The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-06 00:00:00

Metropolitan Water Supply.

On Thursday a very important meeting of representa-
tives of the various metropolitan parishes was held in the
new Vestry-hall of Islington, for the purpose of considering
the present unsatisfactory state of the water supply of the
metropolis, and taking such steps as they might deem
necessary for demanding, either of the Government or the
Legislature, some speedy remedy for existing evils.
Dr. Harvey, of Islington, presided, and there was a nume-
rous attendance of representatives of various metropolitan
vestries and district boards. The whole of the water com-
panies had also been invited to send representatives, in order
that they might hear the grievances which it was felt the
metropolis Suffered under; but letters were read from nearly
every one of them declining to do so. A letter was also
read from Mr. Thompson Hankey, M.P., expressing his
deep sympathy in the objects of the meeting.
_

The CIUMMAN remarked that this was an adjourned
meeting, but before they entered into any discussion he
thought they had better hear a Parliamentary paper read,
which represented in what position the companies were
in May last, when they were called upon, in obedience to a
Parliamentary order, to answer certain questions put to
them through the Local Government Act Office.
Mr. BERRY, assistant vestry clerk of Islington, who acted
as secretary to the meeting, read this document, showing
the present source of supply, number of reservoirs, filters,
pumping arrangement, number of tenements supplied, rates
of charges, modes of supply, whether constant or inter-
mittent, &c. ; how far the 15th sec. of the Metropolitan
Water Act, 15th and 16th Vic., cap. 84, had been complied
with ; what regulations had been made by the church-
wa,rdens,i under the 27th sec.; what complaints had been
made as to quantity and quality of water supplied under the
9th sec., &c. The answers to these questions were gene-
rally unsatisfactory ; but with the exception of the East
London, they all declared thatno complaints or requisitions
had been formally made as to the quantity and quality of
the water supplied. They most of them declared that they
gave supplies on Sunday morning where required in poor
districts, and were prepared to give constant instead of in-
termittent supplies if guaranteed against waste.
Mr. SUFFIELD, of Bermondsey, said on the memorial of
the vestry of that parish Capt. Tyler was sent by the Board
of Trade to inspect the works of the East London Water
Company, and new filter beds were ordered, but there was
not much improvement. The fact was, it was no use deal-
ing with these water companies ; but they should either
appeal to the Secretary of State or some other department
of the Government to secure a constant and pure supply.
The public health demanded it. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. ARMSTRONG, of Chelsea, said the fact was, their de-
mands might be summed up in a sentence. A constant sup-
ply of pure water at a reasonable rate. No doubt the East
London Company gave the worst and most impure supply,
and they ought to be rigidly watched. Mr. Hankey, M.P.,
had taken much interest in this matter, but he had been
told in Parliament there was no real complaint. The failure
was in the act which entrusted these complaints to church-
wardens. The vestries and district boards ought to go for
powers to compel the companies to give a pure and constant
supply, as it was admitted on all hands it was impossible
to carry out any sanatory arrangements efficiently without.
(Hear.) He begged, in the first instance, to move, " That
Mr. Henley be informed of the resolutions passed at the
previous and at the present delegate meeting."

Mr. GRAMMANT, of Camberwell, seconded the motion, and
contended that, by the present mode of distributing water,
it was always stagnant and impure,whilst a constant supply
would entirely remedy those evils.
The motion was carried.

