The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-24 00:00:00

THE THAMES, TO WIT.

At a respectable, well-conducted boys' school,
the dining-room, which was also that in which the
boys spent most of their time, became subject to a
disagreeable smell. No account could be given of
it. The young gentlemen were cleanly in their
habits—rather particular than otherwise. The
room was well built, the servants did their duty,
the situation was airy. It was a perfect mystery.
The master came and snuffed about ; his lady took
a whiff of it and walked out ; the builder was sure
about the drains—they were sound and well trap-
ped ; there could be no rats, for there was no open-
ing. What could it be ? As summer came on, in
spite of open doors and windows, the smell got
worse ; the boys became pale and headachy, soon
tired over their lessons, and got off their feed. By
and by two or three were taken home, and the
thing was talked about. So the master, finding all
was at stake, sent for the builder, and told him he
must find it out at any cost. As the smell could
not come from the walls or the ceiling, it must be
from the ground. The carpenter therefore ripped
off the skirting, and tore up a good piece of the
floor. Then the mystery was revealed, and was
as horrible to the eyes as to the nose. The fact
was, that through the combined efforts or neglects
of butcher, cook, and carver, the young gentlemen
had often a quantity of fat or underdone meat on
their plates. When they sent up their plates for
a second supply they found it apparently adjusted
to the unconsurned remanets from the first, and
therefore short of the new demand. A hint r
two from the master explained the fact, and took
away hope of a remedy. .So the young gentle-
men, with a legerdemain of their own, smuggled
fat and "red" under the table. After dinner they
smuggled all into one or two convenient holes
they had found in the skizting and the floor.
The practice had gone on for months and years,
and the result may be imagined. The boys had
been living, in fac, over putrefying remains
equivalent to several dead carcasses. Strange to
say, in their blessed ignorance of chemis.ry, they
never once connected the daily deposit with the
nuisance. The hole was all-devouring and bottom-
less. It might go to the heart of the earth for aught
they knew. The master was answerable for the
sweetness of the room. Of course the floor was re-
moved, the abyss emptied and purged ; and for the
future-the schoolmaster bore in mind that, though
boys have strong stoinachz, they have often delieate
palates, and like fat and " red" as little as Plofes-
sor Liebig says they ought to do.
What is this London but just a respectable, well-
conducted school, and we all a parcel of school-boys,
getting rid of a nuisance without a thought of the
consequeuccs ? We just make a hole in the floor,
and down with all, nobody knows where. Of course,
it all turns up in time, and that wi h a vengeance.
There is nothing people are so blind about as con-
sequences every step vf wh'elr is not before the eye.
In fact, that anything should ever come to light
again after being once under ground is a surprise.
There are in this country several rivers that flow
under ground for miles, and people seek a surprise
by dropping straws and bits of paper above, and
watching their reappeance ,bolow. In these cases
we look for the reappearance, and are disappointed
at ies failure. When we wish to be rid of a thing,
we forget it altogether. Add to this universal neg-
lect of consequences an almost equal thoughtlessness
as to the effect of combination, of multiplied results.
Union is force, for ill as well as for good. Here is
a nuisance to be multiplied by three millions. It is
bad enough in Ireland, where the family, the pigs,
the horse, the cow, and the poultry live in one
room, and where the filth is only occasionally trans-
ferred from the ground inside to the ground outside
the door. It is bad enough in a Swiss chalet, where
the cattle and servants sometimes occupy the ground
floor, the family that above, and thence to the roof
is all barn. An Englishman cannot sleep for the
solid stanch that pervadts that Noah's ark, and
impregnates the very timbers. No wonder half
the family are goitred. But when, instead of
one such chalet, with its accumulations of many
years, its dozen brute occupants, and half-dozen
human, we have half a million habitations all
huddled round one huge cesspool,_it may take
time to develop° the nuisance, but time will cer-
tainly de it. On this point we mey be sure as
Holy Writ that "our neglects will find us out."
If we are content with staving off the eril we shall
some day have "to eat our peck of dirt" all at
once. That means a good deal in the matter of
London. It once meant the Great Plagtie and the
Great Fire. What monstrous birth of time it will
next mean, what hideous pest or frightful scourge,
no man can now tell.

