The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-15 00:00:00

Hall, to call in further professional skill ; and should
the persons so called in concur with what he had
now stated it would then be the duty of the Board
to wait upon Sir B. Hall. and state to him ttha t
they adhered to their own plan, and would leave it
for him to decide whether he would support the
recommendations of his own referees or the plan
which the Board then submitted to him. The hon.
gentleman concluded by moving the following re-
solution :

" That the reports of this Board submitted to the Com-
missioners of her Majesty's Works and Publics Build-
ings, also the:report of Messrs. Galton, Simpson, and
Blackwell be referred to two eminent engiaeers and the
engineer of this Board, to report thereon at their early
convenience."
Major LYONS seconded the motion. He could
scarcely do less, seeing that it was precisely to the
same effect as the motion he himself proposed as
long ago as February, 1856. The loss of all the
time that had since elapsed was much to be re-
gretted ; but it was now inevitable, and the only
course the Board had to pursue was that now pro-
posed by his hon. friend. It was impossible for
the First Commissioner to accept a plan which three
professional gentlemen to whom it had been re-
ferred found wanting. Neither Parliament nor the
country would have been satisfied had the i
Frst
Commissioner given his sanction to the pla
n ofa
single engineer. Having a very important work in
hand which, when completed, would last for hund-
reds of years, he hoped the Board would, even at
the expense of a little of their official dignity, ac-
cede to the motion, in order that no more valuable
time might be lost.
Mr. WRIGHT rose to lay a counter proposition
before the Board. Agreeing as he did with many
of the observations made by his friend Mr. Carp-
mael, still he thought the course he had pro-
posed was not the best that could be adopted.
He apprehended that the first duty of the Board
was to ascertain how far the two schemes differed.
He believed that on examination it would be found
that they differed in few particulars in which an
engineer could help them. The most important dif-
ference arose as to the point to which the sewage
should be carried down the river. The Government
engineers required the Board to take it down to a
point which the Board had all along admitted was
advisable, and to which point, if they had had
money, they would have carried it. This was not a
question to be referred to two eminent engineers.
The next point of difference was the extension of
area. The Government engineers recommended al
larger area, but the Board had no pourer limier the
act to adopt the recommendation. It was true they
might go to Parliament for an enlargement of their
powers; but the public would look with great jea-
lousy if any such step were taken by the Board.
Having disposed of these two points, there were
only three other points of difference to be consi-
dered. One of these was the carrying the drainage
across from the Middlesex to the Surrey side of
the Thames. His own private opinion had always
been favourable to such a scheme, although he had
not before declared it. But it might be a fairly con-
tested point with engineers whether it was wise and
advisable to make a drainage large enough to carry
the sewage through the hear of the city of London.
Another point was the proposed increased dimen-
sions of the sewers. Hitherto the sewers had been
considered by many engineers too large; by others
they were thought to be the right size ; but now,
for the first time, theywereheld by the Government
engineers to be too smell. The object of enlarging
the sewers was to provide for an increase of rainfall;
but that was not an engineering question. The only
advantage to be gained by the enlargement of the
sewers to include more storm waters was that it
would prevent the overflow of theo atorm waters into
the river on from 10 to 12 rainy days in the year
more than by the plan of the Board. But this he
repeated was entirely a business matter, and not
one to be referred to an engineer. There was one
other point of difference. The Government engi-
neers intercepted the metropolitan sewage by gra-
vitation fromia larger area, and at a eensiderably
lower level. That was certainly an engineering
question, but fortunately the plan by which this
was proposed to be done was so impracticable that
no question would be raised upon it ; for no man
would tell him that it required an engineer to decide
whether there should be open or covered sewers.
Ho had thus noticed all the points of difference
tetween the Beard and the Government engineers,
and he believed that if they went about the matter
like men of business they would have no occasion
to refer anything to professional engineers. He
thought it would he much better to have an inter-
view with Sir B. Hall to ascertain whether the few
points of difference might net be arranged and ad-
justed in an amicable spirit. The Board owed a
duty to the public. Every district board was at
the present moment actively at work putting fresh
soil into the river Thames. The tidal power of the
river was not larger, though the quantity of sewage
was becoming larger every day. No doubt certsin
classes of dismal were increasing. The cholera
was travelling through Sweden, Denmark, and
Hamburg, and nothing was so likely to engender
diseases of that character as the particular miasma
arising from sewage-water surging up the Thames,
especially at this season of the year when the air
was so moist. Every hour was of importance, and
he therefore begged to move the following resolu-
tion, which, if carried, would require the appoint-
ment of a committee to carry the object of it into
effect :

