The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-28 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY AND MUNI-

CIPAL REFORM.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlA,—Permit me through the medium of your
paper to offer a few suggestions relating to the pre-
paring of a new Reform Bill. Having assisted for
some years in the registration of voters for both Par-
liamentary and Municipal elections, and having
served the office of overseer, I have seen some evils
which I now wish to point out, and beg to suggest a
remedy.
It is not for me to say what shall be the qualifica-
tion for the franchise, but whether it be a five-
pound rental or household suffrage, matters little to
me; but the latter would be preferable for the coun-
try, as it would prevent all those unfair and (I might
almost say) dishonest practices between landlord and
tenant as to the value of houses. I have known
parties let houseslor 101. which were not worth 81.,
returning the difference indirectly to the tenant.
On the other hand, a Tory landlord let
a house for 101., but as the tenant
was claimed by the liberal agent, the landlord swore
that he had only let the house for 9/., and that that
sum was the extreme value of it. Now, in the muni-
cipal registration, this evil is avoided by the house-
hold system ; but here is another evil, namely, the
length of time required for a qualification. In a town
containing several parishes many persons, especially
the poorer classes and mechanics, remove two or
three times in the two years and eight months, and
are therefore omitted to be placed on the lists by the
overseer, who has no business to hunt about other
parishes for " voters for houses in successior."
Now I would recommend that every man who oc-
cupied a house, shop, or warehouse for twelve months
previous to the last day of July in any year, and
having paid all poor-rate., &c., due on the 6th of
April in such year, on or before the said 31st day of
July, should be inserted by the overseer as entitled to
vote both in Parliamentary and Municipal elections.
The lists of voters should then be revised by a bar-
rister, and the new register should (after the first
time) come into force on the Ist day of JanuFy in
each year.
Tao benefits derived by the adoption of my plan
would be these—a more equitable register of voters,
and much less expensive, as the municipal registra-
tion would be entirely abandoned, and the new sys-
tem would be so simple that every man would under-
stand it.

This register might also bs used for voting in
parochial vestries, and the election of guardians.
In conclusion, permit me to say that even the
above reform would be found quite useless in many
towns (such as Stamford) without the protection of
the ballot.

I remain, Sir, yours respectfully,
Lincolnshire, Jan. 2.4, 1850. REFORMER.

BRICK BUILDINGS OF ANCIENT ROME.—There are
but few brick buildings still existing, which may with
certainty be attributed to the Greek, and yet this kind of
building materia was extensively used. The temple
cf C,,res, at Styris, a-,cl that of Apollo, in the citadel of
ALsgara, were constructei of brick, some dried and
others baked—these buildings were anterior to the
Roman Conquesr. The palace at Halicart assus was of
bricks faced with marble: there were three kinds of
bricks—one was a f Jot lorg and I'a f a foot thick; another
was one foot square, and a third (..f about one f)ot three
inches square. The latter wcro generally employed
in public edifices, and the others in private buildings.
Tips also were manufactured fir the covering
of roofs, and on several of these may be
seen Greek inscriptions. Brick walls wore covered with
a cement made cf powdered marble (Vit., 1. 7, c.
A cement was also employed upon stone, and traces of
it have been fiund on a number of columns bnlonging
t) different temples of Greece, Sicily, and Italy .—Archi-
tett and Building Gazette.