Mr. LLOYD, of Plumstead, considered that nothing would
enable the people of the metropolis to bring these water com-
panies to their senses but the interference of Parliament ;
and he moved a resolution to the effect that it be recom-
mended to the various vestries and district boards to em-
power that meeting of delegates to prepare a bill and give
the necessary legal notices, with the view of obtaining an
act of Parliament requiring a constant supply of water in
the metropolis and its environs.
The motion having been seconded,
Sir E. Pzititorr and several other gentlemen remarked
upon the fact that the doctors were crying out in
every direction that it was mainly impure water that was
the cause of cholera, and that the want of proper sanatory
regulations was another evil. Pure water and a plentiful
supply was the remedy in both cases, and it was the duty of
the Government to compel what was required to be done.
Mr. DENNY, of Camberwell, Mr. SUFFIELD, and others
arguel that it would be useless to go to Parliament with a
bill for doing what was stated without they were prepared
to prove that all the powers to compel the water coin-
panics to do their duty under the existing acts of Parlia-
ment had been exhausted. They contended that this had
not been done, if the returns axade by the companies to
the order of Parliament referred to were truthful. Let the
complaints of the want of a constant and purer supply bo
made in an utimistakeable manner, and then, if the com-
panies refused to comply, their ground of no complaint
would be cut from under them.

The CHAIRMAN observed that he was bound in justice to
say that whenever the New River Company were applied to
for an extra or Sunday supply in poor districts, they had
cheerfully complied. Other delegates said the same re-
marks would apply to the West Middlesex and Chelsea
Companies. _

Alter a very long discussion the motion was carried.
Mr. HERBERT, St. George's-in-the-East, moved the third
resolution—" That a memorial to the Secretary of state b 3

prepared and signed by the chairman, urging upon him
the necessity of removing the difficulty at present existing
owing to provisions of the Water Companies Acts in com-
pelling a constant supply of water, and that a deputation
be appointed to present the same, and support the views of
the meeting." He represented a district which suffered,
possibly, more severely than.any other from the want of a
pure and efficient water supply, and unless something was
done they could never hope for health. "(Hear, hear.)

Mr. Box, Camberwell, seconded, and the resolution was
ultimately catTiod.

Dr. Harvey, Dr. Rendall, and Mr. Cuffin worn appointed
to draw up the memorial, and submit the same to a further
adjourned meeting.

Thanks to tho chairman then closed the proceedings

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC: JOURNALS.

TIMES.—The story of the Mhow Court-Martial,
and the subsequent proceedings in this country, so
familiar to every one during the winter of 1863-4,
is perhaps but faintly remembered, except by the
few who were personally concerned in it. Memories
are short in these busy days, and the rapid succession
of demands on our interests and sympathies makes
three years a long time to look back. It would be
well if impressions, and especially injurious impres-
sions, did not often survive the recollection of their
causes. The consequences of having been connected
with some painful affair may remain long after all
its circumstances have passed into oblivion, and an
unfounded accusation, though refuted as soon as
preferred, may affect a man's reputation and happi-
ness for life. It is to be feared that Col. Crawley,
though fully acquitted of theserious charges brought
against him, has suffered grievously under the opera-
tion of this one-sided law of amnesty. The particular
facts alleged by the prosecution, as well as, the
crushing evidence adduced in his defence, are mostly
forgotten, but his name is associated in the public
mind with cruelty and oppression, and nine out of
ten people who think of him at all probably think of
him as a tyrannical and justly unpopular officer,who,
though probably innocent of Sergeant-Major Lilley's
death, should never have been allowed to resume
command of the Inniskilling Dragoons. It is seldom
that an opportunity occurs of redressing a wrong of
this kind, for no man has a legal right to the good
opinion of his countrymen, nor will the most con-
spicuous public services always suffice to retrieve it.
In this case, however, such an opportunity is pre-
sented by an incident which no one could have fore-
seen. On August 14th last Col. Crawley, who is
still with his regiment stationed at Mhow, had the
misfortune to lose his wife. This lady appears to
have been greatly respected and beloved by men as
well as officers, all of whom attended her funeral, and
joined in subscribing for a monument to be erected
to her memory. The addresses in which this desire
was communicated to Colonel Crawley, through
the Sergeant-Major on behalf of the whole body of
non-cotnissioned officers and soldiers, and through
Major
Thesiger on behalf of the whole body of com-
missioned officers, now lie before us, and indicate so
clear the feeling of the regiment towards their colo-
nel that we think it but an act of justice, under the
circumstances, to quote a part of them. After ex-
pressing their admiration and esteem for the de-
ceased lady, the men—comrades, be it remembered,
of Lilley--proceed to speak of her as one who had
" shown herself worthy of being the helpmate,
through all his trials, of one of the noblest com-
manding officers in the British service, and expressly
allude to her devoted support of him during his pro-
secution. The officers' letter is in a like spirit, nega-
tiving, as far as words can, the continuance of that
ill-feeling which existed before the inquiry, and
which it was thought would be aggravated after
Colonel Crawley's return. His reply, after making
every allowance f)r the language of strong emotion,
tells the same story. He speaks without reserve of
what he owed to -his wife while the court-martial
was pending, laments her loss " at the very moment
when these troubles appeared to have ceased, and
the promise of a brighter future seemed opened out
before us," and acknowledges with heartfelt grati-
tude the unbounded kindness shown him "by every
individual in the regiment." We have no wish to
exaggerate the importance of a correspondence of
this nature, but it certainly implies the most friendly
relations and mutual confidence between Colonel
Crawley and all ranks under his command. It
leads almost irresistibly to the inference that he was
not chiefly responsible for the scandals disclosed by
the investigation, but that, on the removal of certain
disturbing elements, the harmony of the regiment
was easily restored. Had we not good reason to
believe that such has been the fact, we might have
scrupled to call attention to documents expressive
of personal condolence, but which tend, at least, t,
justify retrospectively the verdict of the court-
martial.

