The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-08 00:00:00

CITY COMMISSION OF SETEERS.

Yesterday, at a meeting of the City Commis-
sioners of Sewers, held at Guildhall, Mr. Deputy
Christie in the chair, Mr. H. Lowman Taylor,
Chairman of the Markets' Improvement Com-
, mittee, reported that the bill of the corporation for
, dismarketing Newgate-market was read a third
time and passed in the House of Commons on
Monday evening. Dr. Abraham bore testimony to
the zeal and ability with which Mr. Taylor had
I promoted the measure, and also the bill of last
year, which passed into a law, for establishing a
meat market for the metropolis in Smithfield.
Touching the sanitary condition of the City, Dr.
Letheby, the medical officer of health, reported on
the state of 190 houses that had been inspected
during the week, and he submitted a list of 56
places for sanitary improvement. He likewise re-
ported that the markets and slaughter-houses had
been duly inspected in the course of the week, and
that the officers had seized 2,7621 b of meat as unfit
for human food. About two-thirds of this were
seized in Newgate-market, and the rest in Leaden-
hall. It consisted of 11 sheep, 24 quarters of beef,
four calves, and three pigs, besides smaller joints,
1,0031 b di;eased,: 241 b putrid,' and 1,7351 b from
animals that had died from natural causes. All of
it had been sent away and destroyed as unfit for
human food. The mortality returns for the week
are a little above the average for the season. They
have increased from 49 in the previous week to 57,
the average for the corresponding pariod of the last
five years being 50. The chief causes of death were
as follows:—Phthisis, 11 ; bronchitis, 5; pneumo-
nia, 2; whooping-cough, 4; croup and diphtheria,
4 ; scarlet fever, 2 ; continued fever, 2 ; infantile
diarrhoea, 2; and measles, I—makinglB deaths from
lung diseases and 15 from zymotic. 70 births were
registered curing the week—namely, the births of
33 boys and 37 girls. On the motion of Dr. Abra-
ham, the fact having previously been elicited from
the medical officer that several of the salesmen had
refused to give up the names of the senders of
diseased meat found in their possession, it was re-
ferred to the city solicitor to take such proceedings
as he might think fit against persons so refusing.
Mr. Haywood, the engineer to the commission, said
one of the telegraph companies had served him with
a notice of their intention to open a part of St.
Mary's-hill for the purpose of laying telegraphic
wires into a merchant's office there. His object in
mentioning the circumstance was that if the prac-
tice became general of establishing telegraphic com-
munications with private houses or offices the
thoroughfares would be perpetually torn up in
order to lay down the wires, to the great inconveni-
ence of the public. The Court coincided with the
engineer's objection, and referred the subject for
consideration to the city solicitor. Mr. Hay wood
exhibited a drawing of a drinking fountain about
to be erected in front of the Royal Exchange by the
Metropolitan Drinking Fountain Association,
who had obtained the requisite permission of the
commission at a previous meeting. It will consist
of a bronze figure of a water nymph, pouring water
from a vase into a capacious basin beneath, orna-
mented with dolphins of polished granite, and sup-
ported on 4 plinth and steps, also of granite. The
fountain and figure will be eight feet in height from
the ground, and there will be a grating all round
for carrying off the surplus water. The Court gave
a qualified approval of the design.