BIRMINGHAM.—The Right llon. Lord Lyttelton,
on Wednesday night, addressed the St. George's Instruc-
tion Society upon the subject of the colonies. In sum-
ming up the present aspect of the colonies the lecturer ob-
served that on a comparison cf the colonies in their
present condition with what they were under our fore-
fathers, we should find the balance decidedly on our side.
But even yet is our colonies spiritual destitution was the
rule, not the exception. In conclusion the Noble Lord
adverted to the political connexion between the colonies
and this country. Our system of colonial government,
unlike that of the Greeks, did not leave the colonies at
their establishment to shift for themselves, but endea-
voured, on the other hand, to keep them in a state
of perpetual childhood. Would it to supposed
that colonists of our own race and spirit would consent,
whilst their physical position forbad their representation
in Parliament, to a government in which they hai
no share ? This gaE.‘stion the lecturer proceeded
to argue at considerable length, contending that
the colonies should not be severed from Eng-
land, but that the government of each should be
arranged on the model of the British Constitution ;
all internal management being left to the control of the
colonists themselves, while all questions affecting the in-
terests of the empire at large should be decided by the
Iperial Legislature. He then adverted to the mistaken
idea of sending out worthless men to the coloniet,
urging that we should send only the best of our
population. To send out others would be an act of
cruelty to the colonies; and surely England could afford
to spare some of her best men to people her colonies.
Our duty was t 3 strengthen what was weak, and to
purify what we could purify, in our own body. If we
could not do this, let us not punish the colonies by
poisoning the sources ef their natural life. The people
of this country should form and cherish better
ideas of our colonies than they had hitherto held,
and not look upon them as deFendenciee of England,
but as germs of mighty nations. For them doubtless a
career brighter even than that of England was in store.
In the colonies the prevaqing evils were an excess of
the democratic and of the money-getting principles, but
there was ye; ample room for the victory of good. A
vote of thanks to the Noble Lord for his lecture was
carried amid great applause.
LOYAL UNITED FRIENDS.-0a Tuesday evening
last the twenty-third anniversary of the opening of the
No. 2 Lodge of this highly important, social, and pro-
vident order, was celebrated at the lodge-house (Trea-
surer Norris), the Rose and Crown, Fort-street, Old
Artillery-ground, Spitalfields, on which occasion a
numerous body of the members partook of a supper,
which, whether for quantity or quality, reflected much
credit on the worthy hostess, Mrs. Norris, and gave
much satisfaction. P.S.P. Robertson presided as chair-
man, as did P.S.P. Spearing, deputy, and were supported
among ethers by the following influential past and pre-
sent officers, viz., P.S.P. Clay, P.S.P. Heath, P.S.P.
Thacker, P.C.P. Waterlow, ESA'. Townsend, P.S.P.
Greenfield, P.P. Argent, P.P. Clayton, P.P. Baldwin,
P.P. Burton, P.P. Burgess, P.P. Perry, P.P. Lewington,
P.P. Rout, P.P. Smart, P.P. Jeffreys, P.P. Briggs, Trea-
surer Cook, of the No. 6 Lodge, and P. Perry. After
ample justice hal been done to the good things provided
for the company, and the cloth withdrawn, the Chair-
man proposed the usual loyal toasts, which were drunk
in a most enthusiattic manner; sf.erwards "Success to
the Order" was given by the Deputy, and was well re-
ceived, as was also the " Gift Fundy," "Friend-in-Need
Fund," and "Pension Fund." P.S.P. Heath then gave
a short statement of the rise and progress of the Order,
which numbers between 15,000 and 16,000; of that
