The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

THE DEPUTATION TO SIR B. HALL.

The Clerk read the report of the president rela-
tive to the conference with the Chief Commissioner
of Works yesterday. It merely recapitulated the
main features of the interview.

Mr. CARENIA.EL moved that the report of the chair-
man be received, and entered on the minutes of the

board.

Mr. SAVAGE seconded the motion, which was
unanimously agreed to.
Mr. CARPMAEL said it was quite clear after that
report that the board had a duty to perform as to
the manner in which it was to proceed in future.
With reference to its duties under the statute, the
board was unquestionably required to prepare plans
for main drainage. It had prepared plans, and bad
submitted them to the First Commissioner, who,
however, had negatived them ; so that at the pre-
sent moment the board was not possessed of a plan
to present to Government in order to get their ap-
proval for its being carried out. He felt that they
were now in the same position as if they had never
prepared any plan, with this exception, that there
was floating between t he FirstOommissioner and the
board a series of plans, in part prepared by the board,
and in part by the referees of the First Commis-
sioner. In his opinion the board ought first to com-
ply with the requirements of the act in reference
to preparing plans, and then take up the money
question. The earlier both were dealt with the
better. (Rear.) It had been suggested by the
First Commissioner that two members of the board,
with their engineer, should meet the referees in
order to discuss their differences and agreements.
That the engineer of the board should meet the re-
ferees engineers was in his opinion very desirable,
but he entirely disagreed with the recommendation
of the First Commissioner, that the engineer of the
board be accompanied by two members. Ile felt
that whoever these two members were they Would
be placed in a false position. Now, it struck him
that it would place their engineer in an unfair
position if he were called upon to meet two or
three talented Government engineers without some
aid. At the same time it occurred to him that
both the engineer of the board and the referees
might be too prejudiced in favour of their own
scheme, and therefore he thought that two eminent
engineers should be named to accompany Mr. Ba-
zalgette. At the former interview he thought, and
he believed the world thought—he was confident
the board thought—that the Chief Commissioner
considered that if this board made up its mind to
carry the sewage of the metropolis to B*, at the
spot where he himself marked the map, under the
instruction of Captain Burstall, it would have ful-
filled its duty and all the requirements of the act ;
and that if any further extension of the outfall was
decided upon it would be dealt with in some other
way than by taxing the metropolis. Thet, how-
ever, did not appear to be the opinion
of the Chief
Commissioner now. He must express his thanks
to the chairman for the manner in which he had re-
presented the hoard at the conference yesterday.
In conclusion, he moved " That the engineer of the
board, together with such professional aid as he
may require, be instructed to meet and couferwith
the referee engineers."
Colonel KENNEDY seconded the motion. Ho had
for me Ily opposed a motion for obt *ining further
professional advice, but under present circum-
stances he thought it was desirable.
Alderman CUBITT, 111 P., inquired whether the
First Commissioner would be likely to agree to such
nomination ?

The PRESIDENT said be did not think there would
be any difficulty upon that point.
Mr. DOULTON quite concurred in the absurdity
of naming two members of the bo trd to ace )rnpany
the engineer. Before sendino• the engineer, how-
ever,nion
in his opinion e req it would, uisite to settle
some preliminaries. The bard ought first to de-
cide whether it would csrry the sewage down to
Reach without contribution, and members
should recollect that the opinion of the First Com-
missioner as to the area to be drained Wag at vari-
ance with the decMon of the board on that matter.
These points should first be settled.
Tho PRESIDENT s id. that the additional area
propeeed Ly the engiteers was given 11P.
After some further discussion, the following mo-
tion, proposed by Mr. SAVAGE, was carried unani-
mously, Mr. CARP3IAEL having previously with-
drawn his resolution :—" That tho report of the
chairman on the conference with the Fiat Commis-
sioner be taken into consideration at a special meet-
ing, to be held on Monday week, and that a coPY
of the shorthand vrriter's notes bo procured, printed,
member as soon as
and sent to every passible."."