"That this Board regrets that the First Commissioner
of her Majesty's Works has rejected the Plan B* with-
out commuoic.ating to the Board the reason for its
rejection.
"That this Board, with the assistance of its engineer,
considered the scheme proposed by the referees ap-
pointed by the First Commissioner so far as the materials
furnished have enabled them, and that, while entertain-
ing great respect for the eminent enginee,s consulted by
the First Commissioner, it has arrived at the concusion
that the scheme proposed by tuem cannot be adopted by
the Board.

"That this board while it regrets the further delay in
carrying oat the great sanitary work of the main drain-
age, is gratified to find by the report of the referees that
they have adopted the principles of the plan of this Board
ai a basis for their scheme, notwithstanding the latitude
of investigation given to them in their instructions by
the First Commissioner, and that the differences upon
this important crestion are now reduced to a few
ta.ngibla points, viz. :
" Recommendations which this Board hits no power
to carry into effect.

" Recommendations of works the expense of which it
has been admitted by the First Commissioner that the
B )ard cannot wit justice be called upon to defray out of
the metropolitan rates.

" Differences of on engineering and sanitary character
upon the following points :
" Open sewers, with diminished falls.
"The western sewage carried on the Surrey side.
" A large increase in the dimensions of sewers to pro-
vide mainly for an increased area and rainfall."
Mr. TURNER seconded the amendment and
thought it possessed a great advantage over the
course proposed by Mr. Carpraael. The objections
that existed against open sewers he deemed to be
condemnatory of the whole plan of the Govern-
ment referees. The points of difference between
the two plans were not very serious, but still they
were such as he thought might be made the web•
ject of conference with Sir B. Hall.
The original 'resolution and the amendment
having been read by the secretary.
Mr. Deputy HARRISON pointed out the passage
in the amendment in which it was stated that the
Board, with the assistance of its engineer, had
carefully considered the scheme proposed by the
referees, and had come to the conclusion that it
could be adopted. What sort of examination had
the Board had with the assistance of the engineer ?
To a question put to Mr. Bazalgette the other day
as to whether he had examined the plan or not,
his answer was that he was not able to do so be-
cause he had not any information upon the subject.
It was from a full conviction that it was the duty
of the Board to examine the plan of the Govern-
ment engineers with the greatest possible care that
he most readily supported the original resolution.
The Act of Parliament distinctly said that the
Board must initiate a plan. At present the Board
had no plan to submit to the First Commissioner,
and he very much feared, unless they immediately
set about preparing one, the conclusion of the public
would be, that they hat not the capacity to proper.
I a plan at all.
Mr. Rows had no apprehension that Sir B. Hall
would think the Board had not the capacity of
dealing with t.lis great question ; he was of opinion
that the Board had already shown its capacity for
t' e task. Had Sir B. Hall possessed the advantage
evii:ch that Board enjoyed of having a legally ap-
pointed engineer, he did not think there would
h eve been any reference to three eminent engineers
Mr. CRELLIY was opposed both to the resolution
and the amendment, and cont=ended th .t it was
the duty of the board to in=titute an inquiry as to
the prActicablity of converting
the sewage into a
marke'able manure.
Mr. DENNIS supported the original motion. As
to open sewers, they would never be tolerated. He
believe 1 that before the main drainage of the me-
t not ottwl
oe less o
, me-
tropolis was fully carried out it would cost in round
Inumbers
h
ptebnandlit,h
ocoeoo4
w,OOOl. of money. Sup
posing
at sours future period have to be c )vered over, and
that would make up the 10,000,0001.
m
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR thought were
et
waodlded theyb be
hade theviunohu
coming the dignity of the board to adoptTgheenytleman at the head of
enough pro-
position
byof Mther. n humiliated
the Board of Works. Sir B. Hall wasat present on
the horns of a dilemma, and he wished tokeephim
there, because he had been the grand instrument in
deferring the main drainage of London to an indefi-
nite period. There could be no doubt that although