What is not yet duly apprehended is, that the
present snug, comfort Able, selfish way of getting
rid of nuisances does not get rid of them. It only
postpones and accumula.es. It is one of those
habitual delays which even Virgil says peopled
hell. It is a jointsto::k c.,mpany, with limited
liability, as we all fondly believe ; but when the
crash comes we shall all suffer. Everything indi-
cat:s A positive accumulation which must certainly
prove worse, because more active and more unbear-
able, than the dead weight of the National Debt on
England's shoulders. That which issues from the
sewers in.° the Thames is daily becoming more
deleterious. It is impregnated with .the gas we
burn in our lamps, and other gases the Toduct
of manufacture or natural putrefaction. No
settling, .no filtering, no deodorizing can ma-
terially mend it, and they who talk of these
processes can hardly know. what Thames wa•er
is between the bridges. Every known abomina-
tion, with many an unknown one, finds its
way into the sewers, or directly into the Thames.
There; as we all know, it passes and repasses before
our eyes, and it is by no means certain that
the more• solid part of what is committed to

the raver ever finds its way to the sea.
A float. dtAcing.:, up and down with the
tide affords very little indication as to matter
which settles and forms mud, or inapngnates it.
So there is absolutely no measuring how far the
aceuniiilAtion may go on, with a continual increase
in the matter, in the area, and in the variety of
noxious ingtedients. That increase must be in a
much' greater ratio than the increase of the me-
tropolis. The-eaburhs of London, the fields, the
gardens, and the waste places, to which offensive
matter was taken only a few years ago, are daily
receding, and the handiest and cheapest course for
everything is to let it down the ever-ready sewer.
So the work grows upon us. No scale that was
likely to be adopted thirty years ago would be suf-
ficient now, and the probability is, that if we do
something immediately—that is, in the course of
the next ten years, which is all the promptitude we
can expect—it will be barely sufficient by the end
of the century, unless, indeed, something comes
to stop the glowth of London.
These considerations, which are of a most sub-
stantial and practied character, indicate that the
country should apply much more earnestness and
el-1,1.2y to the subject. They show, as we conceive,
that we ought to have a much more effective ad-
reieistrat;on for the subject. The metropolitan
se;wvni,odi evidently
idest then
agtil
authorities.etsbi geny aorfe tnh
iell:2ship ought to be cot- sAueted with the view of
doing something, riot of doing nothing, which is
itiduetnedt,thwaitlltghoe
ou throwing schemes at one another to all eternity.
tranboaimi
ts
et
is,
forrs preparedaass
lwaregfseo. rearnae
very large plain,iarg etexoaoplitidhyieataturrwef—that
expenditure
incurring each week during the Russian war. B--
fore it is assumed that the nation must pay the
oewPlt:oissnesent: rival Boards
bill, 1.-t us know how much the metropolitan die-
•riet3 will hear. Thece is much more reason in
applying a coal tax to such a purpose than to the
construction of new streets in this or that ft-
voured locality. A correspondent who writes a
very able letter suggEsts that it is an absurdity
to mike the Comtnissfoner of Works a poli-
tical functionary, going in and ou'. The rea-
son of the existing practice is the infusion
of new spirit and new ideas by the change,
but the elange may be from ability and zeal

