The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-14 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—In your impression of the 6th inst. I noticed a
letter from a correspondent, signed J. J. Cole, Esq., relat-
ing to the impurities of water occasioned by the practice of
having ono and the same cistern to serve both water-closet,
sinks, and for thinking purposes.
The remarks he makes are quite correct, but only refer
to the ad system of water-closets, which require a service
box at bottom of the cistern with a valve, which is opened
when the handle of closet is raised by means of wire and
cranks. Attached to the service box is an air pipe, which
causes the foul air to pass from the closet into the cistern.
This is entirely obviated by my patent W.C. apparatus,
as service box, wires, cranks, and air pipes are entirely
dispensed with. My patent W.C. apparatus consists of a
valve and brass air regulator attached to the closet, allow-
ing a column of water to remain in the supply pipe, which
immediately flows into the basin of the closet upon the
handle being raised. The supply pipe is fixed at the bot-
tom of supply valve, forming a dip or trap of about six
inches, and thereby preventing the possibility of any foul
air passing up the supply pipe into the cistern should the
cistern at any time become empty. The valve is a safety
one, opening with the expansion of the water in frosty
weather and preventing the pipes from bursting ; whereas,
according to the old system, the water in the pipe is en-
tirely discharged, allowing foul air to accumulate, which
forces itself into the cistern, causing the water to bo affected,
and producing the scum mentioned by your correspondent.

I beg to remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
If. G. UNDERHAY, Engineer, Clerkenwell.

The Value of British America.

(From the London Review.)

General Banks, of Massachusetts, out of his own
State, is not known to fame. In the days of the
American cilil war he was heard of for a moment as
the cause of ignominious failure and disgrace to the
Federal arms; and he subsequently attracted some
attention by his absurd conduct in connection with
the Paris Exhibition. He now comes to the surface
again, and we fiud him bringing a bill before Con-
gress to annex British North America to the Unit
ed
States. The proposal, however, that the !Jill!
' a did not ori-
ginate purchase British North America
General merely
ginate in the brain of Banks. The
inaca Mr. Jas.
gave the coinage currency. The auTtreoasury
United States
Depart-
W. Taylor, special agent of
the
ust be admitted,
meet in Minnesota, who has, f
least unfriendly feeling
Nor is it put forthrwtthte
approached the subject
hittihetbe spirit o a statesman.
L nds unconceded,the harbours
heme perfected. a
vernment of Great Britain. But nevertheless we have
a scimprove-
ments,lithouses, the canals, the river audlake
all the property of the Canadian and other Go-
vernments, with their lien on railways, are to be
t hel g
given over to the United States Government, who will
thereupon assume the debts of the province. The
transfer has only to be made, for the territorial divi-
sions are already established. Even the number of
I members to be sent to Washington is determined,
and, with two slight exceptions, viz., the consent of
the population of British America and the concur-
rence of the Imperial Government, there is nothing
to impede the measure. But as there may be some
difficulty in obtaining these conditions, the scheme
has been temporarily allowed to drop, to be revived,
doubtless, from time to time, when the Massa-