The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-16 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1850,

An announcement made in our impression of last
evening will have acquainted the public with the
fact, that an eminent engineer has reported favour-
ably on the selection of Erith as the locality chosen I
by Government fur the Metropolitan Cemetery. Any
circumstance which tends in any manner to expedite
the carrying out of the system of extramural inter-
ment must be eagerly welcomed by the inhabitants of
tU, capital ; and consequently the intimation to which
we are alluding cannot fail in affording general satis-
faction. However much we may object to the defici-
encies of the measure passed during the last session
through the Imperial Legislature, we are still alive to
the great advantages accruing to the metropolis and its
vicinity from the simple fact of any such interference
having taken place on the part of the Parliament.
The concessions - made in the Metropolitan Inter-
ments Bill to the clergy of the Establishment continue,
of course, as they have done hitherto, to fill us with
regret at such an enormous dereliction of duty on the
part of the House of Commons, an assembly to
which the people have ever looked with con-
fidence as to the conservators of the rights
and liberties of the population. We lament
especially the circumstance that, in yielding thus
largely to the ecclesiastical authorities, the Govern-
ment have consented !n an evil hour to authorize any
body of men, but especially the clerical minority, to
levy rates at their pleasure upon the multitude. Be-
sides this, it is matter of serious regret on our
part that the local board presiding over
the administration of the affairs of the ceme-
tery will remain subject to the domination of
the metropolitan clergy, and especially of the Right
Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of LONDON.
Affecting the popular interests as the matter does so
very peculiarly and intimately,we should have wished to
see the system of extramural sepulture screened by
every means from the interposition of any other
authority than that immediately emanating from
the people themselves. Nevertheless, the first
question was, not How shall the change be effected?
but Shall the change be effected at all ? And hence,
while looking dejectedly at the blunders which have
been permitted to mar the symmetry of the recent
bold and beneficent innovation, we are prepared to
exult most cordially over the mere consideration that
the Legislature has adventured at last upon any such
reform whatever.
Scarcely lees than in the enactment itself, we have
recognised blemishes in the selection of Erith as the
locality for the Metropolitan Cemetery. We have
done more than this : we have directed attention to
those blemishes again and again in our leading cia-
lumns. We have pointed out the too close proximity
of the site to London, Erith being scarcely removed
b'yond the atmosphere of the capital. We
have intimated the inadequate E xtent of the
ground as contrasted with our periodical
to
mortality. We have objected the access
being principally, if not entirely, by means of
that unfortunate river, Old Father Thames, already
one might have imagined sufficiently contaminated.
We have shown that from the unnecessary magnitude
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