The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-26 00:00:00

SPAIN.

• MADRID, JUNE 24.
The Queen inaugurated this day the canal bring-
ing the waters of Loz )1a to the Spanish capital.
Yesterday a fire destroyed a, small bridge on the
Alicant Railway, about four miles from Madrid.
The circulation, momentarily interrupted, .Was re-
established this afternoon.
The journals of the 21st state that rumours of a
nainsterial crisis were again current, but that it
was believed in well informed quarters that no
change will take place until the autumn. The elec-
tions for the provincial deputations. were taking.
place, and though they are not of a political charac-
ter, almost everywhere the candidates favourable
to the Government' were returned. The 'Govern-
ment was about to undertake extensive works for
the improvement of the port of Alicant, which,
from the opening of the railway, will become of
greater c:Junnerchl importance than ever. The
harvest had commenced in several provinces, and
was very tine ; from the ecru-city of labour, land-
owners had to pay very high wages.

A St. Petersburg letter states that the Emperor
of Russia, in the coarse of his approaching visit to
Poland, is to inspect the fortresses of Alexander
CaAell and of Nowo Georgiesk.

PUTRID IiER3IENTATION OF THE
THAMES.. -

The following letters have been addressed to the
Editor of the Times :

Sir,--- The time has arrived when it is absolutely neces-
sary to call public attention in the most emphatic manner
to the groat duciger which hangs over the inhabitants of
this metropolis from the state of the river Thames, the
more ePpecially as there has been a tendency in some of the
most able writers of the day to, underrate the frightful
con,equences which may ensue from its present pestilential
condition.

The great fact has been overlooked by those who have
earnestly called attention to the subject, that the river
Thames at the present moment is in a state of general
putrid fermentation-- a state which I zan positively assert
is a new state, and one which from observation over 30
years it has neveeexhibited before.
While I write the whole river is nearly as opaque and
black as ink, and is much more offensive than the majority
of the sewers which enter into it, the animal matter of
not vr,t, imlar7on. the putrid fermentation.
Those who have le veu su i.,,.eeeeal ar 'Or
year a general deterioration of the water—a gradual dimi-
nution of the higher forms of animal life from a larger
portion of the sewage being aided to it. Year by year an
additional unpleasant odour has been superadded to the
usual odour of nearly all rivers in agitation ; but for the
whole of the river to enter into the putrid fermentation is
a new fact, the oonsequence of which we have no experi-
ence in Loudon, nor probably in any other country.
It must now be regarded as unsafe for man, woman, cr
child to venture upon our river, for no medical man can
predict who may be affected, and we cau only say that the
putrid fermentation is liable iu the highest degree to com-
municate its death-producing influence.
Cholera is now absent. Were it epidemic probably
hundreds of thousands would fa`l victims, as the whole
river is essentially worse than those sewers along which
the population was decimated. This, however, is the
most favourable time of the year for London—a powerful
current of air sweeps up the valley of the Thames, and
renders Lon,ton one of the healthiest of towns. In
August, however, and in the first week in September the
air is stagnant, and no such breeze refreshes the inhabi-
tants. In all ages epidemics have then had their sway,
and should this state continue who will dare predict the
consequences which may ensue ?
The petresceace may endanger diseases of a contagious
'type, such as fever or plague, and how great would be the
panic if a few leading men in succession were to fall a
pray ! And wo must not shut our eyos.to the fact that
causes now exist worse than ut the time of the Plague;
and therefore a destruction of life and an injury to trade
may arise which will make Londoners bitterly repine
their ' neglect of tlio;warnin,gs of -medical men in not
diverting the Sewage- froinAho great highway, of the world.
The case is row serious ant urgent, aad the treatment
presents the highest difficulties. No time can be spared for
twaddling debates of representative. councils. Some one
man should be endowed wish the powers of a general to gob
any assistance or ads/jai ho may require, and carry out such
plans yip:Q.oply as the nature of the case may require.

I remain, sir, your obedient servant,
7, Fin,bary-circug, June 23. ALFRED SMEE.

Sir,--Without vindicating the character of the Thames
t the present time, yet, with reference to the letter of
" T. G." in the Times of this morning, it may be interest-
ing to know that the fish in that river have always suf-
fered from any unusual heat in the weather. In the
Gentleman's Magazine for 1750 it is stated :—" Friday, July
13.—The excessive heat of this and some preceding days so
affected the fish in the Thames that they gathered in shoals
to the Bankeide, and buried themselves in the ooze and
mud, and were easily taken in large quantities."
Yours obediently,
Hampstead, June 25. • JAMES DAVIS.

STATE or THE TILIMES.—The following letter from
the Conservators of the Thames to the Metropolitan
Board of Wi rks was read at the meeting of the latter
at the Guildhall yesterday :—"Thames Conservancy,
June 22.--Sir,-13aviog laid your letter of the 12th
inst. before the Conservators of the River Thames, in
which you inform thein of the intention of the Metropo-
litan Board of Works to construct works for extending
the outlets cf certain main sewers under their jurisdic-
tion, through covered channels, from high to low water
rutirk, and the C,nservators having inspected the plan
submitted by Mr. Ilizslgette, I am directed to inform
you that the Conservators see no otj-ction to the works
as proposed. With referepee to the impediments to the
inshore r avigation wilMi will be caused by the tempor-
ary works requisite, it will be necessary that, as the
traffic of the river should not be interrupted more than
May be absolutely necessary, the prominent p tints of
such works than be proptly indicated by day and night;
and the Conservators have to r. quest that plans of coffer
dams and piles :say bo substituted' to them for tl.eir
approval before the same shall be carried into executLn.
I am further directed to take this opportunity of stating
tln.t it is the convicticn of the Conservators that it is
impossible for them to preserve the water of the Thames
in anything like a pure and wholesome state so long as
tho contents of the sewers of the metropolis are die
charged iut.t it. —E. EURSTAL,. Sec. Mr. G. IL Wool-
ryeh, B. W."
LUSH REPRESENTATIVE PEERAGE.—We understand
that the Earl of Bandon will succeed to the vacancy in
the Irish representative peerage oczcsioned by the la-
mented death of the Earl of Glenga!l.