The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-23 00:00:00

COURT OF SEWERS.

A special meeting of the Court of Sewers for the City
and Liberty of Westminster and part of the County of
Middlesex, was held on Tuesday, at the Sewers'-office,
Greek-street, Soho.
T. L. Donaldson, Esq., took the Chair at twelve o'clock.
The Court was made special for the purpose of receiv-
ing and considering the report of the surveyors as to
whether tho line of arch adopted for the main line of the
ltanelagh sewer, in Gloucester-
road, Paddington, be the
best for the purpose, and detailing the causes which have
led to the necessity of rebuilding, with any other cir-
cumstances attending the failure of the sewer.
Captain Gaunt, the Chairman of the Commissioners
of Sewers for the Tower Hamlets, was sworn in a Com-
missioner.

Upon the suggestion of the Chairman a Special Court
was ordered to he summoned for Tuesday next, for the
purpose of considering the report of the surveyors as to
the covering in the King's Scholars' Pond sewer.
The surveyors of the Court presented their additional
report with respect to the Ranelagh sewer, in Gloucester-
road, Paddington, from which it appeared that, after
opening thirty feet and sixty feet of the line, they were
clearly of opinion that the accident that had taken place
was attributable to the wall not being properly backed
up, and to the bad materials used.
Mr. Dowi.Ev, the principal surveyor of the Court,
suggested, at the conclusion of the report, that the work
should be inspected by some persons of the highest pro-
fessional reputation, in order that they might give their
opinion as to the present state of the works, and the best
means of remedying the accident that had taken place.
Mr. HAwKiNs, the last appointed assistant-surveyor
to the Court, stated that he had put his name to the
report because he understood that he was called upon to do
so by the regulations uf the Court. He wished, how-
ever, to make some short explanation to the Court, in
order that they might understand the precise situation
in which he stood. Not having been an officer of the
Court at the time at which the sewer was built, he could
not speak with such certainty as to the cause of the acci-
dent as Mr. Dowley and Mr. Doull, who had superin-
tended the erection of the works. '

ry
After some discussion, it was determined that Mr.
Hawkins should be at liberty to withdraw his name from
the report that had just been read, and should make a
separate report of his own.
Mr. Hawkins then retired, and in the course of an
hour he returned to the Court with a report of his own
drawing up, which stated that he attributed the accident

principally to the gradual subsiding of the ground upon
which the sewer was built, together with the extremely
bad backing that had taken place of the walls. lie
considered that the execution of the building was not of
that sound character which a. work of such importance
and such magnitude required.
_ _

On the motion of Mr. LESLIE, both reports, together
with the 35 sections that had been made of the defalca-
tion in the sewers, were ordered to be printed.
Several of the officers of the Court were then exa-
mined, among whom were Mr. Dowley, Mr. Bell, Mr.
1)oull, Mr. Ilawkins, and Mr. Philips, as to the state of
the works, and from their evidence it appeared most dis-
tinctly that the defalcations that had taken place in the
sewer were attributable, not to any malformation of the
sewer, but to the inferior workmanship and materials.
that had been used in it.

The last witness, Mr. Philips, stated that a more
slovenly or disgraceful piece of workmanship he had
never seen turned out by any person in his life. If the
walls had been properly backed up they would never
have given way. There were only 50 bricks in the arch,
whereas there ought to have been 54.

Mr. BIRD, the contractor for the Company, said it
would be impossible to put so many bricks into the arch.
After some discussion,

Mr. CIIMBERLEDGE moved that notice should be given
to Mr. Bird, the contractor, of the failure of the sewer
in Gloucester-road, and that the Court held him re-
sponsible, and expected to receive from him an imme-
diate proposal for its restoration. He was afraid if they
did not hold Mr. Bird responsible on the present occa-
sion, they would have their works very inefficiently per-
formed in future. He thought Mr. Bird ought to come
forward, and say he was sorry for the failure, and was
willing to take his part in rectifying the matter.
Mr. LESLIE seconded the motion.

M. LE BRETTON moved, as an amendment, that two
eminent civil engineers should be called in, and examine
and report on the state of the sewer.
Mr. MAnmorr seconded the amendment.