number more than 1,130 had been initia'ed at the No. 2
Lodge. Several other customary toasts followed, and
some excellent singing by Messrs. Townsend, Lewen,
and Perry, t)ok place during the evening. The healths
of the Chairman, Deputy, and Treasurer Norris, were
given, and severally acknowledged, in shot t, but appro.
priato observations, and at a late hour the company
'
separated, after having enjoyed themsel
1:.-csid the greatest at-
:es in aver
pleasant manner. P.S.P. Thacker
tention to the comfort of the ge:ests.
CAPTURE OF HIGHWAYMEN—BRISTOL, SATUR-
DAY.—For a considerable time past the neighbourhood
of this city heel been infested by a notorious gang of
highwaymen, known to the police under the appellation
of the " Hanham and Cock-road Gang." To such an
extent have their depredations been carried, more espe-
cially in the rural districts of Brislington and Keyn-
sham, that many of the farmers were unwilling to at-
tend, as usual, our corn and other markets, several out-
rages having recently been committed, at:ended with a
great degree of personal violence. A Mr. Thomas
White, farmer, of Balcombe, was attacked the other
day within a few hundred yards of a farm-house on the
Frome road, by two armed men, who demanded his
money or his life; they dragged him off his horse and.
commenced rifling his pockets. Ho shouted for assist_
anee, upon which they stuffed his mouth full of dirt,
and robbed him of all his loose his notes,
which he had placed in a private pocket,
for-
tunately escaping their notiLe. Mr. Joseph W yatt,
farmer, of Wick, ::as attacked in a similar
manrer near Lenaeiowne, and robbed of his watch and
all he had about him; the highwaymen also cut
his bridle reins and stirrups to prevent his pursuing
them. Mr. Wilkins, of the Bell-inn, Chelwood, Somer-
set, was waylaid by five men at the bottom of Knowle-
hill, who robbed him and then made off in the direction
of Keynsham. About an hour later the same evening
Mr. Barrow, a blacksmith and farrier, [who carries on
busineS-s at Keynsbam, was stopped and, although he
"`...ested till he was nearly throttled, the blood gushing
from his mouth and nostrils, he was robbed of 5/. By
the exertions of police-sergeant Hazell, No. 70, we are
happy to Bey five of the gang, named Sa-nuel Bryant,
William Powell, William Gunning, Samuel Rogers, and
haveare
uhnads tbuyr n
the
hd
ea ppporl
police
r at, aan ds
psootmien
dbilcuadtge
de obnys
John Rogers, have been apprehended. One of them, we
him. The prisoners were examined tc-day and re-
manded, and it is stated that a great number of cases
will be brought home to them. Subsequently to their
apprehension another man, named Joseph Britten, has
been taken into custody, and also the keeper of a beer-
shop in the vicinity of Hanham, named Eli Tremlett, at
whose house the police hare received information, the
gang used to meet. Great satisfaction was expressed
by a host of farmers who were present at the exereina-
lion, at the capture of these desperate villains.
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.—On Tuesday evening,
as George Wallace, plash miller, Maryfield, Bight/
Water, near Dundee, after returning home from his
work, took down his gun from off two spars that wee.,
nailed to the joists of the house, for the purpose of
cleaning it, preparatory to using it on the following day.
It is supposed that he had forgotten his gun was loar'e I;
fir, on drawing it down from the spars, he allowed the
end of the stock to come violently in contact with the
floor, when the gun went off and the contents en'ered
his breast. lie fell back, cried to his wife, " Ob, Nancy
I'm shot," and almost immediately expired. The unfir-
tunate man was steady, well-behaved, and was only 12
years of age. He has let a wife and two infant children
to deplore Lll6l>aelocboly end,--ilberdeen Journal.

