The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-25 00:00:00

There is reason, however, they state, to believe that,
along wi'h the equitable arrangements as to compensa-
tions, and even with a considerable reduction OR the ex-
isting charges fur interment, there will be no defizleacy
to be defrayed by rateF. The Commissioners then pro-
ceed to explain more in detail some pa t of the scheme
proposed by them; to state the estimated expense of
currying it into effect; and to point out the purpose that
may be expected to be fulfilled by the adoption of it.
" It appears to tic," they say, " t., be essential that as
soon as provision sha'l be made for interment in public
burial grounds, interment within the district included in
the. Act, in any other place a whatever, should be
strictly prohibited, excepting in special cases under
the saectien steel regulation of the Interment Commis-
sion, and excepting also in cans in which, at the dis-
cretion of familiee, the body is removed fur burial bL-
yond the 'district."
" With there exceptions they regard the absolute pro-
hibition of interment in any other than public burial
grounids as essential to the 811eCeSi of the scheme:—
" 1. Because it is indispensable to such success that
control should be exercised over the whole of the inter-
cheat , and this csnno be effected unless the whole are
placed uritler the direction and manageme .t of one au-
thority.
"2. &cause if interments are not restrictei by law
to the public burial grounds, interments may still go on
in the old burial grounds, in which case the old evils
will l'e cortinued; and in the present joint-stock core-
talies' cemeteries, in which cos- the objections alrea,iy
urged against the principle of allowing the burial f the
dead to he the subject cf commercial speculation and
trading profit, will apply in their fill force.
3. Beeriest° ss the whole of the interments are
pla-ced in the -hinds of on , authority, and-are under
one mar:a•;eraen*, tl.e expensa of iat,rixe .t cannot be
diminished.

" 4. Fe..actee in all countries, as for at least as our in-
quiries 'ham e encode 1, wherev. r the practice of inter-
ment has been placed undo'. legislut ro rPgulntion, it h as
been found nce,,lssry that sAme t alive and re-
sponsible authority should la,l charge 1 with the control
and management of places if burial, as well as of burial
itself."

The Commissioners argue the three last objections;
but the conclusions at which they have arrived aro only
necessary in a net'ce of this description. A supplemen-
tary c .nelusion, howeve-, is of a nature not t') be over-
looked. Interment in public burial grounds under the
supervision cf tl:e State would, they itder, " opert.ta as
an additional check in the prevention of crime, by in-
creat-ing the difficulty of tho disposal of the bud) in the
case if murder, and in all other instances where con-
cealment for illegal purposes may be desired. Were the
interdiction cf interment in any but a public or national
.§tirying-ground," they add, " invariably consequent on
the opening of a public one in any district, the di-covert'
of a dead body any where within that district, except
ing in conse.nrated or public ground, would be in 'twit
positive proof of an unlawful at t, and presumptive proof
of a criminal act."

The Commissioners then proceed to develops their
ystem in this manner:—

" If the whole plan for extramural sepulture for Lon-
don were now to be devised for the first time, we should
probably recommend the formation of two cemeteries
only, placed in districts the most convenient of access at
the western and eastern extremities of the metropolis.
But there are several suburban cemeteries, on which
large sums of money have been expended, and to which
certain powers have been granted by Act of Parliament.
Our opinion of the geceral condition and malagement
of those cemeteries may be gathered from what has
be en_already stated.

" It appears that there are a'together eight cemeterice
in the immediate neighbourhood of the me ropoli-, com-
prising at the present time about 282 acres of ground, a
which about 17 acres hare been used, exclusive f the
space occupied by roads, p!antati_.ns, and buildingf.
Iles° cunt teries are—

Acre 7.
Kebsal•Grecn, containing of ground about 54
Norwood ... ... 50

Highgate ...
Nunhead ...
Brompton
Tower Hamlets

... 50
... 39
... 30

Abney Park...

... 30

Victo-ria Park

" To Kensali Green, the first established, and, upon
the whole, thl best, it would appear to be easy tq make
any degree ef extension that way be deemed desirable
in one direction by the addition inciefinitely of nee/ por-
tions of land. All the other cemeteries are more or less

limited in their capacity, and there are very f.:w t f theas
which it would be ee:irable to extend, if tie r extension
were practicable and easy.
" Almost all of there are already, on some sides at
least, closely approached by the habitations of the liv-
ing, their outward boundary being, in some instance., as
in that of Norwood, separated from dwelling-hot:L.o3
scarcely more than by the width of an ordinary at, e,t.
The only means by which it would appear to be practi.
c dile at the present time to interpose between these
burial grounds and the advancing, population, the de-
sirable distance is to confine interments to the centre
of tie ground, and to ob'ain from the outer portion the
spate that may be necessary, en expedient which must
of course be attended with a great loss of ground.
" We apprehend that the whole of these grounds must
be purchased, and it is proposed that they should be
taken upon jury compensation. The Kensul Green
Cemetery at present divides 7 per cent. upon their
outlay; two o:herr, the Highgate sad Nunhead pay 2i
per cent.; and the Brompton pays only l per cent. On
account of the distance of these cemeteries from the
great masses of the metropolitan population, no provision
having been made for convenient removal to them, but
the only mode of conveyance being by carriage proces-
sions, they have been placed entirely beyond the reach
of the very poor ; c qually beyond the reach of the
respectable class of artisans; much beyond the reach of
the larger portion of the middle class; and their rneral
use has cons, quently been confined to the more wealthy
part of the community. Still with appropriate whipta-
dons and provisions for easy access to them by ecot,c-
mical means of removal, it up; e trs that several s f them
might for some time to come be made available for the
purpose of sepulture, and it is probable that ft otn various
e in
terment
in they would be often s
ected for
in special oases.