The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-29 00:00:00

THE MAIN DRAINAGE WORKS.

Mr. LAWLEY called the attention of the Court to
a statement that had appeared in one of the morn-
ing newspapers relative to the mischief and danger
that were likely to result from the quantity of
sewage matter that was deposited in the river at
the outfall. He read the statement he referred to,
which represented that a large mass of putrescent
matter had been deposited in the river, in some
places being twenty feet in thickness, which had
had the effect of almost stopping the navigation,
and which only needed the heat of the sun to spread
sickness and death in all directions. He said he
believed that the Metropolitan Board of Works had
been appealed to upon the subject, and that they
bad expressed an opinion that it was the duty of the
Board of Conservancy of the Thames to abate the
nuisance. The matter was one, as it appeared to
him, of very grave importance to the public, and he
wished to know whether any member of the Metro-
politan Board, or of the Thames Conservancy, who
was present could give any information to the Court
upon the subject.
Deputy CHARLES HEED, one of the members of
the Thames Conservancy Board, said, in reply, that
there was undoubtedly a large deposit of sewage
matter on the banks of the river at the outfall
below bridge, but at present no danger whatever
was apprehended from it to the public health, and
he was in a position at the same time to inform the
Court that the river Thames had never been in a
better condition than it was at present. (Hear,
hear.) There was undoubtedly a very large deposit
of sewage, and it would be necessary to have it re-
moved ; and the only question was, whether the
Metropolitan Board or the Conservators of the
Thames were the parties who ought to pay the ex-
pense.' Communications were going on between
the two bodies upon the subject, and in the mean-
time the public health would not in any way be
endangered by the accumulation of sewage matter.
Mr. J. E. SAUNDERS, one of the representatives
of the city of London at the Metropolitan Board of
Works, corroborated the statement made by Deputy
Reed, that no mischief was to be apprehended from
the present condition of the sewage deposit, and he
said that the Metropolitan Board had directed their
attention to the subject. He observed at the same
time, that the Court woultl remember that the
eg er matter
uctoin,
av
re
lyi
ae n tnot
wa furthert dsanction
Metropolitan Board were anxious originally to have
downthese wt
the proposal, and they were therefore compelled to
have the outfall at the present spot. Negotiations
were, however, going on, the effect of which would
be that the deposit of sewage matter would be re-
moved before it could be productive of any mischief,
and he believed that the only question was, who
were the parties legally
liable for the expense of
this removal.

The matter then dropped.
THE JUDGE OF THE SHERIFFS' COURT.

The CHAMBERLAIN (Mr. Benjamin Scott) in-
formed the Court that he had received a letter from
the solicitor of Mr. Kerr, the judge of the Sheriffs'
Court, making a claim for fees to which he consi-
dered he was entitled under the new County Courts
Act. He had declined to comply with the demand,
and he had since been served with a copy of a writ
of mandamus from the Court of Queen's Bench,
and he wished the Court to direct what course
should be taken.
THE CORPORATION AND THE SEWERS COMMISSION.

Mr. DE, JERSEY, the Chairman of the Commis-
sioners of Sewers of the City of London, called the
attention of the Court to the fact that the commis-
sioners had recently paid a sum of £44,000 for cer-
tain improvements in the city of London, with the
sanction of the Corporation, who had agreed to
contribute £30,000 of this sum. The commissioners
had paid the entire sum, but when they applied to
the Coal and Corn and Finance Committee for the
amount agreed to be paid by the Corporation they
were told that they could not be paid until an ar-
rangement was carried out with a railway company.
The Commissioners of Sewers had been put to very
considerable inconvenience by the deLiy, and he
inquired of the Chamberlain whether he could not
provide the amount due from the Corporation from
some other source.

The CHAMBERLAIN, in reply, said all he could
state was that an arbitration was going on at that
moment between the Corporation and the railway
company interested (the Metropolitan Extension
Railway), and the moment the award was given
the amount guaranteed by the Corporation would
be handed over to the Commissioners of Sewers. He
added that there were no other funds belonging to
the corporation from which the amount could be
paid. (Hear, hear, and laughter.)
Mr. DE JERSEY—Then the corporation has no
funds. (Renewed laughter.)