ANGLO-AMERICAN TIMES. - The Times avails
itself of Lord Stanley's speech at the Liverpool
banquet to revert to the subject of the United
States claims against England for , the depre-
dations of the Alabama. The proposition of the
leading journal is, perhaps, the best solution of the
difficulty. It amounts to this—that a joint com-
mittee be appointed to deliberate on the rights and
duties of neutrals in time of war, and to devise
rules which all maritime nations should be invited
to adopt and carry out by legislative measures.
The commission should include eminent continental
jurists, and be invested with the amplest liberty of
recommendation. So far for the future. But the
Times proposes to utilise the recommendations of
this commission with reference to the Alabama
claims, by bringing the depredations of that cruiser
to the verdict of the new laws contemplated. If,
says that journal, upon the perusal of their report,
her Majesty's Government should be of opinion
that, under the circumstances, some reparation is
due either in international law or in international
equity to the United States in respect to the Alabama,
it will not be too late to make it, and no false pride
should prevent our doing so with good grace.
Two great objects would be secured if both
nations loyally carried out this proposal. In the
first place, the future would be secured, as far as
human action can secure it against such shameful acts
of piracy. A nation, when bound alike by interna-
tional law and honour to make good the damage
perpetrated on the commerce of another nation by
a cruiser illegally leaving its ports, would take care
that no such vessels should be fitted out within its
jurisdiction. The effect would practically give to
all countries the strongest possible guarantee
against so wanton and shameful a destruction
of its commerce. In the second place, a
very bitter cause of feud between the two leading
maritime nations would be removed. No step could
more tend to conciliate the United States than a
frank acknowledgment of error by the Government
of Great Britain, and recompense to the sufferers
injured by the alleged neglect. As the Times says,
Mr. Adams's representation to Lord Russell was
in the nature of a legal demand, and it was properly
met by a legal demurrer. It was practically granted
that our law had been violated in the equipment of
the Alabama, and the commercial marine of the
United States had suffered grievous injury thereby.
The Alabama would never have got to sea but for
the inopportune illness of the Queen's Advocate.
That she did get to sea, if not the fault, is at any
rite the misfortune, of the Queen's Government.
As the case now stands the misfortune fell on the
people and commerce of the United States, who are
thus made to bear the penalty of the shortcomings
of her' Majesty's advisers. It is the business of the
British people to see that their law cannot be vio-
lated because au officer of their Government is ill,
and if it be violated it is they who should bear the
burden, and not another people with whom we are
supposed to be on the most friendly terms. It is
the latter consideration that has so keenly touched
the sensitive nature of the American people. They
allege that the British people were not actuated by
friendly feelings. They state that not only was the
Alabama illegally fitted out and permitted to go
to sea from one of our ports, but that she
received countenance and support in her disas-
trous career throughout the British Empire. It
cannot be denied that the public statements, at
least of the sentiments of the British people, as a
whole were against the Government of the United
States, and favourable to the Rebellion. And, as
we have shown elsewhere, this was due to the ma-
chinations of the Tory party. Lord Stanley, in
his late speech at Liverpool, almost acknowledged
this, when he deprecated the hasty, partial, and
passionate criticism of their institutions, which
Americans attribute to English Conservatives. As
the real originators of the dilemma, the amende
would come better from a Tory Government than
from a Liberal one, although the actual catastrophe
occurred while the Liberals were in power. No
better opportunity could be afforded than the pre-
sent of settling for ever the Alabama claims. Lord
Stanley can do it with honour, and without dero-
gating from the dignity of the nation, and the Con-
servatives, who were the authors of the terrible
blunders, can without compromising their party
acknowledge their error, and tender with a free
and open hand restitution for the consequences
which their own fatal mistakes entailed on the coun-
try. The case is one which does not admit of delay.
Although just now out of sight, the grievance,
though unseen, is growing vigorously. Every day
its roots are strikingdeeper, and every day brings the
baneful weed nearer to the season when it will bear
most noxious fruit. A farmer knows that thistles
should be uprooted and destroyed before they have
time to spread to the grievous injury of his crop.
If he be wise he does not haggle over the
terms• required to eradicate the evil, know-
ing that hereafter the injury and expense
will be multiplied indefinitely. We hope that
the question will not be burked. It will lie over
during the period of trial, while the United States
arc reconstructing their Union. When that is ac-'
..,