-METROPOLITAN SEWERS CO3l-

MISSIOX.

On Friday a meeting of the gentlemen connected
with the above-named commission was held at the
chief office, 1, Greek-street. Saho. Sir Henry chi la
B3che, F.R.S., presided. There were also present
Messrs. Hardwick, Rendel, Hawes, and Lawes, and
Captains harness, Vetch, and Dawson.

DRAINAGE OF THE METROPOLIS-PURIFICATION OF
THE THAMES.

The ordinary business of the day, which was by
no means of public interest, having been disposed of,
The CHAIRMAN said it would be in the recollection
of the Commissioners that when they first took office
under the present commission it was intimated to them
that the subject of the drainage of the surrey and
Kent side of the river had received very considerable
attention. During the existence of the previous com-
mission there had been a committee termed the
" Ordnance Survey Committee," four members be-
longing to which were members of the present
Court. During this time the Ordnance Survey
Committee had been engaged in that part of the
metropolis, and were constructing the network
of levels. It was thought to be extremely de-
sirable that three or more points of the river should
be connected with such levels, to ascertain the height
of the tide. The result had been the production of
a very valuable collection of facts and documents'
from which it would appear that they should even
think of constructing the lines and shortening the dis-
tances between Battersea and Deptford. The mini-
mum difference in the tide between these places was
two feet and a half. It was obvious that by
shortening the distance they would accomplish a
better fall, if that were needed. lie thought he might
mention, what was, no doubt, known to the Commis-
sioners, that a valuable body of information was col-
lected by Mr. Page for the Metropolitan Improve-
ment Commission, and which was printed in their
reports. Part was original, and part contained in
other documents, &e., but he (the Chairman) re-
ferred to it as embodying a mass of valuable
matter. After making some observations upon
this subject, the Chairman said that the attention
of Captain Vetch had been especially directed to
the formation of a scheme for the drainage of the
Southwark side of the river Thames. He wished
it to be particularly noted that all this occurred pre-
vious to the former Commission requesting plans to
be sent in for the drainage of the metropelis.—
(Hear, hear.) With respect to the scheme fur taking
the shorter line on the north or south side of the
river, and so partially reversing the drainage, in this
there was no great novelty. So far as ten or eleven
years ago he believed that Mr. Thomas Cabitt had
proposed a scheme of that kind, which was qaoted by
Mr. -Walker in his evidence in 1840 on the state of
the Thames. This was not the first scheme which
included the stoppage of the drainage by the river,
because Mr. John Martin had previously completed
the scheme for drainage on both sides of the Thames.
With regard to the south side, their object had b_en
to obtain a fall by shortening the distance, and the
opportunity of flushing the main channel, and any
branch channel, without, as now, discharging all the
sewage into the Thames, and afterwards affording
the opportunity of distributing the sewage manure
by various lines of railway, as the wants of the
public should demand, supposing the drainage
should cut the lines of railway. And whilst observing
upon this, and asserting his belief that they were
all very anxious to prevent as much as possible
drainage into the Thamns, he wished to observe
on what he had seen some years ago. He had then
occasion to consider the distribution of sewage into
estuaries, and although any previous reasoning was
likely to lead to the same thing, the result of that
investigation manifested the absolute necessity of re-
moving the sewage of London from the Thames. The
sewers discharged their contents into the Thames at
low water ; at that time, the water being stagnant,
the sewage was discharged into the river according
to its velocity, but on the first motion of the water
it (the sewage) had a tendency to go along both
sides of the river, and two masses of filth were thus
trailed along the banks. This was composed of
matter in chemical solution and mechanical suspen•
sion. Now, these two masses passed along both
shores, and went as far as the tide would carry
them. It had been well and properly observed by
Sir John Burgoyne, " that the Thames being an es-
tuary, all the effects that take place in an estuary
must occur in it also." There was mud distributedabout
in various directions, and if there was no town within
100 miles of the Thames, the mud would still be dis-
tributed. At the same time, there was no reason why
artificial means should be adopted to add to the
noxious qualities of this mud. It got moistened with
so much of the sewage matter as was not diluted suf-
ficiently, and this, of course, added to the disagree.
ableness of the filth on the sides of its banks. Now,
looking on shore, this deposit was sure to be disco-
vered in situations most inconvenient to the inhabi-
tants, and in places where the mud could not be
moved by the motion of the water. The Commis-
sioners were, he thought, unanimous in their opinion
that by letting this noxious matter be distributed
they would do good to the sanitary cause of the me-
tropolis.—(llear, hear.) They should recollect that
the sewage, according as the population increased,
was more abundant in the Thames than formerly.
Good as the "flushing system" was in many points
of view, it had added to this evil, inasmuch as the
matter which was previously collected and removed
by hand was now thrown into the Thames. Another
point to be considered was, that since the erection of
London-bridge there was a difference of 3i feet in
the height of the water above bridge, and which had
been a source of considerable annoyance to the popu-
lation. Under all these points of view it seemed
essentially desirable that they (the Commissioners)
should be instrumental in removing the sewage from
the Thames. In directing attention to this scheme
he wished to say that it was the express wish of the
Commissioners to remove the sewage from that part
of the Thames. In bringing
the scheme of Captain
Vetch under the notice of the public it was without
in the slightest degree prejudicing the plans sent in at
the request of their predecessors in office. But whilst
they were desi▪
rous of avoiding precipitate action, they
were anxious, on the other hand, not to incur unne-
cessary delay. Therefore did he propose to place
this scheme upon the same footing as the others,
and to have an estimate of its probable expense.
It was their duty to the ratepayers to adopt
the best possible plan, and that which would cost
the least money. Ile would now say a word relative
to the plans themselves. The public already knew
that they had been classified, but of the subsequent
proceedings in regard to them many were ignorant.
The Comnassi▪
oners had submitted the plans to Sir
John Burgoyne, Mr. Stephenson, Captain Vetch, and
Captain Harness, in order that they might further
investigate and report upon them. He (Sir H. de la
Beche) thought this selection of men from both the
royal and civil service
interested.
meet with the approba-
tion of all the parties Without further
preface he would move the following resolution :
" That it be recommended to the Court that the engi-
neer
be instructed to preface estimates fir the consid, •
ration of the Commissioners for a plan of the drainage of
the Surrey side of the Thames with ref-ref-Ice to a
covered channel fur a general outfall, between Vaux-
hall and Deptford or thereabouts, by which the present
distance by the river will be shortened and a bettor out-
fall secured; to the continuation of the channel to and
keyond Woolwich; and to the removal of the whole
sewage of such area from that part of the Thames, duo
attention having been had and being paid to those
plans sent into this Commission which relate to the
same area."