to incapacity and indifference. The real truth
is, the work is so important and critical that we
shrink from committing ourselves to any one man.
But what is to be done ? The responsibility must
not always be reason against it. It is a serious
thing to select a profession, to marry, to choose a
residence, or a school for our chiidren ; but we do
these things nevertheless. Even though the choice
may not always be the best, almost any choice is
better than no choice at all, and the worst thing we
can do is to sit still and do nothing. When, there-
fore, we have done away with the double Govern-
ment for India, may it not be time to amalgamate
and simplify the administration of Public Works as
far as the metropolis is concerned ? The present
system has the unhappy effect of multiplying ideas
and dividing the attention that should grasp and
decide upon them. A host of engineers are invited
into the controversy, and plenty of plans are put
on paper for carrying out this or that scheme ; but
the very problem to be solved has not yet been
decided on. This is not a question simply for en-
gineers, who are apt to deal too exclusively with
the material, and to put human beings out of the
question. A very good farmyard may be a very
bad neighbour, especially when it comes 'twixt the
wind and your drawing-room. A farmer does not
care for this ; he snuffs it up, and thinks of a heavy
crop. Engineers are sometimes equally biased in
favour of ingenious construction, and useful con-
version ; so let us have them, but let us also have
the best men England can find to set them the
work to be done.—Times.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—June 23.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.—WESTMINSTER.
(Sittings at Nisi Pries, before Lord Campbell.)

HANDLEY AND OTHERS V. STACY.
Mr. Edwin James, Q C., Mr. Lush, Q.C., Mr.
Godfrey (of the Chancery bar), and Mr. Gates ap-
peared for the plaintiff; and Mr. Sergeant Shee,
Mr. Huddleston, Q. C., and Mr. Needham for the
defendant.

This was an issue directel by the Court of Chan-
cery to try whether a certain paper writing, dated
the 15th of December, 1853, and which purported
to be the last will and testament of Thomas Eld-
ridge, of Tauxhall, was or was not his last will and
testament.

The plaintiffs were the next of kin of the tes-
tator, and tli-3 defendant was the devisee, who
under the will was entitled to the whole of the
testator's.property, about 10,0001., with the excep-
tion of an annuity of 1001. a-year left to the defend-
ant's youngeit daugh`er.
The defendant having to establish the will, his
case was first proceeded with, but, though it occu-
pied the whole day, it was not neatly concluded
when the court adjourned.

FOUL STATE OF THE COURT AND PASSAGES.
In the course of the day,
Mr. James called the attention of his lordship to
the foul state of the count and passages.
Lord Campbell said that, if he were assured that
the state of the atmosphere was such as to be dan-
gerous to the lives of the counsel, jurymen, and
witnesses, he should feel it to be his duty to ad-
journ the court. His lordship inquired whether
there was any medical men in court ?
Mr. John Bredall, who was attending the Court
as a witness in the cause which was being tried,
here came forward, and, being swo n, in an wer to
questions put by Lord Campell, he said he was a
surgeon, at No. 3, Moorhall place, Kennington-
lane, and had been compelled to leave the court
three times in consequence of ihe bad smells. The
atmosphere in court became irrespirable, and it was
quite as bad in the passages. The smells came
from the Thames, or from sewage of some kind.
He gave it as his opinion, as a medical man, that
it was dangerous to breathe this atmosphere. He
thought it would be dangerous to the lives of the
jurymen, counsel, and witnesses to remiiri. It
would prsduce nr:laria, and perhAps typhus fever.
Lard Catnpl;ell said that, in the di charge of his
duty, he would adj )urn the Curt ; bu, address-
ing the counsel, his lordship said that if they were
willing to remain he was quite ready to do so.
Mr. Sergeant Shoe said the counsel were ready
to do whatever his lordship thought best.
L.7..rd Campbell sail he would not keep the jury-
men against their will.

The-jury said the smelt was very offttmive in the
pas3ages, but they didnot stile!' it so much in court.
TLetrid thin proceeded.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. WESTMINSTER.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Westminster, before
Justice Cockburn, and a Common Jury.)
HELM WELL V. HOBSON AND ANOTHER.