Mr. WILLOUGHBY supported the motion of Mr.
Cumberledge. He thought the circumstances that had
been brought forward were overwhelming to call upon
the Court to give notice to the contractor.
After some observations from Mr. Harrison, Mr. F.
Byng, and Mr. Hawkes, the Court divided, when there
appeared—
For the amendment ... 4

Against it ll
Majority against the amendment
The Court again divided upon the original motion,
when there appeared—
For the original motion
Against it
M ' -

ajority for the original motion... —7
The original motion of Mr. Cumberledge was, con-
sequently, carried.
The Court then adjourned till Tuesday, the 28th inst

SUGAR AND COFFEE DUTIES.
THE WEST INDIA BODY.

On Tuesday, pursuant to public advertisement, a general
meeting of planters, merchants, and others interested in the
British West India colonies, took place at Willis's Rooms,
King-street, St. James's, "to consider the propriety of peti-
tioning the Legislature against any alteration in the duties
on sugar, coffee, and cocoa, which should not embrace a re-
duction of the duties OR similar produce from the British
possessions."
Viscount Combermere was called on to preside. The Earl
of Harewood, Viscount St. Vincent, Lord Saltoun, Lord Reay,
Sir W. Codrington, Bart., M.P., Sir A. L. Hay, M.P., Sir A.
Grant, T. M. Stewart, Esq., M.P., Sir W. W. Dolling, Bart.,
Sir John Rae Reid, Sir R. C. Dallas, Sir Alexander
Crichton, Colonel Lindsay, M.P., Sir R. Houston, Bart., Mr.
John Stewart, M.P., Mr. R. Bernal, M.P., Mr. J. B. East,
M.P., :Mr. John Abel Smith, M.P., Mr. J. A. Mackinnon,
M.P., Mr. J. Irving, M.P., Mr. Neil Malcom, Mr. Barge,
Mr. Hibbert, Mr. Carrington, Mr. Kynaston, Mr. Maxwell
Alexander, and a number of other influential West India
proprietors were present.
The Noble CHAIRMAN observed that the meeting had
been convened in consequence of the determination of her
Majesty's Government to make such an alteration of the
duties on sugar, &c., as would, unless a strenuous effort
were made on the part of the West India proprietary
to resist it, involve the whole of them in utter ruin. A
variety of representations had been made to her Majesty's
Ministers upon the subject, but without success, and the only
course now open to them was an appeal to the Legislature.—
(Hear.) The resolutions it was intended to propose, were as
mild as under all the circumstances they could be expected to
be, anti exhibited forcibly the injuries which had been in-
flicted on the West India body of proprietors since the aboli-
tion of slavery.—(Hear.) All they now sought for was pro-
tection, and they had a nght to demand that, if the duties on
the sugar of foreign colonial produce were to be reduced,
the duties on British colonial sugar should be reduced also.
The Noble Lord concluded by hoping that the representations
which would be made that day would induce her Majesty's
Government to take the matter into their earnest and serious
con sideration.—(Cheers.)
The Earl of HAREWOOD proposed the first resolution. He
felt the greatest reliance on her Majesty's Government ;Istill
he was convinced that if their proposed measure were carried
out it would tend much to the injury of the British colonies.
(Hear.) He possessed an estate in Jamaica, upon which his
grandfather had expended from 11,0001. to 12,0001. in hard
cash, and which had generally yielded no return. Indeed,
since slavery had been abolished, he had felt it necessary to
lay the land in fallow, and give up entirely the cultivation of
the estate.—(Hear.) Prior to the abolition of slavery there
were 400 slaves on that estate, but now there was net a
quarter of that number of labourers. He hoped the Govern-
ment would see the necessity of altering their opinions.
Sir EDWARD HYDE EAST seconded the resolution, and
contended that if the project of Ministers were carried, it
would not only destroy the West India colonies, but tend
greatly to depreciate our commercial and State navy.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Lord SALTOUN proposed the second resolution. He was
received with applause. He thanked the meeting for the
warmth with which they had received him on his return to
England. He had had very little to do with the West India
colonies in his own person, but he had ample opportunities
of knowing the claim which the West India colonists had
upon the kind feelings of the mother country, and he could
not shut his eyes to the fact that great injury would result
to the British colonies if the proposition of the Government
were carried out.—(Hear, hear.) It was not only the West
India proprietary body that had to be looked to; they must
bear in mind the vast amount of money wholly arising from
West India property, upon which widows and fatherless
children were dependent.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. CARLNGTON, in seconding the resolution, showed that
it was by legislation on the part of the mother country, and
through no act of their own, that the British West India
islands were reduced to their present position. He repudiated
the idea that the colonies themselves had established slavery,
and declared that, although his property, by its abolition, had
dwindled from thousands to hundreds, he would sooner that
it dwindled to nothing than return to that most inhuman
and debasing system.—(Cheers.) If the present Government
were determined to carry out certain dogmas of political
economy, such as cheap sugar, &c., for the mere sake of po-
pularity here, they had no right to do so at the expense of the
British colonists.
The motion was carried.
Lord REAY moved the third resolution.