10.11•=11
complished, if England does not move, the United
States will bring forward these claims with renewed
determination. Against a demand made with a
menace England must in honour resist, and the
question will at once be removed beyond the bounds
of graceful concession. The dilemma will then be
not only painful, but dangerous. England will be
coverinc, an acknowledged wrong by a declaration
that she is bound in honour to uphold her legal
rights ; and America, when the demand is again
made, can scarcely recede from the position she takes
up. The question will be further complicated by
the fact that it has already been argued out. Even
the last resource before an appeal to arms will be
barred, because England has refused to submit the
matter to arbitration. We view the position with
real alarm, and would most earnestly urge on her
Majesty's Government the propriety of grasping
the opportunity now presented to settle for ever this
miserable affair.

The Mysterious Case of 2, isoning a
Barmaid in Sin opshire•

OAKENGATES, NEAR, WELLINGTON, Friday Night.
This morning the inquest on the body of Harriet Tim-
brell, aged 33, who was up to the time of her death on
Monday, the 13th of August last, barmaid and housekeeper
at the Hand and Hammer Inn, was resumed by Mr. R. D.
Newill, the coroner for the county.
Frances Brown, a nurse at Oakengates, said she had known
the deceased for the past nine months, and soon after six on
Monday morning the 13th Aug., was called to see her. She
was in bed, and said, " Oh, what is the matter ? I am very
ill. Give me something to drink, and hold me tight." She
suffered from twitching of the body, which was worse in
the afternoon, witness and the servant in the house remain-
ing with her till she died. She had no pain but suffered from
excessive thirst. She died about three o'clock. She said very
little on the day of her death, only, "Oh, my mother.
What will my dear mother say ?" and this she repeated
very often. Medicine was given to her from Mr. Harley's,
the druggist. She vomited after that.