Mr. Serge mt Hughes and Mr. Bell were for the
plaintiff ; and Mr. Mleaulay, Q C., and Mr.
Archibald for tho defendants.
This wag an action for libel brought by the libra-
rian and manager of the Derby Mechanics' Insti-
tute against the defendants, the proprietors of the
Derbyshire Advertiser. The libel complained of
was the following, paragraph, pliuted in that publi-
cation

" Mr. and Mrs. German Reel's Entertainment and
the Librarian to the Mechanics' Institute.—On Friday
evening Mr. and Mrs. German Reed gave their admi-
rable entertainment at the Lecture-ball, Derby Some
of our readers may probably have remarked that this
entertainment was not announced in the Derbyshire
Advertiser, and as the ornies ion was equally unjust to
our ioierest and Mr. and Mrs. German Reed's, we may
with propriety mention the cause of it here. It appears
(and we state the fact from a converswion with Mr.
Reed himself) that Mr. Helliwell, the librarian to the
Derby Mechaeic's Institute, received instructions from
Mr. Reed to advertise the entertainment in the D.rby
papers, and .to forward the usual free tickets to the
editor of each journal. Presuming on his position, and
thinking, perhaps, that be could with safety gratify a
personal feeling towards this j )urnal, Mr. Helliwell di--
regarded these orders. Tae advertisement was forwarded
to the Mercury and Reporter, but neither advertisement
nor ticket found its way to our office. Mr. Helliwell
should knew that he will not be allowed to pursue with
impunity a similar course cf conduct to that of which
we have had to complain. The sulject is only worth
alluding to in order to plan) professionals who may
intend to vi. it Derby on their guard, so that they may
not in future Le defrauded of that publicity which they
dosir=.."

The declaration laid the meaning to be that the
plaintiff had acted dishonestly and improperly in
his said office, and disregarded his instructions and
duty in order to gratify personal feeling towards
the defendant 4, who pleaded "Not Guilty," and
that the paragraph was true in substance and face.
It appeared that in the autumn of last year Mr.
and Mrs. German Reed, by the agency of a Mr.
Blagrove, agreed with Mr. Helliwell to give their
entertainment at Derby on certain terms, but it
seemed clear that all the arrangements. in. the
country were to be made by Mr. Helliwell, and
that, beyond expressing a wish for publicity, Mr.
Reed had given no specific instruc ions as to the
the insertion of advertisements in any.particular
paper. Mr. Carson, a reporter on the Advertiser,
finding that the paper had not received-tiny direc-
tions to advertise or any tickets for the entertain-
ment, called on Mr. Helliwell and inquired the
reason of the omission. These two gentlemen gave
a very different account of what passed at that
interview. The former stated that the plaintiff
made very inconsistent excuse?, whence he inferred
personal feeling, and the latter alleged that be told
Mr. Carson that ho should give, or that be had
giVen, the advertisement to the Telegraph, and that
he should have the next turn • that on..being asked
for ticreri he' intimated to Mr. Carson that if he
left his name on a card at the door he would be
admitted, upon which he said, "You are a rubbish-
ing lot, and I'll publish you next week." Much
contradictory evideace was adduced, a detail of
which would not interest the reader, the learned
judge several times suggesting a settlement, and
giving it as his opinion that the whole dispute was
based on a series of misunderstandings.
Mr. Macaulay, in addressing the jury for the
defence, said that it was a touch-and-go case on the
very verge of the law, which had been kept seething
and smouldering since December in London, to put
money into the pocket of Mr. Flewker, the attor-
ney for the plaintiff, and that it ought to have been
tried at Derby in March.
The Lard C.iief Justice, in summing up, re-
repeated that there had been mistakes and miscon-
ception on both sides, and that it was a great pity
that the defendantsiad not made a
raceful apology
and withdrawn' their second plea. He then went
carefully through the evidence, commenting upon
the different versions given of the conversations
between. the plaintiff and Mr. Carson, and
Tire eveutu ell
e jury found a verdict for the
plaintiff—Danriges, 251.