The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-17 00:00:00

Metropolitan Board of Works.

Yesterday the ordinary meeting of the board was
helel at the office, Spring-gardens, Sir J. Thwaites,

chairman.

The cash balances in hands of the treasurer on
the 10th inst. amounted to £310,579 Bs. 7d. ; and
cheques ordered, but not presented, £49,912 16s. ld.
On the recommendation of the finance committee,
the sum of £29,230 ss. 3d. for public works, was
ordered to be paid, and also that the sum of £5,000
be transferred from the general deposit to the gene-
ral current account of the board.
Cheques were ordered to be drawn for £2,137
103. 3d., and paid to the metropolitan boards of
guardians for sums expended to Lady-day and
Michaelmas-day, 1865, under the Houseless Poor
Act of 1864.
Precepts were next ordered to be issued to the
several parishes and districts of the metropolis, for
the amounts required for meeting the expenses of
the Fire Brigade for the current year; and as re-
turns have been obtained:of the insurances effected i
by insurance offices, application was ordered to bb
made to them for the amount of their contributions
towards the expense of the Fire Brigade.
THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

Mr. NEWTON brought the attention of the board
to the Government measure. He contended that
it should be opposed in its present form. The City
of London would be almost totally exempt from
any contributions under the operation of the bill,
inasmuch as there are few cow-houses and slaugh-
ter-houses in the City, while, on the other hand,
cattle landed at the various wharves on the rivers
were driven to the cattle market atlslington, and
after wards generally distributed throughout the
metropolis.
Mr. ROCHE, after showing that a larger mass of
cattle were slaughtered in the metropolis, which,
under the Government bill, would have to bear the
heaviest burden of the tax, with the hope that the
board would come to an immediate resolution,
moved that a deputation be appointed to wait on
Sir G. Grey in order to obtain a rectification of the
matter.

The CHAIRMAN advised the selection of two or
three members of the board, who with their solici-
tor should retire apart, and consider the objection-
able part of the bill—which objections should be
forwarded for the consideration of the Government.
After a brief discussion it was resolved, on the
motion of Mr. NEWTON, " That a deputation be ap-
pointed to confer with the Government with regard
to the City being excluded from the rest of the me-
tropolis in carrying out the provisions of the Cattle
Plague Bill, and generally upon other provisions of
the Bill."
In the course of the proceedings the CHAIRMAN
stated that since the resolution had been adopted he
had communicated with the Home-office, and had
just now received a note from Mr. Baring, intimat-
ing that it would be inconvenient for Sir G. Grey to
receive a deputation from the board that afternoon.
If, however, one or two members of the board would
accompany its solicitor to the Home-office, atten-
tion would be paid to any suggestions.
Several of the members thereupon discussed the
matter very lively. One gentleman contended that
the board had a right to carry its own resolutions
into effect; a second party thought that two or three
members should at once proceed to Sir G. Grey;
while a third considered that the deputation ought
to be confined to the mover and seconder of the re-
solution. Ultimately the chairman succeeded in get-
ting the board into working trim, and Mr. Smith
alone was despatched to the Home-office to commu-
nicate the deliverance of the metropolitan.authorities.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENT RATES.
Mr. Pollard, clerk to the board, read the report
of the streets' committee conference, stating "that
in addition to the continuance of the coal and wine
duties, it is expedient and just that property should
bear a fair proportion of the expense of carrying out
permanent improvements in the metropolis ; and
they are of opinion that power should be conferred
on the board for such purposes—to make improve-
ment rates, which should be borne, one moiety by
the occupier, and the other on property."
Mr. ROCHE thought the question was of too im-
portant a character to be hastily legislated, and
therefore moved "That the subject be adjourned
for a fortnight."
Mr. LAMING seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN quite concurred in the opinion
of the mover, that it was a very important question
for the board to consider ; but when the time ar-
rived for the consideration of the subject he hoped
there would be no further request for extension of
ti . (Hear, hear.)
The motion was agreed to nem. con.
UTILISATION OF SEWAGE.
The Clerk having notified the report of the Main
Drainage Committee presented tothe board on Jan.
26 last, to the effect that Mr. Ellis had stated that
he finds himself unable to proceed to Parliament in
the ensuing session for powers to carry out his plan
for the utilisation of the sewage on the south side
of the river,
Mr. RICHARDSON argued that the plans of Mr.
Ellis were impracticable to go before Parliament.
There was the authority of the engineer to the board,
Mr. Bazalgette, and Mr. Hopkins, who had been
consulted on the matter by Mr. Ellis, that surveys,
plans, and estimates were not even in a state of
completion, and that to do so would take three or
four months. It had been said that Mr. Ellis had
expended a good deal of money in forwarding his
scheme of utilising sewage ; but " nothing risk no-
thing got" was an old axiom, which would apply to
Mr. Ellis if he had in time prosecuted his plans.
Mr. Ellis had borne his preliminary expenses with-
out the slightest hope of concession by the board ;
and yet it was now considered by certain members
that he had a claim upon the board. There were
other parties, however, besides the board. As
trustees for the ratepayers of the metropolis at
large, the members had a right to refuse to tie
their hands in favour of any one, but keep free
in action ; and considering the delay that must ne-
cessarily ensue on taking further action on this im-
portant subject, he would move, " That the refer-
ence to the main drainage committee of the 17th
November, 1865, be discharged, and that that com-
mittee be instructed to prepare and issue:advertise-
ments, inviting tenders for the utilisation of the
sewage on the south side of the Thames."
Mr. COLLINSON second the motion.
Mr. Hows contended that the main drainage
committee, to whom, by a resolution of the board
of the 17th November last, it was referred to nego-
ciate the precise terms on which a concession should
be granted to Mr. Ellis—the board having expressed
their opinion that his scheme offered greater ad-
vantages than the other plans for utilising the sew-
age—bad not in their report complied with the said
resolut
ado
iion, nor
tol a
beenpt'd
infor-
mation obtained upon the subject, both
by theorists and
power
men. It had been stated
that pumping pw
coluld not be obtained under
80-horse power ;
butr I
r.
be done at 50-ho Ellis alleged that it could
rse
Power. The board would best
consult its own diguitywanrd.
oanhour by allowing Mr.
Ellis to go forward with
isscuieme, and not take
refuge in the proposition of
hear.)ngradvertisements
tEbllis, after
tenders. (Rear,
for new
question
six or seven years' active applleationplutos..
hedbforofrmeohtios
of utilising sewage, was not to be
stool in order tuat the committee might
treat with a stranger. There being no reason,
therefore, that the board should not undo to-day the
resolution of the 17th of November expressive of the
approval of the plans of Mr. Ellis, he would move,
as an amendment, "'That the said resolution of the
17th November be now referred to the main drain-
age committee to consider and to report thereon."
Mr. ROCITE seconded the amendment.
Mr. DOULTON, M.P., thought it rather singular
that the very members of committee who had pre-
viously arrived at the decision that the plans of Mr.
Ellis were the best, were the very parties who sought
further action by inviting fresh tenders, knowing
at the same time that it was utterly impossible. He
was in a position to go to Parliament this session.
(Hear, hear.)
A very animated discussion ensued, both upon
the spirit of the amendment and the motion, but
conducted with good feeling—the speakers being