Mr. BENDEL, in supporting the resolution, said he
felt the time had come when they ought to do some-
thing in regard to the business for which they were
appointed. He was very glad to see the present
movement, and wished it had been made earlier, but
he did not think that was possible. He believed it
was a matter of very great importance that they
should comprehend the plans which bad been sent in.
He was sorry to see engineers obliged to commit
themselves to plans for which they had so little data,
and also because the Commissioners required SOME.
thing more than suggestions. They wanted the opi-
nions of practical men, rather than suggestions hypo-
thetically put. The sewage of London had grown
with its growth, and they might as well produce a re-
volution in the country as to revolutionise the sewage.
It was a part of the metropolis and its arrangements,
and though they might reform to a great extent—and
it was high time to commence—a revolution would
only bring it to that condition that instead of being
a benefit, it would be a great injury to the sa-
nitary state of London. The Commission could
hare ordered surveys, and have had all the neces-
sary facts, so as to be easily accessible to every indi-
vidual asked to compete. That was not done, unfor-
tunately both for those requested to compete and those
who were to consider the plans, because he had seen
enough of those plans already to say that they con-
tained an infinite number of most desirable sugges-
tions ; but such was the want of facts, that there was
not that unity of design so necessary to effect so great
an object in any of the plans that came under this
notice. This was not owing to any want of skill on
the part of the designer, but entirely to the absence
of that information which it was the bounden duty
of the Commission to furnish, in order to enable the
designer to rnalre a complete plan. It was therefore
clear that while the parties furnishing those plans
might with some degree of fairness complain that the
Court had been too long in coming to a decision, it
was likewise clear, if he had made himself under.
stood, that this was rather the result of those plans
being ideas than their being engineering plans upon
which practical engineers could reason and come to a
conclusion. He merely stated these facts, believing they
would be understood by those gentlemen who had sent
in the plans. He would now make a few observa-
tions on the subject snore particularly under conside-
ration. He quite felt the necessity of putting the
plan now proposed upon the same footing a. the
others, more particularly as he felt this had been twee