thames, he had spent the whole of Satur-
day last in investigating the subject, and be had come
to the conclusion that a very efficient remedy mig';t
be
found for at all events the greater proportion of the nui-
sance. He had communicated his views to Mr. Bidder,
who had given his attention to the (milk ct for many
months, and Mr. Bidder had told him that the plan met
with hie confidence, although it was not a new proposal,
but one thet been cornmunictted to the Board of Works
last year. It was that lime should be put into the prin-
cipal sewers at about three-quarteres of a mile from the
Thames ; so that by the time it reached the river the
se wage would be cerneletely deodorised. To be sure
this plan would discolour the water and it would kill the
fish. (A laugh.) All deodorising schemes involved the
destruction of the fish ; but, after all, what they wanted
was that people should not be killed. (Hear.) lie ba-
lieved that if this plan were adopted, the river woulit in
eight and forty hogs be in a very different condition.
(Hear, hear.)
Lerd J. MANNERS had no intention to enter into
the wide question which had been submitted to them by
the hon. member for Lambeth ; but the bouse would no
doubt like to know what steps would be taken by her
Majesty's Government to abate the serious evil com-
plained of. (Hear.) On Saturday last he (the noble
lord) communicated with the Metropolitan Board of
Works, and authorised them to apply lime in the man-
ner the hon. gentleman the member for Coventry bad
suggested ; and he bad every reason to hope that the
board would apply the remedy without delay, to all the
chief sewers of the metropolis, (hoer.) The Goveria
meta. had also instructed two oftin..rs of the Board of
Health to visit and inspect the docks ; and if these gen-
tlemen .ho-ild suggest any measures as likely to remove
Vie ex s ing evils, the Goverument would be prepared to
take whatever step might be ueueseary for that purpose,
( dear.) Solar, however, as they Overeat present informed,
It did not seem likely that the state of the docks would
have any material effect unoo the state of the river.
(Hear, hear.) When the htetropolitan Board of Works
proposed to the Government any general scheme which
seemed likely to effect the ends they had in view, it
would receive immediate consideration, and the Govern-
ment would not hesitate to afford every facility for
carrying that scheme into effect. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. TITE hoped that the measures which were being
taken for the purpose of affording temporary relief would
not hinder the prompt adopdon of a permanent scheme,
especially as he could not conceive that they would not
fail, The opinion of Mr. Stephenson, Mr. Uubitt, and
other eminent engineers was that there west be a great
intercepting sewer. There was no help for it—that
scheme must be carried out ; and it seemed to him that
a much less cumbrous body than the Board of Works
would be required.- If the Government would borrow
the money and charge it on the rates, he was satisfied
that it could be obtained at a very much lower rate of
eeet than +he board could borrow it at themselves.
Tee sum be aUUuI;!, .011.1
spread over thirty or forty years, would not add a very
serious additional burden to the rates. (dear, hear.)
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the
amendment applied to an immediate remedy, and not to
works of a permanent character such as those which the
hon. gentleman who spoke last had referred to; and it
would be extremely inconvenient, by discussing the
latter, to stop the committee of supply. (Hear, bear.)
He could assure the bonne that so far as immediate
remedies went, her Majesty's Government had taken the
most vigorous measures. They bad sanctioned, on the
previous Saturday, plans which would require 200 or
250 tons of lime every day, and which could not be
carried out for less than 1,500/ a week.
Mr. COX announced his intention to take the sense
of the house at the earliest day on the question whether
the whole cost of the permanent works should he thrown
upon the metropolis ? For his own part, he would never
consent to tax the metropolitan ratepayers 2/. in the
pound for twenty years for the main drainage of Lon-
don.

Mr. BLACKBURN hoped the bon. gentleman would
take as early a day as possible. (hear.) It seemed to
him only sirnplo justice that the house should refuse to
give the inhabitants of the metropolis a single farthing
towards cleansing the river which they themselves spoilt.
Sir J. SHELLEY said that the inhabitants of the
metropolis dii not objeot to pay for the drainage of their
own district, but they objected to pay for carrying the
eemage five or six miles below that district. He took it
for granted that the G.iveroment would pay out, of the
Consolidated Fund the 1,50 C/. a week to which the right
hon. gentleman had referred, b2causc they had no power
whatever to direc:, the Board of Work-, in what way it
should expend the money it bad raised by rates. (Hear.)
Mr. J. LOCKE agreed with the hon. baronet that the
Government could not interfere in the expenditure of the
rates raised by the Board of Works. It was clearly a
matter of impossibility to levy a metropolitan rate suffi-
cient for the purification Of the Thames. It would in fact
be a c mfiscation of property, as the present rates were
so heavy that they had put a stop to all improvements,'
If they hail any rate, it should be an imperia; one. How
had this nuisance occurred ? Formerly, before this stench
arose, London was drained in the ordinary manner by
cesspools ; but an act of Parliament was passel compel-
ling every parish to drain into the river. The House of
Commons had done the mischief, and the House of Com-
mons should find the remedy by levying a fair uniform
rate on the whole community. He was swisfied that the
various constituencies who were so attached to their
members would not grumble at anything thaecontributed
to their comfort.
Mr. BENTINCK said that the case had now become
intelligible. It was clear that the metropolitan members
would not consent to a metropolitan, rate, and he on his
part could inform them that he and many other members
were equally determined that the expense el purifying
the metropolis should not be eefrayed. by the general
constituencies of the country. He was, however, willing
to assist them with a loan, provided its repayment could
be secured without the slightest chance of evasion. (A
laugh.)

Lord EBRINGTON thought the explanation of the
Chief Commissioner unsatisfactory and should like to
know who was to pay for the present palliative—he
feared imperfectly palliative—measures. Lie wa4 glad,
however, to see the ircreased interest now evinced on
metropolitan affiirs, as he remembered that when the
drainage bill was before Parliament it was discussed in
houses varying from 9 to 20 members.
The motion wa+ then withdrawn.
THE SCOREKEEPER AT WEEDON.
Col. 130LIZRO then rose to move that an bumble ad.
dress be presented to her Majesty, praying that she will
be gracioudy pleased to appoint a royal commission to in-
qinre into the system upon which the books and stock have
been respectively kept at Weedon, as well as the general
mode i❑ which tho business of the establishment at Woe-
don has been conducted, the result of such mode of con-
ducting the business, and the state of the books and stock
of strifes. The hon. and gallant member (the chairman of
the committee which has sat upon the general subject of
army clothing) proceeded to draw attention to the highly
unsatisfactory state in which the storekeeper's acconntl
had been kept. In order that these accounts might be dis-
Qatinglcd, and something like a 'milt satisfactory to the A