The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-29 00:00:00

was not necessary this session. He was at a loss to know
what the Board of Health-had. to do, and he asked.its
members in the house for an explanation. It appeared
to be a refuge for the destitute in the changes made by
the Government. The hon. gentleman referred to the
Brussels conference held last year, which was attended by
the Bia,d, and humorously referred to Mr. Ward's state-
ment, which was cheered by the President of the Board of
Health, wherein he advised continental Governments to
provide Boards of Health, urging in support of it that
lig only had mortality decreased 50 per cent, in Eng-
TIN , but the fecundity of the land had been quadrupled.
(Laughter.) He called upon the President of the Board
to stand on the table— (laughter)—and explain what he
did for his 2,0001. a-year salary. He looked upon the
whole system as a robbery.
Lord EBRINGTON spoke in support of the con-
tinuance of the General Board of Health. He thought
it unimportant whether it should be continued as a sepa-
rate department or transferred to the Privy Council.
He caged on the house not to give up the general prin-
ciple hero invt. Iced in consequence of the sneers of those
who often by their conduct were unconsciously acting as
the most efficient instruments of interested and j ibbing
parties. He bore testimony to the great benefit that bad
resulted from the establishment of this board.
After a few remarks from Sir M. FARQUHARSON,
Mr. HENLEY said he was in favour of the continu-
ance of the present act till September, 1858. As the
right hon. gentleman the President of the Board of Edu-
cation was to discharge the duties of the Board of Health,
under the proposed change, he (Nlr. Henley) thought be
might do so without salary under the present act as well
as under the amalgamation, by which means the saving
spoken of would be effected. He approved of the value
of sanitary regulations.
The house then divided—

For going into committee 9B
Against it 73

Majority 25
The house vent into committee on the bill'as a conti-
nuance bill till September, 1853.
On clause 1, transferring the powers of the Board to
the Privy Councl,
Sir G. PECHELL said that he hoped the Home
Secretary, after the discussion that had taken place,
would not press this bill, but withdraw it, and bring in
a continuance bill, retaining the General Board of
Health in a separate department.
Sir G. GREY said be considered the division was in
favour of the transfer.

Mr. SPOONER supported the clause. It was only
for a limited period, and he thought it was desirable to
save 3,0001. or 4,0001. if possible.

Mr. AYRTON said the nature of the division was
not properly understood by many hon. member& He
proposed that the committee should divide on this
clause.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE repeated his objection to any
legislation on this subject, and said that be thought the
extinction of the board would be a gain to the country.
He condemned a continuance bill being proposed on
this subject, and withheld in reference to Corrupt Prac-
tices Act. He asked the hon, member opposite (Mr.
Spooner) how the proposed change would effect a saving
of 3,0001. or 4,0001.
Mr. SPOONER—They (her Majesty's Ministers)
state so.

Mr. T. DUNCOMBE—Do you believe all they tell
you ? (Laughter.) Do you believe all the treasury tell
you about Maynooth? (Renewed laughter.) The hon.
gentleman, in entering on a consideration of the proposed
charge and saving to be effected, said that in the first
place they were told that there was not to be a president
at a salary of 2,0001. a-year.
Mr. NONSELL said there was no president of the
Board of Health.
Mr. DUNCOMBE —Then the secret's out. The
right hon. gentleman the member for Limerick had let
the cat out of the bag. (Laughter.) If there was no
president, he was at a loss to see where the proposed
saving was to came from, and if they had gone on
without a president for some time past, it was evident
there was no neces•,ity for the continuance of the presi•
dent. He should divide the committee on the clause.
After a discussion in which Sir W. Joliffa, Sir. G.
Grey, Mr. Ayrton, Mr. Newdegate, and Sir W. Heath-
cote took parr,
Mr. DUNCOMBE said he would moderate his oppo-
sition to legislation on this subject, if the Government
would take a continuance bill till September 1858, with-
out transferring the board to the Privy Council.
Sir G. GREY. assented to the course proposed, and
the chairman reported progress. Sir G. Grey stating
that he would withdraw this measure and introduce one
to meet the view of the house.
BEVERLEY ELECTION.
The SPEAKER announced that the petition against
the return for Beverley had been withdrawn.

GREAT YARMOUTH ELECTION COMMITTEE.

The Earl of MARCH reported that the committee
appointed to investigate into the return for Great Yar-
mouth had committed a witness, named Woolsey, to
the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms, for prevarication,
and on the motion of the noble lord the witness was
committed to Newgate.
Agreed to.
• • ' •

The other orders for the morning siting were dis-
posed of, when the house suspended its sitting at
quarter to 4 o'clock.

The house resumed at six o'clock.
METROPOLITAN DRAINAGE.

Mr. RIDLEY asked the First Commissioner of
Works whether he could inform the house if there was
any probability of steps being taken for carrying out the
provisions of the Metropolis Act, by which it was deter-
mined that the river Thames should be freed from the
of the metropolis. The hon. gentleman said he under-
sto,d that the health of several officers of the house,
and of persons required to attend their proceedings, had
been affectel by the no3t ous effluvium arising from the
River Thames.

Mr. BUTLER asked the First Commissioner of
Works when the question of the main drainage of the
metropolis was referred to the professional gentlemen
appointed by him to consider the subject ; whether the
referees were likely to make their report before the close
of the present session ; and what course the First Com-
missioner proposed to take after be received such report,
so that no delay might occur in the conimencemeut of
the works.
Sir B. HALL replied that by the Metroplitan Act of

1855 it was provided that large intercepting sewers
should be made for the purpose of diverting the sewage
from the Thames. It was also provided that those
works should be carried out by the Metropolitan Board
of Works, but that before any works were commenced
the plans should be submitted to the First Commissioner
of Works for his approval. He was anxious to show
tbat, so far as the Government were concerned, not a
day had been lost in dealing with this important sub.
jeer. Plans were sent to him by the Metropolitan
Board of Norks on the 22d of December, and on the
29th yf December he referred them to the engineers. In
redly to the second question of the hon. member for the
Tower Hamlets (Mr. Butler), he was happy to state
that he had to-day seen one of the referees, who in-
formed him that their report would be delivered before
the end of this week ; and in answer to the hon. gen-
' tleman's third question, he could only say that as soon
as he received that report he would forward a copy to
the Metropolitan Board of Works, and would lay another
copy upon the table of the house. With regard to the
question of the hon. member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne
(Mr. Ridley), he could only state that the matter to
which he referred rested entizely with the Metropolitan
Board of Works. No delay had taken place in his de-
partment. He would forward the report of the referees
to the Metropolitan Board of Works without any delay,
and no doubt they would give that report their itnme-
diate consideration.
NEW SOUTH WALES.

In reply to a question from Sir J. ELPHINSTONE,
Mr. LABOUCHERE said that some misconception
existed with respect to a reply he had given to a ques-
tion put to him a few days ago as to the proposed
boundary line of separation between the colonies of
Moreton Bay and Now South Wales. He was r,pre-
sented to have said that that boundary line would be
between 25 and 26 degrees of south latitude. If he had
said sa he had made an incorrect statement. The
boundary line would lie between the degrees of 28 and
29 sou' h latitude.
CONVEYANCE OF MAILS BY RAIL.