The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-27 00:00:00

went through the campaign of Russia, and that of
1815. I was made prisoner at the close of 1813. I
was at Waterloo. I was wounded during the de-
fence of Paris in 1815. I had a leg fractured by a
musket ball at the siege of Algiers in 1830. My
commanding officers said they were satisfied with
me at the siege of Antwerp in 1832 ; and the Em-
peror said he was satisfied with me at the siege of
Rome. Such, sir, is my history almost complete. I
should be greatly pleased if you find in it any proofs
of a community of origin between your family and
mine. I pray you to receive the assurance of my
perfect esteem, and to believe me your devoted ser-
vant, " MASIIAL VAILLANT."

THE LEA VALLEY.

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Yesterday a conference, attended by magistrates
and representatives of the local authorities of the
wide-spreading districts surrounding the Lea Valley
—an area almost equal to that of the metropolis
itself—was held at the Tottenham High Cross-
rooms, for the purpose of considering the impor-
tant question of uniting the districts in one general
system of drainage, similar to that of the scheme
adopted in the metropolis—a question which in its
bearings is of more than metropolitan interest.
The question in some measure arises from the
late outbreak of cholera, which drew public
attention to the foul state of the river Lea, that
stream having changed from a river celebrated
in song as " silvery" to little better than an open
sewer, the extra-metropolitan north and nor th-eastern
districts—those not taken in by the metropolitan
main drainage scheme—freely draining into it. The
Tottenham Local Board of Health have had au in-
terim injunction obtained against it by the River
Lea Trust, to prevent it draining further into the
Lea, and the board, whose district is as freely drained
into by the districts higher up, called this very
necessary conference. There were present representa-
tives from Frien Barnet, Finchley, Highgate, Horn-
sey, Hackney, Enfield, besides those of Tottenham,
Mr. Healey, of the Metropolitan Board, Mr. Bod-
kin, Mr. Wyatt, Col. Jeakes, and other magis-
trates. Dr. Hall, the chairman of the Tottenham
Board of Health, occupied the chair, and in his
opening observations referred to a circular issued
by the board in calling the conference, pointing out
the necessity for these large and widespreading dis-
tricts being united in whatever was undertaken in
the way of sanitary improvement, so that they
might have one scheme instead of mere abortive
local efforts. He said the importance of the ques-
tion was proved by the influential gathering there
to consider this question, which had become the
great' social question of the day. Tottenham, he
said, had always been in the van of sanitary reform,
for when he as medical officer upwards of 20 years
since, seeing the great amount of preventible dis-
ease which prevailed in the district, reported upon
the matter, the district was one of the first to adopt
the Health of Towns' Act, which was afterwards
passed—namely, in 1848. Works were erected,
and the district started with the pipe system o
drainage and a constant supply of water, the sew•
age to be a source of profit by conversion into Bri•

tish guano. The works acted well ; but the guano
part of the scheme was a delusion, and as the popu-
lation increased very fast in this and the surround-
ing districts so the difficulties arose. The district
found itself able to deal with its own sewage, but it
was invaded in all quarters (it being between most
of the other districts and the rivers Lea and Thames),
and was at the present time virtually deprived of an
outfall, being thus brought, after an outlay of
£60,000, to a complete dead lock. What was the
case of Tottenham to-day might be the case of the
other districts to-morrow ; and it therefore behoved
them all to ccmbine to save themselves from falling
into the same difficulties. He urged them to con-
fine their attention to three points—the first, whe-
ther there was any scheme which would enable each
district to practically deodorize its sewage, and so
keep each from being a nuisance to the other ; se-
cond, whether any combined representation to the
Government would obtain the united districts an
outfall in the Metropolitan system ; and,
third, failing these, whether by combined
action the districts could not adopt an
independent outfall. Mr. Wyatt, the chairman of

the Coluey Hatch Lunatic Asylum Committee, ad-
dressing himself to the first question, stated that
this subject had engaged the attention of the magis-
trates, and schemes had been tried. One, which
was very promising, and which had been mentioned
by the chairman, had proved an utter failure, the
cost of deodorising being very great indeed. Mr.
Healey, on the part of the Metropolitan Board, said
that there could be no doubt the works at Barking
were able to take the additional drainage of this
district ; but he thought it questionable whether
they would be able to take the whole of the outly-
ing districts of North London,which would want to
come in if an application were made to Parliament
for that purpose. These answers disposed of the
first two points, and the meeting then addressed
itself to considering a scheme, and it was proposed
to consider one drawn up by Mr. B. Denton, an
engineer, who had had his attention drawn to the
subject by neighbouring landowners, who were de-
sirous of turning some marshes into building sites,
and had considered the whole subject. It was urged
on one hand that several of the districts had consi-
dered the question, and each had found its power-
lessness to proceed without combination with its
neighbours ; but they each had schemes. It was at
length resolved to form a committee of the repre-
sentatives of the districts, to give them power to
consider the question in all its bearings, so as to be
able to report upon and recommend some practical
measure to a further meeting of the conference. A
vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the pro-
ceedings.

MARIE TS. —This day.

HAY.

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S3LITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £3 Os to £4 5s ; clover,
£1 lOs to £5 15s 0(1; and straw, £1 16s to .£2 4s per load.
A moderate demand.
CUMBFdtLAND.—licadow hay, £3 5s to £4 8s Od; clover,
£4 10s to £5 15s; and straw, £1 18s to £2 5s per load.
A fair inquiry.
WHITECHAPEL.-31eadow hay, £3 Os to £4 5s ; clover,
£4 lOs to £5 15s Od ; and straw, £1 16s to .£2 4s per load.
Trade quiet.