Mr. MACKINNON, M.P., seconded the motion. The British
Government had given the colonists 17 millions by way of
compensation, when it was proved, in 1832, that the value of
their property was 140 millions; therefore to say the former
sum was compensation was absurd. He contended that the
Ministry had no right to earn popularity at home by taking
money out of the pockets of the West India colonists.—
(Hear, hear.) The duty and freight of sugar of West India
produce did not amount to less than 335. per hundred weight,
and add to that 275. for the cost of production, it amounted
to nearly 60s. Now, we could purchase Manilla *agar for
17s. per cwt. in bond, and adding a duty of 345., made 51s.—
thus underselling the West India proprietor by Bs. or 9s. per
cwt. in the market. If the Government were really desirous
of giving the public cheap sugar, why did they not reduce
the duty on West India grown sugar to 205., and keep fo-
reign sugar at 345.?-(Hear.)
Viscount ST. VINCENT moved the fourth resolution.
Sir ALEXANDER GRANT, in seconding the proposition, ad-
verted to the loss the planters had suffered from the term of
apprenticeship having been abridged. Abolition of slavery
, reduced the annual importation from the West India islands
and British Guyana from between four and five million hun-
dred weight of sugar annually, to three million five hundred
and twenty thousand six hundred and seventy-six hundred
weights ; and, in 1841, when the apprenticeship was abo-
lished, the importation fell to 2,148,218 cwts. The loss upon
this, including the eight out of the twelve years' apprentice-
ship, which the colonists had lost, amounted to upwards of
fourteen millions sterling.—(Hear, hear.) He therefore de-
nounced the present attempt still further to take money out
of their pockets.—(Hear.)
This resolution was adopted.
Sir W. Codrington, Sir A. Leith Hay, Sir 'R. Dallas, Mr.
J. Stewart, M.P., Sir John Rae Reid, Mr. P. M. Stewart,
M.P., Mr. J. Smith, M.P., and other gentlemen addressed
the meeting, and the remainder of the resolutions, fifteen in
number, were agreed to, as ,was also a petition to the_Legis-
lature founded on them.

Thanks having been awarded to the Noble Chairman, the
meeting separated.

MUNIFICENT DONATION.— Mrs. Gee, of Earls
Colne, has given the sum of 2,0001. towards the erection of a
third church in the parish of Halsted; and a further sum of
1,0001. towards the endowment. The church is to be erected
at Greenstead-green, about two and a half miles from the
town.—lpswich Express.
PEEL'S NEW MONETARY SCIIEME.—The leading
London journals have hailed the new monetary project with
acclamation—eminent private bankers have given it their
concurrence—and the economists regard it as a bold step
towards the 'realization of their principles. At this we are
not much surprised. The English, having never enjoyed the
advantages of a safe paper currency, are not unwilling that
it should be held severely in check ; and the dread they have
of panics from over-speculation, and loss from the failure of
unsound banks, has blinded them to the rcater danger of a
constant and steady decline in commercial greatness, from a
despotic carrying out of the principles of reel's Bill Of 1819.
That any of our Scottish journalists should take the same
one-sided view, is to us, however, a matter of some astonish-
ment. They know that paper issues can be rendered per-
fectly safe, and a very little reflection should satisfy them
that, if there be any truth at all in the alleged influence on
prices of contractions and expansions of the currency, a sys-
tem which provides a fixed amount of money to measure the
value of a constantly-increasing quantity of goods, must
produce a constant sinking of prices—a reduction of profits—
and, consequently, manufacturing and commercial distress.
It is strange, too, that they should not perceive the real effect
of Sir Robert Peel's proposal, which is neither more nor less
than to give Government the virtual control of the whole
issues of the country—a power which few Ministries ought to
be invested with.—Aberdeen Herald.