Lucy Garbett, wife of the proprietor of the Hand and
Hammer, deposed that deceased said on the Saturday tha t
she was going to Liverpool to see her brother off to Ame-
rica, and that she should afterwards go to Tewkesbury to
see her friends. She was then in good health, and witness
heard of her illness on Monday and went to her. Observing
the twitching she (witness) asked deceased if she ever suf-
fered in that way before, and she said no, but had heart dis-
ease. She told witness, in reply to a question, that she was
not in any trouble. Witness was not aware she was in the
family way. No papers or letters wero found in her boxes,
nor had she, as far as witness know, any Acquaintances.
Sampson Pitchford stated—l slept in the house. I saw
deceased many times on Saturday; she was just as usual. In
the afternoon of that day I went to Wellington, and re-
turned about 9 o'clock, The deceased had broad and cheese,
with porter, for supper, and went to bed at half-past 10, in
apparently her usual health. She had asked to be called
early on the Monday morning, and on mygoing to her bed
room to call her at 6 o'clock I heard a moaning. 1 knocked
and afterwards partly opened the door. She said, "Is that
you, Sampson? lam very unwell." I asked her what I
could get for her, and she said some water. I called the ser-
vant, Jane Jones, and she went into the room. I took some
water into her room, and gave her a little. I then fetched
Mrs. Brown. On the Tuesday week she went to Shiffnal,
and told me she wanted something there she could not get
at Oakengates. I asked her why she had been, as it was so
wet. I was at Wellington the day before she died. I slept at
home in Oakengates on the Sunday night. My bed room was
next to hers. I was not in the habit of calling her in the
morning. I never tried her door, nor do I know whether
she kept it locked or not. Ido not know that she had any
near acquaintance besides myself. I served my time with
Mr. Harley, the druggist, and know the use of drugs. I was
with him four years. I did not know she was in the family
way till I was told now. I did not sleep with her on the
night of her return from Shiffnal.

Wm. Marrion, assistant to Mr. Harley, chemist at Oaken-
gates, proved that the servant at the Hand and Hammer
applied for some poison about two months prior to the 14th
of August to kill vermin, and on his refusing Harriet Tim-
bre' herself asked for arsenic or strychnine, which he (wit-
ness) declined to supply, and told Mr. Harley of her request,
Mr. E. L. Jones and Mr. Greene, the doctors who ware
called in, gave evidence of the fact of her illness, and the
last-named gentleman, who made the post mortem exami-
nation, proved that death had not resulted from natural
causes, but the symptoms wore such as were caused by
strychnine.

Henry Enfield Roscoe deposed that he was Professor of
Chemistry at the Royal Collage, Manchester, and Fellow
of the Royal Society. He had examined the contents of a
stomach, where he found strychnine in more than sufficient
quantity to destroy life. .

By Mr. Cooke—lf repeated doses had been given, the
symptoms of tetanic convulsions would have been observed.
The dose was a small one, from her living nine hours. It
was difficult to tell how much was in the system, but he
should thick, from what had heed found, that the strych-
nine had been taken half an hour before she was found.
After some further evidence,
The Coroner summed up. He said the case was most
mysterious and important. The adjournments for further
inquiry had only resulted in attempts at concealment on the
part of some of the witnesses that shrouded the case still
further than ever in doubt, and were fully calculated to
increase instead of allay the observations and discussions
that had arisen. The learned gentleman then went through
the whole of the evidence at great length, and ultimately
the jury found the following verdict :—That the deceased,
Harriet Timbrel, was found dying and did die from the
mortal effects of poisoning by the administration of strych-
nine, but how, by whom, or under what circumstances it
was administered there was no sufficient evidence before
the jury to show ; and the jury further say that they much
regret that many of the witnesses have given their evidence
most reluctantly and contradictorily.
The inquiry then closed.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

e -

WAKEFIELD.-FitmAr.

The wheat trade is quiet to-day owing to the high rates
asked. .A few parcels of very fine new fetch the rates of
Friday last, and other sorts aro rather lower. Fine bar-
ley fully maintainslate rates, but damp parcels sold slowly.
Beans and oats firm.